Dear friends and customers of FGS,

Earth Science Week is generally the most popular of our fall activities and this year was no exception. In fact, we experienced record breaking attendance! Hundreds of visitors enjoyed touring our new facility and participating in hands-on learning stations. We also received numerous compliments about the Survey’s new museum that includes dozens of interesting rocks, minerals and fossils, many of which were donated. Highlights among contributed specimens include fossil corals, calcite-covered mollusks, and shark teeth on loan from the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville. As always, if you are in the Tallahassee area, we invite you to stop by - we would enjoy showing you around. Our hallways are lined with posters describing our current projects, historic geologic maps and educational materials.

Best Regards,

Jonathan D. Arthur, Ph.D., P.G.
Director and State Geologist
Florida Geological Survey
Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Banner photo: Pinnacles and paleosinkholes in Ocala Limestone, Jones Quarry, Jackson County, FL.

•GEOFACT - What Types of Rocks are Mined in Florida?   More…

•FGS Collaborates with the Florida Wildlife Conservation CommissionMore…

•Walter Schmidt Museum of Florida Geology Opens at New FGS Facility More…

•“Visualizing Earth Systems” at 18th Annual Earth Science Week   More…

•DEP/FGS Employee Jackie Lloyd Retires with Honors   More…

•See Previous Editions of FGS News and Research More…

Limestone, clay, peat, phosphate rock, sand and gravel, crushed stone and heavy mineral sands are all mined in Florida. Periodically, the Florida Geological Survey (FGS) assists the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in compiling Florida’s mineral production information. The USGS then includes this information in the U.S. Minerals Yearbook, a summary of national mineral production. A combined volume of the yearbook for the years 2012 and 2013 is set to be published in 2016. In 2012, the value of Florida’s nonfuel mineral production was $3.8 billion, ranking fourth out of the top 22 producing states. Here is a preview of Florida’s minerals production and rankings for 2012 and 2013:

• High-purity limestone: Limestone is mined in Florida for use in the manufacture of clinker for cement, which is created by fusing limestone particles together in a cement kiln. In 2012, clinker production in Florida was 3.687 million metric tons. Florida’s masonry cement production was ranked second in the U.S. in 2012 and rose to first in the nation in 2013.

• Clays: Common clay, Fuller’s earth clay and kaolin are all mined in Florida. Common clay is most commonly used as fill and road base material. Fuller’s earth clay is used in a variety of ways, including as a pet waste absorbent, as a thickener in drilling muds and paints, as carriers in fertilizers, as a method of absorbing water in packaged goods, as soil and grease absorbents, and to decontaminate the clothing and equipment of servicemen and women, as well as emergency responders’ clothing which has been contaminated with chemical agents. The kaolin mined in Florida is used in ceramics manufacturing, in the production of floor and wall tile and in refractory materials. In 2012, Florida produced 92,000 metric tons of clay.

• Peat: Peat mined in Florida is used principally in garden cultivation and management. In 2012, Florida accounted for 69 percent of U.S. peat production with 336,000 metric tons produced, and 73 percent with 338,000 metric tons produced in 2013.

• Phosphate rock: In Florida, phosphate rock is used to produce phosphoric acid and phosphatic fertilizers. The Florida phosphate industry is concentrated in Hamilton, Hardee, Hillsborough, Manatee and Polk counties. In 2012, phosphatic material was mined at six mines located in those counties and represented 65 percent of the U.S. domestic annual production.

• Sand and gravel: Silica sand and gravel mined in Florida is used in glassmaking, concrete, well construction, filters and as foundry sands for metal casing. In 2012, Florida’s silica sand and gravel production was 13.7 million metric tons and 15.7 million metric tons in 2013.

• Crushed stone: Florida’s crushed stone consists of limestone and dolostone - carbonate rock containing magnesium. When mined, it is used in manufacturing cement and concrete as an agricultural additive, and as road base and construction material. It is also used as land coverings and riprap. The total crushed construction stone used or sold in Florida in 2012 and 2013 was 47,100 metric tons and 52,600 metric tons respectively. In 2012 and 2013, Florida ranked sixth and fourth respectively in crushed stone production nationally. 

• Heavy mineral sands: Heavy mineral sands consisting primarily of ilmenite, leucoxene, rutile, staurolite and zirconium are mined from mineral concentrations known as placer deposits. Placer deposits are created by the winnowing, under the action of wind and water, of heavy mineral grains from lighter weight mineral grains. Florida’s heavy minerals are mined from ancient dune and beach ridges. Ilmenite, leucoxene and rutile are minerals that contain titanium, which is used to manufacture titanium dioxide pigments. Staurolite and zirconium are used as input material in the manufacture of industrial abrasives. There was no production data publically available for heavy mineral sands mined in Florida during 2012 and 2013.

