Inside Illinois: Mineral Resources
Educational Series 9
Illinois State Geological Survey
STATE of ILLINOIS
DEPARTMENT of REGISTRATION and EDUCATION
1965
ILLINOIS STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY John C. Frye, Chief URBANA, ILLINOIS
Printed by Authority of State of Illinois, Ch. 127, IRS, Par. 58.25.
Although Illinois has been nicknamed the “Prairie State,” many parts of it are hilly and scenic. The idea of large areas of the state being nothing more than broad, flat prairies has come about because the major highways have been built to take advantage of the comparatively low, gently rolling landscape rather than the rougher more scenic areas.
Illinois is about 385 miles long from north to south and about 218 miles wide. It has an area of 55,947 square miles. The average elevation of the state is about 600 feet above sea level. Charles Mound, however, in the northern part of Jo Daviess County in extreme northwestern Illinois, has an elevation of 1,241 feet above sea level and is the highest point in the state.
Cheap water transportation is available to Illinois industry through Lake Michigan, the Illinois Waterway, and the Mississippi, Ohio, and Wabash Rivers. These major rivers of Illinois collect the surface drainage of the state from a network of about 500 streams.
Figure 1—Physiographic provinces of Illinois.
DRIFTLESS AREA WISCONSINAN MORAINES ILLINOIAN TILL PLAIN MISSISSIPPI RIVER WABASH RIVER SHAWNEE HILLS OHIO RIVER
Illinois State Geological Survey
---
WHAT IS THE EARTH MADE OF BENEATH THE GROUND SURFACE?
WHAT IS CORE?
HOW DOES THE MANTLE DIFFER FROM THE CORE?
WHAT IS THE CRUST OF THE EARTH AND HOW IS IT DISTINGUISHED FROM THE MANTLE AND THE CORE?
WHAT IS THE EARTH’S CRUST UNDER ILLINOIS MADE OF?
WHEN AND HOW WAS THE LAND SURFACE OF ILLINOIS FORMED?
WHERE DID THE LOOSE, UNCONSOLIDATED DEPOSITS COME FROM AND WHAT ARE THEY MADE OF?
HOW DID ILLINOIS GET ITS SOILS?
ARE ANIMAL AND PLANT REMAINS FOUND IN THE GLACIAL DEPOSITS OF ILLINOIS?
MINERAL WEALTH
HOW WEALTHY IS ILLINOIS IN MINERAL PRODUCTION?
WHAT MINERAL COMMODITIES ARE PRODUCED IN ILLINOIS?
HOW MANY ILLINOIS COUNTIES PRODUCE MINERAL COMMODITIES?
HOW MANY PEOPLE WORK IN THE MINERAL INDUSTRIES OF ILLINOIS?
HOW DOES THE FARMER IN ILLINOIS BENEFIT FROM MINERAL PRODUCTION?
PETROLEUM
WHAT IS PETROLEUM AND HOW IS IT FORMED?
HOW AND WHERE DID OIL COLLECT IN ROCKS?
WHERE DID OIL ACCUMULATE IN ILLINOIS?
ARE THERE LAKES OR RIVERS OF OIL UNDERGROUND?
HOW IS OIL DISCOVERED?
HOW MUCH OIL CAN BE OBTAINED FROM AN OIL POOL?
WHAT IS THE “BIGGEST” OIL WELL ON RECORD IN ILLINOIS?
HOW MUCH OIL IS PRODUCED IN ILLINOIS AND HOW VALUABLE IS IT?
IS OIL PRODUCTION INCREASING OR DECREASING IN ILLINOIS?
COAL
WHAT IS COAL AND HOW IS IT FORMED?
HOW DO WE KNOW THAT COAL WAS DERIVED FROM PLANT MATERIALS?
HOW MANY COAL SEAMS ARE PRESENT IN ILLINOIS?
HOW IS ILLINOIS COAL MINED?
HOW DOES ILLINOIS RANK AS A COAL PRODUCER?
HOW MUCH COAL IS PRODUCED IN ILLINOIS ANNUALLY AND HOW VALUABLE IS IT?
HOW LONG WILL OUR COAL SUPPLIES LAST?
WHAT IS COAL USED FOR?
WHAT IS COKE?
HOW IMPORTANT IS COKE AND HOW IS IT USED?
STONE AND STONE PRODUCTS
WHAT TYPES OF STONE ARE PRODUCED IN ILLINOIS?
WHAT ARE LIMESTONE AND DOLOMITE?
WHERE ARE LIMESTONE AND DOLOMITE QUARRIES LOCATED IN ILLINOIS?
ARE ANY STONE QUARRIES LOCATED IN THE AREA UNDERLAIN BY THE ILLINOIS BASIN?
HOW AND WHERE ARE LIMESTONE AND DOLOMITE USED?
HOW MUCH STONE DOES ILLINOIS PRODUCE?
CLAY
WHAT IS CLAY AND HOW IS IT FORMED?
HOW EXTENSIVE ARE CLAY DEPOSITS IN ILLINOIS?
HOW IS ILLINOIS CLAY USED?
WHAT IS THE VALUE OF THE CLAY PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED IN ILLINOIS?
SAND AND GRAVEL
WHERE DO SAND AND GRAVEL COME FROM?
WHAT IS THE VALUE OF COMMON ILLINOIS SAND AND GRAVEL PRODUCTION?
SILICA SAND
WHAT IS SILICA SAND?
HOW IS SILICA SAND USED?
HOW VALUABLE IS SILICA SAND TO THE ECONOMY OF THE STATE?
TRIPOLI
WHAT IS TRIPOLI AND WHERE IS IT FOUND?
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE USES FOR TRIPOLI?
FLUORSPAR
WHAT IS FLUORSPAR?
WHERE ARE FLUORSPAR DEPOSITS LOCATED AND HOW IMPORTANT IS ILLINOIS PRODUCTION?
WHAT ARE FLUORSPAR PELLETS?
WHAT IS FLUORSPAR USED FOR?
LEAD AND ZINC
WHAT ORES YIELD LEAD AND ZINC IN ILLINOIS?
WHERE ARE LEAD AND ZINC MINES LOCATED AND HOW LONG HAVE THESE ORES BEEN MINED?
WHAT IS THE VALUE OF THESE METALS PRODUCED IN ILLINOIS?
GROUND WATER
WHAT IS GROUND WATER?
WHAT KINDS OF ROCKS YIELD GROUND WATER?
IS WATER FOUND IN UNDERGROUND LAKES AND RIVERS IN ILLINOIS?
WHY DO WELLS SOMETIMES GO DRY?
WHAT IS AN ARTESIAN WELL?
WILL YOU ALWAYS FIND WATER IF YOU GO DEEP ENOUGH?
HOW CAN GROUND WATER BE FOUND?
ILLINOIS STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
WHY IS GEOLOGY IMPORTANT?
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SERVICES AVAILABLE FROM THE SURVEY?
WHAT IS THE CHARGE FOR THESE SERVICES?
Transcriber’s Notes
