Geology, Earthquakes and Volcanos

I own property in Rutherfordton, NC, which is located right across Highway 41 from the original Betchler NC gold mine. I am eager to rent an excavator and start digging into the hillside to explore what is beneath the red clay, not even looking specifically for gold, corundrum, quartz, etc etc. During my last visit, one of the tenants renting one of my properties showed me an area of significant erosion not far into the woods. This erosion was caused by the severe flooding that affected Lake Lure and devastated businesses in Chimney Rock. I still find it hard to imagine the volume of water that surged through that valley.

In the low country of South Carolina, drilling primarily encounters sand, shell, and then Cooper Marl clay, extending down to about 1,000 feet. Further north, around Awendaw, limestone begins to appear at approximately 150 feet deep, where large voids can be found. This creates the need for casing during drilling, as it helps prevent the loss of drilling mud.

That’s my contribution to geology. I often find a lot of shark teeth, including some Megalodon teeth, though they are usually quite worn. I also come across numerous black phosphate nodules.