I'm no Geologist, but this looks a lot like lava. Now how it ended up in Po-Dunk Rural Georgia, I don't know for sure. Any ideas?
Slag?
It looks more like a frothy limestone to me. Lava is generally darker in color (basalt). Although it can be light colored (rhyolite).
If it makes the Schonstedt sing it might be a meteorite...($)
Stacy Carroll, post: 420066, member: 150 wrote: I'm no Geologist, but this looks a lot like lava. Now how it ended up in Po-Dunk Rural Georgia, I don't know for sure. Any ideas?
Fossiliferous Limestone
Years ago, found a nice specimen in the Ozarks. It has lot of tiny shell impressions.
I am a geologist, but that doesn't mean that I can divine rock types based solely on a photo.
It does have the appearance of pumice. I base that on all of the "holes" otherwise called vesicles by geologists. If the rock was darker in color it would be called scoria. These two rock types are volcanic and have large amounts of gas dissolved in the lava. When the lava gets close to the surface, the gas expands creating the vesicles.
My first question would be if the rock "feels" lighter than normal rock. Pumice and scoria can have so much gas that they will float in water. A suggestion I have is a quick field test. Chip off a small piece with a hammer and look at the fresh surface with a magnifying glass (do you still have one to read a vernier?). Pumice and scoria will show sharp glass-like fractures.
If the rock is composed of limestone, a simple test is to apply a few drops of dilute HCl (10%). If the rock fizzes, it contains lime.
As for its origin, it is likely an exotic. Someone found it elsewhere and brought it home.
[SARCASM]One last suggestion is that it is Leverite, which is geology snark for Leave Er Rite [where you found it].[/SARCASM]
Gene Kooper, post: 420093, member: 9850 wrote: ..As for its origin, it is likely an exotic. Someone found it elsewhere and brought it home..
I hope not. Bringing something "exotic" home can get a man in a lot of serious trouble...
There is a bit of a back story to it. We were surveying along an old railroad bed when the "rocks" were found. They were mixed in with the ballast. The railroad was chartered in 1912, opened in 1914 and closed sometime around 1924.
Stacy Carroll, post: 420130, member: 150 wrote: There is a bit of a back story to it. We were surveying along an old railroad bed when the "rocks" were found. They were mixed in with the ballast. The railroad was chartered in 1912, opened in 1914 and closed sometime around 1924.
One of my colleagues maintains a "museum" table near the entry of his office with all sorts of old survey goodies. BTW, the "Aqua Surveying Co." equipment is mine but on permanent loan..
On this table he has a small, silver dollar sized rock that has a porous appearance and reddish in color. Unlike a pumice, it weighs about twice what you would imagine It is of interest due to the fact you can't turn on a pin finder within 20' of it without the finder going crazy. He also found it in the ballast of a rail bed in Missouri and has kept it and named it the "corner rock".
I believe it is probably some sort of iron slag...or extraterrestrial.
paden cash, post: 420123, member: 20 wrote: I hope not. Bringing something "exotic" home can get a man in a lot of serious trouble...
Um...er... :blush:
As for its origin, it is likely an exotic erratic.
Stacy Carroll, post: 420130, member: 150 wrote: There is a bit of a back story to it. We were surveying along an old railroad bed when the "rocks" were found. They were mixed in with the ballast. The railroad was chartered in 1912, opened in 1914 and closed sometime around 1924.
Well, that changes everything! 😉
Does it set off your Schonstedt?
I figure I ran over a couple of thousand of those Wednesday........looks volcanic to me, usually they vary in color from a very light red or pink to a dark red almost black, sometimes greyish green, don't often seem them that light, but sometimes.
Maybe https://www.google.ca/#q=WEATHERED+LIMEStone&*&spf=1 ?
Without it in my hand, tiz tough to opine.
Cheers,
Derek
Gene Kooper, post: 420137, member: 9850 wrote: Well, that changes everything! 😉
Does it set off your Schonstedt?
I know that the schonstedt screams at every rock in that little region of the world. I'll check specifically tonight
I don't know if this would be useful in identifying your rock or not, but one of the tidbits that stuck with me from my college geology class, the Mohs hardness scale. Limestone is a relatively soft material whereas if it's volcanic in origin it should be relatively hard and scratch softer materials with ease.
http://geology.com/minerals/mohs-hardness-scale.shtml
Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.
paden cash, post: 420070, member: 20 wrote: If it makes the Schonstedt sing it might be a meteorite...($)
I found a meteorite once. Shonstedt squealed like never before. It was about 2ft deep. It would fit in the palm of my hand, but it was heavy. Took it to a local gemologist to see if it was of value. He said it was worth about a $100. I kept it for a conversation piece. But pretty cool find in a residential neighborhood.
Ron Lang, post: 420174, member: 6445 wrote: I found a meteorite once. Shonstedt squealed like never before. It was about 2ft deep. It would fit in the palm of my hand, but it was heavy. Took it to a local gemologist to see if it was of value. He said it was worth about a $100. I kept it for a conversation piece. But pretty cool find in a residential neighborhood.
Found this one as a teen in the Saudi desert, on my first job as a surveyor's assistant. Weighs 3x what a normal stone would. Found three total. Not a peanut among them.
Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.
paden cash, post: 420070, member: 20 wrote: If it makes the Schonstedt sing it might be a meteorite...($)
If that's the case it should immediately be sent to "Nearly Normal" for verification. 😉