Pebbles and rocks can tell stories of time and how they formed and the story of earths changing environments. We pick up these time capsules to skim them across the water without considering their story.
Rocks that flash by as we drive across the country change colour with soils and reflect the past climates and environments. We look for our junction and give them no thought.
I enjoy the stories that rocks and pebbles capture.
This polished slice of hydrothermal vent full of large minerals and ore was formed by the slow cooling and crystallisation of minerals from a hot mineral laden solution . These solutions arise mainly from deeply circulating water heated by magma.
This slice in the NHM London is spectacular.
A rock I have never seen before was in the same display at the museum.
It is called Gogotte it is from the Oligocene time period( 33-28 million years ago) deposited in the Paris basin.
It is an amazing structure-
Here is how it was formed ;
Millions of years ago in Northern France sand dunes deposited pure sand, over time this became a very special type of sandstone.
The structure of the Gogotte with its contours and creases is the result of processes that caused silica rich water to gradually filter through the sand and cement the grains together.
These Gogettes are prized as rare pieces of natural art, this one was donated to the NHM in honour of Sir David Attenborough’s 90th Birthday.
A rather good gift and very unusual ,a great new exhibit.
NATURE TABLE EXPLORER 