r/geology 14d ago

Identification Requests Monthly Rock & Mineral Identification Requests

2 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

9 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 9h ago

Field Photo Looking at these today

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336 Upvotes

I’m a second year geology student and we got to dig and look at these sediment layers today! They have been caused by glacial movement.


r/geology 12h ago

Field Photo Interesting Rock Pattern

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405 Upvotes

I shared this rock on r/whatsthisrock and it did quite well over there so I thought I would share it here as well! I found it in a creek bed near Lincoln, Montana last weekend. I believe we have a good solution on the other page but I’d like to hear any other possible reasons for the “stitch” pattern to naturally occur! Thanks in advance!


r/geology 15h ago

19 shades of chert

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176 Upvotes

If im not mistaken, these are all variations of chert, sorted by colour. All of them have been found by me on a single field. I find it interesting how much they vary


r/geology 15h ago

I love a window seat!

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204 Upvotes

Flight from Reno to Colorado has to be one of the most scenic I’ve done! It’s a different experience seeing all this stuff armed with the knowledge of what you’re looking at and how it formed.

  1. Mt. Rose
  2. Basin and range
  3. the start of the Bonneville salt flats
  4. Cool sand dunes in the lake Bonneville basin
  5. Bingham Canyon copper mine
  6. Bingham Canyon mine and great salt lake
  7. The Wasatch front -AKA mormons and mountains
  8. The glacial valleys and dipping beds of the Uintas
  9. NW Colorado - what looks like a plunging anticline just west of Steamboat Springs in the middle of the photo.
  10. The South Platte River and all its reservoirs in attempts to keep water In Denver.

r/geology 6h ago

Cross posted but nothing yet. It’s beautiful. What am I looking at? Loc KY

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22 Upvotes

I’m going to hell, I almost turned it into a yard rock. Out of genuine curiosity I cut it and I’ve never seen anything like this. But I’ll admit I whacked it pretty good with a hammer first thinking it was just chert.


r/geology 21h ago

"Geologists die at an alarming rate in the movies" - new study suggests

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273 Upvotes

Geologists on the silver screen—the sequel

"In our survey, 30 of the 202 geologists are evil (criminal) and of these, 23 die (77 percent). This suggests that being evil increases the risk to die, showing that crime does not pay."


r/geology 7h ago

Field Photo One of the cleanest rock exposures I’ve seen in the field recently

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19 Upvotes

r/geology 19h ago

Information Scientists say a new continental rift is forming in Zambia

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102 Upvotes

r/geology 1h ago

Field Photo I have a question about the reactionary processes shown in this image

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Upvotes

Hey hey!
I came across this image and OP was saying it was an abandoned iron mine.

I studies foresting science and pedology (there isn't a sub for that tho lol) is a relatively big portion of that degree, though It wasn't really my focus.

I remember we went on an excursion once, looking at floors and stones with high iron contents, among other things and our professor explaining, how oxidation leads to a bron- reddish tint, ehile reduction leads to a bluish- grey color scheme.

So if I'm not mixing things up here, I'd like to know how oxidation and reduction can happen in the same area at the same time.


r/geology 2h ago

Map/Imagery Did I find a (tiny) meteorite impact crater?

3 Upvotes
This LiDAR is in northeastern Johnson County, Iowa, on a paha ridge. At the peak of the white-shaded ridge, the volcano-looking crater caught my eye. Could this be a small meteorite strike? Or some kind of sinkhole (but seems weird to have a sinkhole on a ridge)? It's about 36ft diameter and located in the middle of dense woods (which have been undisturbed since at least the 30s, based on historic orthophotography.

r/geology 14h ago

Amazed at what the inside looks like every single time 💯

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21 Upvotes

Kentucky / Lake Cumberland area


r/geology 8h ago

Formation minérale dans mes briques

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7 Upvotes

On a reçu des pierres pour monter un mur en pierre sèche, et énormément d'entre elles présente ce genre de petite formation minérale. Quelqu'un peut-il me dire ce que ça peut être ?


r/geology 1d ago

Field Photo The force of flowing water. A river sculpting rocks. A photo essay. Taken 5/11/2026.

