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About Joe Norris
Expertise
I am an economic geologist. An economic geologist does mineral evaluations and appraisals of mineral or mining properties. I can tell you if your deposit has value - remember that a mineral deposit, no matter how good, only has value when mined. Any value assigned to a mineral deposit, in the ground, is only the speculative value that deposit.

Experience
I have been a economic geologist for most of my 35 year career. Although I have done work in perhaps 45 states and numerious countries much of my work has been in Appalachian coal, intermountain west gold and silver, and Arizona uranium.

Organizations
Past President of the Virginia Section of the American Institute of Professional Geologists and a certified geologist in twelve states.

Education/Credentials
BS Degree from Eastern Kentucky University. Work on MS Degree @ Eastern Kentucky University, Colorad School of Mines & Marshall University Numerious short courses on the value of mineral deposits and how to value same. Also several short courses dealing with the different types of geologic processes; sedimentary, igneous, metamorphic along with the mineral associated with each.

You are here: Experts > Science > Geology > Geology > Rock Identification

Geology - Rock Identification

Expert: Joe Norris - 9/24/2009

Question

Top of Rock

QUESTION: I found this rock nearly a year ago now. I believe it to be some sort of copal but that is as far as my knowledge on it goes. It was found washed up on a Florida Beach near the Jacksonville area and was covered in sand and barnacles. It can be easily scratched with a fingernail and does give off a very aromatic smell if slightly heated or rubbed. It weighs in around 30lbs and you can see the sheer size of it by the picture. Any further info or thoughts would be very appreciated.
IMAGE: Rock Picture 1

ANSWER: That is a very bazaar and beautiful picture. If you would send me another picture taken with the sun shinning on the top of the rock it would be appreciated. The other thing that would probably help is to tell me, if you can, what the aromatic smell smells like. Off the top of my head I can think of nothing that fits all of the information but I will try again if I can see a regular picture of the rock.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Honestly, it smells somewhat like a pine smell (that is the closest thing I can come up with). Here is another picture. I have one more that might be helpful, but with the limit being one picture, it is hard.

Answer
First I apologize, I didn't realize that you had sent another picture of the rock and therefore I didn't answer your second e-mail. I can not tell you what the rock is but I can tell you that you should take the rock to a local university or college that has a geology department and ask them to identify the rock because this is a very unique rock.

It "looks like" amber. Amber is petrified tree sap and this would also fit the pine smell however I have, over the years, seen a lot of amber in Utah coals and I have never encountered a smell. Therefore I'm not sure that it is amber, and how a large chunk of amber would get into the ocean is beyond my thinking.

Anyway take it to someone who can look at it personally because this is a very interesting rock and please let me know what they tell you about the rock.

My personal e-mail is: jnorcosgo@verizon.net

Joe

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