I have a rock question for you, we are doing some extreme landscaping at the new homestead and the property was previously a rock dump for the state of michigan needless to say we have lots of rocks.


While moving them we noticed that the loader couldn't lift the blue rocks that were 1/2 the size of the black rocks and the red rocks were pretty dense as well.

I know that the reason for the weight difference is density but what are the blue rocks in michigan that are so heavy?

I will post pictures later.

Giant sapphires.

Could be blue topaz...

...uranium ore?

Copper ore? Its more green though.


Silver ore is blue...

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Blue could be a siltstone?

Most likely,, because the silt is the finest material it's pointing in that direction.

Where's the blue rock pics so rock-man can do his stuff?

Michigan has very unique geology. The lower half of the state is geologically a younger micro-plate that has litterally been shoved in between a couple of huge continental plates. The northern part of the state has rippled and pushed some of the oldest rocks on earth to the surface as a result. They are all of volcanic origin, which would be much heavier than sedimentary rock. There two I can think of, jasperlite or hemalite may be right, but what the rock is, is essentially iron and quartz fused together under immense heat and pressure. It is very heavy and can be in a variety of colors depending on the conditions and trace elements in the quartz when it was formed. Look at the rock closely and see if it is made up of very small layered bands. If it is it is probably a hemalite of sone sort. If it has a more speckled appearance, it is probably a granite of some sort, but I have never heard of a blue granite, and granite is actually older than that particular formation, which is called the Penokean Belt. Penokean rocks are around 1.8 billion. Granite is about 2.4, and is usually found norht and east of there.

BTW- if you have any sedimentary rock that is tilted or sideways on the property make sure you check the mineral rights. There have been oil strikes in some parts of Michigan.

I spent a year surveying the oil donut in MI. Wonderful country on the arc from Traverse City, Petosky, Rogers City. Saw my first elk and black bear in that area. But golly, what a snowfall! Surveying in 2-4 ft of snow was exhausting. Got married up there, too. We rented a farmhouse in an abandoned apple orchard. Mmmmm-mm!

Memories from 30 years ago.

Occasionally I think about going up there for a visit about cherry season. But I risk losing memories of friendly people and beautiful rural countryside. I can imagine that people have moved in a lot since we lived there. In the winter you could drive through the length of Traverse City in about 5 minutes.

I will take the photos as soon as the rain lets up, were getting soaked I will also post pics of the house I built for mommy.

Oh yeah -- rain. I forget about that stuff sometimes.....