K0uch
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One of the many interesting finds at the ranch my parents live on. Mineral-y looking, which means it has to be quite old considering this is desert now
The entire piece is about 2.75-3 feet tall, and quite heavy. You can see the remnants of an old plant that was growing from it
The view of the top.
Dog tax. Our Australian Cattle Dog, Zelda, was cold
WhiteMonkeyLightning
Dino poo
Maeryllith
Iightening?
UnitConversionBot
3 feet ≈ 91 centimetres
isetprettygirlsonfire
Geologist, looks like it might be tufa. What part of the dessert did it come from? Closer pictures would help.
K0uch
Far southwest Texas
isetprettygirlsonfire
OK, not super familiar with the area off the top of my head. It's definitely a spring deposit. (Tufa forms underwater, travertine above or
isetprettygirlsonfire
just undergound. The deposits amshould be calcite. An acid test would confirm.
K0uch
If you Google Big Bend, it’s about 70 miles north of the border. There have been small springs here and there, and twice in the lands 1/2
K0uch
2/2 history it has been under significant water- western interior seaway and once LOOONg before
isetprettygirlsonfire
Most likely travertine then. Tufa requires specific lake chemistry, more common in the great basin. Here is some reading about it:
isetprettygirlsonfire
Possibly travertine, but knobbyness looks more like tufa. Anhone else? @thebirdsnake3916
semiautonomicbiologicalunit
I was going to speculate travertine
VolcanoHerder
I definitely thought tufa right away, looks like all the tufa towers I've seen before. I'm not as familiar with travertine so could be that
VolcanoHerder
but I agree, knobbyness makes it look like tufa.
thebirdsnake3916
Im not saying it is but it reminds me of columns in Fossil Creek. The same formations I saw in Pagosa Springs CO: Mineral and Rock Taglist
isetprettygirlsonfire
Yes same idea
K0uch
I’ll be going back in a few weeks, I’ll take some more pictures then
thebirdsnake3916
Would you like to join our little geo club?
isetprettygirlsonfire
Ok, tag me ans I check those out. If the knobs look porous or if they have sand trapped in them that gives some clues.
Pokegeologist
Got any hot springs nearby or any idea where it was hauled in from?
K0uch
There is a hot springs in big bend National park, but that’s probably 60 miles from here
Pokegeologist
Wait, you're not part of the Woodwards, are you? We did a field study at their property from Sul Ross State University.