Geologic Features of Areas 

of Abnormal Radioactivity 

South of Ocala 

Marion County, Florida

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1046-J

This report concerns work done on behalf 

of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission 

and is published with permission of the 

Commission

Geologic Features of Areas 

of Abnormal Radioactivity 

South of Ocala 

Marion County, Florida

£y GILBERT H. ESPENSHADE

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GEOLOGY OF URANIUM

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1046-J

This report concerns work done on behalf 

of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission 

and is published with permission of the 

Commission

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1958
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

FRED A. SEATON, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

Thomas B. Nolan, Director

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Ofnce 

Washington 25, D. C. - Price $1.00 (paper cover)
CONTENTS

	Page

Abstract..____--_____-_-____-----_________________-_______-_-___ 205

Introduction______________________________________________________ 205

Radioactivity anomalies-___________________________________________ 206

Geology_______________________._.._________________ 206

Stratigraphy__________--______-_________-__-____-_--_-_-____ 206

Ocala limestone----_______-____________-___--______--_____- 206

Miocene sedimentary rocks.-..______________________________ 207

Pleistocene sediments.._____________________________________ 209

Structure_______________________________________ 210

Effects of weathering-.___-_____________________________________ 210

Drilling and sampling methods__________________________._____-____- 211

Uraniferous phosphatic materials..___________________________________ 212

Pellet phosphorite....________________________------______ 212

Clay-__________________________________-__-_ 216

Leached phosphorite.__________________________________________ 216

Conclusions_ ____________________________________________________ 218

References cited.__________--__-___-_________________--_---__-_-___ 219

ILLUSTRATIONS

[Plates are in packet] 

PLATE 12. Radioactivity anomalies south of Ocala.

13. Longitudinal sections and plan of auger drill holes 21-24.

14. Longitudinal sections of auger drill holes 25-29.

15. Longitudinal sections of auger drill hole 30.

TABLES

TABLE 1. Uranium, P2 0s, and quartz contents of different size fractions

of samples of pellet phosphorite from drill holes.___________ 213

2. Uranium, P205 , and quartz contents of samples of pellet phosphorite from the same (?) bed in four different drill holes _ 215

3. Uranium, PzQs, and quartz contents of samples of clay from

drill holes...._________.__________________.__ 216

4. Uranium, PzOs, A12 03, CaO, and quartz contents of samples of

leached phosphorite from surface outcrops and float..____-._ 217

5. Uranium, P2 05 , A12 O3, CaO, and quartz content of samples of

leached phosphorite from drill holes_____________________ 218

in

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GEOLOGY OF URANIUM

GEOLOGIC FEATURES OF AREAS OF ABNORMAL

RADIOACTIVITY SOUTH OF OCALA,

MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA

By GILBERT H. ESPENSHADE

ABSTRACT

Areas of abnormal radioactivity south of Ocala, Marion County, Fla., discovered 

in 1953 by aerial survey, were investigated by surface examination and by 10 

power-auger drill holes. Interbedded clay, clayey sand, and uraniferous phosphorite occur in the areas of anomalous radioactivity. Miocene fossils occur at 

3 localities in these beds which are evidently outliers of Miocene sedimentary 

rocks on the Ocala limestone of Eocene age. The preserved outliers are southwest 

of the main belt of Miocene sedimentary rocks.

The principal uraniferous rocks are clayey, sandy, pellet phosphorite that occurs 

in beds a few feet thick, and very porous phosphatic sand rock that makes abundant float at many places. Apatite forms the phosphate pellets in the unweathered 

phosphorite. The very porous phosphatic sand rock is the highly leached 

residuum of the pellet phosphorite and is composed mainly of quartz, kaolinite, 

wavellite, and crandallite (pseudowavellite). It closely resembles the aluminum 

phosphate rock of the "leached zone" of the Bone Valley formation of Pliocene 

age in the land-pebble phosphate district.

INTRODUCTION

The geology of some areas of abnormal radioactivity south of Ocala, 

Marion County, Fla., was investigated as part of the Geological 

Survey's program of study of uraniferous phosphate deposits on behalf 

of the Division of Raw Materials of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission. These anomalies had been discovered by the Geological 

Survey in 1953 in the course of aerial reconnaissance for uraniferous 

phosphate deposits (Moxham, 1954). One of the anomalous areas 

was examined at that time, and several other anomalies were later 

explored by means of a jeep-mounted power auger (Cathcart, 1954). 

The writer and L. A. Brubaker examined most of the anomalous areas 

in March 1955, and put down 10 drill holes at 3 localities with a 

power auger. Samples were taken for chemical analysis and mineralogic study, and the drill holes were logged with a portable scintillation gamma-ray logger.

205
206 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GEOLOGY OF URANIUM

The writer is grateful for the contributions made to this study by 

L. A. Brubaker during the fieldwork and by other colleagues of the 

Geologic Survey.

RADIOACTIVITY ANOMALIES

The occurrence of phosphate in this area had previously been 

reported by Matson (1915, pi. 3), and Cooke (1945, p. 158-159, pi. 1), 

who recognized outliers of phosphatic Hawthorn formation of Miocene 

age resting upon the Ocala limestone, and by various prospectors 

(Cathcart, J. B., written communication, 1955). For this reason the 

area was one of ten in Florida selected by J. B. Cathcart for airborne 

radioactivity survey. The aerial survey was made with scintillationdetection equipment by flying parallel traverse lines, a quarter of a 

mile apart, at about 500 feet above the ground (Moxham, 1954). 

Irregular areas of abnormal radioactivity were found between Ocala 

and Summerfield, which is about 13 miles southeast of Ocala (pi. 12). 

