What Rock is this?

[Mechanic]

And then just because I like them, a shot that was also taken from above Kane Creek canyon. The moon was absolutely stunning in a dark blue sky. And, from northern Utah on the Green river, just a pic of my little girl Kuno in doggy bliss .

[whulsey]

Guess I'll join in since I often get accused of having 'rocks in my head' or a 'heart of stone' when I have to put someone off the bus. This was from my late summer vacation over to Morro Bay area.
First is from Spooner's Cove in Montana de Oro State Park south of Los Osos. The base rock there is shale. Then a shot of Morro Rock from the docks and then one up the side of the rock. It was formed from lava hardening in the tube of a volcano then the surrounding rock being weathered away. There actually is a string of 'morros' through the area. Morro is Spanish for snout or nose and the 1st Spanish explorers thought it looked like a snout sticking up out of the water. Last was a big chunk of borax ore from the pit at the US Borax Vistor Center.

[Ashrunner]

As a kid of about 7 or 8, I was fascinated by the bones I would see in the flagstone rocks which made our back yard patio in Chicago. I would take a screwdriver and hammer and attempt the "free" the fossil from the stone. I was rarely successful in the endeavor...but the fascination remained.

After I joined the Air Force, I found myself in various parts of the world and during my spare time, I would explore the local areas. At times, I would collect an interesting rock or stone and add it to my collection.

When I was assigned to the USAF Survival School west of Spokane, Wash, I became very interested in volcanoes after Mt. St. Helens, 300 miles further west, dumped six inches of ash on me. Prior to arriving at the school, I spent time with my mother and sister who had moved to central Oregon. I thought it was a beautiful area when I first saw it, but when I realized all the hills around me were volcanoes, I fell in love with the area.

From that point on, I spent at least half my leave time in that area, hiking in and around the hills I came to admire. I collected volcanic bombs, obsidian, pumice and a large variety of lava types. Each specimen was numbered and marked on a topo map as to where it was found. I still have the specimen collection, although the location map has disappeared.

In the final years of my Air Force career, I was assigned to Clark AB, The Philippines. Not long into that assignment, I experienced a 7.8 earthquake, and spent the next two weeks assisting with the recovery and working with the news media. It wasn't my first temblor, as I experienced deadly quakes in Italy in the mid 70s and strong, but not deadly quakes in Alaska and several other areas. A little less than a year later, Mt. Pinatubo entered an eruptive stage.

I was due to retire two months after the beginning of the eruption, but having had prior experience with a volcanic eruption, I was asked to stay on, something I gladly did. When the mountain blew, I was six miles away from the second most powerful volcanic eruption of the 20th Century and loving the experience.

I retired from military service almost eight months after the eruption began and settled in central Oregon. I since found this area to be a wonderland of geology and a great place for rockhounds.

Throughout my house, are rocks and stones I have collected in my lifetime. One of my pride and joys is a stone I picked up in Greenland. It is about fist sized, but shows obvious folding within its white, crystalline structure. A geologist who looked at the stone asked me where I got it and I told him. He said the rock could be close to 3 billion years old.

I also have about 30 pounds of Mazon Creek concretions which I haven't checked for fossils. I have already checked about half that in concretions and came up with several dozen partial fossils, and five complete fossils, including a very nicely preserved jellyfish from about 300 million years ago.

Someday I'll finish going through all my Mazon Creek stones, until then, I'll continue picking up interesting stones, and when I'm back visiting in Illinois, collect more Mazon Creek concretions for my collections.

But yes...I have an interest in all things geologic. 8v)

[billy.leliveld]

I found these at a beach in Normandy, France, actually I have 20 of them, they where all over the place, All stones have a natural hole in it..
When I tried to get some more information i found out they are called hagstones, and all kind of interesting stories about witchcraft and looking through that hole you could see another world.
But I still don't understand the geological process, there are all different types of stones, even pieces of chalk from the white cliff, anyone knows more?

