Now that we have established that rock collecting is growing as a pass time, and the equipment that we should have, let's get more into what we're looking for and where to find it.
While we did discuss the need to have a geologist's hammer and a hand lens, many collectors also carry with them a knapsack to carry your specimens, food and equipment. Also, a notebook to record your findings and a pocket knife can be helpful.
Rock collecting can be incorporated into any other outdoor activities you already enjoy like camping, rock climbing, bicycling, cave exploring (spelunking) etc. Pretty much anywhere you go in nature; you will find fantastic rock specimens. There are three main types of rocks found on the surface of and inside of the Earth. Igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary, then it gets more specific as you identify the mineral grains in each specimen. So, you can find rocks virtually anywhere.
Igneous rocks are formed from cooling magma and are crystalline in make up. They are formed during the cooling of the magma. They are given names due to two things, composition (what they are made of) and texture (how big the crystals are). The Earth's surface is made of this, at least the outer crust where we are exposed to the coldness of space.
Sedimentary rocks are considered secondary due to the fact that they are the loose sediment that has built up on the surface of the igneous rocks, like a veneer. There are three main types of sedimentary rocks. Classic, which is the basic sedimentary, chemical, which is a result of minerals left by evaporated water and organic, which are formed by an accumulation of the organic processes?
And finally there's metamorphic: "meta" meaning change and "morph" meaning form, are what make up the name and the rock itself.
Now that you know a little more about what you're looking for and where (anywhere) you can find it, have fun starting or expanding your rock collection.
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