Petrified Wood?

[Cibarnes]

Ok, this is my first post, and I think I read the rules right, so if I didn't do anything right just let me know and I'll fix it.

 

So I bought this boulder off a guy. It's about 3 ft long, 2 ft wide, and weighs about 200 lb.

The guy told me that it probably came from Kansas or Minnesota. He couldn't remember very well. But I am in Lincoln Nebraska so I suspect it's probably Kansas. I asked a guy for information about it here in Lincoln. Specifically I asked him if this was a petrified log and if the big lump on the side was a concretion.

 

He said that "This is a weathered piece of limestone. Selective sections have weathered and are black/ hollow. 

I don't see a concretion. On the rock. Concretions can be found in limestone but they are generally smooth and have structure.  Petrified wood does not form in limestone and what appears like wood is bedding and parting."

 

He could be right I'm just looking for more opinions. I just feel like this is sandstone and not limestone, but I could be wrong. So I'd just like to know If it is a petrified log, and if it isn't what exactly it is, and any other information you can give me about this.

Like what the different formations on it could be, and why the colors are the way they are.

Sorry about the night pictures, I just got it back from the car wash where I gave it a good cleaning. I do have day pictures but they're not as good, and I'm just really excited about this. but if better pictures are needed I'll go outside right now and take them or wait until it's daylight.

I also had to resize these pics and I'm not sure how they'll turn out. Thanks for help.

 

 

 

[Cibarnes]

[FranzBernhard]

Welcome to TFF from Austria!

 

Oh-oh, that´s a tough one - and a heavy one ! I can see, what suggested pet wood at first sight. But that guy you asked could be also correct. We would need good pics of this area:

Give this area a good scrub with a non-metal brush before taking new pics. Please provide wet and dry pics and even some details, if possible. If pet wood, this would be a cross section; at least some (faint) wood texture should be visible in some spots (there would be no wood texture if it is a mold, though). You may take detailed pics also of the opposite end, looking for wood texture.

 

Thanks!
Franz Bernhard

[Rockwood]

I think it's name is mud, stone. 

[Cibarnes]

36 minutes ago, FranzBernhard said:

Welcome to TFF from Austria!

 

Oh-oh, that´s a tough one - and a heavy one ! I can see, what suggested pet wood at first sight. But that guy you asked could be also correct. We would need good pics of this area:

Give this area a good scrub with a non-metal brush before taking new pics. Please provide wet and dry pics and even some details, if possible. If pet wood, this would be a cross section; at least some (faint) wood texture should be visible in some spots (there would be no wood texture if it is a mold, though). You may take detailed pics also of the opposite end, looking for wood texture.

 

Thanks!
Franz Bernhard

Thanks for the welcome Franz! I will get on that a little bit later on. Should I just use water then? That's some pretty tough stuff on there. I pressure washed it at the car wash. Is there a safe chemical I can use along with the scrubbing? 

[FranzBernhard]

27 minutes ago, Cibarnes said:

Should I just use water then? That's some pretty tough stuff on there. I pressure washed it at the car wash. Is there a safe chemical I can use along with the scrubbing? 

Ok, you already pressure-washed it! Yes, water with a little bit of household dish detergent. I can not suggest any other safe chemical at the moment. Just try it and see, what happens.

Franz Bernhard

[Cibarnes]

12 hours ago, FranzBernhard said:

Ok, you already pressure-washed it! Yes, water with a little bit of household dish detergent. I can not suggest any other safe chemical at the moment. Just try it and see, what happens.

Franz Bernhard

Ok, this the best I could do. I don't know if you're going to be able to see anything though. So if this isn't good enough, then I think I should cut a slice off the end, and then sand it down. That won't take me about an hour because I have all the tools to do that. What do you think of that plan?

[FranzBernhard]

4 hours ago, Cibarnes said:

Ok, this the best I could do. I don't know if you're going to be able to see anything though. So if this isn't good enough, then I think I should cut a slice off the end, and then sand it down. That won't take me about an hour because I have all the tools to do that. What do you think of that plan?

Thanks you! Unfortunately, I can not see anything conclusive. Can you see anything in person suggesting wood texture?

Slicing off the end and sanding it is the way to go, nothing can get worse in this case. And you already have the right equipment . So lets give it a try!

Franz Bernhard

[Cibarnes]

46 minutes ago, FranzBernhard said:

Thanks you! Unfortunately, I can not see anything conclusive. Can you see anything in person suggesting wood texture?

Slicing off the end and sanding it is the way to go, nothing can get worse in this case. And you already have the right equipment . So lets give it a try!

Franz Bernhard

I'm going to do that tonight and then I'll see what we have. But let's say it's not petrified wood. What else could it be? I just don't know what else would make that shape

[Rockwood]

1 hour ago, Cibarnes said:

What else could it be? I just don't know what else would make that shape

Sediment beds sliding down a slope, a slump, would be my suggestion. 

[Cibarnes]

3 hours ago, Rockwood said:

Sediment beds sliding down a slope, a slump, would be my suggestion. 

Just did an image search, and I can see why you're thinking that.

[Cibarnes]

On 1/9/2021 at 1:55 AM, FranzBernhard said:

Thanks you! Unfortunately, I can not see anything conclusive. Can you see anything in person suggesting wood texture?

Slicing off the end and sanding it is the way to go, nothing can get worse in this case. And you already have the right equipment . So lets give it a try!

Franz Bernhard

I keep trying to respond but my phone keeps messing up so if you see this more than once, I'm sorry. But I cut off a slice and got a couple pictures. I can get better pictures tomorrow when the sun is out if needed. Anything else you need me to do then I will do it, I don't mind doing this at all because I want to get to the bottom of this. A few other points, I put some hydrochloric acid on it and it did absolutely nothing. No fizzle or bubbling. It also took a diamond blade for my angle grinder to cut this because my normal mason grinding discs would not even touch it. But here are the pictures.

[FranzBernhard]

Good job and helpful observations, thank you!!

 

So you have something essentially quartz-based (look, hardness, non-response to hydrochloric acid).

 

From the pics, I am getting the feeling that we are dealing with a bend/deformed quartz vein or quartz layer in a metamorphic rock. It is milky to glassy looking, I can not see any texture suggesting wood at the moment.

 

12 minutes ago, Cibarnes said:

I can get better pictures tomorrow when the sun is out if needed.

Yes, please. And look for wood texture. 

 

13 minutes ago, Cibarnes said:

my normal mason grinding discs would not even touch it.

Ykes! Hope, you did not ruin that tools!

 

Thanks again for your efforts, you are doing a good work!
Franz Bernhard