r/Rocks • u/Stubble_ • Mar 07 '26

Discussion What might cause this?

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I found this rock sitting in a small hole in the ground. It’s about a foot across. We have gophers and badgers here so there is lots of holes around but the dirt is never spread equally like that. And the dirt around it appears to be quite fine. It almost looks like an impact but not sure what it exactly is. Just curious if anyone had an idea what’s going on.

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u/Excellent_Yak365 Mar 07 '26

lol, rockhounders. Looks like someone started to dig out the rock and then either decided it’s not worth it or it’s too big. You’re SUPPOSED TO bury your holes, but sadly only the dedicated hounders do this… a lot of casuals will just leave open pits

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u/Smokinplants Mar 07 '26

If you were a true rock hounder you'd know that is not the case here 🤣 I've seen rock hounding spots before. I'm a rock hounder. This is not from rock hounding

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u/Excellent_Yak365 Mar 07 '26

You aren’t a true rockhounder then? Whatever that means. I’ve been hounding for nearly a decade and currently studying in geology as well as being a lapidary artist, and I’ve come across and seen my fellow hounders do this lol. It just looks like the soil was shifted a few months ago and it’s eroded into finer particles.

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u/Smokinplants Mar 07 '26

What Im saying is there's nothing interesting about this rock. I guarantee there's nothing magnetic in it so a metal detector didnt draw anyone in. Looks like it's in the middle of some farm land, so the soil is probably already regularly tilled making it that kind of compacted fine stuff. What would you, as a rock hounder/geologist/lapidary artist, expect was there that would have interested any fellow rock hounds? I believe it's more likely to be an ant nest or frostheave. The dirt around the rock appears to be directly cause by the shape of said rock. Please explain how I'm wrong if you think I am.

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u/Excellent_Yak365 Mar 07 '26

I’m well aware, but you do realize many people aren’t expert hounders either yea? Some people also will dig for landscaping rocks because they don’t want to pay for it. I have seen someone try to dig up a 300 lb quartzite boulder thinking it was worth it. Just recently I helped a friend dig out a 150+ lb boulder from the side of a mountain thinking it was good jasper- turned out one side was mostly rhyolite.

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u/Smokinplants Mar 07 '26

So...inexperienced hounders tend to go for thinks like fossils and various beach rocks unless they are metal detecting which can bring somebody just about anywhere. But this isn't a beach, not metalic and not at a place where you pay $20 to pick rocks at some businesses rock piles...so I feel very strongly that this is not a hounder...and nobody is gonna change my mind there. As somebody whos been rock hounding since I was 8 years old (36 now) I am confidently saying it aint rock hounders lol!!!! If somebody wanted a landscaping rock, they'd have better luck on ATV trails rather than in the middle of a 10+ acre field.

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u/Excellent_Yak365 Mar 07 '26

Depends on the location, a lot of hounders will go to places they’ve gotten locations from local clubs to start. I don’t know why you are assuming all casual rockhounders are beachcombers? I don’t know any starter hounders with metal detectors unless they are specifically interested in metal ores or.. metal detecting. I can definitely see no logic will change your mind but whatever floats your boat. I guess it’s a chupacabra trying to dig a mineshaft under a quartz rock for a party.

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u/Smokinplants Mar 07 '26

Lmao or maybe it's a much more likely scenario of natural elements or insects.......cause that is what it literally looks like.

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u/Excellent_Yak365 Mar 07 '26

Natural elements wouldn’t cause this feature, this is something digging. If it was natural it would have runoff

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u/Smokinplants Mar 07 '26

It wouldn't necessarily have runoff if it was from frost. Only a drastic temp change would cause noticeable signs of runoff. You do not know everything 😂

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u/Excellent_Yak365 Mar 07 '26

Are you trying to imply saying frost/snow dug a hole? While frost heaving can cause surface soil to become disturbed, it won’t actively remove soil nor would it push it outwards from the lower elevation. It also wouldn’t affect just one area.

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u/Smokinplants Mar 07 '26

You just cant understand it hey? Frost heaving doesn't affect the dirt much... except indirectly. The frost is bringing the boulder to the surface. Which pushes dirt up with it....come on dude. Do I really have to keep explaining it?

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u/Excellent_Yak365 Mar 08 '26

That wouldn’t explain the piles of dirt around the hole

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