From 1911-1964 the United States produced nonrenewable natural resources whose value was $458,101 billion, yielding a return of $151,569 per sq mi; with this as the expected value, one finds that the individual states have returned from $9.6 × 10³ to $1 × 10⁶ per sq mi. Thus the return is not uniform. Return does not appear to depend solely on geology, and in particular is independent of surface geology. In fact, the distribution of return in dollar value per square mile is log-normal and, in these terms, dollar return per unit area is a random variable. This implies that any area large enough may be equally well blessed in resources to return at least the expected value of the United States.

In this period the return for Kansas is $196.402 × 10³ per sq. mi; with basement at 5,000 feet, this is equivalent to the return per cubic mile. For the year 1960 the distribution of unit regional value per square mile per county ranges from $36 × 10³ to $6.76 × 10³; the effect of the Central Kansas uplift is, of course, obvious but what is not by any means clear is whether those areas with very much lower than average value have been given an equal opportunity to achieve their true level of return.

On the basis of unit regional value it appears possible to classify areas into those which are largely depleted, those worthy of additional search, and those which have received little attention. Because the existence of resources in an area is not the sole determinant of its value, the unit regional value concept may be used as a useful planning tool.

End_of_Article - Last_Page 1688------------