My metamorphic/igneous trip to Socorro, New Mexico.

[JarrodB]

Great pics. Thanks for sharing. 

[Innocentx]

20 hours ago, Plantguy said:

Great thread. Enjoyed seeing the rocks and flora and fauna. I miss the desert when it aint a billion degrees outside...pretty easy to see alot of the geology sometimes!

Thanks, Chris. Luckily the weather was quite nice.

 

Patty

[Innocentx]

12 hours ago, JarrodB said:

Great pics. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for looking, Jarrod.

 

Patty

[Oxytropidoceras]

On 10/20/2018 at 8:10 PM, Innocentx said:

The rocks here are absolute eye candy. I'm trying to learn the different kinds. This reminds me of cone-in-cone except they're square.

They are likely a sedimentary structure known as either "salt casts" or "halite casts." Great picture.

 

Go see - "Geopic of the week: Salt casts" - 

https://arkansasgeological.wordpress.com/2015/12/23/geopic-of-the-week-salt-casts/

 

"Halite casts (hoppers) from the Wills Creek / Tonoloway Formations in West Virginia" -

https://blogs.agu.org/mountainbeltway/2013/10/19/halite-casts-from-tonoloway-formation-under-the-gigamacro-lens/

 

and "Halite Casts from Belt argillite" -

https://blogs.agu.org/mountainbeltway/2011/08/17/halite-casts-from-belt-argillite/

 

Jaworska, J., 2017, Ślady po kryształach halitu w dolomitach dewońskich w kamieniołomie

Zachełmie. (Casts of halite crystals in the Devonian dolomites of the Zachełmie Quarry).

Przegląd Solny (Salt Review) 13:135–140

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322235534_Casts_of_halite_crystals_in_the_Devonian_dolomites_of_the_Zachelmie_Quarry

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322235534_Casts_of_halite_crystals_in_the_Devonian_dolomites_of_the_Zachelmie_Quarry/figures?lo=1

 

Yours,

 

Paul H.

[Innocentx]

Thanks, @Oxytropidoceras, for these excellent sources, great explanations. This rock was the only one of it's kind in the arroyo we hiked, so it makes sense it must have come from the higher layers, above all the metamorphic. The only fossils(crinoids, brachiopods) we found were on a large boulder that had tumbled down from a formation at top of the mountain.

As it says, very saline near shore marine environment, and I completely agree with preserved casts of halite crystals. Understanding the process makes it all the more interesting.

Also, the 'gigapen' with resolution up to 4 billion pixels, is quite a deal.

Thank you, Paul, for taking the time to enlighten me.

 

Patty

[Innocentx]

@DeeMoji. Glad you've enjoyed the photos.

[DeeMoji]

22 minutes ago, Innocentx said:

@DeeMoji. Glad you've enjoyed the photos.

I sure did! I’m actually en route to NM from TX right now so I’ve been searching and researching what to do when we’re there.  

[Innocentx]

1 hour ago, DeeMoji said:

I’m actually en route to NM

Lucky!!! I'm freezing here.

[DeeMoji]

1 hour ago, Innocentx said:

Lucky!!! I'm freezing here.

Where is here? 

[DeeMoji]

Because I hope i packed enough warm clothes if you mean NM 

[Innocentx]

Kansas. Living through a temperature anomaly.

[DeeMoji]

3 minutes ago, Innocentx said:

Kansas. Living through a temperature anomaly.

Very strange weather this year for sure! Bundle up, I hope winter will be short  

[gwestbrook]

Loved your post and the beautiful shots! Can't wait to get back out to that part of the country myself! 

[Archie]

Really enjoyed this post! Your photos are fantastic and the wildlife and geology amazing!

[Innocentx]

Hey @Archie, @gwestbrook.  Glad you guys like the post. It was one of the best times I've had in a while!