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300,000,000 year old air bubble?


William

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I believe this is mudstone. Take a look at the bubble. I suppose there's air in there from around 300,000,000 million years ago.

post-593-0-20858100-1469559674_thumb.jpg

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Wonderful thought, but most of the gaseous elements (except maybe nobel) would likely have reacted with the rock. Might be a few atoms rattling around in there. Try shaking it next to your ear. ;-)

Info: Craig Hyatt, retired software/electrical engineer

Experience: Beginner, fossil hunting less than a year

Location: Eagle Pass, TX USA on the border with Mexico, hot dry desert

Formation: Escondido, Marine, Upper Cretaceous

Materials: Sandstone, Mudstone, Shale, Chert, Chalk

Typical: Thalassinoides, Sphenodiscus, Exogyra, Inoceramus

Reference: http://txfossils.com/Txfossils.html

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Wonderful thought, but most of the gaseous elements (except maybe nobel) would likely have reacted with the rock. Might be a few atoms rattling around in there. Try shaking it next to your ear. ;-)

Yep, definitely heard a few rattling around. :)

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Yep, definitely heard a few rattling around. :)

I wouldn't have thought it possible, but I did a search and got a few hits on air trapped in rocks.... even billion year old rocks. So maybe you are right.

Info: Craig Hyatt, retired software/electrical engineer

Experience: Beginner, fossil hunting less than a year

Location: Eagle Pass, TX USA on the border with Mexico, hot dry desert

Formation: Escondido, Marine, Upper Cretaceous

Materials: Sandstone, Mudstone, Shale, Chert, Chalk

Typical: Thalassinoides, Sphenodiscus, Exogyra, Inoceramus

Reference: http://txfossils.com/Txfossils.html

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That is an iron rich concretion not a gas bubble. Samples of gas are usually only captured inside single crystals of minerals such as quartz and zircon that don't allow easy escape of trapped gas.

My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned.   

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Keep in mind, that rock is permeable. :)

The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true.  -  JJ

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What's wrong with the 5 billion year old oxygen you're breathing in now? Does it smell funny? Lol Sorry....

...I'm back.

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What's wrong with the 5 billion year old oxygen you're breathing in now? Does it smell funny? Lol Sorry....

That depends on who's in the room with me. :)

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I believe there are gas bubbles in Mesoproterozoic Vindhyan stromatolites,about 1 GY old.

Which is,of course not the same as atmospheric oxygen.

In essence they are the fossilized farts of microbial mat Archaea

Fascinating ,i know,and irrelevant as heck for the present discussion

 

 

 

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In essence they are the fossilized farts of microbial mat Archaea

Ewwww. ;-)

Info: Craig Hyatt, retired software/electrical engineer

Experience: Beginner, fossil hunting less than a year

Location: Eagle Pass, TX USA on the border with Mexico, hot dry desert

Formation: Escondido, Marine, Upper Cretaceous

Materials: Sandstone, Mudstone, Shale, Chert, Chalk

Typical: Thalassinoides, Sphenodiscus, Exogyra, Inoceramus

Reference: http://txfossils.com/Txfossils.html

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