No. 11 OHIOGeoFacts DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES • DIVISION OF GEOLOG I CAL SURVEY ROCKS & MINERALS MINED IN OHIO AND THEIR USES
Rocks and minerals are crucial to modern society. Many Ohioans COAL may be unaware that each of us will use over 2 million pounds Nationally, Ohio ranks 10th in production (1,000 tons) of minerals in our lifetime. The ODNR Division and 3rd in consumption of coal of Geological Survey publishes the Report on Ohio Mineral Industries—An Annual Summary of the State’s Economic Geology. Coal is a black sedimentary rock that formed from the This comprehensive report includes directories of reporting consolidation of fossil plant materials. It is rich in carbon and coal and industrial-mineral operators and details the economic burns readily. impact of the mining industry for that year. The report can be Coal in Ohio is used primarily for the generation of electricity. found at http://geosurvey.ohiodnr.gov/mineral-resources/ Coal can also be coked for the smelting of ores and the manufacture minerals-home. of steel. Various components of coal are included in some Ohio has been an important producer of mineral resources for medicines, dandruff shampoo, insecticides, dyes, perfumes, more than 200 years. These geologic resources were vital to the explosives, paints, insulation, varnish, mothballs, roofi ng state’s growth and contribute greatly to the economy of Ohio. shingles, and fuel gas. Surface deposits of coal, limestone, sandstone, clay, and iron In Ohio in 2012, 61 mines produced 26.3 million tons of coal ore were used during the early nineteenth century to help build from 13 counties in the eastern portion of the state. The total Ohio’s cities and sustain the state’s nationally important steel, value of coal sold in 2012 was $1.1 billion. glass, ceramic, and rubber industries, along with rail, water, and highway transportation systems. Salt springs, brine wells, and underground salt mines were developed to produce the salt essential to human life, ice control, and the chemical industry. Other rocks and minerals that historically have been mined in Ohio and used for various purposes include gypsum, peat, fl int, marl/travertine, and pyrite. In addition to being world renowned for its fossils, Ohio is also known to mineral collectors for beautiful specimens of celestine, fl uorite, sphalerite, marcasite, and calcite. Ohio produces six nonfuel minerals (also called industrial minerals) and coal. The industrial minerals are primarily construction materials: limestone and dolomite, sand and gravel, sandstone and conglomerate, clay, shale, and salt. Gypsum has been mined in the past but is not currently produced. Peat production is sporadic and generally insignifi cant. At least one of these mineral commodities has been mined in 87 of the 88 counties in Ohio. In 2012, 238 companies mined these mineral resources from 389 active mines or quarries. The economic value of Ohio’s coal and industrial minerals in 2012 totaled nearly $2 billion. The total value of the manufactured products made from these raw materials far exceeds this number. An Eimco 2810-3 continuous miner in operation at the Buckingham Coal Co., Inc., underground coal mine in Athens County, Ohio. Direct employment in Ohio’s mineral industries totaled over 6,200 people, who earned total wages of $380 million. Most of this money is recycled into Ohio’s economy, along with the money LIMESTONE AND DOLOMITE paid by mining companies in the form of city, county, state, Ohio ranks 4th nationally in the production of lime severance, and property taxes. Many more people are employed and 4th nationally in the production of crushed stone indirectly by trucking companies, blasting companies, drilling crews, electricians, plumbers, fuel suppliers, road maintenance Limestone and dolomite are sedimentary rocks. Limestone crews, masonry companies, architectural fi rms, and sign makers. is composed mostly of the mineral calcite (calcium carbonate, Mining employers and employees also help support businesses in CaCO3). Dolomite is composed mostly of the mineral dolomite their communities, such as offi ce-supply companies, restaurants, (calcium magnesium carbonate, CaMg(CO3)2). grocery stores, clothing stores and of course, the school system Limestone and dolomite have a wide variety of uses. Burned and teachers who teach the children of the mine employees. limestone (lime) is used in the steel industry as a fl uxing agent Ohio mining companies are nationally renowned for (to get rid of