grayfingers
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Post by grayfingers on Oct 20, 2013 8:22:03 GMT -5
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 20, 2013 8:51:29 GMT -5
Looks like slicificatia has attacked the second piece of coral for sure. The first one is gonna have to be probed some how but it sure is a nice specimen.
I like the tubes hanging out in the first photo. What was my ocean doing sneaking up to Montana ?
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grayfingers
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Post by grayfingers on Oct 20, 2013 9:09:54 GMT -5
James, Montana was covered by mostly shallow seas a few times, most notable is the Western Interior Seaway. They even find crocodile fossils in the area. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Interior_SeawayI was thinking I might free hand a cut on the tile saw to get flat spot on the base. If it is not lapidary quality it will make a nice standing specimen. I would hate to destroy it with a chisel if it were to not be silicified. |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 20, 2013 10:00:51 GMT -5
That explains a lot. I do not think my coral was forming during this Western Seaway. But this ocean split Georgia in half north and south. The dividing line is called the fall line. It is sandy in the south half and clay soil in the north half excluding some valleys and hills. Along that 'beach' line is very nice deposits of fossiliferous chert that is often glassy and pretty. It was the source for artifacts for the lower 2/3's of Georgia. It is 100 miles from my home and i find artifacts of it brought in from 100 miles. Especially Savannah River Agate in the eastern end of the beach in GA. Check it out  Here is 30 more. About 10 new bryozoans were discovered in this agate. By the way, all the reds are from heat treatment i am sure by the ancients. www.flickr.com/photos/67205364@N06/sets/72157632569773602This was found in the middle of the state on the fall line beach. In boulder form.  |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 20, 2013 10:06:00 GMT -5
See how the fall line splits Georgia. I can go to about any creek or river crossing that line and score pretty chert/agate. Well, that makes me wonder if they find horn coral in Utah along the same beach line. Or marine stuff in western Montana where the same beach boundary was there.  |
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grayfingers
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Post by grayfingers on Oct 20, 2013 10:19:59 GMT -5
Nice agates! I know horn coral is found up near Whitefish, near the B.C. border. It is in Cambrian Limestone.
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grayfingers
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Post by grayfingers on Oct 20, 2013 10:24:27 GMT -5
James, this site is really cool. This is the mountain range I live next to. (includes rocks that range in age from Archean (greater than 2.5 billion years) metamorphic gneisses, to conglomerates of Protrerozoic age (~1.4 billlion years), and Paleozoic sedimentary rocks that were deposited in the warm shallow seas that once covered this area (~540-100 million years ago). A fossil hunter/geologist paradise. serc.carleton.edu/research_education/trail_guides/sacagawea.html |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 20, 2013 10:25:32 GMT -5
Whitefish is west and looks close to the beach line...
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 20, 2013 10:28:39 GMT -5
OK. The article above is going to set me free. I am going to study this one and get an ed
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 20, 2013 11:10:39 GMT -5
After skimming that article i learned that tectonic action pierced thru the flat fossiliferous lands and elevated them. That answers the biggest question i ever had for many years about how fossils got so darn high in altitude. That is the answer. I love mountains. However, I do like the undisturbed fossil zone i tinker in with the river cutting thru ground zero of the life interface at the ocean bottom.
But the scenery is spectacular and the views and vistas awesome. Much more technical from a geology standpoint. Way more.
OK. gotta watch the video next.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 20, 2013 11:40:05 GMT -5
I liked the videos. No wonder you are in such good shape. That is some high altitude terrain out there. I see where the valley people live in the background making for comfortable flat living. Great contrast and sky line having those mountains and the geology they have to offer. Two different worlds in one spot. I am thinking you are more of a river rat.
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grayfingers
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Post by grayfingers on Oct 20, 2013 12:04:23 GMT -5
Haha, right you are, James. Though I have climbed a great many peaks in this part of the state, my Dad was into that. I enjoyed climbing too, but as I got older I became much more fond of fishing. Now when I climb steep trails there has to be a lake full of trout or rocks to be had.
Funny though, fishing the rivers turned me into a rock hound. Now I am looking back up at the peaks thinking of finding agate and jasper in situ.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 20, 2013 12:15:24 GMT -5
I was into mountains of Appalachia and also become fond of lowlands. And the water ways and rivers are the place to collect most of the time .
Fishing mountains rivers rocks all music to the ears
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2013 14:26:01 GMT -5
Great post Bill. I have some of the same coral here. Well, looks similar but I do not know if it is the same. This stuff can be found from 4500 to 9500 feet above sea level. These were self collected.       This is the sweetest piece that I have found. /posted/PA070094.jpg[/IMG][/URL]  The stromtalite that I find here is much different than what is there. If my back was up to it I could go out and pick up a truck load in one place.  We have crossed over on rocks before but I didn't even think about the corals being the same also. This stuff couldn't have been pushed here and had to have grown here. Well, there again I can not be sure but if it was pushed here it would have had to have been pushed here before the Big Horn Mountains were pushed up. Jim |
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grayfingers
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Post by grayfingers on Oct 20, 2013 16:46:47 GMT -5
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 20, 2013 17:22:35 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing those corals and fossils. I am amazed at how those rose to 9000 feet. Incomprehendable. At least you guys don't have to move the jungle away to find the stuff.
The article called the ocean bottom area 'Bahama Montana' because of the preserved ocean bottom that took a ride high in the sky.
And Jim finds that stuff on mountains all the way down to Wyoming. Amazing.
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Post by pghram on Oct 21, 2013 12:53:00 GMT -5
Based on that map, if "global warming" continues, I have ocean front property here in GA one day :>)
Rich
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 21, 2013 13:14:22 GMT -5
It happened at least once Rich.
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carloscinco
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Post by carloscinco on Oct 21, 2013 18:34:00 GMT -5
Excellent travelogue. Really enjoyed that.
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bsky4463
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Post by bsky4463 on Oct 22, 2013 12:27:39 GMT -5
Bill - Thanks for sharing. Never saw that website before - great info.
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