http://blogs.ncmls.org/greg-dodge/2010/02/05/very-old-rocks/ Museum of Life and Science in Durham, NC Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:43:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://blogs.ncmls.org/greg-dodge/2010/02/05/very-old-rocks/comment-page-1/#comment-396 Greg Dodge, Ranger Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:49:30 +0000 http://blogs.ncmls.org/greg-dodge/?p=3611#comment-396 Good question. I don't know the cause of all the staining on the rock surface, but many of the rocks and boulders that are along the paths and exhibits are the color that they are due the soil from which they were removed. The most obviously stained rock is the red-orange colored rock. This rock gets its color from the clay that makes up much of the Triassic basin's soil in our area. Other darker rocks get their color from various other minerals in the soil and water run-off from above. Some of the gray-green, as well as the splotched orange and reddish colors, come from lichen growth on the rock. I've even noticed some rock that has a deep purple color to it. This could be lichen or mineral caused staining, I can't say for sure. Anyone else out there willing to give possible causes of the staining of this or other rock here at the Museum, jump in. Good question.
I don’t know the cause of all the staining on the rock surface, but many of the rocks and boulders that are along the paths and exhibits are the color that they are due the soil from which they were removed. The most obviously stained rock is the red-orange colored rock. This rock gets its color from the clay that makes up much of the Triassic basin’s soil in our area.
Other darker rocks get their color from various other minerals in the soil and water run-off from above. Some of the gray-green, as well as the splotched orange and reddish colors, come from lichen growth on the rock.
I’ve even noticed some rock that has a deep purple color to it. This could be lichen or mineral caused staining, I can’t say for sure. Anyone else out there willing to give possible causes of the staining of this or other rock here at the Museum, jump in.

]]> http://blogs.ncmls.org/greg-dodge/2010/02/05/very-old-rocks/comment-page-1/#comment-387 Beck Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:33:40 +0000 http://blogs.ncmls.org/greg-dodge/?p=3611#comment-387 What stains the rocks different colors if they are gray under the surface? What stains the rocks different colors if they are gray under the surface?

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