Locating gravel deposits requires geological insight.
Gravel has many useful applications, including road construction concrete production. Exploiting naturally occurring gravel deposits can be a profitable business, but it is necessary to first be able to locate gravel deposits, which is not always easy without the proper knowledge. Geology provides the knowledge needed to make the task of locating gravel deposits easier. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. The best place to search for gravel deposits is in the Mississippi River alluvial plain. Glaciers are among nature's most effective producers of gravel. While Mississippi was not subject to glaciation itself in the last ice age, the headwaters of the Mississippi River, as well as many of its tributaries (such as the Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin and Minnesota rivers) are in areas that were, and the rivers have a tendency of bringing debris downstream. Thus, the Mississippi River alluvial plain is rich in gravel deposits. This formation particularly occurs in Adams, Bolivar, Carroll, Claiborne, Coahoma, DeSoto, Grenada, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Jefferson, Leflore, Panola, Quitman, Sharkey, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tunica, Warren, Washington, Wilkinson and Yazoo counties.
2. Look for gravel on the Gulf Coast. Coastal deposits, in which gravel is the secondary rock type, are another significant source of gravel in Mississippi. This formation is present in George, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson and Pearl River counties.
3. Try the southernmost one-third or so of the state. The Citronelle Formation, present in Amite, Copiah, Covington, Forrest, Franklin, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Jackson, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lamar, Lawrence, Lincoln, Marion, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Simpson, Stone, Walthall and Wilkinson counties, is another major formation in which gravel is the secondary rock type.
4. Know what to look for. The most obvious sign of gravel is the gravel itself, which is essentially a collection of small rocks. Also, gravel has a tendency to co-exist with sand and clay, so, the presence of sand and/or clay, in a geological area known to have gravel deposits, can be taken as a sign that you may be near your goal.
Tags: gravel deposits, Mississippi River, alluvial plain, deposits which, gravel secondary
