GMS Field Trip June 2023

GMS Field Trip
Fossils, Jasper, Maybe Agate, and a few other surprises
in Alabama
Saturday, June 3, 2023

On a hot, sunny June day, GMS members searched in a mostly dry creek with trees providing merciful shade that knocked the temperature down a good 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The area is mostly known for paint rock agate, famous for its translucent red, orange, and yellow colors. Finding such an agate can be tricky because the colors are usually hidden by a dirty white outer rind. Members found several rocks with a little bit of red peeking out, but until the rocks are cut open, we won’t know if anyone found a paint rock prize. I did see a lot of good black flint as well as some jasper with interesting patterns though.

Often overlooked in this area are the fossils. Members found many excellent specimens including microfossils, crinoid stems, horn corals, bryozoans, brachiopods, and a variety of shell impressions. One member even found a specimen of Stigmaria! It is most likely Lepidodendron, a genus of extinct trees that lived during the Carboniferous Period (358.9 to 298.9 million years ago). Stigmaria refers to the rooting structures of the trees. Stigmaria fossils, such as the one found on this trip, are typically casts of the structures that show the round “scars” where rootlike shoots were attached.

Another remarkable find was a rock filled with amethyst crystals! What looked like a plain old rock on the outside broke open to reveal beautiful purple crystals a quarter of an inch long. What an unexpected and spectacular find!

Many, many thanks to the property owner who allows us to collect on their property! Thank you to all of the attendees who shared their day with us and showed me their finds so I could take pictures. And, of course, thank you to Tom Bates for arranging the trip and Charles for running the trip!

Lori Carter
On behalf of Charles Carter, Field Trip Chair
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