Mud is usually not super cool, but exceptions do exist.
If you have spent much time in
Montana—particularly east of the Rockies—you are familiar with Bentonite. Mixed with water, Bentonite becomes pure mud. Some refer to it as “gumbo.” If heavy with moisture, Bentonite is as
slippery as sheer ice. As it dries out
it reaches a point where it becomes sticky and will cake onto shoes or
tires. When dry, it ranges from hardpack
to chalky.
Bentonite is used as a natural
sealant for ponds and reservoirs.
Bentonite also has an artsy
side. On this side, you find something
called septarian nodules. The nodules
formed where ancient sea shells or other organic matter became incased in
Bentonite. Over time, the Bentonite, mixed
with mineral precipitates, turned to concrete. And the void where the organic matter resided,
transformed into crystalline calcite and aragonite (in non-technical terms:
pretty stuff).
Septarian nodules are found in
Utah, Madagascar, and at the Helena Mineral Society’s annual rock show.
On Sunday, I found a specimen
at the rock show.
Cut Septarian Nodule (The Scary
Face Inside is a Bonus)
Nodule On the Outside
—Mitchell Hegman
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