The average background radioactivity here, presumably over Ocala 

limestone, was about 1 /*r per hour (microroentgen per hour) at 500 

feet above the ground; the highest anomalies recorded reached a 

maximum of 11/j.r per hour. 1 Moxham (1954) points out that the 

anomalies seem to conform more or less to outliers of the Hawthorn 

formation, shown on the state geologic map by Cooke (1945). Several 

small areas of high radioactivity found during the geologic investigation are shown on plate 12; these evidently lie between the flight lines 

of the aerial survey. The area was not completely covered by ground 

examination, and it is possible that other small anomalies exist which 

were not detected.

GEOLOGY 

STRATIGRAPHY 

OCAliA LIMESTONE

The Ocala limestone of late Eocene age is the oldest formation 

exposed in the region, and exposures are scarce. Beds a few feet 

thick crop out in some sinkholes, but the formation is best exposed 

in abandoned quarries in the area covered by plate 12, and in active 

quarries a few miles to the north of the map area. The Ocala limestone presumably lies beneath a thin mantle of soil and sand in nearly 

all the area shown in plate 12 except the areas of anomalous radioactivity.

The Ocala limestone is very fossiliferous, soft, porous, and white 

to cream; weathered surfaces are bluish gray. This limestone is

1 These values have been corrected from the values originally reported by Moxham (1954), namely 0.25 fur 

per hour for average background radioactivity and 2.75 /ir per hour for maximum radioactivity, which were 

found by later calibration tests to be too low (Moxham, written communication, 1955).
ABNORMAL RADIOACTIVITY SOUTH OF OCALA, FLA. 207

characteristically almost pure and contains very little insoluble 

material. Light-gray chert containing silicified fossils occurs in 

lenticular masses that extend along the bedding and are a few inches 

to several feet thick.

MIOCENE SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

Within the areas of abnormal radioactivity, the Ocala limestone is 

overlain by beds of clay, sandy clay, and sand. Phosphate pellets 

are abundant in some layers. These layers are exposed in only a 

very few places, but float of phosphate pellets, sandy phosphorite, 

and leached porous phosphorite is found at various places in the areas 

of abnormal radioactivity. Information about the detailed stratigraphy and lithology of these beds is derived mainly from the logs of 

the auger drill holes (pis. 13, 14, and 15). Beds composed largely of 

clay alternate with sandy beds that contain moderate amounts of 

clay; phosphate pellets are larger and more abundant in some sandy 

beds than in clay. The thickest sequence of beds presumed to be of 

Miocene age, nearly 65 feet, was cut in drill hole 28 (pi. 14); a thickness 

of 58% feet of beds assigned to the Miocene was cut in drill hole 30 

(pi. 15).

Fossils of Miocene age were found on the surface at 3 localities 

within areas of radioactivity anomalies. Hard white sandy limestone with small phosphate pellets is exposed in slumped beds about 

5 feet thick in a small pit about 200 feet northeast of drill hole 21 

(fossil-collecting locality 63, pi. 13). Similar fossiliferous limestone 

occurs as float and low ledges along the roadbed at fossil-collecting 

locality 108, about 9 miles to the northwest of locality 63 (pi. 12); 

silicified oysters, shark teeth, manatee ribs, and abundant phosphate 

pellets are scattered over the surface here. Druid Wilson of the U. S. 

Geological Survey considered the fossils at these two localities to be 

of early or middle Miocene age; his report (written communication, 

1955) on these fossils collections is quoted below.

Locality 63-NW#SWW sec. 2, T. 17 S., R. 22 E., Marion County, Fla.

Fossiliferous sandy phosphatic limestone 5 feet below surface in small pit

about 15 feet deep. 

Foraminifera:

"Sorites" sp. 

Pelecypoda:

Modiolus cf. M. curtulus Dall

Cyrenaf sp.

Macrocallista cf. M. floridana (Conrad)

Chione (Lirophora) sp.

Venus cf. V. halidona Dall

Venus cf. V. marionana Dall

Dosinia cf. D. chipolana Dall
208 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GEOLOGY OF URANIUM

Gastropoda:

Pleurodonte cf. P. kendrickensis Mansfield 

Bulimulus sp.

Uzita cf. U. paraprista Gardner 

Calyptraea aperta (Solander)

Locality 108-Along dirt road, about 0.6 miles northeast from junction (in NE }£ 

sec. 35, T. 15 S., R. 21E.) with Shady Lane road, Marion County, Fla. 

Foraminifera:

"Sorites" sp. 

Pelecypoda:

Chama cf. C. draconis Ball 

Chione cf. C. trimeris Gardner 

Dosinia sp. 

Gastropoda:

Pleurodonte sp. 

Bulimulus sp.

Calyptraea aperta (Solander)

Other marine genera of mollusks which cannot be identified specifically might 

be listed from both localities 63 and 108.

Age (Localities 63 and 108): early or middle Miocene.

The collections from localities 63 and 108 apparently represent the same fauna 

from Marion County referred by Mansfield (1937, Fla. Geol. Survey Bull. 15, 

p. 23) to the Tampa limestone. It should be pointed out that none of the distinctive Tampa genera was listed by Mansfield nor do they occur in the present 

collection. Land snails of the genera Pleurodonte and Bulimulus are common 

in the two collections but this cannot be regarded as proof that the fauna is of 

early Miocene (Tampa) age, although land snails have not been reported in 

Florida either in the Oligocene or later than Tampa of Miocene age. Some 

species, as indicated by Mansfield (p. 24) and some in the present collection 

suggest an age younger than Tampa. The group of Chiones to which Chione 

cf. C. trimeris belongs has not been reported earlier than the Chipola formation 

of Miocene age.

