[Rockhounds] giant garnets exposed: a field trip gone awry

[DonH]

Wayne Rasmussen wrote:


> According to my view and years of mineing the Garnets found in the area 
> on Emerald creek,  what you have appears to be a chunk of solid Garnet 
> empregnated schist.


Hi,

This is far eastward of Emerald Creek.  Indeed the Moses Butte specimens 
are individual crystals, as determined by sawing them in half.  I'm not 
sure of the rock type, but it's definitely not a schist.  They are 
heavily included with other minerals.

This region underwent three periods of metamorphism.  Some of the 
garnets are well zoned and recent radiometric dating on the cores 
indicates an age of more than 1 billion years.

Best,
Don