Fossil Clam Rucks Pit Shell Calcite From Fort Drum Mine Florida Display Label

Description

Calcite Fossilized Clams Collecting in The Fort Drum Mine, also known as the Rucks Pit or Fort Drum Crystal Mine
Calcite crystals represent the most commonly-collected mineral from Florida. As most of Florida is underlain by Tertiary to recent marine limestones, the potential for crystal finds exists just about anywhere these limestones are exposed – most prominently in active limerock quarries.
The Fort Drum Mine, also known as the Rucks Pit or Fort Drum Crystal Mine, was first recognized as a geologically and scientifically important locality as far back as the early 1990's. During that time, Dr. Thomas M. Scott, Assistant Florida State Geologist, discovered the presence of calcite spar geodes within a gray sandy limestone in the old Rucks pit (now the large recreational lake adjacent to the mine campground).
Besides the presence of the calcite geodes, the mine was of special interest to scientists in that it was continuously pumped, allowing for in situ collecting of fossil specimens and for direct study of the exposed geological formations. The calcite geodes were also of special interest, as they had formed as large aggregations of dogtooth spar growing inside fossilized clams (bivalve mollusks) and whelks (gastropod mollusks). As far as is known, this type of dogtooth spar geode is unique to the Fort Drum Mine.