﻿REPORT ON THE PHOSPHATE FIELDS OK SOUTH CAROLINA. 5 



Shepard, published by Chazal, 1 shows the various strata and their 

 content of phosphoric acid. 



Table I. — Thickness and character of strata in phosphate regions of South Carolina as 



determined from a well. 



Character of stratum. 



Clay 



Fhosphatic nodules 



Marl. 



Do 



Argillaceous marl 



Phospliatic nodules 



Argillaceous marl 



Do 



Phosphatic nodules 



Do 



Argillaceous marl ' 



Phosphalic nodules 



Hard marl 



Argillaceous marl 



Do _ 



Do 



Do 



Phosphalic nodules 



Argillaceous marl 



Marl and phosphatic grains 



Argillaceous marl 



Sandy marl 



Do 



Hard marl 



Phosphal ic pebbles 



Hard pebbly marl 



Sandy limestone " 



Firm limestone 



Sandy limestone 



Depth of 



s Ira la. 



Content of 

 phosphoric 



acid. 



Feet. 



Per cent. 



17- 20 



0.42 



26- 30 



26.79 



20- 30 



3.07 



34 



3.01 



46 



2.03 



70 



22.72 



85 



1.26 



90 



1.51 



104 



13.38 



110-112 



23. 60 



110-112 



10. 65 



125-128 



15.81 



125-128 



1.23 



145 



Traces. 



170 



Traces. 



228 



Traces. 



255 



Traces. 



280 



22.47 



286 



.60 



287-290 



5.96 



300-305 



3.37 



305-300 



.90 



307 



.80 



309-311 



.63 



312-313 



27.72 



312-313 



2.47 



315-316 



1.02 



321-322 



.95 



323 



1.05 



. Equivalent 

 in bone 

 phosphate 



of lime. 



Per cent. 



0.92 



58.48 



6.70 



6.57 



." 4.43 



49.59 



2.74 



3.30 



29.20 



51.52 



23.24 



34.91 



2.68 



49. 05 

 1.31 



13.01 

 7.37 

 1.96 

 1.75 

 1.37 



60.52 

 5.39 

 2.22 

 2.07 

 2.29 



1 Including phosphatic nodules. 

 PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES. 



The South Carolina phosphates occur in nodules varying from the 

 size of sand grains to bowlders weighing several tons. The rock 

 varies in hardness and texture from soft porous material to hard, 

 lustrous, flintlike pieces. The nodules are sometimes smooth 

 rounded or kidney shaped, closely resembling "coprolites," but more 

 often they are irregular in shape, pitted, or completely perforated, 

 the holes usually being filled with sand and clay, which has to be 

 removed by washing. In color the rock varies from grayish white 

 to almost jet black, and between these two extremes there are a 

 variety of shades of red, yellow, and brown. 



The River Rock and that found in the marshes is usually darker in 

 color than that found farther inland, -owing probably to a larger 

 percentage of organic matter. The rock varies in specific gravity 

 from 2 to 2.5; and from a large number of determinations made by 

 Shepard the average is 2.4. The nodules are usually denser and 

 harder on their surface than in the interior, but this is not always so. 



Sketch of the South Carolina Phosphate Industry, p. 26 (1904). 



