Solving the Mystery of Piotr’s Crystal Rock from Herne Bay
Rockwatcher Piotr was intrigued to learn more about the mixed-looking rock he found at Herne Bay East Cliff Beach in Kent, England. Describing the rock itself as ‘unusual’ and the location of the find as a bit of a ‘mystery’, Rockwatch Ambassador, Michael pieces together a number of clues to help identify the rock and its possible origins to help solve the mystery. Michael’s approach to identifying Piortr’s rock is rather like a...
Miriam’s Fascinating Flint Finds
Rockwatcher Miriam’s two flint fragment finds are the focus of the latest Fabulous Find feature. The first fragment, found in Bedford near Pavenham looks rather like fossilised fish scales, but Rockwatch Ambassador Michael has different ideas based on his knowledge of the geology of Bedfordshire. The area is north of an area called the Chalk Scarp where an abundance of flint is typically formed from chalk, accounting for its lightness...
Could Ben have Discovered a New Carboniferous Crustacean Species?
On a recent family field trip to Berwick-Upon-Tweed in Northumberland, Rockwatcher Ben unearthed not one but two fossil finds from the same boulder. The first of these, probably a tooth, is fairly typical of the kind of fossil found on Northumberland’s beaches. With the geology of Berwick-Upon-Tweed being formed of Carboniferous rocks mostly comprised of sandstone and limestone, this area is known for brachiopods, crinoids, corals and...
Freya’s Dinosaur Bone Discovery at Compton Bay
Famed for its huge dinosaur footprints at low tide, Compton Beach on the Isle of Wight is something of a fossil hunter’s pilgrimage seeing thousands of amateur and professional geologists every year. So, it’s perhaps not surprising that Rockwatcher Freya, who was holidaying with her family, found a dinosaur bone fossil on her recent visit given that the Isle of Wight – or Dinosaur Island as it’s become affectionately known – is home...
Thomas’s Lancashire Limestone Finds
Have you ever noticed that things in the natural world often adopt other names because they look like something else? For instance, the dramatic flame-filled Darvaza Gas Crater in Turkmenistan is also known as the ‘Doors to Hell’, because this huge gas-filled crater is constantly burning and looks like many through history have depicted the entrance to Hell. These alternative names can help us to understand more about physical...