GMS Field Trip
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Fossils and Geodes in Tennessee
Saturday, July 22, 2017
The theme of the July field trip was HOT, HOT HOT! Despite the heat advisory for the day, a gallant group of intrepid GMS members met the heat with undaunted determination and were rewarded with fossils and geodes! Thanks to the local McDonald’s that donated several buckets of ice, there were plenty of bottles of ice cold water readily available to all of the sweaty collectors.
At the first location, it didn’t take long for everyone to get several samples of Ordovician marine fossils including tiny brachiopods and even tinier crinoid stems as well as gastropods, bryozoans, and possibly some burrow trace fossils. After a rejuvenating lunch in air conditioned luxury, we jumped into a creek. Right away people were finding geodes. I saw several really pretty ones and a variety of fossils, too, including a superb coral that Diana Poppelreuter found. Juergen, on the other hand, decided to haul out an enormous suiseki, a piece of the karst that can be seen in certain parts of the creek. At our last stop, the handful of collectors who hadn’t wilted yet happily found even more geodes and (smaller) suiseki, plus a few more fossils.
Many thanks to the property owners who gave us permission to collect at these wonderful places. Thank you to McDonald’s for all of the ice that cooled us throughout the day, and thank you to Charles Carter for arranging another fun trip!
Lori Carter
On behalf of Charles Carter, GMS Field Trip Chair
e-mail: Field Trip email
Location 1 - Ordovician Marine Fossils
Photo by Lori Carter
Plenty of rocks to climb and search
Photo by Lori Carter
Sharon Sanders found these superb gastropod fossils
Photo by Lori Carter
Juergen found a pretty pocket of calcite crystals
Photo by Lori Carter
One of the juniors found a fossil she liked
Photo by Lori Carter
Juniors were great fossilers!
Photo by Lori Carter
Some pretty calcite formations
Photo by Lori Carter
The Clines got some help from David Bruce to collect these calcite specimens
Location 2 - Geodes and Fossils
Photo by Lori Carter
Lost of geodes!
Photo by Lori Carter
Serene creek
Photos by Lori Carter
David Bruce found this geode with gorgeous fortifications (banding)
Photo by Lori Carter
Excellent shell impression
Photo by Lori Carter
Casey Sosebee found this "petrified mushroom" -- or is it a muffin...
Photo by Lori Carter
Pretty geode!
Photo by Lori Carter
Juniors were serious geode hunters
Photo by Lori Carter
Caitlyn Cline found another geode with some fortifications
Photo by Lori Carter
"Hm, how do we get this giant suiseki out of here?"
Photo by Lori Carter
Looks like a two man job!
Photo by Lori Carter
Diana found this exquisite coral
Photo by Lori Carter
Gilligan liked Diana's geode blanket
Photo by Lori Carter
Looks like they got their fill of geodes and decided to relax in the trees
Photo by Lori Carter
Cristina found these (clockwise) big crinoid stem, brachiopod, small crinoid stem, and coral
Photo by Lori Carter
David Bruce found this beautiful brachiopod
Location 3 - More Geodes and Fossils
Photo by Lori Carter
Jump right into the creek
Photo by Lori Carter
David Bruce found this crinoid specimen with branching stems
Photo by Lori Carter
Unlike Juergen, David decided to bring home a smaller suiseki
Photo by Lori Carter
Bart Weaver now has photo evidence of his beautiful botryoidal geode find!
Photo by Lori Carter
Nice color on this geode
Photo by Lori Carter
Gilligan was good at finding shade
Photo by Lori Carter
Charles found a shady spot to relax as the day wound down
Photo by Lori Carter
These little guys were kissing all of us
Photo by Lori Carter
Charles cleaned this geode a bit after we got home
Photo by Lori Carter
Does this chisel look familiar to you? Gilligan says it is not ours.
It will be in the lost and found area at the GMS building for you to claim.
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