Fossil or oxidized iron?

[Alan A.]

Three years ago, while diving in a freshwater lake in the Adirondack Mountains of New York state, I came across several long, rust-colored protrusions sticking out from underneath some rocks. The lake is at ~2000 feet of elevation, and the depth of water about 6 feet. One protrusion was a couple feet long, another was shorter; both coming out from the same pile of rocks. I touched the longer one and a ~14" piece broke off, so I brought it up to the surface (see first and second photos below). It is absolutely beautiful--waves and rings like an old tree that's been eaten away. The outside layer was soft, with rust-colored bits coming off in my hands. A week later, I found a similar specimen (see third photo below, underwater one) in another part of the lake, at a similar depth and also wedged in between rocks.

 

My brother is convinced it is a rare fossil (like a stromatolite) or petrified wood. I hope it's a fossil, and the patterns are similar to photos of petrified wood as well as stromatolites. However, my best bet is that it's an oxidized piece of iron, like a large anchor. However, the only evidence I can find that it might be oxidized iron is on this post on this very forum where @ashcraft and @tmaier note that oxidation of iron can create a banding pattern that looks like tree rings/waves. Even using terms from that post (oxide banding, etc.), I still can't any photos or descriptions on the Internet that would match the specimen we found.

 

Any support y'all can offer in terms of identification, and especially links to other photos of similar specimens, would be much appreciated.

Edited August 29, 2022 by Alan A.

[FranzBernhard]

Welcome to TFF from Austria!

 

Lovely specimen, whatever it is, and nice underwater shot !

 

A piece of rusted iron is also my guess, but would you like to show us the broken end? And is it magnetic?

 

Franz Bernhard

[Alan A.]

Great questions, @FranzBernhard. Thank you.

 

1. Yes, it is magnetic (according to my parents who just tested it with a refrigerator magnet).

2. See below for photos of the two ends, including the broken one. The two hollow cavities you can see go quite deep. When the piece broke off in my hand, I lifted it and there were two long, thin pieces of material that came out of those two cavities, but which remained attached to the rest of the specimen that stayed put, almost like two internal vertical supports.

 

Edited August 29, 2022 by Alan A.
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[FranzBernhard]

Thanks for the additional info and pics, @Alan A.!

Rust, its rust . One of the nicest rusts I have seen.

Franz Bernhard

[ynot]

Probably from a very old chain or cable that is mostly rust now.

[digit]

But really artistic rust. It will likely start to break down now that it is out of the water and drying out. You can spray some clear sealant on it to try to preserve it. You might get some mat finish Krylon type spray sealant and give it a coat or two.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken