For those who want to know the detail of these rocks on the shore at Barvas -
Most of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland have a bedrock formed from Lewisian gneissd (pronounced 'nice'). In addition to the Outer Hebrides, they form basement deposits on the Scottish mainland west of the Moine Thrust and on the islands of Coll and Tiree. These rocks are largely igneous in origin, mixed with metamorphosed marble, quartzite and mica schist with later intrusions of basaltic dikes and granite magma.
Alternatively, you can just accept that they
are attractive and leave the rest to the geologists!
They are very attractive indeed, but it does never harm to get a bit of background knowledge, too. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI think I'll stick with attractive. I had a three hour walk with a couple I met near Durness and as we moved from the limestone cap into other rocks I thought to show off by identifying Gneiss. It was but it took an hour to explain the difference between all the gneisses, rhyolites and lord knows what else. I do remember that the oldest ones are four hundred million years old.
ReplyDeleteYou're a rock star!
ReplyDeleteI do love the study of rocks. I continually forget what they are called an how they were formed, but they do call to me in some ways.
ReplyDeleteI prefer leaving it to the geologists while I continue to enjoy sighting them on beaches and picking up little ones to add to my collection- some I like for their color, others because they're shiny, others because they have been rubbed smooth- some for their shape and some 'cause they are teeny.
ReplyDeleteJohn, You would love to walk on our local monadnocks. The rock on Stone Mountain, Panola Mountain and Arabia Mountain might look the same to most but if you look at them carefully, you will see the differences between all three. And depending on the time of day and the season, each one looks differently also! (Does that make sense?)
ReplyDeleteGneiss IS nice!
Gneiss post.
ReplyDeleteI like your final assessment - just enjoy, and leave the rest to the geologists! xoxox
ReplyDeleteThey are pretty no matter the explanation!
ReplyDeleteI'll go with your last sentence :) I never manage to remember the details about what is what or how it came about - but I'd be taking lots of photos too if I was there...
ReplyDelete