January 24: Fossil squiggles

[neverspent]

Rocks are so amazing, and I understand so little about them. My most recent find, back at the farm, was a piece of gray sandstone, bigger than my hand and fairly heavy, with one broad flat surface. That surface was a dark red or burgundy color, mottled with light orange and tan squiggles. The squiggles really make me think of worm castings. But all this patterning on the surface of the stone is mineral, some of it even formed of tiny crystals. So it could be fossilized evidence of worm activity, but I just don't know!



In this picture you can see how thin the layer is.

Comments

[donutsweeper]

I showed the picture to hubby, who was a geology major in college. If it is sandstone (he can't quite tell from the picture) then the pattern is from it leeching ground water with metallic salts in it.

[neverspent]

You live with a GEOLOGIST? I am an ignorant fangirl of geology! :) Thanks for asking for me! I don't know if this picture shows the type of stone better. I thought it was sandstone -- definitely a sandy sedimentary type rock, but for all I know there are lots of different ones that meet that description.

It's crazy cool that leeching water could make those squiggles.

[donutsweeper]

well, not really a geologist, just someone who studied it in college. He did, however, fall asleep early this evening (oh sorry, I mean he is currently reading with his eyes closed and the book upside down on his chest) so I'll have to show him the picture tomorrow.

[donutsweeper]

I finally remembered to show him, he says it probably is sandstone and stands by his thinking that it's water leeching that made the pattern.