Contact person/info: Harley Means 

The Florida Geological Survey is collaborating with its sister agency, the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to investigate the shallow sea floor off the shores of west and northwest Florida. Florida is part of a larger landmass known as the Florida Platform. Approximately half of the platform’s landmass is submerged beneath the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. The shallow submerged portions of the Florida Platform along the coast provide unique habitats for game fish and other marine animals that are important to Florida’s economy. There may also exist mineral deposits and other geologic features of interest that are currently undiscovered. This collaborative effort is providing important information about Florida’s northwest coastal zone.

The FWC is using the FGS’ 50-foot research vessel, the RV GeoQuest, to collect side-scan sonar data over selected areas of interest. The researchers deploy a tow-behind device, called a “tow-fish,” that sends out sonic pulses which bounce off the sea floor and are returned to a microphone. By calculating the time it takes for the pulses to bounce off the sea floor and return to the microphone, it is possible to generate an “image” of the sea floor along the vessel’s track. Areas that show abrupt changes in bottom topography could be locations where rock exposures provide protective habitat for many species of marine animals. By identifying areas where rock is exposed on the sea floor, geologists obtain an understanding of the geology of the area. These images, coupled with video, photographs and sea-floor samples, may one day allow the FGS to produce geologic maps for such an important and understudied part of the state.

Contact person/info: Dan Phelps

Over the past 108 years, geologists at the Florida Geological Survey collected thousands of rock, mineral and fossil specimens found throughout Florida. The FGS has maintained these collections, provided displays for the public and made the collections accessible to scientists over the years. The lobby of the former FGS headquarters, the Herman Gunter Building, displayed various collections ranging from calcite specimens to an articulated skeleton of an 18-million-year-old dugong, a medium-sized marine mammal that resembles a manatee. These exhibits were dismantled, packed and moved into our new facility at 3000 Commonwealth Blvd. in February of this year. The specimens were cleaned, repaired and updated with new labels and put on display at the new facility in time for the Fall FGS Open House, which was held during Earth Science Week. Hundreds of visitors were able to explore our museum and discover what makes Florida’s geology unique.

The new facility has two areas dedicated to exhibits of geologic interest. Upon entering the museum area, guests are greeted by the fossil dugong skeleton, which has been a focal point for FGS visitors for decades. Other exhibits include two video monitors that display various slide shows of Florida’s geologic features, and videos depicting FGS activities and educational information about Florida’s geology. Along the west wall of the lobby area, visitors can view an exhibit of fossil shark teeth, a full-size replica of an extinct mako shark jaw, various vertebrate fossils and a display of agatized coral heads from the Withlacoochee River. The mako shark jaw and the coral heads were loaned to the FGS by the Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH), with whom the FGS has enjoyed a long, collaborative relationship. Over the decades, thousands of vertebrate and invertebrate fossil specimens collected by FGS staff have been transferred to the FLMNH for further study and archiving.  

A sliding glass door separates the lobby museum displays from various exhibits that range from calcite specimens and speleothems (cave deposits) to fossil echinoids and petrified wood. Some specimens of note include calcite-filled fossil clam shells from Okeechobee County and calcite crystal-laden limestone boulders collected from Citrus County. The legacy of Florida’s fifth State Geologist, Walter Schmidt, is honored with the museum’s name: The Walter Schmidt Museum of Florida Geology.

Many of the items on display in this area were collected by FGS staff geologists or donated by people who have worked with the FGS over the years. We welcome contributions of museum-quality specimens from public and private entities alike.

Contact person/info: Harley Means   

In celebration of the 18th annual Earth Science Week, the FGS hosted two days of events at the FGS’ new facility. The theme this year was “visualizing earth systems.” On Thursday, Oct. 15, sixth-grade science students from Maclay School and an introductory geology class from Tallahassee Community College came to learn about geology in Florida, what geologists do, and about the FGS Internship Program.

On Friday, Oct. 16, the FGS opened its doors to the public from noon until 6 p.m. giving a glimpse into the new FGS facility and what we have to offer. A geologic time scale chalked on the front driveway welcomed guests as they arrived, along with the mobile drill rig, a fossil dig for children, educational brochures and friendly staff. Upon entering the building, guests were greeted in the new Walter Schmidt Museum of Florida Geology. Indoor learning stations included the Herman Gunter Library, an activity room where younger guests could make fossils using shells and Play-Doh, an offshore geophysics presentation and a Suwannee Basin Spring studies presentation. Guests of all ages enjoyed exploring magnification of various rocks and minerals with microscopes, as well as learning about sample processing and 3D visualizations of geological data. At times we were at full capacity as scores of people learned about Florida’s geology; they now have a better understanding of why the FGS mission is important to the state.

Over the course of the two-day event, more than 330 people visited the facility, the largest attendance in the history of FGS’ Earth Science Week!

Contact person/info: Christopher P. Williams