Geology Rocks Pittsburgh

04/08/2026

The are back at training camp, and the NFL draft is right around the corner!!
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This calls for another Geology Rocks! Pittsburgh landscape lesson.
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Did yinz know that Zion National Park began forming over 270 million years ago??? The amazing canyon we see today went through a 4-stage process of sedimentation, lithification, uplift, and erosion. Originally, the area was a flat basin that lay near sea level, where ancient seas and vast deserts deposited massive amounts of sediment that, layer by layer, hardened to become what is now known as Navajo Sandstone. Over the course of tens of millions of years, the sandstone was gradually forced upward by tectonic forces that would inevitably form the Colorado Plateau. Within the last 5 million years, however, the uplift accelerated significantly, raising the plateau to its current height of over 10,000 feet. This rapid rise caused the Virgin River to act like a saw, cutting down through the sedimentary rock layers to form Zion's deep, steep, winding, and narrow-walled canyon that we have the opportunity to enjoy today.
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Don't get too comfy, though! Zion National Park is in a rapid state of geological change and will most likely look very different within the next several million years. This is because the Virgin River has not yet reached its "base level," meaning it will continue to cut downward at high speeds and has already down-cut 1,300 feet within the last 1 million years. Over time, erosion, landslides, and rockfalls will continue to cause the canyon walls to collapse outward, making the canyon wider and less steep; in addition, the Virgin River acts as an extremely efficient conveyor belt for the canyon and surrounding area, as it effectively carries away approximately 1 MILLION TONS of sediment ~every~single~year!
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THE MORE YOU KNOW!
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03/16/2026

SiO2 // ZiOn
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Quartz grows in near-perfect hexagonal crystals, its symmetry controlled by the atomic lattice of silicon (Si) and oxygen (O). Under the right temperature, pressure, and silica-rich fluids, nature quietly builds crystals with absolute geometric precision /\
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Happy Monday 💎
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03/12/2026

Malachite more like MalacTIGHT 💚
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Hey yinz 👋🏻 GeoBob () here, stepping in for a guest appearance back on the IG. Hope you are all doing well - I miss and love yinz so much. Okay back to business on the green goddess
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The formation of malachite is greatly influenced by the local environmental conditions, particularly the presence of water and carbon dioxide. The more H2O and CO2 in an area, the better the conditions for forming said malachite. I’d say the pocket this bad mamajama came from was getting plenty of nutrients because she’s extremely bubbly and beautiful
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But how does she get bubbly? ⬇️
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Botryoidal malachite forms in the oxidized zones of copper deposits, where mineral-rich, acidic groundwater interacts with limestone, causing copper to precipitate in bubble-shaped clusters 🫧
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02/26/2026

DID YOU KNOW??? 🤔
That rocks from the ancient Appalachian Mountains are found in Sedona today??? This process started during the Pennsylvanian epoch, roughly 300 million years ago. The supercontinent Pangea was forming, causing the Appalachians to rise high into the sky. As the mountains were uplifted, they were simultaneously eroded, with ancient rivers transporting massive amounts of sediment westward across the continent. At this time, the area that is now Sedona was a shallow coastal plain called the Pedregosa Sea, with the sediment from the east steadily settling here over tens of millions of years. These iron-rich deposits were then oxidized, creating the red sandstones and mudstones we see today. The primary red rocks in Sedona come from the Schnebly Hill Formation (approx. 275 million years old) and the Supai Group, which were deposited as coastal dunes, rivers, and mudflats. Later on, during the Laramide orogeny (25-30 million years ago), the region was uplifted, and the rocks were tilted to their current positions.
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The Appalachians are my home, and I imagine that's why Sedona feels so welcoming to the soul year after year. 💛🏜⬅️🏞🖤
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03/28/2025

Pyrite perfection & the beauty of bokeh. 🤤💛
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Pyrite is sometimes called " fool's gold"
because of its similarity in color and shape to
gold. However, pyrite is actually a metallic
compound of iron and sulfur, and has a Mohs
hardness of 6 to 6.5; whereas gold has a much
softer Mohs hardness of 2.5. Pyrite can be found
worldwide, but specimens from Navajun,
Spain and Peru are notably extraordinary, often
forming with a near perfect cubic crystal structure and luster. The name pyrite is derived from the Greek "pyritēs lithos," or "stone which
strikes fire", because of its ability to create a
spark when striking steel. 💥
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08/12/2024

08/02/2024

For those of yinz who still haven't been in the shop yet, or maybe to those who haven't been over here in awhile .. HERE'S YOUR PROPER INVITE. 🫵 👋
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It's Art Crawl weekend in Lawrenceville! 🎨 The streets will be filled with local artists, and we'll be over here slangin' great deals on just about everything in the shop. Come on dahn' and mention the Art Crawl for glorious discounts off of your entire purchase. 🤙
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07/28/2024

Pink Tourmaline // the sand dune stunna 💘
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Giant sand dunes at the base of the Rockies say whaaaaaaaaaa ¿ buuuut howwwww ? Tune into the next geologic landscape lesson to find out!
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Happy Sunday. Love yinz. 💛
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05/29/2024

The Protector 💎
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In the first written report about Arkansas rock crystal in 1819, American geographer and geologist Henry Rowe Schoolcraft penned this v fitting description: “.. very pure and transparent, and beautifully crystallized in six-sided prisms, terminated by six-sided pyramids”. When ole Henry visited the Ouachitas (the mountain range in Ark where these babies are found) he found places where this gem literally flooded the ground around him. Lucky dude... 💎
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05/24/2024

Pink Tourmaline dreamin’ on this Friday evening. She is deemed a stone of love, compassion, and emotional healing 💕10/10
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05/21/2024

DUBLIN WAS ABSOLUTELY ROCKIN'!!! ☘️
I had such a great time while visiting Ireland, and you know I couldn't help but bring my favorite aquamarine travel buddy along for the ride.
To the Irish land of rich history and friendly folks, with its packed-in pubs and famous black water, THANK YOU for having me. I truly look forward to visiting again. Cheers to the next time. 💚🍻