Monday, March 29, 2010

Geology Rocks

Yesterday I came across a Tumblr Blog I hadn't seen before, by the name of Geology Rocks. Not only is that a phrase I'm fond of, I'm quite fond of the picture choices there.(titled "Geologists Have Rocks for Brains")Sometimes, as with the first picture, there is little or no background or location information. For other posts, the description is extensive. For the above, the description is
Rhodochrosite is a cousin of calcite, but where calcite has calcium, rhodochrosite has manganese (MnCO3).Rhodochrosite is also called raspberry spar. The manganese content gives it a rosy pink color, even in its rare clear crystals. This specimen displays the mineral in its banded habit, but it also takes the botryoidal habit (see them in the Gallery of Mineral Habits). The crystals of rhodochrosite are mostly microscopic. Rhodochrosite is far more common at rock and mineral shows than it is in nature.
I haven't been paying attention long enough to vouch for its accuracy, but the blog's author is clearly enthusiastic. As far as I'm concerned, this is a keeper.

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