#armoredmudballs

[roadtripnewengland]

Another exciting post about rocks! These “lithified armored mudballs” found in Turner’s Falls are somewhat unique, and are found in only about 10 locations on Earth. . . The mudballs are formed by streams and other running water by pushing sticky mud along with the current to create a “ball”, the ball is then covered as it gathers pebbles and other stone along the way which make up ther “armour”. Important to the procress for the armored balls , is that they must be buried quickly in surrounding sands so they do not dry out and disintergrate. Then over the “deep time” of geology the area is lithified (turned to stone). . You’ll find examples of the #armoredmudballs on the rocks at Trinity Park in Turner’s Falls, with a few other examples at Great River Discovery Center. You’ll also find a few along a “geology path” at Greendfield Community College. #geology #geologyofmassachusetts #deeptime #geologyrocks #igersmass (at Turners Falls, Massachusetts) https://www.instagram.com/p/CUxQrv0gAJy/?utm_medium=tumblr

[roadtripnewengland]

Getting #geological (near) Turner’s Falls- part 1. Seen here is a lithified “armored mud ball” dating to the Lower Jurassic (about 200 million years ago). Clay that was pulled up from an ancient river rolled this ball, which picked up a shield of small gravel around its exterior along the way. . . Found only in about 8 locations worldwide, the #TurnersFalls #armoredmudballs are unique in that they are the only ones known that were formed by inland stream, and not beach conditions. The example shown here was quarried around 1877 and once served as a support for the Old Red Bridge that spanned the #ConnecticutRiver into Turners Falls. When that bridge was demolished in the 1980s, this piece was moved to the campus of Greenfield Community College where it can be found on a short “geology walk” near the Campus Police Station. #geology #geologyrocks #jurassic #earlyjurassic #lowerjurrasic #instascience (at Greenfield Community College) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4Yoq_-lJ4Y/?igshid=uyr0tdre3g4u