GLASS ROCK found in woods (photos embedded) Need expert analysis.

ironjello
I live in coastal central Florida and I know of many people myself included who have found objects pretty much identical to what you have. I was told it was caused by lightning hitting the sand and heating it up in a split second turning it to a ball of glass.. I am sure that is what you have.

This would not be a sad face, that is awesome!!!!!!!

SixX18

That was the original idea my friend told me he thought it was, and I thought it was a good possibility as well. The glass slag seems less rare than lightning turning this into something so clear, but they have found these in desserts. So it is not ruled out!

Thanks for more great suggestions and I will try to get some more information posted asap. For now my friend is missing in action hahaha I'm sure I'll see him tonight or in the next few days and will try to get him to the University to have this looked at!

edit on 4/12/14 by SixX18 because: (no reason given)

SixX18, remember though that geography plays a role into where certain elements are found - What's the difference between dirt in a woods vs sand on a beach or in a desert? Silica - Beach sand or desert sand usually contains a lot of silica; the debris you find in dirt contains plant matter, feces, polluted elements.

If it were a fulgurite (lightning glass), then I would expect that there would be impurities; all of the samples that I have collected and have seen (including that of a down power line one), only vaguely look like clear glass; they mostly take on a dirty, dark exterior.

Second, lightning is dispersed as a fractal - it enters the ground, heats up a "core" of the material, which them solidifies. All of the ones that I have don't even have anything inside this core - it's crusted on the outside, and smooth glass on the inside; they make interesting windchimes.

If you really want to go down the "it's not man-made" route, then submit a sample to any mineralogical society - At least to me, submitting a sample makes more sense than asking people that may or may not know what it is. In fact, if your friend is willing, have him send me a penny or dime sized piece, and I'll take it to my local museum myself, about a half-hour away. Even though I collect rocks and minerals as a hobby; I can still tell man-made from natural. What I'm seeing is not natural.

-fossilera

PS: As much as I hate sounding like a certain debunker, I'm not trying to aggravate you or derail the thread. Without a sample, and just by the information you posted, to me it looks like a rose is just a rose in this case. If I've offended you, then I'm sorry.

reply to post by SixX18


Silica glass stone probably created by superheated sand or similar!!!

fossilera

SixX18, remember though that geography plays a role into where certain elements are found - What's the difference between dirt in a woods vs sand on a beach or in a desert? Silica - Beach sand or desert sand usually contains a lot of silica; the debris you find in dirt contains plant matter, feces, polluted elements.

If it were a fulgurite (lightning glass), then I would expect that there would be impurities; all of the samples that I have collected and have seen (including that of a down power line one), only vaguely look like clear glass; they mostly take on a dirty, dark exterior.

Second, lightning is dispersed as a fractal - it enters the ground, heats up a "core" of the material, which them solidifies. All of the ones that I have don't even have anything inside this core - it's crusted on the outside, and smooth glass on the inside; they make interesting windchimes.

If you really want to go down the "it's not man-made" route, then submit a sample to any mineralogical society - At least to me, submitting a sample makes more sense than asking people that may or may not know what it is. In fact, if your friend is willing, have him send me a penny or dime sized piece, and I'll take it to my local museum myself, about a half-hour away. Even though I collect rocks and minerals as a hobby; I can still tell man-made from natural. What I'm seeing is not natural.

-fossilera

PS: As much as I hate sounding like a certain debunker, I'm not trying to aggravate you or derail the thread. Without a sample, and just by the information you posted, to me it looks like a rose is just a rose in this case. If I've offended you, then I'm sorry.

edit on 12/4/2014 by fossilera because:

edit on 12/4/2014 by fossilera because:

No worries, it is people like you that provide the best information. I know a sample tested is best, but I knew this was ATS thread material, and as soon as I see him again I'm going to try to get him to come with, to have it tested or looked at. As I said a few times it is most likely glass slag. It may not be from "in the woods" as much as beside a creek, it was near a creek, but he said up on a steep slope.

Could you take a picture with light shinning through it and post it. I could tell you more of what it isn't, rather than what it is.

Berwick and Catawissa are right around the corner from where I live, I'll have to check into this one.

Unfortunately these days, I wouldn't be surprised at all if it's some sort of weird byproduct of methamphetamine production; because most areas around here are flooded with the damn stuff. Almost every single day it's on the news or in the paper.

oh.. btw, whats up with the other cool rock pictures you have? I live in the same town you do and see that you're a big fan of Nascar

reply to post by Time2Think


Yea, press enterprise always mentions meth busts, it's almost funny. The ones not in the OP were random images of different kinds of glass rocks I found on google, just to show similarities and also rule out certain rocks.

reply to post by SixX18


This area's going down the drain man, it's sad.. I'm in my early 30's and have lived here pretty much my entire life - just moved around Pennsylvania a couple times. As far as getting back to the thing you guys found, I'm gonna have to go with glass left over from some old company - there's a bottling company out in Catawissa. I don't drink too much soda anymore but back when I was in highschool, there stuff was really good. We used to be able to buy it at Phillips Emporium.

