Coal is a type of sedimentary rock that has a very high organic content. It is made up of prehistoric plant material that has slowly been compressed over time forming thin layers ranging from millimetres to several tens of meters thick. The large amount of plant material typically occurred in prehistoric swamps. Over time the plant material died and accumulated in the water. There was so much dead plant material in the water that there wasn't enough oxygen to cause plant decay, leaving the plant material behind to eventually be covered up by sediment as the swamp was slowly transformed into a different environment (i.e. beach, floodplain, lagoon, etc.).
Monday, August 31, 2020
Drunk on Petrology - Coal Mine Tempranillo
Sunday, August 30, 2020
Drunk on Volcanology - Black Butte Porter
The next up in our Drunk on Geology series is Black Butte Porter from Deschutes Brewer, out of Bend, OR.
If we look at just the name of beer, "Black Butte", the geological definition of the term "butte" is an isolated, steep-sides, tower of rock with a flat top. The definition is remarkably similar to a mesa, which is generally the same except for scale. A butte is typically taller than it is wide, while a mesa is a shorter, wider feature.
However, the name "Black Butte" in this instance refers to a specific mountain located within the Cascade volcanic arc of Oregon. Black Butte itself is a stratovolcano, a type of volcano that is built up over time from the repeated volcanic eruptions of ash, lava, and cinders. Stratovolcanoes are the most common type of volcano located within the Cascade range.
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Drunk on Mineralogy - Amethystos
The next up on the Drunk on Geology series is Amethystos from the Domaine Costa Lazaridi Winery in Adriani, Drama, Greece.
And yes, in case you were wondering, "amethystos" is the Greek translation of the mineral amethyst.
Our puppy Oreo, back when she was a puppy, wanting to get in on the photography action. |
Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz, which is one of the most common minerals on Earth, primarily due to its simple structure and chemical formula, SiO2. Quartz also has an extremely high hardness, 7 on Mohs hardness scale, meaning that it doesn't scratch very easily and therefore does not break down easily.
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Drunk on Mineralogy - Black Opal
The next up on the Drunk on Geology series is Black Opal. Black Opal is a wine from Australia made by the Bronco Wine Company.
To start off, what is opal?
Sunday, August 23, 2020
Drunk on Petrology - Jip Jip Rocks
The next up on the Drunk on Geology series is Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz from the Jip Jip Rocks Winery in Padthaway, Australia.
Text from the back of the bottle:
"The Jip Jip Rocks are a striking outcrop of 350 million year old pink-red granite in the heart of the Padthaway region, which are sacred in traditional Aboriginal beliefs.
Saturday, August 22, 2020
Drunk on Mineralogy - The Logo
The next Drunk on Geology category I am ready to announce is:
Drunk on Mineralogy
![]() |
Halite (salt) from the Solno Salt Mine in Poland. Image from Spirifer Minerals. |
Thursday, August 20, 2020
Drunk on Petrology - Las Rocas
The next up on the Drunk on Geology series is Las Rocas wines (specifically Garnacha in this post) by the Las Rocas Winery
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Drunk on Petrology - Obsidian Stout
Obsidian is a shiny, very smooth, and (often) black igneous rock. It forms from the extremely quick cooling of lava, where no crystals have time to grow. This creates a glassy structure, where edges are able to sharpened to be sharper than a razor blade.
Tuesday, August 18, 2020
Drunk on Petrology - Mönchhof Mosel Slate Riesling
The next up on the Drunk on Geology series is the Mosel Slate Riesling wine from the Mönchhof winery, which is from the Mosel region of Germany.
The Mosel Slates are comprised of two main slate deposits, Ürziger Würzgarten and Erdener Treppchen.
Monday, August 17, 2020
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)