In a limestone quarry at locality 78, about 1J£ miles south-southwest 

of Belleview (pi. 12), solution pipes 5-10 feet deep in Ocala limestone 

are filled with dark-brown to green stiff clay containing phosphate 

pellets, manatee ribs, and large silicified oysters. Wilson has identified these oysters as Ostrea normalis Dall of Miocene (Hawthorn) 

age.

The Miocene Foraminifera, "Sorites" sp., was identified by Druid 

Wilson in sample X280 from a depth of 30-37 feet in drill hole 27 

(pi. 14). The Late Eocene Foraminifera Heterostegina ocalana Cushman, and species of orbitoids and camerinids, were found associated 

with "Sorites" sp. in sample X281 from a depth of 37-41.5 feet in 

drill hole 27.

The fossils cited above support the view that the beds of phosphorite, 

sand, and clay within the area of anomalous radioactivity are Miocene 

in age. Cooke (1945, p. 158-159) reached the same conclusion on the 

basis of the abundant float of very porous sandy phosphorite that
ABNORMAL RADIOACTIVITY SOUTH OF OCALA, FLA. 209

occurs in these areas. He recognized this rock as the completely 

weathered remnant of phosphatic beds that he regarded as outliers 

of the Hawthorn formation. The outliers of Hawthorn formation, 

which he shows on the geologic map of Florida south of Ocala (Cooke, 

1945, pi. 1), correspond closely to the areas of anomalous radioactivity 

here; larger outliers of the Hawthorn formation occur also northwest 

of Ocala but, the main outcrop belt of the formation is farther east and 

north of Ocala.

At various places in the canal cuts west of the areas of radioactive 

anomalies (pi. 12), tough clayey sand that is mottled red and orange 

by weathering rests upon Ocala limestone and is covered with loose 

light-yellow sand. This massive clayey sand is probably Miocene in 

age; it closely resembles clayey sand about 30 miles south of this area 

in Hernando and Pasco Counties that Cooke (1945, p. 153, 159) believes to be derived from the Hawthorn formation.

The Miocene sedimentary rocks rest uncomfortably upon the Ocala 

limestone in the Ocala area. The Suwannee limestone of Oligocene 

age, which is widespread in Hernando and Pasco Counties, is not 

known to be present here.

PLEISTOCENE SEDIMENTS

Some geologists working in the southeastern Coastal Plain have 

recognized ancient shorelines and terraces at various altitudes, and 

have concluded that the sea stood at higher levels during interglacial 

stages of the Pleistocene. The highest shoreline is regarded as the 

oldest, and each lower shoreline as being successively younger. Cooke 

(1945, p. 245-311) has recognized 7, and possibly 8, shorelines, with 

the highest at an altitude of 270 feet. MacNeil (1950) has recognized 

4 Pleistocene shorelines in Florida, the highest being at 150 feet; he 

believes that Cooke's higher shorelines may be fluvial in origin rather 

than marine.

No ancient shorelines can be recognized with certainity in the Ocala 

area from study of the topographic maps or aerial photographs; but, 

as Cooke (1945, p. 285) has pointed out, ground-water solution of the 

Ocala limestone has modified the surface topography and may have 

obliterated such shorelines here. However, pebble deposits and sand 

deposits which may be beach deposits and are probably of Pleistocene 

age, are found at several places. Several hundred feet west of sample 

locality 94 (pi. 12), a gravel sheet composed of pebbles and cobbles of 

sandstone and leached sandy phosphorite is exposed in the roadbank 

bstween 115 and 135 feet altitude. Near the small radioactivity 

anomaly about 0.7 mile southeast of this exposure, similar gravels are 

exposed at two places along the road; the altitude at one locality is

457379 58 2
210 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GEOLOGY OF URANIUM

about 150 feet, and at the other locality about 125 feet. Bedded 

light-yellow sand with thin clayey layers several inches apart and containing charcoal fragments is exposed at altitudes of 70-80 feet in the 

canal cut 2-3 miles west of the area shown in plate 12. The bedded 

sand is as much as 8 feet thick; it overlies the mottled red and orange 

tough clayey sand of probable Miocene age, and lies beneath several 

feet of loose white and light-yellow sand that also contains charcoal 

fragments. This unbedded surficial sand may be windblown in origin; 

it is well exposed at altitudes of 80-100 feet in the canal cuts shown 

in plate 12.

STRUCTURE

The report area is about 20 miles east of the axis of the Ocala uplift, 

an extensive northwestward trending anticline that is the major 

structural feature in the Eocene and younger formations in northern 

peninsular Florida. Northwestward-trending faults and irregular 

flexures occur on the anticline, according to Vernon (1951, pi. 2). His 

structural map suggests that the Miocene outliers south of Ocala may 

be preserved in a locally downwarped area.

None of these regional structural features was detected in the small 

area studied. Bedding in the Ocala limestone where exposed in quarries seems to be horizontal. A nearly vertical fault plane, with a more 

westerly trend than those shown by Vernon (1951), is exposed in the 

northwestern corner of a small abandoned quarry in the SW % sec. 

25, T. 15 S., R. 21 E. (pi. 12). The fault strikes between N. 80° and 

85° W.; grooves and slickensides on the fault plane plunge 15°-20° W., 

indicating the major component of movement to have been horizontal. 

The nature of the slickensides suggests eastward movement of the 

northern block but the evidence is inconclusive.

EFFECTS OF WEATHERING

Ground-water leaching of the soluble constituents of the Ocala 

limestone and the Miocene sedimentary rocks has been very thorough 

and has been a dominant factor in the formation of the soils and 

topography in the area. The Ocala limestone is very permeable and 

contains little insoluble material; solution sinkholes have been widely 

formed in the limestone.

