Context: Underpinning Houston's land surface are unconsolidated clays, clay shales, and poorly cemented sands up to several miles deep. The region's geology developed from river deposits formed from the erosion of the Rocky Mountains. These sediments consist of a series of sands and clays deposited on decaying organic marine matter, that over time, transformed into oil and natural gas. Beneath the layers of sediment is a water-deposited layer of halite, a rock salt. The porous layers were compressed over time and forced upward. As it pushed upward, the salt dragged surrounding sediments into salt dome formations, often trapping oil and gas that seeped from the surrounding porous sands. The thick, rich, sometimes black, surface soil is suitable for rice farming in suburban outskirts where the city continues to grow.

Question: What materials are underpinning the land surface of Houston?
Answer: unconsolidated clays, clay shales, and poorly cemented sands

Question: Houston's geology was formed from river deposits from the erosion of what mountains?
Answer: Rocky Mountains

Question: The sand and clay deposited onto decaying marine matter transformed into what?
Answer: oil and natural gas

Question: What is halite?
Answer: a rock salt

Question: What type of farming is Houston's surface soil good for?
Answer: rice farming

Question: What geological event caused the foundations of the land beneath Houston?
Answer: erosion of the Rocky Mountains

Question: Besides sands, what are the foundations of Houston's land?
Answer: clays

Question: How deep are the clay and sands foundations of Houston?
Answer: several miles

Question: What did the decaying organics under the clay and sand deposits later form?
Answer: oil and natural gas

Question: What agricultural crop was farmed in the rich soils on the outlying areas of Houston?
Answer: rice

Question: What materials are underpinning the water of Houston?
Answer: Unanswerable

Question:  Houston's geology was formed from river deposits from the erosion of what ocean?
Answer: Unanswerable

Question: The glass deposited onto decaying marine matter transformed into what?
Answer: Unanswerable

Question:  What is falsalite?
Answer: Unanswerable

Question:  What type of fishing is Houston's waters good for?
Answer: Unanswerable