Geology for the Clueless Lifelong Learner

Banded iron formation, Minnesota

Since the staff geologist was already out and about after a consultation a couple of days ago, we figured we'd have the guy take a look at a HubPages.com post one of the staffers stumbled over recently. Now, we'll state up front that we have nothing against people learning anything, no matter at what age they begin the process. Geology-guy is just fine with people learning about rocks. What neither he nor the Antisocial Network in general find particularly pleasing, however, is the Emelie S. Peck post called "How to Learn About Rocks."

We don't argue (much) with Peck's suggestions that, to learn about rocks, one can research in books or on the internet¹, take a class of some sort, join a club, or visit a rock and fossil shop². It's in the details she included in her post that E. S. slipped up. Here's an example:

"When searching the web, look up specific qualities of the stones you may be trying to identify, like color..."

Any rockhound worth listening to will tell you that color is not diagnostic. And then there are the photographs Peck included, including one of porphyritic andesite about which she gushed,

"Andesite washed to the Minnesota Lake Superior area from the extinct volcanoes on the east shore..."

Our geologist scratched his head and said, "Extinct volcanoes? Sure, if you consider that anything on the east side of Lake Superior is at least a couple of billion years old. Besides, any rocks like that in Minnesota are much more likely to have been transported by glaciers from farther north than "washed from the east." Peck also misinformed her readers about the Mesabi Iron Range in upstate Minnesota, opining that,

"Upstate Minnesota, for example, has high iron ore content, which makes it a big iron producer. It was also formed by volcanoes, so in addition to hematite and other high iron stones, you find a lot of volcanic rock."

In reality, the iron deposits – which are not volcanic, by the way – are restricted to the far eastern limits of the state, along the north shore of Lake Superior (the Mesabi Iron Range). As for the rest, yes, it's "volcanic"; if by "volcanic" you mean mostly composed of igneous rocks. Oh, and our geologist reminds you that granite is not "volcanic," E.S., it is plutonic. Then there's,

"...archaeologists often use the soil surrounding the fossils may find [sic] to establish the age..."

Ummm, no: paleontologists use the fossils to determine the rock's age. Plus,

"Almost every religion has assigned meanings to certain stones and crystals..."

Sure: try naming the "stones and crystals" to which meanings have been assigned by Judaism, Christianity, Shinto, Islam³, Buddhism...
There's more, but you get the point: dreck like our Dumbass of the Day published here¹ is why people shouldn't trust everything they read on the internet

¹ We know firsthand, however, that at least some internet "information" is pretty darned bogus!
² Unfortunately, a lot of "rock shops" sell mostly jewelry and crystals for the woo-woo crowd.
³ The Black Stone at the Kaaba excepted...

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