7:30-9:00: Meet in hotel cafe for orientation,
including introductions, expectations, evaluation, Kansas
geosciences primer, and Stan Herd discussion.
geosciences primer, and Stan Herd discussion.
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What kind of geoscience issues does Stan
have to consider to produce his art? If students had ground access to an unknown Stan Herd field, could they use a compass and graph paper to 'unveil' what is in the field? (You can't tell what these are from the ground.) |
The majority of the day will be spent following a
geosciences driving tour that was designed by the Kansas Geological Survey.
To see the full description of this trip click
here.
We will change the sequence of the KGS trip and follow
the map stops in a 1-4-3-2 sequence.
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| Map by KGS |
9:00-9:30: Directions: Drive
north on Iowa Street to 23rd Street and turn right. 23rd becomes Clinton
Parkway here. Drive about 6 mi. to Douglas County 458 (the road over Clinton Dam) and
turn south (left). Go 300 yards and park in the lot. Walk the remaining half mile on the
bike path to the spillway.
9:30-10:15: The spillway will serve as a place to observe
Pennsylvanian formations and illustrate
cyclotherms that were formed by different
depositional regimes. Review Geology.Parkway here. Drive about 6 mi. to Douglas County 458 (the road over Clinton Dam) and
turn south (left). Go 300 yards and park in the lot. Walk the remaining half mile on the
bike path to the spillway.
For the full description of this stop by the Kansas Geological Survey, click here.
The last stop of this trip for us (stop 2 on the map) is reflected here at Echo Cliff on the stratigraphic map. Clinton spillway shows the Oread and Lawrence Pennsylvanian formations 
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| Photo by KGS |
Courtesy of KGS |
10:15-11:00: Drive back to Lawrence, go east
on 23rd about 1.5 miles and turn north (left) on
Massachusetts. Drive through downtown Lawrence, take note of the historic Eldridge
Hotel (burned in Quantrills Raid during the Civil War) where we will stay on the last night.
Also note the Freestate Brewery (an excellent local brewery where we could convene on
the last night if the Eldridge is a bit too genteel). Note the huge glacial erratic at the
entrance to the bridge. Cross the Mass. Street bridge over the Kaw and observe the levee
built in response to the Flood of '51.
Massachusetts. Drive through downtown Lawrence, take note of the historic Eldridge
Hotel (burned in Quantrills Raid during the Civil War) where we will stay on the last night.
Also note the Freestate Brewery (an excellent local brewery where we could convene on
the last night if the Eldridge is a bit too genteel). Note the huge glacial erratic at the
entrance to the bridge. Cross the Mass. Street bridge over the Kaw and observe the levee
built in response to the Flood of '51.
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| Courtesy of United States Geological Survey
(USGS) |
Drive
about 1 mile to the intersection of 24/40 and check out the highwater
mark on the
cement teepees.
10:15-11:30: Drive 24 west through the Kansas (Kaw) River floodplain, noting the topography and
agriculture. Stop at the K-4 / US-24 interchange. Walk on the flat bench excavated in the
road cut and look for 300 million-year-old Pennsylvanian fossils in the rock about 6-7 ft.
above the bench.
12:30-1:15: Take 40 west to Carlson Rd., which runs
down the Shawnee/ Wabaunsee county line, and
turn south (left). Look for non-native quartzite boulders that were deposited from the
southern end of retreating ice age glaciers.
cement teepees.
10:15-11:30: Drive 24 west through the Kansas (Kaw) River floodplain, noting the topography and
agriculture. Stop at the K-4 / US-24 interchange. Walk on the flat bench excavated in the
road cut and look for 300 million-year-old Pennsylvanian fossils in the rock about 6-7 ft.
above the bench.
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| Photos by |
KGS |
For a
full KGS description of this stop click
here.
11:30-12:30: Take 24/40 into Topeka and drive towards I-70. Find a roadside restaurant and have lunch.
11:30-12:30: Take 24/40 into Topeka and drive towards I-70. Find a roadside restaurant and have lunch.
turn south (left). Look for non-native quartzite boulders that were deposited from the
southern end of retreating ice age glaciers.
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| Photo by KGS |
These glacial erratics are metamorphic rocks that
were formed further north when sandstone metamorphized into quartzite. Much
later glacial episodes pushed them into Kansas and deposited them here
when the glaciers retreated.
1:15-2:30: Drive Carlson Rd. south to K-4 at the town of Dover and turn west (right).
Drive 1.5 mi. west, then turn south (left) and follow the gravel road about a mile.
Just before crossing a bridge, turn east (left) into the Echo Creek picnic area. This is an
example of an ancient stream bed deposit. Crossbedding and erosion patterns through the
Pennsylvanian deposits are shown. For the full KGS description, click here.
1:15-2:30: Drive Carlson Rd. south to K-4 at the town of Dover and turn west (right).
Drive 1.5 mi. west, then turn south (left) and follow the gravel road about a mile.
Just before crossing a bridge, turn east (left) into the Echo Creek picnic area. This is an
example of an ancient stream bed deposit. Crossbedding and erosion patterns through the
Pennsylvanian deposits are shown. For the full KGS description, click here.
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| Figure and Photo by |
KGS |
2:30-4:00: Drive back to Carlson Rd. and drive north
to I-70. Get on I-70 west. From I-70,
take the McDowell Creek exit (307) between the Manhattan and Junction City exits.
Go North 5 miles and turn right on the marked road to the Konza headquarters.
4:00-5:00: Get settled into the rooms and take a look around.
There is even a self service and self-cleaned
kitchen available.
take the McDowell Creek exit (307) between the Manhattan and Junction City exits.
Go North 5 miles and turn right on the marked road to the Konza headquarters.
4:00-5:00: Get settled into the rooms and take a look around.
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| Photos by Tom Geyer |
$12 room |
$10 bunkhouse Good Deal. |
5:00-???: A 15-20 minute drive puts us
in Manhattan. We will buy provisions for tomorrow's breakfast
and lunch. Choose a restaurant and eat in Manhattan. Evening activities will be in Manhattan,
then return to The Konza Prairie Biological Station for the night.
and lunch. Choose a restaurant and eat in Manhattan. Evening activities will be in Manhattan,
then return to The Konza Prairie Biological Station for the night.
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| There's
no place like home. |