Author: George Charlton Matson Publisher: Forgotten Books ISBN: 9780331621938 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 130
Book Description
Excerpt from The Phosphate Deposits of Florida: A Dissertation Lithologic character. - The Vicksburg group includes white \or light colored porous limestones, which are generally soft and crumble So easily that it is difficult to obtain good specimens. On exposure to the air, however, the surface of the limestone hardens as a result of the deposition of calcium carbonate in the outer pores of the rock. Samples obtained in drilling deep wells show that these rocks are remarkably uniform in color and texture to a depth of several hundred feet beneath the surface in the peninsula of Florida. However, the upper part of the limestones of the peninsula include a slight admix ture of land-derived sediments, such as clay and fine sand, and well records indicate that similar conditions exist in western Florida. Layers of light-blue or gray chert, ranging in thickness from a fraction of an inch to several feet, occur in the limestones of this group. Irregular masses and bowlders of flint are found at many places where the rocks belonging to this group are at the surface, and the shells embedded in this flint serve as a valuable guide to determine the areal extent of the rocks of Vicksburg age. Distribution - The limestones of the Vicksburg group underlie all of Florida, but except in small areas in the peninsula and in western Florida they are covered by younger beds of sand, clay, or limestone. In the peninsula the principal area in which these limestones lie at or near the surface extends from a point near Sutherland, Hillsboro County, and Dadc City, Pasco County, northward nearly to Fort White and Lake City Junction, Columbia County. The best expo sures are in Pasco, Sumter, Lake, Citrus, Hernando, Marion, Levy, Lafayette, Alachua, Suwannee, and Columbia counties. Near the margin of the area of the Vicksburg (see map, Pl. 1, in pocket) there are many more or less isolated exposures, the best known being the outliers in Taylor, Jefferson, Columbia, and Suwannee counties. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
Author: Arch Fredric Blakey Publisher: Harvard University Press ISBN: Category : Business & Economics Languages : en Pages : 248
Book Description
"For every problem there is a solution--simple, neat, and wrong." H. L. Mencken made this observation years ago, and it is quoted at the beginning of Fred Blakey's study of Florida's phosphate industry. Few people would disagree that there is a real environmental crisis facing the world today. The cause is unrestrained growth of the population, of economies, and of the exploitation of natural resources. The author points out that this viewpoint is foreign to a people who have equated growth with progress, and bigness with goodness. Only recently have Americans conceded that their resources are not inexhaustible. Blakey tells us that we have been bombarded with solutions to a problem that professionals view as not yet fully understood nor adequately defined. Americans face the problem not only of pollution, but of management, of values, of their very way of life. If the earth is to provide the materials for the survival of man's society, then a prudent society must provide for an intimate understanding of the earth. Phosphorus, the topic of this study, is an element necessary for all forms of life. Long before carbon, nitrogen, or oxygen supplies become critically short, the supply of phosphorus will be exhausted. When this happens, Blakey assures us, life will end, and he demonstrates that we are losing ever-increasing amounts of this vital element every year. This work presents a microscopic view of the ecological problems and prospects in the conservation and use of the mineral. Specifically, it is a history of the Florida phosphate industry. If the record of the Florida phosphate industry is any guide, then ecological disaster need not occur, but enlightened use of phosphorus and all other natural resources would seem to be imperative. The author tells us it is necessary to redefine some of our traditional priorities, beliefs, and values. Failure to do this indicates a willingness to continue to accept solutions that are "simple, neat--and wrong."