Arikaree Breaks
Encyclopedia
39.97°N 102°W
The Arikaree Breaks are badlands
in northwest Kansas. They form a two to three mile wide break of rough terrain between the plains of northwestern Kansas
and eastern Colorado
and the south sides of the Arikaree
and Republican
river basins. The breaks extend from Rawlins County, Kansas
westward across Cheyenne County, Kansas
and into Yuma County, Colorado
.
The Arikaree Breaks were carved by water. The soil here called Loess
was blown to the area around 10,000 years ago. The soil has a tendency to erode, forming nearly vertical cliffs. This kind of soil is also found in northeast Kansas, southwest Nebraska, and Iowa. The soil in that part of the state forms the Loess Hills
.
The Arikaree Breaks are badlands
Badlands
A badlands is a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded by wind and water. It can resemble malpaís, a terrain of volcanic rock. Canyons, ravines, gullies, hoodoos and other such geological forms are common in badlands. They are often...
in northwest Kansas. They form a two to three mile wide break of rough terrain between the plains of northwestern Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and eastern Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and the south sides of the Arikaree
Arikaree River
The Arikaree River is a tributary of the Republican River that starts near Limon in Lincoln County, Colorado. The river flows east into Kansas, crossing the extreme northwestern corner of that state before entering Nebraska...
and Republican
Republican River
The Republican River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America, flowing through the U.S. states of Nebraska and Kansas.-Geography:...
river basins. The breaks extend from Rawlins County, Kansas
Rawlins County, Kansas
Rawlins County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 2,519. The largest city and county seat is Atwood...
westward across Cheyenne County, Kansas
Cheyenne County, Kansas
Cheyenne County is a county located in Northwest Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 2,726. Its county seat and most populous city is St...
and into Yuma County, Colorado
Yuma County, Colorado
Yuma County is the 14th most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 9,841 at U.S. Census 2000...
.
The Arikaree Breaks were carved by water. The soil here called Loess
Loess
Loess is an aeolian sediment formed by the accumulation of wind-blown silt, typically in the 20–50 micrometre size range, twenty percent or less clay and the balance equal parts sand and silt that are loosely cemented by calcium carbonate...
was blown to the area around 10,000 years ago. The soil has a tendency to erode, forming nearly vertical cliffs. This kind of soil is also found in northeast Kansas, southwest Nebraska, and Iowa. The soil in that part of the state forms the Loess Hills
Loess Hills
The Loess Hills are a formation of wind-deposited loess soil in the westernmost part of Iowa and Missouri along the Missouri River.-Geology:The Loess Hills are generally located between 1 and east of the Missouri River channel...
.