The Miocene sedimentary rocks, however, contain much insoluble 

material in the form of clay and sand, and they are less susceptible to 

leaching. The apatite pellets in the Miocene phosphorite comni33ly 

have been rather resistant to weathering and are found scattered over 

the ground at many places. However, apatite pellets have been completely dissolved in some phosphorite to leave a very porous pumicelike sandstone with cavities relict from the pellets. Soils in the areas 

of Miocene sedimentary rocks are characteristically dark brown, and
ABNORMAL RADIOACTIVITY SOUTH OF OCALA, FLA. 211

their composition ranges from loamy sand through sandy loam to sandy 

clay. A soil sample from about 1% miles east-southeast of Ocala was 

found to contain 5.35 percent P2O5 (Sellards and others, 1915, p. 123). 

These soils support a distinctive native vegetation, including such 

deciduous trees as hickory, sweetgum, red oak, white oak, and maple 

(Sellards and others, 1915).

In all probability, a sheet of Miocene sedimentary rocks originally 

covered the Ocala limestone in this area. Stream erosion removed 

much of the Miocene rocks, but as the Ocala limestone was exposed, 

the surface drainage gradually changed from a stream system to a sinkhole system. All drainage now is by underground channels.

The areas of anomalous radioactivity for the most part have an 

altitude of 100 feet above sea level or higher, although considerable 

land above the 100-foot contour line is outside the radioactive areas. 

It would appear, therefore, that the altitude of the contact between 

the Ocala limestone and the Miocene rocks is about 100 feet above sea 

level at many places. However, this contact is extremely irregular 

probably because of both pre-Miocene erosion and solution of the 

Ocala limestone, and post-Miocene solution of the Ocala limestone 

accompanied by slumping of the Miocene sedimentary rocks.

About 0.6 mile northwest of Monroes Corner (pi. 12), the base of 

the Miocene strata was found at an altitude of about 54 feet in drill 

hole 25, but is at least 66 feet lower in drill hole 28 on the edge of a 

sinkhole, 600 feet to the north. In many exposures of the Ocala 

limestone, solution pipes filled with residuum of Miocene rocks are 

evident. Ground-water solution of the Ocala limestone has resulted 

in random draping of the Miocene strata and their residuum into 

hollows and over hummocks in the limestone.

DRILLING AND SAMPLING METHODS

Areas of anomalous radioactivity were explored at 3 localities by 10 

drill holes (total length of 335 feet) drilled by means of a jeep-mounted 

power auger. The auger bit cut readily through the unconsolidated 

phosphatic clayey and sandy beds, and also into soft Ocala limestone 

in several holes, but would not penetrate consolidated rock; probably 

the hard rock that stopped the drill in most holes was hard or silicified 

Ocala limestone, but in some holes it may have been hard phosphatic 

limestone of Miocene age.

Cuttings brought to the surface by continuous drilling with the 

auger provide poor samples because it is not possible to determine 

closely the depths from which the cuttings came. In order to reduce 

this uncertainty, the holes were drilled in 5-foot increments, and the 

drill rods were pulled out and the cuttings removed after each 5-foot 

run. Where drilling was above the water table, the cuttings from a
212 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GEOLOGY OF URANIUM

5-foot interval usually filled the screws for a distance of 8-10 feet 

above the bit, and it was a simple matter to estimate depth of contacts. 

The surface of the mass of cuttings on the screws was usually coated 

with sand rubbed on from the sides of the hole as the rods were pulled 

up; before taking the sample off the rod, the sand was sliced off the 

cuttings over a width of several inches along the full length of one 

side of the rod, and about an ounce of material was then taken off 

every screw thread or every other screw thread throughout an interval 

of uniform lithology. Several holes were drilled into soft, watersoaked material that would slide off the screw flanges and yield very 

poor recovery of cuttings. Where recovery was good, it is believed 

that the lithologic logs made as the cuttings were taken off the rods 

are fairly reliable, because the highly phosphatic zones indicated by 

the cuttings generally correspond rather well with the strongly radioactive zones recorded by the scintillation detector (pis. 13, 14, and 15). 

It was not possible to log each hole with this instrument immediately 

after drilling, with the result that caving occurred in the lower parts 

of some holes, and only the uncaved parts of the holes could be logged with the scintillation detector.

TJRANIFEROUS PHOSPHATIC MATERIALS

The uraniferous phosphatic materials found in drilling consist of 

fresh, soft, phosphatic sediments (principally pellet phosphorites 

and phosphatic clays), and the highly weathered, leached residuum of 

these phosphatic sediments. Each of these classes of materials was 

also found in surface exposures or float. The general characteristics 

of these different phosphatic materials are described below.

PELLET PHOSPHOBITE

Pellet phosphorite beds were cut in the auger drill holes 0.6 mile 

northwest of Monroes Corner (pi. 14) and in the drill holes about 2% 

miles east of this locality (pi. 13). The beds range from several feet 

to 14 K feet in thickness. The phosphorite is a light-gray to tan sandy 

clay that contains variable amounts of phosphate pellets. These 

pellets are well-rounded, usually less than half an inch in size, and are 

light colored with shiny surfaces; they are composed of apatite (carbonate-fluorapatite variety according to George Ashby, U. S. Geological 

Survey, oral communication, 1956) and contain inclusions of quartz 

grains.

