An agate in an agate? Lake Superior Agate

in #geology7 years ago

This one excites many theories on agate formation.

I always envisioned the eyes like precipitation which forms on a cold glass. The surrounding rock likely had many hot magma pockets underneath creating steam. The surrounding rock very well may still have been cooling as well. This steam would precipitate in the cooler amygdule chambers. It would be quite viscous since it was basically a silica gel causing the eyes to stick to the walls, with the surface tesnsion causing it to dome.

In the picture below it would appear that it had an initial formation of agate as a geode. Then in a later geologic event the eyes formed on the agate instead of the typical husk. Later the rest of the nodule formed as the typical agate with a quartz center.

At least that’s my theory. What’s yours?!

1689B54D-E5E7-4468-A78F-345E01D248C3.png

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Hätte auch mal ein Achathintergrund. War auf die Dauer aber zu anstrengend für die Augen

I think that is enough cavity volume to qualify it as a Thunderegg! I had a similar one, but the husk was chalcedony, but I guess they're all cryptocrystalline quartz - AWESOME find!

Thank you! Agates just amaze me. Natures art.

Well shoot. I thought this was the original photo but it’s a screenshot from my phone. Oh well. Hopefully you still get the point! Lol

Cool rock. We used to hunt agates in Wyoming when I was a kid. Found a few, but nothing this pretty. I just stopped by to say thanks for following me @markrmorrisjr.

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