Hawthorn Group, Statenville Formation

Hawthorn Group, Statenville Formation - The Statenville Formation occurs at or near the surface in a limited area of Hamilton, Columbia and Baker Counties on the northeastern flank of the Ocala Platform. The formation consists of interbedded sands, clays and dolostones with common to very abundant phosphate grains. The sands predominate and are light gray to light olive gray, poorly indurated, phosphatic, fine to coarse grained with scattered gravel and with minor occurrences of fossils. Clays are yellowish gray to olive gray, poorly consolidated, variably sandy and phosphatic, and variably dolomitic. The dolostones, which occur as thin beds, are yellowish gray to light orange, poorly to well indurated, sandy, clayey and phosphatic with scattered mollusk molds and casts. Phosphate occurs in the Statenville Formation in economically important amounts. Silicified fossils and opalized claystones are found in the Statenville Formation. Permeability of these sediments is generally low, forming part of the intermediate confining unit/aquifer system.