A.T. Hagan :
Quote:
Florida has an acid rain problem and has had one for some years now. Of course in a manner of speaking we've always had one which is why we have a karst topography. I have seen unpainted exposed concrete block etched by the rain here. Of course it took decades to be noticeable but it happened.
I have a hopper of oyster shell in the henyard that is directly exposed to the water and the splash off roosthouse roof so it stays wet for long periods of time. The powdery dust that constitutes an unfortunately large percentage of the bags of ground oyster shell I buy does turn to mush when it is wet, but then it's just dust anyway. The chunky bits are pretty much unaffected. I have some out in the pasture that I spilled seven or eight years ago that still have sharp edges on them so the change seems to be slow. It does happen though. I live on the sand ridge which a million or so years ago used to be a dune line when ocean levels were much higher than they are now. No seashells. None at all. The slightly acidic natural rainfall dissolved them. But it took centuries, perhaps thousands of years to happen.
Here in lovely New England many driveways(if you got bucks) are topped oyster shell. Its permiable as well as astetic. Many houses on Nantucket are of that because its cheaper than asphalt ones. New England weather is far from dry and never have seen a mushy driveway. Wondering if people that say that theirs "turn to mush" may be something other than true shells. I have actually seen pieces of oyster shell on the eggshell which has been subject to grinding and moisture but still intact.
Quote:
Florida has an acid rain problem and has had one for some years now. Of course in a manner of speaking we've always had one which is why we have a karst topography. I have seen unpainted exposed concrete block etched by the rain here. Of course it took decades to be noticeable but it happened.
I have a hopper of oyster shell in the henyard that is directly exposed to the water and the splash off roosthouse roof so it stays wet for long periods of time. The powdery dust that constitutes an unfortunately large percentage of the bags of ground oyster shell I buy does turn to mush when it is wet, but then it's just dust anyway. The chunky bits are pretty much unaffected. I have some out in the pasture that I spilled seven or eight years ago that still have sharp edges on them so the change seems to be slow. It does happen though. I live on the sand ridge which a million or so years ago used to be a dune line when ocean levels were much higher than they are now. No seashells. None at all. The slightly acidic natural rainfall dissolved them. But it took centuries, perhaps thousands of years to happen.
Here in lovely New England many driveways(if you got bucks) are topped oyster shell. Its permiable as well as astetic. Many houses on Nantucket are of that because its cheaper than asphalt ones. New England weather is far from dry and never have seen a mushy driveway. Wondering if people that say that theirs "turn to mush" may be something other than true shells. I have actually seen pieces of oyster shell on the eggshell which has been subject to grinding and moisture but still intact.
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