Monday, April 25, 2011

Hopeless geology 2

I very much like geology. I am impressed by the huge timescales the massive forces and all the detective work involved. I have read a lot of books and know the basic science. But out in the field I'm powerless. I notice phenomena but do not have the tools and knowledge to interpret them. This is frustrating but I am just an amateur so I need not be ashamed.


During a walk with my father in Switzerland I came across these reddish rocks. I have noticed them in many places in Switzerland - especially in areas with Flysch and limestone. The material is different from the limestone, very solid and difficult to break.

My hypothesis is that it is younger than the limestone and that it has filled cracks in the original rock - like quartz veins - but it does not have the look and feel of quartz. More like very solid sandstone. Colour might be caused by iron minerals. It could be a solution of minerals from the Flysch sand and mud which lies on top the limestone. But the story could be totally different, because the local geology is much more complicated than that.

I cannot search for it on the Internet, because I do not have the faintest idea what keywords I should search for. Most probably it will remain a mystery forever.

Sources
Les Diablerets - Google maps

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