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Post by 1dave on Dec 11, 2013 18:01:50 GMT -5
The east side of the San Raphael Swell is an amazing location to visit and collect. Turn south off US 50 on Utah State Road 24 toward Hanksville. Just looking around is worth the trip. I place a Gypsy Curse on anyone who tries to remove truck loads of material from here! This area was once a lake filled with stromatolites that have been replaced with red, yellow, and purple jasper. It is often found with hollows that have filled with dog-tooth calcite or celestite crystals inside. Stromatolite surface buds form what is locally known as "Grape Agate." Here are five views of one of my finds.
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
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Post by Sabre52 on Dec 11, 2013 19:29:48 GMT -5
Very cool! I had no idea those were a variety of stromatolite. I have a couple of them in my collection that are cut open and one even has orbicular patters inside. Others are kind of duds with just frothy looking stuff inside. Very interesting material.....Mel
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herchenx
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Post by herchenx on Jan 13, 2014 14:10:43 GMT -5
1dave I posted a thread in this trips and shows section, but this looks to be within a day's drive, have you seen any celestite or purple agate out of here? What sort of land is this? BLM, state land or something else? Thanks for any help, looking for a fun place to take the kids this coming weekend and wondering if this might be an option.
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Post by 1dave on Jan 13, 2014 14:26:53 GMT -5
herchenx Mostly BLM, a few state squares, lots of sand. Don't get stuck. Yes, some of the agate is purple, most is red, some yellow. Hollows contain calcite crystals, some celestite. Bring a shovel as the best full nodules have probably been picked up unless there has been a recent storm.
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Post by Tonyterner on Jan 13, 2014 15:07:24 GMT -5
We collected there while driving through a couple of years ago. We had a rental car so couldn't get too far off of Rt. 24 but we did find a few small pieces of blue agate.
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herchenx
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Post by herchenx on Jan 13, 2014 15:42:56 GMT -5
Cool! Anything else over in this area worth checking out? More importantly how is the weather over there? Does anyone know if it is snowy?
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jan 13, 2014 18:43:52 GMT -5
Please explain the third photo. Is that a limestone shelf with(red) stromatolites laying on top of it and is the top of the limestone shelf the top of the lake bottom?
Do those stromatolites grow on the bottom of the water body? Do they grow in shallow water like the right side shelf? Is the left side where the lake was deeper or is that a wash?
Curious. My coral heads sit on a limestone shelf rolling out like bowling balls as the river washes the bank soil sitting on limestone bed. Looks like the same scenario.
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herchenx
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Post by herchenx on Jan 13, 2014 18:45:47 GMT -5
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herchenx
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Post by herchenx on Jan 13, 2014 18:47:35 GMT -5
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jan 14, 2014 11:38:38 GMT -5
Thanks John Herchenx. I will study those links tonight. Curious about the Stromboli. They are rampant out there.
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Post by 1dave on Jan 14, 2014 12:00:58 GMT -5
Please explain the third photo. Is that a limestone shelf with(red) stromatolites laying on top of it and is the top of the limestone shelf the top of the lake bottom? Do those stromatolites grow on the bottom of the water body? Do they grow in shallow water like the right side shelf? Is the left side where the lake was deeper or is that a wash? Curious. My coral heads sit on a limestone shelf rolling out like bowling balls as the river washes the bank soil sitting on limestone bed. Looks like the same scenario. There is a LOT of silica in that limestone! They formed in shallow lakes, were buried, then new growths started on top. There seems to be many layers. This modern photo shows how they grow - and break up! I think most of what I found were broken before they were buried and had been rejected by previous searchers. The warty surface on the middle stromatolite shows where the "grape agate" came from.
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Post by 1dave on Mar 23, 2019 21:12:40 GMT -5
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Mar 23, 2019 22:42:09 GMT -5
Nope sorry. They are broken links. Maybe John still has them and could help us? herchenx
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RWA3006
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Post by RWA3006 on Mar 24, 2019 9:06:48 GMT -5
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Post by 1dave on Mar 24, 2019 13:03:41 GMT -5
Sromatolites can be found all the way from X to hwy 24. Take 1028 and finally turn right then through 3 (4 if you count the first two close ones) stream beds
to get to X where I collected.
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Post by 1dave on Mar 24, 2019 13:55:38 GMT -5
I numbered the sandy stream bed crossings.
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NevadaBill
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Post by NevadaBill on Mar 24, 2019 15:47:15 GMT -5
Thanks for posting the information Dave. You know, I wouldn't have known they were Stromatolites, based on my limited experience of what I have seen from the Agatised Stromat's in my neck of the woods. Even though some time they can have color, most of mine are yellowish if I had to give it a color
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Win
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Post by Win on Mar 25, 2019 13:56:12 GMT -5
This is very timely for me, thanks!! We're going to the Swell area for a week in mid-May. Some hounding, some scenic photography - goes well together in Utah!! We plan on starting in Ferron, then Green River, to Hanksville, then Escalante. Any other places we should visit? We'll have two Rubicons and good with back road travel.
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zarguy
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Post by zarguy on Mar 26, 2019 0:43:54 GMT -5
I've never heard of Grape agate from this area called Stromatolites. They seem to form in blobs of highly silicated "grapes". Sometimes the grapes form as separate units, not attached to anything. They max out at about 1/4". There is no indication that they broke off from a host blob, but are whole grapes. They don't form in layers like the Stromatolites I've cut. Solo es mi opinion. Lynn
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Post by 1dave on Mar 26, 2019 11:11:29 GMT -5
I've never heard of Grape agate from this area called Stromatolites. They seem to form in blobs of highly silicated "grapes". Sometimes the grapes form as separate units, not attached to anything. They max out at about 1/4". There is no indication that they broke off from a host blob, but are whole grapes. They don't form in layers like the Stromatolites I've cut. Solo es mi opinion. Lynn
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