rocks & minerals

Rocks

Igneous

  Granite--quartz, feldspar, & hornblende
  Diorite
  Basalt (columnar)
  Pumice
     Magma--below ground
     Lava--above ground

Diorite

"Diorite is a grey to dark grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar (typicallyandesine), biotite, hornblende, and/orpyroxene. It may contain small amounts of quartz, microcline andolivine."

"Diorite is a relatively rare rock; source localities include Leicestershire; UK (one name for microdiorite - Markfieldite - exists due to the rock being found in the village of Markfield),Sondrio, Italy; Thuringia and Saxony inGermany; Finland; Romania; Northeastern Turkey; central Sweden; Scotland; the Darrans range of New Zealand; the Andes Mountains; the Isle of Guernsey; Basin and Range province; Minnesota in the USA, and Idahet in Egypt.

An orbicular variety found in Corsica is called corsite."

Metamorphic

  igneous rock under pressure; crystal structure transformed
  Gneiss

Gneiss

"Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks."

Sedimentary

  sediment turned into rock
     Shale
     Slate
     Sandstone
     Siltstone
     Shellstone: coquina
     Limestone
     Kaolinite

Shale

"Shale is a fine-grained, classic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite."
Shale is often found in slow-moving water, lakes, lagoons, river deltas, floodplains, and offshore from beach sands.

Minerals

Quartz
Feldspar
Hornblende
    pyrite, halite, calcite, mica

Quartz

"Quartz is an abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz, several of which are semi-preciousgemstones. Throughout the world, varieties of quartz have been, since antiquity, the most commonly used minerals in the making of jewelry and hardstone carvings."

soil types

Soil Texture Diagram

Munsell Color Charts

Munsell 

Munsell Color System

Twelve Soil Orders

Soil Layers

Soils of Georgia

Georgia Soils

http://www.georgiawildlife.org/node/1704

plants around campus

Itea

The Itea is a perennial shrub that grows actively in the spring.  The plant grows well in medium to wet soil and full sun to part shade.  The Itea plant can grow up to four feet tall and produce fragrant white flowers.

Loropetalum

The Loropetalum is a purplish-green shrub that produces flowers in the spring.  The shrub has asymmetrical leaves that grow on the rounded shrub.  They grow in well drained soil in full or partial sunlight.  

Holly Bush

The Holly bush, also called the Illex, is a slow-growing bush that can reach up to 33 feet if left unattended.  The bushes have glossy leaves that are often pointed at the end.  Many produce small reddish fruits that ripen in the winter.

Marigold

Marigolds are orange or yellow flowers that bloom in the spring, summer and fall.  They grow in various types of soil and need plenty of sunshine.  There are about 50 different species of marigolds.

Camelia

Camelia's are flowering plants native to eastern and southern Asia.  Debate over number of species ranges from 100 to 250.  They are actually small trees that can grow up to 60 feet tall, though they are usually trimmed.  They grow large flowers varying in hues from white to red.  They grow well in acidic soils with plenty of water, and usually grow rather quickly.

Angel's Trumpet

The Angel's Trumpet, also known as Brugmansia, is a shrub-like flowering plant that grows large trumpet-shaped flowers in varying colors.  Though nice to look at, this plant is toxic when ingested.  It has hallucinogenic effects, but also causes a number of other symptoms which will eventually lead to death.  Angel's Trumpet is native to tropical climates but have been adapted to other climates as well.

Pecan Tree

The Pecan tree is a tree native to North America.  It's name comes from an Algonquian word that means 'a nut requiring a stone to crack.'  They grow from 66 to 180 feet and produce pecans in the fall.  The pecans grow inside a woody shell contained by a softer husk.  

Sycamore Tree

The Sycamore tree is native to North America.  It is distinguishable by its bark, which has an irregular color due to the flaking off of its bark.  Sycamores can grow from about 98 to 130 feet in high.  They have dark, rough bark on the lower parts of the tree, with light, smooth bark towards the top.

Magnolia Tree

The Magnolia grandifloras are evergreen trees native to the southeastern United States.  They grow up to 90 feet and have large dark green leaves.  They also produce large, white flowers in the late spring.