The content of uranium, P2O5 , and quartz in samples of pellet 

phosphorite is given in table 1. Total P2O5 ranges from 3.1 to 20.8 

percent, and total uranium ranges from 0.004 to 0.022 percent. No 

consistent relation exists between the total amount of uranium and
ABNORMAL RADIOACTIVITY SOUTH OF OCALA, FLA. 213

the total amount of P2O5 in these samples. In several samples 

(X260, X296, and X297) high P2O5 content and high uranium content are associated, but in other samples high P2O5 content is accompanied by low uranium content (samples X280 and X281), and low 

P2O5 content is accompanied by high uranium content (samples. 

X266 and X277).

Within the different size fractions of these samples, however, a 

rather consistent relation exists between the content of uranium and 

P2O5 . Both P2O5 and uranium are most abundant in the +20 mesh 

fractions and the 150 mesh fractions. Between 80 and 90 percent 

of the total P2O5 and uranium in all but 1 sample (X270) is contained 

in these 2 size fractions together. The material between 20 mesh 

and +150 mesh in size consists largely of quartz sand. The +20 

mesh fractions have a high content of apatite pellets; the percent of 

this size fraction in the different samples ranges from 3.3 to 40.8 

percent. In the 150 mesh fractions, phosphate is presumably 

present as fine apatite, and is accompanied by clay and fine quartz. 

In samples with large +20 mesh fractions, most of the P2O5 and 

uranium are present in this coarse fraction, but in samples with small 

+20 mesh fractions, P2O5 and uranium are mainly in the 150 

mesh fractions.

TABLE 1. Uranium, PzO&, and quartz contents, in percent, of different size fractions 

of samples of pellet phosphorite from drill holes in the area south of Ocala, Marion 

County, Fla.

(Analysts: G. Daniels, G. Edgington, T. Murphy, R. Smith, A. Sweeney, and J. Waring, U. S. Geological

Survey]

Sample and fraction

X260 (DH25, 1.0-3.0 feet): 

+20mesh_. _.___._._._.._--...-

 20 +48 mesh. _ ________ ....

 150 mesh____ ____ __ _ _ ..

X266 (DH25, 17.0-21.0 feet): 

+20mesh__ _______ _ _ _ _____

 20 +48 mesh. _ _____ _ __ ...

 48 +150 mesh. _ . __ ______

X270 (DH26, 4.5-7.5 feet):

 20 +48 mesh- ___ _ __ . ...

Uranium

0.019 

.009 

.005 

.014

.015

0.031 

.008 

.002 

.027

.020

0.010 

.004 

.002 

.005

.004

PsOs

25.8 

12.4 

7.4 

12.5

17.1

20.4 

5.4 

1.6 

8.9

8.4

18.2

7.8 

5.0 

8.7

8.0

Quartz '

29.3 

79.0 

92.4 

3.5

35.8

Percentage of total 

Sample

38.1

7.7 

7.4 

46.8

100.0

14.5 

9.5 

24.0 

52.0

100.0

3.3 

11.8 

25.0 

59.9

100.0

Uranium

48.7 

4.7 

2.5 

44.1

100.0

22.7 

3.9 

2.4 

71.0

100.0

7.7 

10.9 

11.7 

69.7

100.0

P.Os

57.2 

5.5 

3.2 

34.1

100.0

34.9 

6.0 

4.5 

54.6

100.0

7.5 

11.5 

15.7 

65.3

100.0

Quartz

11.9 

21.1 

61.9 

5.1

100.0

See footnote at end of table.
214 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GEOLOGY OF URANIUM

TABLE 1. Uranium, PzOs, and quartz contents, in percent, of different size fractions 

of samples of pellet phosphorite from drill holes in the area south of Ocala, Marion 

County, Fla, Continued

Sample and fraction

X272 (DH26, 12.0-16.0 feet): 

+20 mesh. ___ . _ ...... _ ..

 20 +48 mesh. _________

-48 +150 mesh.. ...........

 150 mesh ___________

X276 (DH27, 9.0-17.5 feet):

 20 +48 mesh. ________

-48 +150 mesh.... _ ...... _

-150 mesh _ ..... _ ..---.....

X277 (DH27, 17.5-21.0 feet): 

+20 mesh.. _-_..... _ .........

-48 +150 mesh. __ .........

X280 (DH27, 30.0-37.0 feet):

 20 +48 mesh. ____ . .....

-48 +150 mesh _ ..-. ..

X281 (DH27, 37.0-41.5 feet): 

+20 mesh _ .. _________ .

-48 +150 mesh _ .. -._...

X290 (DH28, 40.0-43.5 feet): 

+20 mesh..... ___ ..........

 20 +48 mesh _______ . ....

-48 +150 mesh. . ...........

X286 (DH29, 4.5-7.5 feet): 

+20 mesh _ . ______ . ___

 20 +48 mesh _________ .

-48 +150 mesh. ............

X297 (DH29, 7.5-0.0 feet) : 

+20 mesh.... _________ .

-48 +150 mesh 

 150 mesh ___________

Uranium

0.018 

.007 

.003 

.002

.005

0.015 

.007 

.001 

.017

.009

0.020 

.012 

.001 

.039

.022

0.005 

.005 

.003 

.006

.005

0.006 

.005 

.002 

.004

.005

0.014 

.005 

.001 

.002

.005

0.021 

.010 

.003 

.018

.014

0.023 

.011 

.004 

.015

.015

P2 06

28.2 

13.2 

6.6 

5.9

10.3

11.7 

2.3 

0.6 

4.9

3.1

14.0 

3.9 

1.4

7.4

5.6

30.2 

17.8 

9.1 

17.1

20.8

27.9 

21.1 

11.0 

15.2

20.5

23.5 

10.7 

2.0 

3.5

9.1

26.9 

11.6 

4.8 

12.5

15.2

27.3 

15.6 

4.8 

12.3

14.5

Quartz '

