Tamiami Formation
Introduction The '''Tamiami Formation''' is a Late Miocene to Pliocene geologic formation in the southwest Florida peninsula.
Age '''Period''': Neogene'''Epoch''': Late Miocene to Pliocene'''Faunal stage''': Clarendonian through Blancan ~13.06–2.588 mya, calculates to a period of
Location Location of Taniami Formation in Florida.The Tamiami Formation appears in the counties of Charlotte, Lee, Hendry, Collier and Monroe. It is widespread in Florida and part of the intermediate confining aquifer system. The Tamiami formation overlies the Hawthorn at every locality where the Hawthorn has been penetrated and is overlain unconformably by the Caloosahatchee marl of the Pliocene in Charlotte County.
Composition The Tamiami Formation contains a wide range of mixed carbonate-siliciclastic lithologies and associated faunas. It occurs at or near the land surface in the southern peninsula with numerous named and unnamed members recognized within the Tamiami Formation. Its unevenness indicates that the upper part has been subjected to erosion.
Lithologies The Tamiami Formation includes:* light gray to tan, unconsolidated, fine to coarse grained sand with fossils* light gray to green, poorly consolidated, fossil bearing sandy clay to clayey sand* light gray, poorly consolidated, very fine to medium grained, calcareous, fossil bearing sand* white to light gray, poorly consolidated, sandy, fossil bearing limestone* white to light gray, moderately to well hardened, sandy, fossiliferous limestonePhosphate is present in limited quantities throughout the Tamiami in sand and gravel.
Sub-units * Bonita Springs Marl Member* Golden Gate Reef Member* Ochopee Limestone Member* Pinecrest Sand Member
Fossils Fossils appear in casts and molds, as well as original material. * Barnacles* Mollusks (''Ostrea disparilis'', ''Chione ulocyma'', and ''Turritella pontoni'')* Corals* Echinoids* Foraminifers* Nanoplankton (calcareous)
References
Further reading * Finch, J., Geological essay on the Tertiary formation in America: American Journal of Science, v. 7, p. 31–43, 1823. * Berkenkotter, Richard D,  Application of statistical analysis in evaluating bedded deposits of variable thickness—Florida phosphate data (United States. Bureau of Mines. Report of investigations, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Mines (1964)