Found some coral

[grayfingers]

I acquired a small rock collection a couple of days ago. The rocks looked to me to be from this area, as I have found many similar. However, there was a couple chunks of coral as well. It is possible they are from Montana too, I have found marine fossils on the Yellowstone river. There is an ancient shoreline near Billings.

I have not chipped or cut into the larger one to see if it is silicified/agatized. It weighs 6 lbs.

[jamesp]

Looks like slicificatia has attacked the second piece of coral for sure. The first one is gonna have to be probed some how but it sure is a nice specimen.

I like the tubes hanging out in the first photo. What was my ocean doing sneaking up to Montana ?

[grayfingers]

James, Montana was covered by mostly shallow seas a few times, most notable is the Western Interior Seaway. They even find crocodile fossils in the area.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Interior_Seaway

I was thinking I might free hand a cut on the tile saw to get flat spot on the base. If it is not lapidary quality it will make a nice standing specimen. I would hate to destroy it with a chisel if it were to not be silicified.

[jamesp]

That explains a lot. I do not think my coral was forming during this Western Seaway. But this ocean split Georgia in half north and south. The dividing line is called the fall line. It is sandy in the south half and clay soil in the north half excluding some valleys and hills. Along that 'beach' line is very nice deposits of fossiliferous chert that is often glassy and pretty. It was the source for artifacts for the lower 2/3's of Georgia. It is 100 miles from my home and i find artifacts of it brought in from 100 miles. Especially Savannah River Agate in the eastern end of the beach in GA. Check it out

Here is 30 more. About 10 new bryozoans were discovered in this agate. By the way, all the reds are from heat treatment i am sure by the ancients.
www.flickr.com/photos/67205364@N06/sets/72157632569773602
This was found in the middle of the state on the fall line beach. In boulder form.

[jamesp]

See how the fall line splits Georgia. I can go to about any creek or river crossing that line and score pretty chert/agate. Well, that makes me wonder if they find horn coral in Utah along the same beach line. Or marine stuff in western Montana where the same beach boundary was there.

[grayfingers]

Nice agates! I know horn coral is found up near Whitefish, near the B.C. border. It is in Cambrian Limestone.

[grayfingers]

James, this site is really cool. This is the mountain range I live next to. (includes rocks that range in age from Archean (greater than 2.5 billion years) metamorphic gneisses, to conglomerates of Protrerozoic age (~1.4 billlion years), and Paleozoic sedimentary rocks that were deposited in the warm shallow seas that once covered this area (~540-100 million years ago). A fossil hunter/geologist paradise.
serc.carleton.edu/research_education/trail_guides/sacagawea.html

[jamesp]

Whitefish is west and looks close to the beach line...

[jamesp]

OK. The article above is going to set me free. I am going to study this one and get an ed

[jamesp]

After skimming that article i learned that tectonic action pierced thru the flat fossiliferous lands and elevated them. That answers the biggest question i ever had for many years about how fossils got so darn high in altitude. That is the answer. I love mountains. However, I do like the undisturbed fossil zone i tinker in with the river cutting thru ground zero of the life interface at the ocean bottom.
But the scenery is spectacular and the views and vistas awesome. Much more technical from a geology standpoint. Way more.

OK. gotta watch the video next.

[jamesp]

I liked the videos. No wonder you are in such good shape. That is some high altitude terrain out there. I see where the valley people live in the background making for comfortable flat living. Great contrast and sky line having those mountains and the geology they have to offer. Two different worlds in one spot. I am thinking you are more of a river rat.

[grayfingers]

Haha, right you are, James. Though I have climbed a great many peaks in this part of the state, my Dad was into that. I enjoyed climbing too, but as I got older I became much more fond of fishing. Now when I climb steep trails there has to be a lake full of trout or rocks to be had.

Funny though, fishing the rivers turned me into a rock hound. Now I am looking back up at the peaks thinking of finding agate and jasper in situ.

[jamesp]

I was into mountains of Appalachia and also become fond of lowlands. And the water ways and rivers are the place to collect most of the time .

Fishing mountains rivers rocks all music to the ears

[Deleted]

Great post Bill. I have some of the same coral here. Well, looks similar but I do not know if it is the same. This stuff can be found from 4500 to 9500 feet above sea level. These were self collected.








This is the sweetest piece that I have found.
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The stromtalite that I find here is much different than what is there. If my back was up to it I could go out and pick up a truck load in one place.


We have crossed over on rocks before but I didn't even think about the corals being the same also. This stuff couldn't have been pushed here and had to have grown here. Well, there again I can not be sure but if it was pushed here it would have had to have been pushed here before the Big Horn Mountains were pushed up.
Jim

[grayfingers]

Nice stuff Jim,I think this whole stretch of the Rockies rose at the same time, thrusting ancient seabeds up. What makes it confusing for us is what was there versus what was moved by the glaciers. . . maybe you have hunted the area in Montana near Wyoming border between Pryor and Bighorn Mountains? I have read there is a lot of silicified coral. Man, you seem to have numerous types of coral there! Nice stuff. I am fascinated by fossils, but I am an agate lover. So, I like fossils that are silicified the best. Here are a couple from that area I thought were sponges, maybe they are corals. They are not agate, calcified? (I know little about this huge subject.)


This is a piece of sea floor (from that same area) with small shells very densely packed together. a larger shell visible on the side. This is hard enough to cab, I have been able to tumble a piece to a soft shine.

[jamesp]

Thanks for sharing those corals and fossils. I am amazed at how those rose to 9000 feet. Incomprehendable. At least you guys don't have to move the jungle away to find the stuff.

The article called the ocean bottom area 'Bahama Montana' because of the preserved ocean bottom that took a ride high in the sky.

And Jim finds that stuff on mountains all the way down to Wyoming. Amazing.

[pghram]

Based on that map, if "global warming" continues, I have ocean front property here in GA one day :>)

Rich

[jamesp]

It happened at least once Rich.

[carloscinco]

Excellent travelogue. Really enjoyed that.

[bsky4463]

Bill - Thanks for sharing. Never saw that website before - great info.