GMS Mineral Section Field Trip

GMS Mineral Section Field Trip
Geology Tour/Hike, Various Minerals
Saturday, September 7, 2019

The Georgia Mineral Society sponsored a field trip to the Davidson-Arabia Nature Preserve to hike through the historic Arabia Mountain quarry and examine the Lithonia gneiss that was quarried there. In a repeat of the spring field trip, the weather worked against us, being very sunny and hot and again only two showed up. We watched a park information video at the ranger center then hiked out to examine the quarry.

Many of the smaller catch-pools had dried up from the heat, but the Frog Pond in the south end of the quarry was still wet and full of life. The heat did not affect the gneiss formations and we were able to find several phenocrysts with granular quartz, large crystal forms of white feldspar, black tourmalines and a green mineral still being identified. We found scattered iron fragments and nails from quarry operations and a peculiar white siltstone that looked like a product of quarry operations. We also saw several large blocks of unfinished granites from other quarries that had been left for processing before the quarry was closed.

Going down to Arabia Lake for shade on the return walk, the lake was down several feet and the overflow stream had stopped flowing. Other springs along the walk had dried up for the summer but the forest still had relief from the hot sun out on the rock.

Tom Faller
Mineral Section Trip Chair
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