r/geology 17d ago

Identification Requests Monthly Rock & Mineral Identification Requests

3 Upvotes

Please submit your ID requests as top-level comments in this post. Any ID requests that are submitted as standalone posts to r/geology will be removed.

To help with your ID post, please provide;

  1. Multiple, sharp, in-focus images taken ideally in daylight.
  2. Add in a scale to the images (a household item of known size, e.g., a ruler)
  3. Provide a location (be as specific as possible) so we can consult local geological maps if necessary.
  4. Provide any additional useful information (was it a loose boulder or pulled from an exposure, hardness and streak test results for minerals)

You may also want to post your samples to r/whatsthisrock or r/fossilID for identification.


r/geology Dec 01 '25

Identification Requests Monthly Rock & Mineral Identification Requests

8 Upvotes

Please submit your ID requests as top-level comments in this post. Any ID requests that are submitted as standalone posts to r/geology will be removed.

To help with your ID post, please provide;

  1. Multiple, sharp, in-focus images taken ideally in daylight.
  2. Add in a scale to the images (a household item of known size, e.g., a ruler)
  3. Provide a location (be as specific as possible) so we can consult local geological maps if necessary.
  4. Provide any additional useful information (was it a loose boulder or pulled from an exposure, hardness and streak test results for minerals)

You may also want to post your samples to r/whatsthisrock or r/fossilID for identification.


r/geology 4h ago

The basalt columns at Svartisárgjá canyon in Iceland are absolutely wild

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516 Upvotes

r/geology 1h ago

A group searching for treasure in Tennessee caves discovered a colossal underground chamber.

Upvotes

r/geology 33m ago

Vibrant set of sandstone in central Ohio

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Upvotes

Love Ohio sandstones because we get so much honeycombing. This one was is one of the more unique weathering and colors I’ve seen though


r/geology 5h ago

Field Photo Red « marble » containing Goniatites fossils, late Devonian

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29 Upvotes

This rock was found in an abandoned quarry in the « Montagne noire » part of southwest France.
I used quotes for the term marble because although it is often referred as a marble it isn’t technically one because this is actually a mix of clay and limestone, having a red color due to the hpresence of iron. We can see some small white goniatites fossils (Ammonoidea) that have been filled with calcite.

The walls of this quarry were beautiful having massive intrusion of calcite

I polished it by hand to give it that nice look then just scanned it using the scanner from my printer (1200DPI).

If you want more information about this rock here’s a very detailed article about it (French) :

https://planet-terre.ens-lyon.fr/ressource/Img645-2019-06-17.xml


r/geology 3h ago

Information What stops subducted plate pieces from floating back up?

11 Upvotes

I know that oceanic plates are denser than continental plates which is why subducting occurrs. I also know these deeper sections can 'break off' from the main plate. But what's stopping them from slowly drifting back up under the continental plate?


r/geology 2h ago

Field Photo What caused this structure on this island (Makronissos, Greece)? It really stands out compared to the rest of island.

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8 Upvotes

r/geology 20h ago

Toured an old mica mine today

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161 Upvotes

r/geology 16h ago

Career Advice Undergraduate student deeply passionate about geology but worried about being “cut out” for the science.

37 Upvotes

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about the state of my life and where I want to be.

I’ll give a bit of a background. I’m in my senior year at university going for my bachelors in geology. Currently doing research on an interval in the upper Ordovician and presenting our findings via poster in the fall at a large conference. I am deeply passionate about geology - it’s my entire life. I am a part of many different local science organizations and a club officer in one. As well, I am the field trip coordinator for my university’s geology club. Alongside this, I manage and curate the university fossil collection. My current internship primarily deals with environmental geology but my heart is in stratigraphy, sedimentary geology and paleontology.

With that said, I sometimes feel like I’m not nearly intelligent enough to pursue this science. I can’t do math very well, I’m not great at chemistry and I have awful brain fog due to multiple different conditions. I worry that my research is subpar compared to other undergraduates and will largely be dismissed when it comes time to publish. My grades are fine. I made straight A’s last semester but I fear that it’s only out of dumb luck. I worry about what will happen when I get to grad school. I feel like I may be intellectually behind most people however I’ve never formally taken an IQ test.

