Rocks-everywhere - Science, Plants, Cats, Music, And More

Scientists at the University of Minnesota put 3D glasses on cuttlefish, who then used stereo data to place themselves at a consistent distance from the illusionary expected 3D location of the prey.

Paleontologists Find New Fossils of Gigantic Freshwater Turtle

http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/stupendemys-geographicus-shells-08131.html

Glendonite star fossil

This fossil is not of an animal, but a mineral. When sea water temperature at the seafloor drops below ~4°C/39°F a carbonate mineral called ikaite will start to precipitate and grow forming bizarre shapes. Even though the original mineral will dissolve once it is buried, other diagenetic minerals will replace its form, making a glendonite.

Gledonite/Ikaite and its specific forming conditions allow geologist to approximate climatic conditions for the time period captured by the rocks in which this mineral is found.

Thanks to the flat exposure on the rock platform, we can appreciate this nature’s creativity.

Example from the south coast NSW, Australia.

shanemichaelblack

Stormy skies at Maroon Bells a couple years ago.

Rime-rimmed rocks

Looking a bit like white moss, these cairn stones on Mountbenger Law in Scotland (at an elevation of 543 m) are covered in a special type of ice known as rime.

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Kollafjörður Bay, Iceland. June 2017. 

Moss Agate looks like it has a forest inside. (Source)

An arch in tilted columnar basalt