18.2 

54.1 

77.5 

14.6

23.9

35.8 

75.1 

93.2 

4.3

42.8

44.9 

71.8 

12.1

15.5 

44.8 

90.6 

5.2

49.1

12.7 

55.2 

82.8 

6.5

33.7

14.5 

50.4 

82.4 

3.2

16.5

Percentage of total 

Sample

18.5 

3.9 

11.3 

66.3

100.0

5.4 

10.6 

43.1 

40.9

100.0

8.2 

10.8 

31.8 

49.2

100.0

37.7 

11.0 

15.3 

36.0

100.0

40.8 

11.0 

12.2 

36.0

100.0

29.9 

4.7 

45.6 

19.8

100.0

34.5 

9.0 

27.1 

29.4

100.0

20.3 

3.1 

12.1

64.5

100.0

Uranium

63.2 

5.2 

6.4 

25.2

100.0

9.2 

8.3

4.8 

77.7

100.0

7.4 

5.7 

1.4 

85.5

100.0

37.3 

10.9 

9.1

42.7

100.0

52.3

11.8 

5.2 

30.7

100.0

79.4 

4.5 

8.6 

7.5

100.0

50.8 

6.3 

5.7 

37.2

100.0

30.8 

2.2 

3.2 

63.8

100.0

P2 06

50.2 

5.0 

7.1 

37.7

100.0

20.3

7.8 

8.2 

63.7

100.0

20.4 

7.4 

7.9 

64.3

100.0

54.5 

9.4 

6.7 

29.4

100.0

55.4 

11.3 

6.6 

26.7

100.0

76.9 

5.5 

10.0 

7.6

100.0

60.6 

6.9 

8.5 

24.0

100.0

38.1 

3.3 

4.0 

54.6

100.0

Quartz

14.1 

8.9 

36.5 

40.5

100.0

6.9 

18.9 

69.3 

4.9

100.0

9.4 

4.3

84.2 

2.1

100.0

13.0 

14.8 

66.6 

5.6

100.0

17.8 

9.4 

60.5 

12.3

100.0

i Quartz in +20 mesh fractions consists mostly of grains included in phosphate pellets.
ABNORMAL RADIOACTIVITY SOUTH OF OCALA, FLA. 215

The uranium, P2O5 , and quartz contents of samples of what appears 

to be the same phosphorite bed in 4 different drill holes are compared 

in table 2. This bed ranges from 3% to 4% feet in thickness, and is 

underlain by a bed of clay (pi. 14). In drill hole 28 a phosphorite 

bed 14% feet thick may be the same bed that has been thickened 

by flowage or slumping into a sinkhole. The variation in composition of this bed within short distances is very marked. Percent P2O5 

ranges from 5.6 to 15.0, percent uranium from 0.005 to 0.022, and 

percent quartz from 23.9 to 42.8; percent of +20 mesh fraction 

ranges from 8.3 to 29.7, and percent of 150 mesh fraction from 

41.1 to 66.4.

TABLE 2. Uranium, P^Os, and quartz contents, in percent, of samples of pellet 

phosphorite from the same (?) bed in four different drill holes in the area south of 

Ocala, Marion County, Fla.

[Analysts: Q. Edgington, R, Smith, A. Sweeney, and J. Waring, U. S. Geological Survey]

X296 and X297

(DH29, 

4.5-9.0 feet)

X272 (DH26, 

12.0-16.0 feet)

X266 (DH25, 

17.0-21.0 feet)

X277 (DH27, 

17.5-21.0 feet)

Entire sample

Uranium_____.____________ 0.014 0.005 0.020

PzOs- 15.0 10.3 8.4

Quartz...............__............. 28.0 23.9 35.8

+20 mesh fraction

Uranium............................... 0.022 0.018 0.031

PjOs--- ---_ ---------- 27.0 28.2 20.4

Quartz (nearly all included in phosphate pellets).--.--.---.-.-.-----.... 13.3 18.2 29.3

Percentage of total 

Sample . 29.7 18.5 14.5 

Uranium..----.-.--.------..--.. 44.1 03.2 22.7

P2O5 ._ - 53.1 50.2 34.9

Quartz.-----.-------------.-.---. 14.6 14.1 11.9

 150 mesh fraction

Uranium_..................._...... 0.017 0.002 0.027

PaOs- -- 12.4 5.9 8.9

Quartz....... ...................... 5.4 14.6 3.5

Percentage of total 

Sample...-.------..----.. ----- 41.1 66.3 52.0

Uranium... ..................... 46.0 25.2 71.0

P2Os-. ----------------------- 34.2 37.7 54.6

Quartz ................... 7.9 40.5 5.1

+20 mesh and 150 mesh fractions combined

Percentage of total 

Sample -.. ................. 70.8 84.8 66.5

Uranium.. -.-.-...--.---..--.- 90.1 88.4 93.7

87.3 87.9 89.5

0.022

5.6

42.8

0.0:20 

14.0

35.8

8.2

7.4

20.4

6.9

0.039

7.4

4.3

49.2

85.5

64.3

4.9

57.4

92.9

84.7
216 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GEOLOGY OF URANIUM

CLAY

Beds of stiff green clay, 2-9 feet thick, were cut in most of the drill 

holes (pis. 13, 14, and 15). Small white phosphate particles are 

commonly present in the clay. The percent P2O5 ranges from 3.5 

to 9.8, and percent uranium from 0.001 to 0.006 (table 3). The mode 

of occurrence of uranium was not determined; it is not known whether 

uranium is associated only with apatite, or whether some uranium 

may be associated with the clay minerals. Considerable fine-grained 

quartz occurs in the clay; some of the samples that are reported to 

have more than 20 percent quartz may have been contaminated by 

adhering loose sand that was not completely removed when the 

sample was taken.

