I offer the following images, mostly of rocks, as art and not science. Although these rocks are are rare because they are two billion years old, I ask you to open yourself up to joy, surprise, curiosity, and confusion, the four basic emotions of wonder.
#1: Granitic Gneiss
#2: Granitic Gneiss
#3: Granitic Gneiss
#4: Granitic Gneiss
#5: Granitic Gneiss
#6: Desert Stalk
#7: Granitic Gneiss
#8: Desert Floor
#9: Granitic Gneiss
#9: Schist
#10: Dooley’s Knob
#11: The Spine of Antelope Island
#12: Boulder Field of Granitic Gneiss
#13: Schist Outcrop
#14: Schist Outcrop
#15: Diamictite Outcrop
#16: Schist Outcrops
#17: Schist Outcrop (Close-up)
Endnotes
- These images were gathered in the space of a few hours on Antelope Island. Please refer to the pictures by number rather than name. Only by looking at a geologic map was I able to name the rocks.
- I also consulted Cdr. Don DeCaria, USN (ret), one of my siblings, who knows much about geology, a result of his lifelong passion for the subject. Don once said, “I have never seen a boring rock.” When Don talks, rocks spring to life.
Thank you for coming along with me on another outing in the quest for wonder! I eagerly look forward to your comments and questions.
Best regards,
Dr. Mike
(29 Aug 2020: Correction: I originally said the rocks featured in this post were two billion years old. After consulting a few more texts, I have learned that two-billion-year-old layers likely exist on Antelope Island but are hundreds of meters under the ground. The outcrops on the surface are younger at 1.7 billion years old. I regret the exaggeration. md)