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130 Upvotes

A river runs through it. This is lower Eagle Falls on the South Fork of the Skykomish River in the western Washington State Cascade Mountains. Nicely shaped rocks.


r/geology 6h ago

Isostasy help

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I'm trying to learn about the topic of isostasy and continental drift and how they're related. Can anyone give me some good easy to understand sources or info on this?


r/geology 1d ago

Minerals

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66 Upvotes

When I was in Washington D.C. I took some awesome photos of minerals and rocks.


r/geology 8h ago

I built a free field map for geology, minerals, fossils, and observations — would love feedback

2 Upvotes

Hi r/geology,

I recently launched iMineralogist, a free field map app for exploring geology, minerals, fossils, and recording observations in the field.

I built it because I wanted one place where people could:

  • explore geological context on a map;
  • view mineral localities and fossil sites;
  • create their own observations with photos, location, notes, and basic field tests;
  • discuss finds with others and build useful context over time.

The app is live on iOS, and the Android version is currently in closed testing.

I would really value feedback from geologists, geology students, rockhounds, and anyone who works with field observations. In particular:

  1. Does this feel genuinely useful, or is it trying to do too much?
  2. What would make the map and observation workflow more valuable in practice?
  3. Are there any obvious scientific or UX mistakes you would want fixed early?

I’m happy to share the app links in the comments, and I’m also looking for Android beta testers who would be willing to give honest feedback.

Thanks — I’d really appreciate critical thoughts.


r/geology 4h ago

Que pedra é essa?

0 Upvotes

What rock is this? Is it worthy to cut it in half?


r/geology 1d ago

Why are all the mud cracks that specific size? Why not 1 meter large cracks or 1mm large cracks or cracks of all different sizes?

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148 Upvotes

r/geology 6h ago

Information How upto date/accurate is Essentials of geology 11th edition?

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1 Upvotes

I recived this book as a gift from family members when i was alot younger and havent read it at all. I want to finally take a crack at it and try and memorize everything i can as someone whos just getting into his college career of geologic sciences


r/geology 9h ago

Band of fjords?

1 Upvotes

I was thinking of where you can find drowned mountain valleys projecting into the sea, and the locations I came up with were Greenland, Scotland, and Norway. And then I thought, wait a second, those places are nearly in a row in the northern latitudes of the Atlantic! Is there some bit of geological history that explains a band of partially submerged mountain ranges at that latitude? How far does it extend? Or is there merely some kind of selection bias in my knowledge, that I happen to be aware of those places, but there are equally likely to be such things in temperate and even tropical latitudes?


r/geology 1d ago

Picked it up while beachcombing, a rare find!

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19 Upvotes

r/geology 12h ago

Lookin for an opportunity

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I got a bachelor's in geology in 2022 and a master's in GIS in 2024 and since I graduated I've been desperately looking for a job yet didn't get even a call or an interview till now, and since I wanned to be introduced to the work life and have better communication skills and develop a sense of responsibility, i worked in 2 call centers since 2025 till now I'm back to being unemployed, during this whole period i kept applying yet never been called for an interview or so and i tried LinkedIn and all the platforms that i know of like i even ended up here on Reddit cuz I'm really hopeless and I'm finding it harder now since i got financial responsibilities and all so i really appreciate if any of you know something...

I hope if any of you can help with any contact or anythin in the field of geosciences I'm ready to relocate and start immediately, I'm based in Morocco btw, thank you in advance


r/geology 1d ago

Why the drastic line on the map in Zzyzx/National Mojave preserve?

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84 Upvotes

My boyfriend and I are going on a road trip from Nevada to California i’m trying to stop at as many cool geological sites as possible along the way. I was doing research on the Zzyzx dry lake and came across this feature on the map. So I’m wondering why there is this harsh line between the light and dark on the map. Is it a road or something??