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Looking for chalazoidites
This site is located on a steep bank on the lefthandside of the road.
On returning from the Danseys field trip, two members (Mick and Sue) were spotted, by another member (Alan), up a bank along side Pigroot not far from Kyeburn turnoff to Hyde and Middlemarch. Alan did not stop to inquire as to why they were up that bank. When I was told of this I contacted Mick and told him he had been spotted along with Sue up this bank. What were you doing up on this bank I asked. Mick replied looking for fossil hail stones, I replied yeah right pull the other one. After much discussion Mick told me to check out page 137 of Jocelyn Thornton’s book - New Zealand Geology and there it was fossil hailstones. The following weekend Margaret and I planned to walk a section of the rail trail and after this I was determine to find these fossil hailstones and guess what - I found some ! Of course telling people you have found or looking for fossil hailstones is another matter, they just laugh. So here are some pictures of these hail stones.
Don't believe me then check out page 137. By the way these hailstones are 15 million years old - believe it or not!
From New Zealand Geology by
Jocelyn Thornton pg 137
‘ the road cuts through white river silts and gravels overlain (going west) by a layer of volcanic ash which in turn is covered by a basaltic lava flow. The ash conatins small round concretions where the exploding column above the volcano caused a thunderstorm in which hailstones built up out of layers of ash and ice. These petrified hailstones are called chalazoidites.’
Note: Luckily this site is located on the Manitoto - an area with very low rainfall. If you are unlucky and it has been raining then this site could become quite muddy.
Fossil Hailstones (chalazoidites) - 3-4mm
Helpers
Spot the chalazoidite.
Volcanic ash mix
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