The Naked Scientists
  • Login
  • Register
  • Podcasts
      • The Naked Scientists
      • eLife
      • Naked Genetics
      • Naked Astronomy
      • In short
      • Naked Neuroscience
      • Ask! The Naked Scientists
      • Question of the Week
      • Archive
      • Video
      • SUBSCRIBE to our Podcasts
  • Articles
      • Science News
      • Features
      • Interviews
      • Answers to Science Questions
  • Get Naked
      • Donate
      • Do an Experiment
      • Science Forum
      • Ask a Question
  • About
      • Meet the team
      • Our Sponsors
      • Site Map
      • Contact us

User menu

  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Help
  • Search
  • Tags
  • Recent Topics
  • Login
  • Register
  1. Naked Science Forum
  2. Non Life Sciences
  3. Geology, Palaeontology & Archaeology
  4. Is this coloured material a mineral?
« previous next »
  • Print
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Is this coloured material a mineral?

  • 11 Replies
  • 65140 Views
  • 3 Tags

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Iwonda (OP)

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • 86
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 6 times
  • Naked Science Forum Newbie
Is this coloured material a mineral?
« on: 23/02/2020 04:56:46 »
This stone was found out in the middle of the desert, it was washed out of the side of a mountain by rain. When it was scanned I was told that it appears to be a mineral but there was nothing in the database that matched that composition. A close look at that colored material shows that it was boiling hot and outgassing when it was splattered on that quartz.
It has fused with the quartz and is about as hard as the quartz, takes a hammer and chisel to remove a piece of it. 
Any ideals as to what it might be and if this is a mineral, at what tempt would such a mineral boil and why such high oxygen?   
* 1.jpg (118.2 kB . 800x600 - viewed 65698 times)
* 2.jpg (117.34 kB . 800x600 - viewed 65778 times)
* 3.jpg (131.48 kB . 800x600 - viewed 65782 times)
* 4.jpg (137.17 kB . 800x600 - viewed 65906 times)
* 5.jpg (31.17 kB . 800x621 - viewed 65845 times)
* 6.jpg (32.6 kB . 800x618 - viewed 65899 times)
« Last Edit: 24/02/2020 22:19:43 by chris »
Logged
 



Offline chris

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 8061
  • Activity:
    1.5%
  • Thanked: 306 times
  • The Naked Scientist
    • The Naked Scientists
Re: Is this coloured material a mineral?
« Reply #1 on: 24/02/2020 22:20:47 »
Where (geographically) did you find this?
Logged
I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception - Groucho Marx - https://www.thenakedscientists.com/
 

Offline Iwonda (OP)

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • 86
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 6 times
  • Naked Science Forum Newbie
Re: Is this coloured material a mineral?
« Reply #2 on: 25/02/2020 03:23:34 »
Quote from: chris on 24/02/2020 22:20:47
Where (geographically) did you find this?
It was found embedded in a mountain side out beyond Lancaster, CA, in the desert area.
Logged
 

Offline Bass

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 1391
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 19 times
Re: Is this coloured material a mineral?
« Reply #3 on: 17/03/2020 20:14:19 »
Looks like desert varnish
Logged
Old enough to have grandsons
Slow enough to study rocks
Thirsty enough to build a pub
 

Offline chris

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 8061
  • Activity:
    1.5%
  • Thanked: 306 times
  • The Naked Scientist
    • The Naked Scientists
Re: Is this coloured material a mineral?
« Reply #4 on: 27/03/2020 18:39:45 »
Quote from: Bass on 17/03/2020 20:14:19
Looks like desert varnish
What's that?
Logged
I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception - Groucho Marx - https://www.thenakedscientists.com/
 



Offline Bass

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 1391
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 19 times
Re: Is this coloured material a mineral?
« Reply #5 on: 27/03/2020 20:48:12 »
Desert varnish or desert patina is thin (micrometers thick) layer of iron and manganese oxides and clays that coat the surface of rocks on the surface in arid environments. Commonly red to brown to black.
Logged
Old enough to have grandsons
Slow enough to study rocks
Thirsty enough to build a pub
 

Offline chris

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 8061
  • Activity:
    1.5%
  • Thanked: 306 times
  • The Naked Scientist
    • The Naked Scientists
Re: Is this coloured material a mineral?
« Reply #6 on: 28/03/2020 08:54:27 »
Is that done at ambient temperature? I thought OP says it looks like the deposit was outgassing when laid down?
Logged
I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception - Groucho Marx - https://www.thenakedscientists.com/
 

