Peat

Peat

I don't think that I would have thought of peat as a mineral.  After all, it is plant remains.  I guess that it falls into minerals and rocks because it is precursor to coal.  I suppose that it is the process of metamorphosis that changes it into coal.  Geofacts No. 11 says that it takes 10 feet of peat to make 1 foot of coal.  Would that make coal a metamorphic rock?  Stay tuned, we will discuss that tomorrow.  Peat is a wonderful addition to soil for added humus.  I sometimes add it along with sand to lighten soil which is mostly clay.  It really takes a lot!  I don't suppose that it would be practical to apply it to farm fields.


 http://www.larrysimages.com/


Blog



feed:  http://www.larryatlarrysimages.com.blogspot.com/atom.xml


If you wish to unsubscribe, email to larry@larrysimages.com with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

Salt

Salt

 

 

 

Table Salt

The next mineral on the Geofacts No. 11 handout is salt.  I was proud to note that Ohio is 3rd in salt production.  I have known about the salt mines under Lake Erie near Cleveland for several years.  I saw a Science Channel show on the subject.  I think that they are about 1000 feet underground.  They leave salt pillars every so far to support the ceiling.  Though not in Ohio, there is another, perhaps larger mine in or near Detroit.  Salt forms into the crystal habit (second picture) of cube when water evaporates.  It can also form as a sediment (probably first picture).  We are all aware of its use on the table and at this time of year on the roads.  The other uses are outlined in the Geofacts No. 11.

http://www.larrysimages.com/


Blog



feed:  http://www.larryatlarrysimages.com.blogspot.com/atom.xml


If you wish to unsubscribe, email to larry@larrysimages.com with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

Gypsum

Selenite

Today, we are looking at gypsum.  Wikipedia tells me that selenite is a form of gypsum.  I read that gypsum is used in wall board for houses.  I initially thought that this was a modern innovation.  I learned, today, that it is also contained in the lath and plaster walls of older homes.  Gypsum is a mineral which forms from a solution of calcium sulfate and water.  It is like salt in that regard.  You can't see it in solution but as the water evaporates, it becomes visible.  It is found in many every day items, see  Geofacts No. 11.  It seems that Ohio ranks 15th in the production of gypsum.


http://www.larrysimages.com/


Blog



feed:  http://www.larryatlarrysimages.com.blogspot.com/atom.xml


If you wish to unsubscribe, email to larry@larrysimages.com with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.  

Clay and Shale

Shale

According to Geofacts No. 11, "clay is a sediment of soft plastic consistency composed mostly of extremely fine grained minerals known as clay minerals."  I understand that shale is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of clay.  Again, the uses of these minerals are varied.  Read what the handout has to say.

My father's farm had soil in certain spots of the fields which he called clay.  It was difficult to plow, disc and cultivate.  It seemed to me that it lacked humus.  It did not grow crops well.  When the weather became dry it became very hard, slowing or eliminating plant growth.

Later, I discovered that clay is also found in stream beds and elsewhere.  Some potters collect their own clay from nature.  They make pottery and the like with it.  When it is shaped, they fire it in a kiln and it becomes hard.

I was unaware of the connection between clay and shale until Tom's lecture.  It is interesting to note that the European settlers were using clay in the late 1700's for bricks, tile, and china. 

http://www.larrysimages.com/


Blog



feed:  http://www.larryatlarrysimages.com.blogspot.com/atom.xml


If you wish to unsubscribe, email to larry@larrysimages.com with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

Sandstone with embedded Agate

Tom's handout, Geofacts No. 11, also discusses Sandstone and Conglomerate.  I had always thought of sandstone as the equivalent of sand.  Somewhere it is said not to build your house on sand.  I was surprised to observe that some buildings I once owed were built on a sandstone foundation.  The buildings were near the end of their serviceable life when I owned them.  The foundation was disintegrating inside and out.  There was still ample mass remaining to comfortably support the weight of the building.  I learned from the handout that sandstone was being used the 1800's for foundations.  It is also used for many things used in our daily lives.  Check it out!


http://www.larrysimages.com/


Blog



feed:  http://www.larryatlarrysimages.com.blogspot.com/atom.xml


If you wish to unsubscribe, email to larry@larrysimages.com with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
 

Sand and Gravel in Ohio

Use of Sand and Gravel

I am referring to Geofacts No. 11, Tom's handout, here.  Sand and gravel are used, among other things, in construction.  In the picture above, sand is used to make the mortar used to bind the blocks together.  When it is time to put the dirt back into the area outside the block, right, gravel is used so that water will drain away and not stand against the outside of the block wall.  You can see what ODNR has to say about their other uses by clicking on the link above.

http://www.larrysimages.com/


Blog



feed:  http://www.larryatlarrysimages.com.blogspot.com/atom.xml

If you wish to unsubscribe, email to larry@larrysimages.com with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

Limestone

Limestone

Tom Kottyan handed out Geofacts No. 11 at his lecture .  It gives facts about the "rocks and minerals in Ohio and their uses."  I have been meaning to read it and began today by reading about Limestone and Dolomite.  My family likes to vacation near the Lake Erie Islands and we normally visit the quarries if possible.  I know that I have been curious about these locations and wondered about their use.  It appears to be big business.  This little fact sheet helped me understand.  If you have been curious about such things, click on the link above and read the part about Limestone and Dolomite.

Incidentally, if I understand correctly, this is the kind of rock found in caves.  A weak acid, Carbonic Acid, washes through seams and cracks.  The acid reacts with the Limestone, "eating" it away.  After a long time, caves are formed.  I am thinking of Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.  Also, there is a cave named Indian Cave in the southern part of Delaware County, Ohio.  This kind of cave is accompanied by a topography, lay of the land, known as Karst.  It is characterized by rolling land with sinkholes.  

I, for some reason, love caves.  I have all my life.  I remember, in high school, we had study-hall in the lunchroom/library.  I worked diligently to complete my assignments so that I would not have to take homework, which seldom if ever, happened.  If I did complete my homework, I had a favorite book near my table, The Caves Beyond by Joe Lawrence, Jr. and Roger W. Brucker.  It was the story of the Floyd Collins' Crystal Cave Exploration.  The true story happened just a few miles from Mammoth Cave.

http://www.larrysimages.com/


Blog



feed:  http://www.larryatlarrysimages.com.blogspot.com/atom.xml


If you wish to unsubscribe, email to larry@larrysimages.com with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.