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Formation:
Between 50 and 100 million years ago, during
the geological periods known as Cretaceous and Tertiary,
the Atlantic Ocean covered much of Georgia south of an imaginary
line drawn from Columbus to Augusta, which is where the Piedmont
Plateau meets the coastal plain.
Above this line, known as the Fall Line, weathered
crystalline rocks at the Piedmont Plateau began to break down
and rushing streams carried the tiny feldspar and kaolinite crystals
seaward to form large sedimentary deposits. During later periods,
earth was piled on top of the kaolin; this overlying layer of
earth contained sharks’ teeth, sand dollars and other marine
life fossils and contributed to the alteration of the feldspar
and kaolinite deposits. Sedimentary kaolin deposits were formed
in middle Georgia as a result of the weathering and erosion of
the Piedmont rock, enriching the lives of Georgians who reside
along the Fall Line.
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