impurities in iron) and as a refractory product excellence in reclamation of mined-out areas. Mined-out areas (to line steel furnaces) and is used in the chemical industry can be transformed into popular recreational areas, such as to manufacture such products as rubber. Limestone is used parks and fi shing, boating, and swimming areas, as well as to produce cement, in sugar refi ning, agriculture (fertilizers, attractive residential and commercial developments. Ohio’s acidity control), water purifi cation, construction (building stone, strict reclamation laws were enacted even before the federal riprap, cement additive, and aggregate in concrete and asphalt), reclamation laws. railroad ballast, soil stabilization, in toothpaste (except gels), The following paragraphs describe the mineral commodities lipstick, carpeting, chalk, china, vinyl fl ooring, paper (fi ller and produced in Ohio and list their various uses. whitener), ink, hair mousse, cleansers, caulking compounds, in plaster,androo sand blasting,asmoldingsandsforcastingironandaluminum, Gravel isusedfordrivewaysandsandicecontrol,in the surface,andevaporatingoutsalt. dissolving undergroundbedsofrocksalt,pumpingthebrineto Two briningoperationsinnortheasternOhioproducesaltby two minesinnorthernOhioabout2,000feetunderLakeErie. of saltsoldin2012was$127.7million.Rockisminedfrom tons ofrocksaltand660,000evaporatedsalt.Totalvalue and hidetanning.MostsaltminedinOhioisusedforicecontrol. well-drilling muds,baking,papermanufacture,meatpacking, ceramics, andinicecreammaking,animalfeedcattleblocks, additive andwater-softeningagent,foricecontrol,asaglaze and iscomposedofsodiumchloride(NaCl).Saltusedasafood sold in2012was$192.2million. gravel from57Ohiocounties.Thetotalvalueofsandand as aggregateinconcrete,asphalt,road-basematerial,and metamorphic, orsedimentary. can bemadeupofanythethreemajorrocktypes:igneous, and depositedbyriversand/orglaciers.Ohio’ssandgravel gravel-size grainsofrockthatwerebrokenup,transported, and dolomitesoldin2012was$494.6million. and dolomitefrom50Ohiocounties.Thetotalvalueoflimestone is usedasconstructionaggregate. containers. MostofthelimestoneanddolomiteminedinOhio whitener), antacidmedications,porcelain,andmicrowaveable plastics ( In 2012,Ohioproduced4.3milliontonsofsalt—3.6 Salt isanevaporitemineral,aswellasedimentaryrock, In 2012,213operationsproduced30.5milliontonsofsandand Sand andgravelareusedmostlyforconstructionpurposes Sand-and-gravel depositsinOhioconsistofsand-sizeand In 2012,103minesproduced58.3milliontonsof Ohio ranks4thnationallyintheproductionofsalt Salt stockpiledatCargillMine inCleveland,Ohio. production ofconstructionsandandgravel fi ller), tires,magwheels, Ohio ranks6thnationallyinthe The Divisionof GeologicalSurveyGeoFacts Seriesisavailableonlineat SAND ANDGRAVEL fi ng shingles. SALT • ThisGeoFacts compiledbyMarkE.Wolfe •RevisedJuly2014 fi berglass, paint(
limestone fi ller and ller fi ll. 2012 was$9.2million. from 32Ohiocounties.Thetotalvalueofclayandshalesoldin vegetable oils,andinantacidmedications. and conglomeratesoldin2012was$47.6million conglomerate from18Ohiocounties.Thetotalvalueofsandstone toothpaste, andcosmetics(tohelpthe (after They arealsousedinantiperspirants,aslightweightaggregate from bleeding),tires,plastics,paint,pencils,andcosmetics. (to improveprintabilityandwaterresistancetokeepink of cement.Clayandshaleareusedinthemanufacturepaper fl known as molding sand,andin lubricants, laboratory countertops,asaglazeforceramics,grindstones, and TVscreens.Sandstoneisalsousedtomakepool-tabletops, is usedformakingglassbottles,drinkingglasses,lightbulbs, Some sandstonesarecomposedofverypuresilicaorquartzthat coloring, makingthemvaluableasdecorativedimensionstone. dimension stone(buildingstone).Manysandstoneshavebeautiful of sandandgravel. is acoarse-grainedsedimentaryrockformedbythecementation the cementationofmostlyquartzsandgrains.Aconglomerate building bricks,ceramics,tiles,land amounts ofsilt. (layered) sedimentaryrockcomposedmostlyofclaywithminor Wolfe, M.E.,2013,2012ReportonOhioMineralIndustries—AnAn- uids fromseepinginorout),pondlinings,andtheproduction In 2012,26minesproduced710,000tonsofclayand/orshale In 2012,27quarriesproduced1.7milliontonsofsandstoneand Clay iscomposedmostlyofextremely Sandstone, includingconglomerate,isusedinconstructionas Sandstone isamedium-grainedsedimentaryrockformedby Clay and shale have many uses. In Ohio, they are used to produce Clay andshalehavemanyuses.InOhio,theyareusedtoproduce at
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