TABLE 3. Uranium, P-iO$, and quartz contents, in percent, of samples of clay from 

drill holes in the area south of Ocala, Marion County, Fla.

JAnalysts: Q. Daniels, M. Delevaux, T. Murphy, D. Riska, R. Smith, A. Sweeney, W. Tucker, and 

J. Waring, U. S. Geological Survey]

Sample

X245 (DH21, 6.2-10.0 feet). _ ___.___. ._- ._.

X246 (DH21, 10.0-11.0 feet)................. ................ ..

X250 (DH22, 10.5-13.5 feet)_............... ......... ..........

X251 (DH22, 13.5-17.5 feet) i .......... ...............

X258 (DH24, 5.0-11.5 feet). ...... ........ ....... ..............

X261 (DH25, 3.0-4.8 feet).... ..................................

X263 (DH25, 6.0-9.0 feet) ................. .............

X265 (DH25, 12.0-17.0 feet)....................................

X267 (DH25, 21.0-23.0 feet)... .................................

X271 (DH26, 7.5-12.0 feet) ....................................

X273 (DH26, 16.0-17 5 feet) _._ .. ..._.. _._. ..

X278 (DH27, 21.0-27.0 feet)....... ...................... ...... .

X279 (DH27, 27.0-30.0 feet)........ . - . ..............

X293 (DH28, 54.5-60.5 feet).. .. ....................... ......

X298 (DH29, 9.0-13 B feet) _...... . ........

X309 (DH30, 34.5-43.5 feet) _ __ __ .__ .... 

Uranium

0.002

.001

.002

.001

.002

.001

.002

.006

.003

.002

.004

.002

.001

.001

.001

.001

P2O6

5.6

4.3

7.0

7.2

5.1

5.8

4.3

7.3

7.1

6.1

8.3

9.8

4.1

4.1

5.9

3.5

Quartz

25.8

16.2

26.7

30.0

16.9

28.7

10.1

11.4

12.4

20.9

20.1

9.2

21.8

23.6

1 X251 also has 10.4 percent CaO, 9.5 percent total AUOs, 7.8 percent soluble AbO>. X-ray powder 

diffraction analysis of 250 mesh fraction of X251 showed quartz, a montmorillonite mineral, attapulgite, 

and apatite.

LEACHED PHOSPHORITE

White to gray very porous sandy rock with numerous ovoid 

cavities forms abundant float at many places in the areas of abnormal 

radioactivity. This float was originally more widely distributed than 

it is now; much of it has been gathered into piles of field stone, or 

used to build walls, chimneys, or foundations. The material makes 

a good building stone, because it commonly occurs as massive blocks 

several feet in size, and can be readily sawed or cut.

The rock is composed mainly of quartz grains held together by a 

white cement in a cavernous or honey-combed structure. Ovoid 

cavities containing a little sand or claylike material are obviously 

relict from dissolved apatite pellets; partly decomposed pellets are 

still present in some cavities. The rock is the end product of weather-
ABNORMAL RADIOACTIVITY SOUTH OF OCALA, FLA. 217

ing of clayey, sandy, pellet phosphorite, such as the beds that were 

cut in drill holes 25-29 (pi. 14). Minor amounts of compact phosphatic sand with low porosity are found with the vesicular rock; 

this compact rock was derived probably from sandy-clayey phosphorite that did not contain large apatite pellets.

Partial chemical analyses of surface samples of leached phosphorite are given in table 4. Samples of very porous leached phosphorite are rather uniform in composition, with P2O5 ranging from 

12.7 to 16.8 percent, uranium from 0.019 to 0.023, A12O3 from 14.7 

to 20.0, and quartz from 40.1 to 54.1; specific gravity of the rock is 

about 1. The compact leached sandy phosphorite is more variable 

in composition; a sample (82) containing apatite pellets has less 

A12O3 and much more CaO than samples of the highly leached material.

The samples of leached phosphorite from the drill holes differ somewhat in composition from'the samples of leached phosphorite from 

surface outcrops; P2O5 content is lower in all the drill-hole samples,

TABLE 4. Uranium, P2 05 , A12 03 , CaO, and quartz contents, in percent, of samples 

of leached phosphorite from surface outcrops and float in the area south of Ocala, 

Marion County, Fla.

[Analysts: R. Moore, R. Smith, A. Sweeney, and W. Tucker, U. S. Geological Survey]

Sample Specific

gravity

Uranium P2 05 A12 O3 

(total)

A12 03 

(soluble)

CaO Quartz

Very porous leached phosphorite

83 .............

84.- -

87 

94 - 

97.----. ---..

C-. 

0.9-1.0

<1.0

1.2

.9

1.0

0.023

.021

.020

.020

.019

16.8

15.5

12.7

13.7

14.6

20.0

17.2

16.1

16.0

14.7

18.3

16.3

14.2

13.5

1.24

.73

.90

2.82

.34

40.1

47.6

50.8

47.1

54.1

Compact leached sandy phosphorite

82 

85 

89-- ---------

1. 3-1. 4

1.8

1.5

.016

.006

.017

15.9

6.6

15.0

7.9

13.8

17.2

7.2

9.7

15.7

18.8

.17

2.59

42.3

58.4

42.8

Description and location of samples:

82. Composite sample from boulders of white phosphatic sandstone containing phosphate pellets; 

from the NWMNEJ4 sec. 10, T. 17 S., R. 22 E., Marion County, Fla.

83. Composite sample of porous leached phosphorite containing a few relict phosphate pellets; from 

the SWMNEM sec. 3, T. 17 S., R. 22 K, Marion County, Fla.

