Thursday, August 22, 2013

Identify Texas Rocks

There are various kinds of rocks found in Texas, such as sandstone and the Texas holey rock. Texas also has plenty of sedimentary rocks that can be found on the surface while others take some digging in the ground. If you go to the coast of Texas, you will be able to find many beautiful rock formations that were developed from the pressure of the water. Texas even has some rocks that have been in the ground for billions of years. Here are several types of rocks you can find while in Texas.


Instructions


1. Search in the southeastern region of Texas such as Brownsville or Corpus Christi to find sandstone rock. This is a sedimentary rock that is found on the surface and is one of the most common of rocks. Sandstone is composed of rock grains and minerals. It has about 50 percent quartz and feldspar. Common colors are tan, brown, yellow, red, gray and white.


2. Look in the western region of Texas such as Midland or Odessa to find agate rocks: moss agate, bouquet agate slabs, marfa bouquet black skin, and moonlight gemstone to name a few. These are recognized as agates by their brightness in color and their fine grainy texture. They can be considered volcanic rock or metamorphic rock. To locate this kind of rock requires some digging.


3. Search for non-foliate rocks in the desert area of Texas such as the Chihuahua desert, which is located in far southwest Texas. These rocks are smooth and do not have layers. Hornfels and marble are two rocks that are non-foliated, yet completely different from each other. Hornfel is gray and can easily be overlooked due to its bland color while marble has an outstanding crystal-like appearance. It is white and composed of calcium carbonate.


4. Search for layered foliated rocks near the ocean, rivers, and lakes throughout Texas. Look in Galveston by the beach located in the southeast region of the state or near rivers or lakes such as Lewisville Lake or Lake Ray Hubbard in the northern region of Texas. You can even go to the Brazos River, which is located in northern Texas. Phyllite and gneiss are examples of foliated rocks. Phyllite is a metamorphic rock made up of fine-grained mica. Gneiss has a sanded appearance and is made up of granula mineral grains. It has quartz and feldspar minerals in it and has an elegant look with a white and black or gray coloring


5. Search in north central Texas (Dallas or Fort Worth) to find blue quartz, or the llanite rock. It has light blue cores or spots on the dark blue surface. It is one of the heaviest rocks around. Granite can also be found in this hilly area--it has a coarse texture with various colors such as pink, dark gray or black.


6. Look in fish tanks and you will find the Texas holey rock. This rock is made up of limestone and dolomite that has carbonate minerals and calcite. This rock was developed from minerals that were deposited on top of each other over thousands of years. It developed holes when the earth moved and fractured it. Water was then able to flow through the cracks, developing holes as it dissolved the limestone. They appear like a honeycomb and have a soft smooth texture. The Texas holey rock can be found near the waters of Corpus Christi in the southeastern region of the state.







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