Glauconite

GM27 Geologic Map of the Elkton, Saint Georges, and Delaware City Quadrangles, Delaware

Geologic mapping was conducted at 1:12,000 with a 1-ft contour basemap. In some instances, stratigraphic boundaries drawn at topographic breaks reflect detailed mapping using LiDAR data. Elevations of stratigraphic contacts along stream valleys are projected from subsurface data. Except for a few erosional bluffs, these contacts are covered by colluvium. This map supersedes this portion of Geology of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal Area, Delaware: Delaware Geological Survey Geologic Map Series No.

GM26 Geologic Map of the Cecilton and Middletown Quadrangles, Delaware

Mapping was conducted using field maps at a scale of 1:12,000 with 2-ft contours. Stratigraphic boundaries drawn at topographic breaks reflect detailed mapping using contours not shown on this map. Most stratigraphic units mapped in stream valleys are projected from subsurface data. Except for a few erosional bluffs, these units are covered by colluvium. This map supersedes Geology of the Middletown-Odessa Area, Delaware: Delaware Geological Survey Geologic Map Series No. 2 (Pickett and Spoljaric, 1971).

Deal Formation

It is a clayey, calcareous, shelly, glauconitic (10-20 percent) silt. Its colors range from greenish-gray and gray-green to brownish-gray and light gray. It is rich in calcareous and siliceous microfossils. The matrix mineralogy shows a high calcite component, except in the lower part of the formation which is within a calcite dissolution interval. In the lower half of the formation quartz is predominant.

RI72 Geology and Extent of the Confined Aquifers of Kent County, Delaware

Ground water comprises nearly all of the water supply in Kent County, Delaware. The confined aquifers of the area are an important part of this resource base. The aim of this study is to provide an up-to-date geologic framework for the confined aquifers of Kent County, with a focus on their stratigraphy and correlation. Seven confined aquifers are used for water supply in Kent County. All occur at progressively greater depths south-southeastward, paralleling the overall dip of the sedimentary section that underlies the state.

Glauconite (Greensand)

Greensand is composed primarily of the mineral glauconite -- a potassium, iron, aluminum silicate. In some Delaware greensands, the glauconite content exceeds 90%. The remaining 10% is mainly quartz. In the past, greensand was used in Delaware as an inexpensive fertilizer. The only active greensand mine in the U.S. today is in New Jersey. Once mined, greensand is dried and used as a soil conditioner. Greensand is also used in water softeners primarily to remove iron from the water. Recent research has shown that greensand has the potential for use as a filter of heavy metals from industrial waste water and landfill leachates.

This page tagged with:

OFR5 Removal of Metallic Contaminants from Industrial Waste Waters by the Use of Greensands, A Preliminary Report

The Delaware Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U. S. Bureau of Mines, has investigated glauconite-bearing greensand deposits in Delaware for several years. The purpose of this effort is to find possible practical uses for this potentially important mineral resource. This report briefly describes the preliminary results of one phase of the study: application of greensands to the purification of industrial waste waters.

RI40 Sodium Concentrations in Water from the Piney Point Formation, Dover Area, Delaware

In the greater Dover area sodium concentrations in ground water from the glauconitic Piney Point Formation commonly exceed 100 parts per million. Investigation of chemical characteristics of the water, and statistical analyses of the results, show that these high concentrations are due to a natural ion-exchange process. Calcium in water replaces sodium in the mineral glauconite and causes the sodium enrichment in ground water.

B18 Clay and Clay-Size Mineral Composition of the Cretaceous-Tertiary Section, Test Well Je32-04, Central Delaware

This study complements Delaware Geological Survey Bulletin No. 17 and deals exclusively with clays and clay-size minerals. The cored section at the location of Je32-04 has been subdivided into 25 clay zones on the basis of major changes in trends and degree of crystallinity of clay minerals. The composition of clay minerals varies from zone to zone. These clay minerals have been identified: kaolinite, berthierine, chlorite, illite, smectite, chlorite/smectite, illite/smectite, glauconite/smectite, and glauconite pellets.