Hello peeps.
I'm still on the quartz suggestion, there are many that believe crystal will not have bubbles, that is entirely incorrect, quartz can have bubbles, I've seen it myself.
Here is a link where they mention the imperfections. meanings.crystalsandjewelry.com...

hi there OP. so i am sitting here watching a UFO show on cable, and I seen multiple images exactly the same as yours, I had to come on here and post.
The show was referring to 'soil vitrification'. Kinda like when soil gets struck by lightening, it also occurs in the event of toxic spill containment. Four electrodes are placed into the ground and charged, resulting in the heat. This cooks the toxic contaminants, making extraction and containment easy. This is costly though I may add.
They show also stated that these glass rocks are also found while investigating UFO sites.
There is an interesting case in Poland(or maybe it was finland), where a UFO struck soil and bored holes in a field, Vitrified soil or glass rocks were found.
Just sparked my interest because the samples shown on the show were exactly like your
Peace

Sorry I have not responded in awhile. My friend had no interest in having this studied. He said he's happy with it sitting at home. That is interesting that it could be UFO related, we do have quite the sightings.

Time2think may recall years ago a body went missing, they searched the area he was found days later, with no traces he had walked there, and they didn't find any evidence of anyone dumping the body. Now this has flaws in the case, but what makes them even consider it being an abduction, was reports of bright lights in that exact area before he went missing. Even out here on the mountain near me, there is an old guy we all think is crazy, he says he was abducted. He went up onto a flat spot on the mountain to yell at kids he thought were up there partying, and disappeared for days.

As for the bottling plant in Catawissa, that is downstream, quite a ways. Could be something similar, but I go to that bottling plant to get Big Bens, and they sell beer too. They won't make glass there however, they use glass bottles, but when they are returned they pay you for the bottle, and reuse them. Really cool place actually. So I take it you're from the only Town in PA?

a reply to: SixX18

It is entirely possible that it is a meteorite. Could have been polished on atmospheric entry or after touchdown over time.

Here is an example of a glass-looking meteorite.



Interesting Mystery!

Some abstract sculptures made with slag glass - in another part of the world:
Edit Rácz

This artist is in my family so I have been around glass slag pieces for a while.
They take weeks to cool off after a cleaning of the up of a glass factory melt (another reason why this one cannot be lightning glass). They can be far harder than regular bottle glass. They are not worth much as far as market value but they can bring a lot of inspiration to people. Especially if they are placed in the window, incorporated in a composition or lit by cleverly positioned lightbulbs in the evening.

If you are not used to metalwork, that is what I would do in your place - construct some sort of lamp. (They are OK with heat since they already shattered what they could when cooling off.)

originally posted by: Bishop2199
a reply to: SixX18

It is entirely possible that it is a meteorite. Could have been polished on atmospheric entry or after touchdown over time.

Here is an example of a glass-looking meteorite.

Interesting Mystery!

Thanks! It could be, however there is a mark I just noticed recently on one side, that seems to be a small hollow opening in the one end, probably from the end of something it was cut from, or came out of; it could also be an air pocket on the outside.

originally posted by: Kokatsi
Some abstract sculptures made with slag glass - in another part of the world:
Edit Rácz

This artist is in my family so I have been around glass slag pieces for a while.
They take weeks to cool off after a cleaning of the up of a glass factory melt (another reason why this one cannot be lightning glass). They can be far harder than regular bottle glass. They are not worth much as far as market value but they can bring a lot of inspiration to people. Especially if they are placed in the window, incorporated in a composition or lit by cleverly positioned lightbulbs in the evening.

If you are not used to metalwork, that is what I would do in your place - construct some sort of lamp. (They are OK with heat since they already shattered what they could when cooling off.)

Actually, if this is glass slag, it is worth a few hundred bucks. Someone posted they deal with these on ebay, and they are rare to be found in the US, because now most everything is made in China, or out of plastics.

But yes, that is what he is doing, displaying it as a piece of art.

My family is full of artists, some are quite famous in the northeastern part of the US. We are from PA, NY, and NJ, and well known if you know about art and sculpture. My profession is in culinary arts, but the rest of my family is very gifted in the more traditional form of arts.

@OP
First two things that crossed my mind was either cryptonite or a lump of glass leftover from glass-blowing. It is done by hand and one person can easily complete the process alone, from heating to blowing and shaping into complete products. No need for a factory. A simple workshop with a furnace would do, and a two meter metal pipe and some basic tools and a bucket of water.



Nice thread! S/F

Thank You Utnapisjtim ! Cool video, I've seen it done before, however this piece is pretty good in size. I've never seen one quite as large which, if it is slag, makes me think it was leftover from some sort of production.

a reply to: SixX18

Inside that furnace in the video, you'd find quite a big lump of the stuff. Just sayin' But it COULD be a meteorite, and if so it's worth a fortune.

Someone said that the only people that inhabited the area were native Americans.
I suspect in the early 1800s someone night have traded it with native Americans.

It could have been napped into arrow heads just like Obsidian. it would have been easier then flint.

Out here in calif i have found clear glass arrowhead. and even one small bird point napped from fire opal.

a reply to: ANNED

Then the whole glass pearls story suddenly gets another interesting meaning. Glass could be used as arrowheads. Never thought of that.