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  SANTA 
  MARIA 
  OIL 
  DISTRICT, 
  CALIFORNIA. 
  

  

  DIATOMACEOUS 
  EARTH 
  DEPOSITS." 
  

  

  The 
  infusorial 
  earth, 
  diatomaceous 
  earth, 
  diatomaceous 
  shale, 
  or 
  

   tripoli, 
  as 
  the 
  same 
  material 
  is 
  variously 
  called, 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  upper 
  

   division 
  of 
  the 
  Monterey 
  is 
  chiefly 
  composed, 
  is 
  of 
  fairly 
  pure 
  quality 
  

   in 
  this 
  region 
  and 
  of 
  considerable 
  economic 
  value, 
  especially 
  as 
  it 
  

   occurs 
  in 
  inexhaustible 
  quantities 
  close 
  to 
  transportation 
  facilities. 
  

   The 
  areas 
  of 
  it 
  are 
  extended 
  and 
  the 
  series 
  of 
  strata 
  very 
  thick. 
  

   Deposits 
  suitable 
  for 
  working 
  occur 
  in 
  the 
  hills 
  immediately 
  south 
  

   of 
  Lompoc; 
  southwest 
  and 
  west 
  of 
  Lompoc; 
  along 
  the 
  river 
  east 
  of 
  

   Lompoc; 
  in 
  the 
  northeastern 
  and 
  southeastern 
  portions 
  of 
  Burton 
  

   Mesa 
  and 
  over 
  the 
  Purisima 
  Hills 
  east 
  of 
  it; 
  over 
  wide 
  areas 
  in 
  the 
  

   Purisima 
  Hills 
  southwest, 
  south, 
  and 
  southeast 
  of 
  Los 
  Alamos; 
  on 
  

   the 
  southern 
  flanks 
  of 
  the 
  Santa 
  Rita 
  Hills; 
  1J 
  miles 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  

   Santa 
  Ynez 
  Mission; 
  in 
  smaller 
  amounts 
  near 
  the 
  east 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  

   area 
  mapped, 
  a 
  mile 
  north 
  of 
  Santa 
  Ynez 
  River; 
  underlying 
  the 
  San 
  

   Antonio 
  terrace 
  south 
  of 
  Casmalia; 
  over 
  a 
  wide 
  region 
  southeast, 
  

   east, 
  and 
  north 
  of 
  Casmalia; 
  on 
  Graciosa 
  Ridge, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  region 
  

   extending 
  from 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  Howard 
  Canyon 
  to 
  a 
  point 
  southeast 
  of 
  

   Sisquoc. 
  The 
  uses 
  to 
  which 
  this 
  material 
  can 
  be 
  put 
  are 
  numerous 
  

   and 
  the 
  demand 
  for 
  it 
  is 
  increasing. 
  

  

  COMPOSITION 
  OF 
  THE 
  MONTEREY 
  SHALE. 
  

   MATERIAL 
  OF 
  SHALE. 
  

  

  The 
  composition 
  of 
  the 
  Monterey 
  shale 
  is 
  of 
  especial 
  interest. 
  

   One 
  is 
  able 
  to 
  see 
  on 
  examining 
  the 
  soft 
  unaltered 
  variety 
  with 
  a 
  

   hand 
  lens, 
  or 
  sometimes 
  even 
  with 
  the 
  naked 
  eye, 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  full 
  of 
  

   small 
  round 
  dots 
  ranging, 
  to 
  speak 
  roughly, 
  from 
  0.1 
  mm. 
  to 
  1 
  mm. 
  

   in 
  diameter. 
  These 
  are 
  the 
  skeletons 
  of 
  minute 
  marine 
  organisms 
  

   called 
  diatoms. 
  They 
  are 
  a 
  low 
  order 
  of 
  plants 
  or 
  algae 
  having 
  a 
  

   framework 
  of 
  silica. 
  They 
  are 
  locally 
  so 
  closely 
  packed 
  together 
  

   that 
  they 
  seem 
  to 
  form 
  the 
  bulk 
  of 
  the 
  deposit. 
  In 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  rock 
  

   they 
  are 
  so 
  well 
  preserved 
  that 
  the 
  details 
  of 
  their 
  structure 
  can 
  be 
  

   made 
  out 
  with 
  the 
  aid 
  of 
  higher 
  magnification. 
  But 
  elsewhere 
  they 
  

   appear 
  crushed 
  and 
  almost 
  unrecognizable. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  question 
  how 
  

   much 
  of 
  the 
  shale 
  is 
  formed 
  of 
  the 
  diatom 
  frustules 
  that 
  have 
  been 
  

   thus 
  crushed. 
  The 
  shale 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  remains 
  are 
  well 
  preserved 
  

   and 
  abundant 
  is 
  extremely 
  soft 
  and 
  white 
  and 
  may 
  be 
  rubbed 
  at 
  a 
  

   touch 
  into 
  a 
  powder 
  like 
  flour. 
  The 
  round 
  diatom 
  disks 
  are 
  white 
  

   and 
  soft 
  just 
  like 
  the 
  matrix 
  surrounding 
  them, 
  which 
  looks 
  as 
  if 
  it, 
  

   too, 
  were 
  made 
  up 
  of 
  diatom 
  remains 
  that 
  had 
  preserved 
  their 
  form 
  

   less 
  perfectly. 
  Shale 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  remains 
  are 
  less 
  prominent 
  has 
  

  

  " 
  A 
  more 
  extended 
  description 
  of 
  these 
  diatomaceous 
  deposits 
  is 
  published 
  in 
  "Contributions 
  to 
  

   Economic 
  (icology, 
  1900" 
  (Bull. 
  U. 
  S. 
  Geol. 
  Survey 
  No. 
  315, 
  1907, 
  pp. 
  438-447), 
  under 
  the 
  title 
  "Diato- 
  

   maceous 
  deposits 
  of 
  northern 
  Santa 
  Barbara 
  County, 
  Cal." 
  

  

  