“ Millions of tons of stone are crushed annually to produce aggregate for use in making concrete roads and buildings, for road surfacing, and for agricultural limestone. Agstone is applied to farmlands to neutralize soil acidity, improve soil structure, add calcium and magnesium, and promote conditions favorable for the utilization of soil materials by plants. Large quantities of limestone are used in making lime and cement. There are three cement plants 22 in northern Illinois—two at LaSalle and one at Dixon—and one in southern Illinois, at Joppa. ”

“ Illinois ranks fourth in production of coal in the United States. It is exceeded only by West Virginia, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania. Some of the largest and most efficient mines in the country are operated in Illinois. Underground mines in Illinois have the highest rate of tons mined per man each day in the country, and this rate is increasing. Increased mining efficiency has made it possible to hold the price of coal low enough so that it can successfully compete against other fuels for many uses. ”

“ Since the main ideas of geology are easy to understand and greatly increase one’s enjoyment and appreciation of the world in which we live, the Geological Survey publishes popular and educational booklets designed for the use of Illinois teachers and students. The Survey also distributes a labeled collection of rocks and minerals for class use in Illinois schools. ”

“ Electric power generation consumes the greater part of the annual coal production in Illinois. Coal is also used for home and commercial heating, for production of coke, and for manufacturing various chemical compounds from coal tar. Products derived from coal tar include drugs and medicines, plastics, synthetic fibres, perfumes, flavorings, dyes, synthetic rubbers, explosives, specialized oils, solvents, wood preservatives, tarlike paving and roofing materials, and some gas. ”

“ The structure and nature of coke make it a valuable fuel for blast furnace use in the production of steel. In the past, most of the coal used in the manufacture of coke has come from areas of higher quality coal outside of our state. However, at present, over 1,000,000 tons of Illinois coal are mined annually for the production of metallurgical coke. ”

“ The shale above the sandstone and limestone aquifers in the figure is “tight” and does not permit water to escape upward to the level at which it enters the aquifers in the intake areas. The water is under natural pressure. When a well is drilled through the shale and into the aquifers, water rises, seeking its own level. Most of the deep wells in northern Illinois are artesian wells, though few of them flow at the surface anymore. ”

“ It will take well over 1,000 years at the present rate of mining in Illinois to exhaust our coal reserves. An estimated 140 billion tons of coal in seams of minable thickness remain in the ground in our state ”

“ The mantle, which surrounds the core, is a rigid zone of materials rich in iron and magnesium. These materials are not as dense as those found in the core.
WHAT IS THE CRUST OF THE EARTH AND HOW IS IT DISTINGUISHED FROM THE MANTLE AND THE CORE?
The crust, the top part of which includes the ground we walk on, is the hard, outer surface layer of the earth. ”

“ There is no way to tell before a hole is drilled whether or not oil will be found, how much oil is present, or what will be the best way to get it to the surface. Where subsurface pressures are great enough, oil may flow to the surface. ”

“ MINERAL WEALTH HOW WEALTHY IS ILLINOIS IN MINERAL PRODUCTION?
In 1963, Illinois mineral production totaled approximately $615,000,000. This placed the state first as a mineral producer in the Upper Mississippi Valley and eighth in the nation.
WHAT MINERAL COMMODITIES ARE PRODUCED IN ILLINOIS?
Coal and petroleum, two of the world’s most important mineral resources, are produced in Illinois. Iron ore, another mineral of extreme importance, is brought into the steel mills of the Chicago and East St. ”

“ HOW VALUABLE IS SILICA SAND TO THE ECONOMY OF THE STATE?
Illinois is a major producer of silica sand, having produced 2,900,000 tons in 1963. The silica sand and ground silica produced in the same year was valued at $11,400,000.
25 TRIPOLI WHAT IS TRIPOLI AND WHERE IS IT FOUND?
Tripoli, also known as amorphous silica, is mined in Alexander County in southern Illinois. It is prepared for market by being ground to a fine powder. It consists of tiny particles of quartz. ”

“ Sometimes dipping rocks can be seen in outcrops, and several geophysical methods have been used to indicate where such high places may occur underground. At other times, high places are found by studying with a microscope samples of rocks collected from wells already drilled in the surrounding area. ”

“ Petroleum and Natural Gas 36.3% Coal 31.9% Stone Products 15.2% Clay Products 8.8% Sand and Gravel 5.9% Fluorspar and Metals 1.9% HOW MANY PEOPLE WORK IN THE MINERAL INDUSTRIES OF ILLINOIS?
In 1963, approximately 27,000 people worked in mines, quarries, oil fields, and direct processing operations such as cement and clay products plants and oil refineries. Many other persons were employed in transporting the materials and in plants and general offices. ”