[Swampfox]

Originally Posted by billy.leliveld

I found these at a beach in Normandy, France, actually I have 20 of them, they where all over the place, All stones have a natural hole in it..
When I tried to get some more information i found out they are called hagstones, and all kind of interesting stories about witchcraft and looking through that hole you could see another world.
But I still don't understand the geological process, there are all different types of stones, even pieces of chalk from the white cliff, anyone knows more?

I think that these are naturally occuring. They look like a mud or sandy ocean, beach or shallow lagoon environment that had millions of sea shells that had air compartments in them. After death, and quick burial, they became fossilized with the air chambers remaining intact. After millions of years, they were eroded out of the rock layer they had been held in and are slowly breaking back down into beach sand...........again (rock cycle) and you've come along at this time in Earths History and found the air cavity that was once on the inside of a living sea shell.

There are some other possibilities, but that's my first best guess.

Swampfox

[SCEtoAUX]

I have found stones with naturally occuring holes in them along swift flowing rivers and streams. They get lodged at one point and the upstream facing side gets constantly pelted with fine grains of sand. Over many, many, years a hole is sandblasted through the stone. Some other occurance dislodges them and they are then found. Perhaps some tidal activity sandblasted the stones or maybe a river near by or even wind.

Some calle them wardstones and when worn around the neck on a string will keep the Daoine Sidhe from taking you to their mound.

[Mechanic]

Originally Posted by billy.leliveld

I found these at a beach in Normandy, France, actually I have 20 of them, they where all over the place, All stones have a natural hole in it..
When I tried to get some more information i found out they are called hagstones, and all kind of interesting stories about witchcraft and looking through that hole you could see another world.
But I still don't understand the geological process, there are all different types of stones, even pieces of chalk from the white cliff, anyone knows more?

How big are these? To my untrained eye, they look like they could be pieces of coral. . .

OK, after doing a quick google, it raised more questions than answers! A lot of the images looked as though they were man-made; Wiki says they've been found around Britain and Egypt. If it's a natural process I'd think they would be more wide spread, but if it's from an animal, where's the connection between the countries?

[Swampfox]

I was looking at the original image again and it looks like the hollow cavity is lined with something other than the rest of the surrounding matrix/rock. It looks lighter in color(generally) than the material that make up the surrounding rock specimen.

That suggests that something is encased, that is associated with these holes.

SFX

[Swampfox]

I'd like to give a big thanks to all of you that have posted comments to this thread. I never expected to have that many cardmodelers interested in geology.

I find every post made really interesting and I apologize for not taking the time to answer each in a timely fashion. The holidays and my being under the weather have not been helpful in my being able to do this..

I'd like to pick out a previous post and comment on it as time and energy allows, and will do this a often as I can.

In the meantime, please continue posting pictures and making comments.

Those of you familiar with Geology know that it is filled with Jargon, like any other science it can sound like double-talk and become a turn off to those not use to the language. I'll try to keep it civil, and understandable, but can't promise that I'll always do that.

I was trained as a Hard-rock geologist (studied volcanoes), but have done my share of soft-rock (sandstones, fossils) work.. I even worked with NASA's Planetary Studies division (JPL unmanned missions to Mars, Jupiter and the like) for almost 12 years. I probably know more about the geology of the Earth's moon than I do about planet Earth's geology...

I've been retired from 'doing' geology for about 13 years, but once a geologist, always a geologist.

Please, remember that even if I sound like I'm sure about what I comment on with regards to geology........every Geologist sounds that way!! And each of us tends to believe in whatever idea or theory we're addressing at that moment

I will only discuss the Science of Geology, I don't know enough about Chemistry, Biology, Botany, or Physics to do them justice. I've had several hours of these subject in school but only as supplements to their role in Geology.

Thanks for your time and interest thus far,

Swampfox

[Rangerdog]

Fascinating topic! I was a rockhound as a "yoot" growing up in Ariz. Picked up an interesting rock or two during hikes in the desert around Phx.

I now live in So NH (aka the Granite State). If you wonder why they call it that, try digging a hole in the lawn or garden to plant a shrub or small tree! :-)