Geologists Out There? What is this "rock"?

[Gidget]

My friends visiting from LA found this on the beach @ Grayton. I didn't know what it was - but I have seem them before. Anyone out there who can help us out?

Thanks in advance.

G

 

[Em]

Looks like peat from what used to be a stand of Cypress Trees along the beach. There is plenty of it resting just under the sand in many areas along the beach in South Walton. Walk down to the east from Grayton and you will see some of it exposed in Grayton Beach State Park.

 

[ricklys]

Looks like peat from what used to be a stand of Cypress Trees along the beach. There is plenty of it resting just under the sand in many areas along the beach in South Walton. Walk down to the east from Grayton and you will see some of it exposed in Grayton Beach State Park.

Looks a little shiny for peat. It looks kind of like obsidian, though the presence of volcanic glass here might be pretty rare.

 

[Gidget]

Looks a little shiny for peat. It looks kind of like obsidian, though the presence of volcanic glass here might be pretty rare.

It is VERY shiny inside. So I wonder which is it? Peat or obsidian? I'll have to google and see if I can find out any more info.

Thanks Murray and Ricklys

 

[Grayton Girl]

Looks a little shiny for peat. It looks kind of like obsidian, though the presence of volcanic glass here might be pretty rare.

When I was growing up in Grayton, way before Gulf Trace was built, we used to go over to Alligator Lake and climb around on the reddish colored dunes (on the west side of the lake near the Gulf) and find all kinds of interesting volcanic-looking rocks. I had quite a collection of pumice stones and other weird glassy stones. The area was the size of 2 or 3 large dunes and the sand was very red/orange - not white like our beach sand. I used to imagine that there had been some kind of volcano there or something, and to this day, I can't figure out what that area was all about or why there was so much weird stuff there.

The eastern edge of Gulf Trace is built right on this spot.

So.... maybe this is one of the strange stones that got washed out to the Gulf and you have now found it.

 

[30ashopper]

My friends visiting from LA found this on the beach @ Grayton. I didn't know what it was - but I have seem them before. Anyone out there who can help us out?

Thanks in advance.

G

I'm all for the really cool guesses - a peice of ejecta from the Chicxulub crater?

 

[Lake View Too]

I'm all for the really cool guesses - a peice of ejecta from the Chicxulub crater?

Why can't they be pieces of a meteorite...or pieces of an alien spaceship?

 

[30ashopper]

Ask a Geologist

Ask a Florids State University Geologist a question...

 

[30ashopper]

Why can't they be pieces of a meteorite...or pieces of an alien spaceship?

That works too! If we were all 10, we'd have already figured it out and would be doing experiments.

 

[Em]

Did it break apart fairly easily, or do you just like breaking open rocks?