Mick69 Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 On a recent trip we saw thousands of small (1.5" diameter or less)spherical rocks laying all around. While investigating them we found many were broken in half and appeared to perhaps be some sort of geod. But then we spotted other broken pieces with fossils in them. So we scooped a few up, brought them home and cracked a few. The odd thing was that once cracked open we discovered they had the smell of diesel. Have any of you ever encountered a oily smell in small rocks like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
32fordboy Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Lots of fossiliferous rock smells that way. We were splitting shale looking for fossils once, and the smell could get really powerful and there would sometimes even be little "puddles" of oil between them. www.nicksfossils.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 It is pretty common for me harvesting fossils from limestone to find "petroleum favosites, literally filled with green or clear petroleum which oozes out then gradually evaporates when cracked open.They are described by Grabeau in his explorations of 18 Mile Creek also. This stuff I keep outdoors, cause of the smell and pet concerns, and be careful wiping your eyes when handling stuff like this. "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
32fordboy Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 The smell reminds me of hot rods....mmmmmmm. www.nicksfossils.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 (edited) now Im getting all amped, lol Edited September 30, 2011 by xonenine "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashcraft Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 The descriptive term is "petroliferous". We have a formation, the Dutchtown, that hen wacked smells like my old truck in highschool/ Good show-and-tell piece. Brent Ashcraft ashcraft, brent allen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 You haven't experienced fossil hunting 'til you've whacked away at some Oil shale! Regards, Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 IPFOTM -- MAY - 2024 _________________________________________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas-Tunnel Rat Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 You haven't experienced fossil hunting 'til you've whacked away at some Oil shale! Regards, Not to sound weird....but gosh that is one of the best smells out there in geology, that or surfuric peat. PUBLICATIONS Dallas Paleontology Society Occasional Papers Vol. 9 2011 "Pennsylvanian Stratigraphy and Paleoecology of Outcrops in Jacksboro, Texas" Author Texas Paleontology Society Feb, 2011 "Index Fossils and You" A primer on how to utilize fossils to assist in relative age dating strata" Author Quotes "Beer, Bacon, and Bivalves!" "Say NO to illegal fossil buying / selling" "They belong in a museum." Education Associates of Science - 2011 Bachelors of Science (Geology & Biology) - 2012 est. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 "I love the smell of shale in the morning..." "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 i've been to many upper K sites in tx that exhibit petroliferous effluvium.... often associated with good finds like ammos echies and shark teeth....but on the car ride home dont always believe your buddy " it was the rocks" Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 here's a nicely mineralized piece from bout 1 1/2 months ago, still soaked with pet jelly, it was thicker than some Ive found.The pieces are typically predominantly dark grey, translucent and very brittle...I haven't tried to light one yetm maybe on the next cold fossil outing... "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilcrazy Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 here's a nicely mineralized piece from bout 1 1/2 months ago, still soaked with pet jelly, it was thicker than some Ive found.The pieces are typically predominantly dark grey, translucent and very brittle...I haven't tried to light one yetm maybe on the next cold fossil outing... Nice example of local Favosites, Carmine. The ooze and smells discussed in this string can be attributed to what geologists call "Kerogen". It has that pronounced petroleum smell that is in Oil Shales and the ooze that Grabau reported. It can be found in sedimentary rocks from recent to the Precambrian. All of the Hydrocarbons are attributed to plant and animal life forms, concentrated and distilled down to a stable hydrocarbon form. Kerogen smells strong and a little foul, but if your diesel fuel smells like that, it won't pass the minimum Sulfur emissions requirements. Auspex, "I love the smell of shale in the morning..." doesn't sound like the direct quote from Apacalypse Now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdevey Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 The first time I saw this Geode, at a local muesum, I was so surprised Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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