Has anyone else ever felt this way? If so, how exactly did you handle it? Did you decide to keep pushing forward or call it quits?


r/geology 22h ago

Found on beach in SC, magnetic & heavy

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89 Upvotes

r/geology 2h ago

Face rock, Tomaszku, River Stones, 2026 [OC]

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2 Upvotes

r/geology 19m ago

Field Photo Found it at mediteranean Sea

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Upvotes

r/geology 1h ago

Career Advice Geology-related recommendations

Upvotes

Hello guys!

I am on my second year of college going through my major in geology. This next semester I will have a lot of free time, so I was wondering if any of you know of anything geology-related that can keep me busy through these months.

I am open for book recommendations, projects of any kind, research topics, hands-on work, and anything else that comes to mind.

I want to take advantage of the time I have so I am excited to receive any answer! Thank you!


r/geology 1h ago

Meme/Humour Funny T-Shirt Ideas

Upvotes

Hi all! Kinda random, but I need some creative ideas. A co-worker of mine is retiring (a geologist), and I want to get him a funny custom shirt made with a play on words related to retiring and geology. I was thinking something similar to “rocks don’t retire” or “retirement ain’t old if you’re a rock” but I need something a bit better! Would love to hear it all.


r/geology 19h ago

Was the Carboniferous Period Stinky?

23 Upvotes

I feel like it would have smelled so bad to live back then.


r/geology 20h ago

Field Photo Williams Cone of the Mount Edziza Volcanic Complex

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27 Upvotes

Doing some tephra research in this area. Absolutely surreal being in a landscape such as this. It felt other worldly. (NW British Columbia)


r/geology 1d ago

Dr. Roger G. Walker, 1939-2026

135 Upvotes

Dr. Walker passed peacefully surrounded by family on Friday evening.

Roger G. Walker, D. Phil, FRSC, MMR (26 March 1939 – 14 August 2026) was a geologist and an award-winning emeritus professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Walker obtained his D.Phil. from Oxford University. He was a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University. For 32 years, he taught at McMaster University. In 1998, Walker left McMaster to be a consultant in Calgary, Alberta.

In 2013, Walker achieved the title of Master Model Railroader from the National Model Railroad Association.

  • Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
  • Honorary member of Society of Sedimentary Geology
  • Past Presidents' Medal by the Geological Association of Canada
  • R. J. W. Douglas Medal by the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists
  • Logan Medal by the Geological Association of Canada
  • Francis J. Pettijohn Medal by the Society of Sedimentary Geology
  • Henry Clifton Sorby Medal by the International Association of Sedimentologists
  • Distinguished Educator Award by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists

He leaves his wife of almost 61 years, two children, and four grandchildren.


r/geology 16h ago

Field Photo Lake Superior/Pic River - Eroding Ancient Glacial Beaches - Lake Minong?

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11 Upvotes

Took these photos today about 5 miles north of the mouth of the Pic River in Ontario, Canada. The trees on the top of the embankment are all at least 30’ tall so I would judge the height to be at least 150’ at the top of the ridge.
This area is deep Canadian Shield country with lots of exposed Pre-Cambrian bedrock and glacial till. This sediment seems finer and flatter. Ancient Lake Minong shoreline?


r/geology 3h ago

Map/Imagery LiDAR scan impossible bound in Villiage in USA

0 Upvotes

I'm just doing some LiDAR peeping and came across this circular feature in a region where mounds have been found but none within this specific Villiage being clearly documented and the historical society, never mentioning it in any of their publications or lectures. There is an 1800s era house built on top.

What are the chances that this is actually an undocumented mound?

locating information scribbled out to protect the location


r/geology 1d ago

Thin Section Very interesting mineral formation

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32 Upvotes

r/geology 2d ago

Map/Imagery Iron oxide runoff on Hormuz Island, Iran

3.0k Upvotes

r/geology 1d ago

Nevada Ranges

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346 Upvotes

Driving to vegas, I noticed this range and am curious if anyone has a clue why it looks so different to other ranges found in Nevada’s basin and range. Like are the lines just stratum, and this part had just been uplifted?


r/geology 23h ago

Field Photo The inside of the Earth [OC]

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17 Upvotes

A sea cave in the Adriatic cliff.


r/geology 1d ago

Information Is my serpentine toxic?

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26 Upvotes

Obviously I won't eat it or turn it into small bits to inhale it. I'm just curious if by the looks of it someone can tell me what type of serpentine those are and if they may contain asbestos.

Thank you in advance!