84. Composite sample of very porous leached phosphorite; from the NW^SEM sec - 4, T. 17 S., R 22E., 

Marion County, Fla.

85. Composite sample of compact sandy-clayey phosphorite; from the NWMSEM sec. 4, T. 17 S., R.

22 E., Marion County, Fla. 

87. Composite sample of very porous leached phosphorite; from the NWJ4 sec. 4, T. 17 S., R. 22 E.,

Marion County, Fla. 

89. Composite sample of sandy phosphorite with soft white phosphate pellets; from the SEJ^SEJ-i

sec. 5, T. 17 S., R. 22 E., Marion County, Fla. 

94. Composite sample of very porous leached phosphorite; from center of south edge of sec. 1, T. 16 S.,

R. 21 E., Marion County, Fla. 

97. Composite sample of very porous leached phosphorite; from the SEMNWM sec. 1, T. 16 S., R. 21 E.,

Marion County, Fla. 

C. Sample taken by J. B. Cathcart (see Cathcart, 1954) of "outcrop of aluminum phosphate zone"

in sec. 11, T. 16 S., R. 21 E., Marion County, Fla.
218 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GEOLOGY OF URANIUM

and in 3 samples from 1 drill hole (DH21, table 5) the uranium content 

is lower. Minerals present in the 250 mesh fractions of 2 drillsamples were determined by X-ray powder diffraction methods to be 

wavellite, crandallite (pseudowavellite), kaolinite, and quartz. The 

mineralogy, as well as the physical appearance, of the leached porous 

phosphorite of this area resembles that of the aluminum phosphate 

rock of the "leached zone" of the Bone Valley formation of the landpebble phosphate field, about 85 miles south of Ocala (Altschuler, 

Jaffee, and Cuttitta, 1956).

TABLE 5. Uranium, PtO&, A1203, CaO, and quartz contents, in percent, of samples 

of leached phosphorite from drill holes in the area south of Ocala, Marion County, 

Fla.

[Analysts: Q. Daniels, M. Delevaux, G. Edgington, T. Murphy, D. Rlska, R. Smith, A. Sweeney, W. 

Tucker, and J. Waring, U. S. Geological Survey]

Sample

X242 (DH21, 1.0-2.5feet).- -.--.--..

X243 (DH21, 2.5-3.5 feet)'. ---_ ...

X244(DH21, 3.5-5.7 feet).. ............

X249 (DH22, 1.0-10.5 feet) >_ - 

X307 (DH30, 23.5-30.5 feet). . ..........

Uranium

O nnfi

.004

.006

.026

.017

PaOs

6.3

6.6

5.4

8.7

3.3

Al2 0j 

(total)

8.8

13.8

A12 O3 

(soluble)

7.5

10.6

CaO

1.80

0.11

Quartz

64.8

68.1

Uranium and PsOs contents in different size fractions of sample X307

Size fraction

+20 mesh.. ___ ---. ....................

-48 +150 mesh .

Uranium

0.018 

.005 

.002 

.056

.017

PsOs

12.5 

2.3 

0.5

7.4

3.3

Percentage of totalSample

8.3 

8.8 

58.9 

24.0

100.0

Uranium

9.0 

2.7 

7.1 

81.2

100.0

PsOs

31.3 

6.1 

8.9 

63.7

100.0

 Analyses of 250 mesh fractions of X243 and X249 by X-ray powder diffraction methods showed wavellite, crandallite (pseudowavellite), kaolinite, and quartz.

CONCLUSIONS

The areas of abnormal radioactivity south of Ocala are related to 

thin beds of uraniferous phosphorite in outliers of Miocene rocks. 

Much of the radioactivity is probably derived from outcrops and float 

of leached porous phosphorite that is similar in appearance and 

composition to the aluminum phosphate rock of the "leached zone" 

of the Bone Valley formation. Abnormal radioactivity at some 

places in the Ocala area is caused by unleached, uraniferous pellet 

phosphorite.
ABNORMAL RADIOACTIVITY SOUTH OF OCALA, FLA. 219

REFERENCES CITED

Altschuler, Z. S., Jaffe, E. B., and Cuttitta, Frank, 1956, The aluminum phosphate zone of the Bone Valley formation, Florida, and its uranium deposits, 

in Page, Stocking, and Smith, Contributions to the geology of uranium and 

thorium by the United States Geological Survey and Atomic Energy Commission for the United Nations International Conference on Peaceful Uses 

of Atomic Energy, Geneva, Switzerland, 1955: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. 

Paper 300, p. 495-504.

Cathcart, J. B., 1954, Drilling of airborne radioactivity anomalies in Florida, 

Georgia, and South Carolina 1954: U. S. Geol. Survey open-file report.

Cooke, C. W., 1945, Geology of Florida: Fla. Geol. Survey Bull. 29.

MacNeil, F. S., 1950, Pleistocene shore lines in Florida and Georgia: U. S. Geol. 

Survey Prof. Paper 221-F.

Matson, G. C., 1915, The phosphate deposits of Florida: U. S. Geol. Survey 

Bull. 604.

Moxham, R. M., 1954, Airborne radioactivity surveys for phosphate in Florida: 

U. S. Geol. Survey Circ. 230.

Sellards, E. H., and others, 1915, Natural resources survey of an area in central 

Florida, including a part of Marion, Levy, Citrus, and Sumter Counties: 

Fla. Geol. Survey, 7th Ann. Rept., p. 117-251.

Vernon, R. O., 1951, Geology of Citrus and Levy Counties, Florida: Fla. Geol. 

Survey Bull. 33.

U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1953