jcervay Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Busted this open at lake Erie and it's weird and stinks...what could it be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morlock Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Most rocks don't stink. Probably just organic material from the lake that decomposed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedrock Bob Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 (edited) You post a rock for ID. You say it stinks. I will ask the obvious question... What the heck does it smell like? Edited August 20, 2018 by Bedrock Bob Smellabration time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedrock Bob Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 (edited) 23 minutes ago, Morlock said: Most rocks don't stink. Heavy stuff man! Wisdom for the ages! Edited August 20, 2018 by Bedrock Bob 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morlock Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Absolutely!!!! In all my years as a rockhound, I've never encountered a smelly rock. That's my methodology. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedrock Bob Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 From here on out that is going to be my first question when ID'ing a mineral. "What does it smell like". Actually you can use smell to identify a lot of minerals. No doubt about sulphide based ores, they smell just like firecrackers. And they say arsenic smells like garlic. Lots of those cave formations have a smell. I have struck rocks together and noticed their smell. So it is not too goofy I suppose. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morlock Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Given the location in which it was found, the vesicles, possible pollution, there's no doubt in my mind that's where the stink comes from. While some rocks may smell, I've never encountered one but then I never had a reason to check the smell. He said this one stinks.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcervay Posted August 20, 2018 Author Share Posted August 20, 2018 But yes, this is goofy 🤪 The smell is from organic material, I'm pretty certain. Smells like my husband's protein skimmer from his salt aquarium. I'm thinking that the holes have just filled with water and organic lake type stuff and it's just rotting and stinking. There are a lot of holey rocks that stink just the same, wondering what type of material it could be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedrock Bob Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 (edited) Looks like a garden variety volcanic to me. Only filled with juicy sea stuff. It would probably make good bait. Lots of holey rocks around water and wave action. Soluble minerals really make wild forms when they are being slowly dissolved. Many rocks will probably wind up looking like that depending on the makeup of the rock. Chemical weathering in solution and wave action will sponge out a lot of stuff and make it look like scoria. If there is a stinkin' then there is some chemistry going on there. No doubt that lends itself to erosion of those pockets. So if it is not a volcanic full of gas bubbles or soluble inclusions then it is another type of soluble rock succumbing to Ph and water action. Are those light colored inclusions on one side of the rock a mineral or organic material? Those could be the calcium rich inclusions that are disappearing rather than an organic that is filling the gas pockets. You really can't tell from the photo. Edited August 20, 2018 by Bedrock Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morlock Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 27 minutes ago, Morlock said: 12 minutes ago, jcervay said: 🤪Smells like my husband's protein skimmer from his salt aquarium. He said this one stinks.. Oooops. Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcervay Posted August 20, 2018 Author Share Posted August 20, 2018 45 minutes ago, Bedrock Bob said: Are those light colored inclusions on one side of the rock a mineral or organic material? Those could be the calcium rich inclusions that are disappearing rather than an organic that is filling the gas pockets. You really can't tell from the photo. I originally picked it up because of the light bluish green color. It has the same color in the middle. When I cracked it more it gets weirder...and I don't have pics yet. Its hard, seems like mineral. Still stinky, hubby says sulphury. It is greener in the middle with slightly reflective black areas. And what looks like bits of pyrite. And some teeny pockets of tiny orange crystals. Sooooo......??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcervay Posted August 20, 2018 Author Share Posted August 20, 2018 I also threw a chunk in the fire and some orangish yellow liquid bubbled out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clay Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Was this found near the Kalamazoo river? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcervay Posted August 20, 2018 Author Share Posted August 20, 2018 2 minutes ago, clay said: Was this found near the Kalamazoo river? No, in lake Erie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 (edited) It is 4" minus mine slag used as railroad bed material and shoreline erosion control. Purchased from the hayden smelter, shipped to michigan on the 14th of december 1964, ore car number 73....The smell is algae/iron/sulfur. Edited August 20, 2018 by adam 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcervay Posted August 20, 2018 Author Share Posted August 20, 2018 1 hour ago, adam said: It is 4" minus mine slag used as railroad bed material and shoreline erosion control. Purchased from the hayden smelter, shipped to michigan on the 14th of december 1964, ore car number 73....The smell is algae/iron/sulfur. Sorry, that is what you have seen in Michigan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wet/dry washer Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 Steel mill slag. Stinks 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d_day Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 Sure looks like slag to me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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