A Hobby that's "Hard" to Resist
Rock collecting is a fascinating hobby for kids and
adults alike. While rocks are common, cheap, and found
everywhere, the variety is huge. Collected rocks can be
displayed in many ways, from rock gardens to neatly kept
showcases, making rock collecting a versatile hobby.
When rock collecting, you will soon find out that rocks can
be categorized as one of three types. A sedimentary rock
formed when sediments, such as sand or silt, were pressed
together under their own weight or the weight of water, and
eventually became solid. An igneous rock is one that was
formed by volcanic activity. The third type of rock for rock
collecting is the metamorphic rock, which is like a
sedimentary rock which has been changed through intense heat
and pressure.
Another type of rock collecting is collecting minerals,
gems, and crystals. Pure minerals are not technically the
same thing as rocks, but they fit well in rock collections.
Minerals include things like pyrite, also known as fool's
gold, and quartzite, which looks almost like a diamond.
For some people, rock collecting consists of saving a pretty
rock from different places they visit and keeping it as a
souvenir. If these rocks are large, they can be used to
outline the driveway or start a rock garden. If they are
small, they can line a windowsill. Label them with a fine
point marker if desired. Include the date and location the
rock was found.
The souvenir type of rock collecting does not require much
scientific investigation, but identifying rocks and minerals
does. The different types of rock can sometimes be
differentiated easily. For instance, sedimentary rocks often
look like particles glued together. Sandstone is a common
example of this. They also sometimes have visible flat
layers. Metamorphic rocks, on the other hand, sometimes have
layers, but those layers have been bent so that they are no
longer laying flat across the rock.
When rock collecting, the igneous rocks make some of the
most exciting finds. Obsidian is an igneous rock that looks
like a broken piece of black glass. It is shiny and hard,
and was used to make arrowheads in the past by the native
Americans. Pumice is another interesting igneous rock which
is porous, making it so light that it will float. This stone
is used for cleaning and rubbing calluses off people's feet.
Keep in mind when rock collecting that different regions of
the world have different types of rocks. In the American
Midwest, for instance, there are many sedimentary stones,
but metamorphic and igneous rocks are less common. In the
Appalachians, on the other hand, you can find metamorphic
rocks such as gneiss and schist. Wherever you live, though,
you are sure to find rock collecting a hobby that's hard to
resist!
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