Offline Bass

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 1391
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 19 times
Re: Is this coloured material a mineral?
« Reply #7 on: 31/03/2020 16:54:53 »
Yes, at ambient temperature. I don't see any evidence for "boiling hot outgassing". It's common for desert varnish to coat just the exposed side of rocks.
Logged
Old enough to have grandsons
Slow enough to study rocks
Thirsty enough to build a pub
 

Offline Iwonda (OP)

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • 86
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 6 times
  • Naked Science Forum Newbie
Re: Is this coloured material a mineral?
« Reply #8 on: 19/07/2020 05:58:27 »
This is the first I've ever heard of desert varnish, look very cool.  However, I don't think it's the same as what's coating this stone. I took this stone and several others to a rock and mineral show and was told that it appears that these stones have been exposed to an environment where the tempt and pressure were extreme. I'm told that these black bubbles are signs of outgassing.
* 1.jpg (155.72 kB . 1280x960 - viewed 4055 times)
* 2.jpg (173.54 kB . 1280x960 - viewed 3967 times)
* 3.jpg (192.47 kB . 1280x960 - viewed 3872 times)
* 4.jpg (157.94 kB . 1280x960 - viewed 3902 times)
* 5.jpg (130.52 kB . 1280x960 - viewed 3983 times)
Logged
 



Offline evan_au

  • Global Moderator
  • Naked Science Forum GOD!
  • ********
  • 11035
  • Activity:
    9%
  • Thanked: 1486 times
Re: Is this coloured material a mineral?
« Reply #9 on: 19/07/2020 09:11:34 »
Quote from: Iwonda
these black bubbles are signs of outgassing
If they were spherical pits in the surface (as some of them are), that might indicate bubbles that were popping as the material hardened.

But I see that many in the more recent photos appear to be filled with black spheres, which would imply that the spherical pits are places where the black spheres fell out(?)

It may be an optical illusion; but the shadows with side lighting on image 5.jpg suggests it is a shiny sphere projecting above the surface, rather than shiny spherical depression.

Spherical balls of molten meteoric dust do land all over the Earth, all the time (some researchers found them in the gutters of residential houses). So it is possible that these spherules have been incorporated into desert varnish.

Possible meteoric origin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micrometeorite
Other possible sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microspherulite
Logged
 

Offline Bored chemist

  • Naked Science Forum GOD!
  • *******
  • 31101
  • Activity:
    11%
  • Thanked: 1291 times
Re: Is this coloured material a mineral?
« Reply #10 on: 19/07/2020 10:38:29 »
That many meteor leftovers in one place is, to say the least, improbable.
My guess is some igneous rock with materials separating into two phases as it cools  would be a better explanation.
It would be interesting (Though very tiresome)  to pick out some of the black spheres and analyse them separately
Logged
Please disregard all previous signatures.
 

Offline Iwonda (OP)

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • 86
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 6 times
  • Naked Science Forum Newbie
Re: Is this coloured material a mineral?
« Reply #11 on: 20/07/2020 22:18:45 »
The scientist that first noticed these things was somewhat blown away, said that he had never seen anything like it. He suggested that I search the web and see if anyone has ever come across anything like this. There are two rocks like this one and two smaller ones with what I am told may also be larger bubbles. They do sorta look like the photos in the micrometeorite link but I can't see how they would be anything like that, just too many in one area. All I can do is keep looking and asking. Thanks.
Logged
 



  • Print
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »
Tags: molten  / colored  / mineral 
 
There was an error while thanking
Thanking...
  • SMF 2.0.15 | SMF © 2017, Simple Machines
    Privacy Policy
    SMFAds for Free Forums
  • Naked Science Forum ©

Page created in 1.767 seconds with 59 queries.

  • Podcasts
  • Articles
  • Get Naked
  • About
  • Contact us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe to newsletter
  • We love feedback

Follow us

cambridge_logo_footer.png

©The Naked Scientists® 2000–2017 | The Naked Scientists® and Naked Science® are registered trademarks created by Dr Chris Smith. Information presented on this website is the opinion of the individual contributors and does not reflect the general views of the administrators, editors, moderators, sponsors, Cambridge University or the public at large.