Arizona Desert Find Please help identify

[Arizona]

Found in sandy wash in North Phoenix desert after rainfall.

 

Please identify, and if more pictures needed let me know.

 

 

[Brett Breakin' Rocks]

Hi there,

 

Welcome to the forum.

31 minutes ago, Arizona said:

Please identify, and if more pictures needed let me know.

This is geological in origin, and most likely, from a formation that is showing fractures or weak points in the rock created when the rock cooled when it was formed. Basalt is famous for similar columns formed when cooling. Usually hexagonal in shape. This image is an example of the process on a much larger scale. 

 

 

 

Cheers,

Brett

[Sjfriend]

As Brett Breakin Rocks stated, your rock is igneous (cold lava) Phoenix (and most of Central- Southern AZ) is covered in that stuff!

[LabRatKing]

I agree with the others, that's some beautiful basalt. It also has some of the nicest looking "desert varnish" on it. Very interesting specimen.

[Arizona]

Thank you for the quick reply, saved me from endless digging to find the rest of an ancient beast which would not be there...

Edited December 14, 2020 by Arizona

[LabRatKing]

This basic guide may help you in future endeavors since much of the southwest has lots of igneous (and therefor non fossil bearing) rocks laying around.

 

[DPS Ammonite]

1 hour ago, Arizona said:

Thank you for the quick reply, saved me from endless digging to find the rest of an ancient beast which would not be there...

Greetings from Scottsdale.

Check our two local groups that have trips to collect fossils:

 

The Southwest Paleontological Society 

http://swpaleosociety.com

 

and the Mineralogical Society of Arizona

https://www.msaaz.org

 

Fossils are rare in the Phoenix area. There are isolated Pleistocene vertebrates in the alluvium, plants in the Miocene redbeds in Tempe and isolated plants and vertebrates in the Miocene volcaniclastics and lacustrine sediments north of Phoenix.