OCT. 19, 1921 abstracts: geochemistry 419 



remaining 21 pages of the bulletin are given to a rather detailed account of 

 previous drilling in or near Baxter Basin, that is, mainly on the Rock Springs 

 dome, with brief discussion of the beds that would probably yield oil and of 

 analyses of oils from nearby fields. The author believes that the Frontier 

 sandstones and the Aspen formation, both of which are at the base of the 

 Upper Cretaceous and which in most of the area would be reached at depths 

 of from 2U00 to 4U00 feet, will prove to be the principal oil-producing beds. 



Marcus I. Goldman. 



GEOLOGY. — Coal in the middle and eastern parts of San Juan County, New 

 Mexico. Clyde M. Bauer and John B. Reeside, Jr., U. S. Geol. 

 Survey Bull. 716-G. Pp. 82, pis. 19. 1921. 



This report describes briefly the geography and geology of San Juan Coimty, 

 New Mexico, and in detail the coal deposits of the middle and eastern parts. 

 The geologic section includes 9 formations assigned to the Upper Cretaceous 

 and 4 formations assigned to the Eocene. Coal occurs in 2 Upper Cretaceous 

 formations — the Menefee formation of the Mesaverde group and the Fruitland 

 formation. The coal beds of the Menefee formation are in 2 groups, one in the 

 lower part of the formation and one in the upper part, with a barren interval 

 between. Individual beds are lenticular and very variable in thickness and 

 composition. The coal beds of the Fruitland formation are usually grouped in 

 the lower part of the formation and are more persistent and thicker than those 

 of the older jMenefee formation. The number of beds and the quality of the 

 coal decreases from north to south. The coal of both formations is of bitu- 

 minuous rank in the northern part and of sub-bituminous rank in the southern 

 part of the county. The total quantity of coal is large but under present 

 conditions will be developed for local use only, J, B. R. 



GEOLOGY. — The iron-ore resottrces of Europe. Max RoeslER. U. S. 

 Geol. Survey Bull. 706. Pp. 152. 1921. 



This bulletin, which is the outgrowth of a report compiled by the U. S. 

 Geological Survey for use at the Peace Conference, is the result of the study 

 of a wealth of literature by many writers in many languages. The author 

 has attempted to reduce the available information to nearly common scale, 

 and to present briefly the distribution, character, and extent of the deposits 

 in the various countries of Europe. The graphic review of the deposits is 

 preceded by a brief sketch of the nature and geology of iron-ore deposits in 

 general and a few notes on the methods of utilizing the ores. The production 

 and consumption of the principal countries is given. The report contains 

 many maps and diagrams and an extensive bibliography. R. W. Stone. 



GEOCHEMISTRY. — Chemical researches on sediments. H. E. Merwin. 

 Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer. 31: 419-424. 1920. 



A general discussion of various phases of the chemical problems connected 

 with the study of sedimentary rocks. The problems are difficult because 

 of the complexity of the chemical solutions, the small solubility and lack of 

 definite crystallinity of many of the substances, and the persistence of unstable 

 phases. Diffusion in the solid state, consolidation under difi"erential stress, 

 adsorption, slow reactions, and effects of catalysis are discussed both in 

 general terms and in their relation to the formation of dolomite and phosphate 

 rocks and the oceanic red clay. H. E. M. 



