If you have an answer, post in the comment section for this post.
ESCONI received this question in our email box:
Hi, I'm hoping someone at ESCONI may be able to help me.
Recently I've gone on a few trips to the Mazon Creek area to collect. I used to go years ago, but it's been awhile. I collected quite a few concretions and used the freeze/thaw technique to encourage them to crack.
In nearly all the ones I've attempted to crack, I've found that the reddish brown siderite on encases a purely grey nodule inside. Some of them have cracked clean, revealing either nothing, or what looks to be trace fossils. With others, the siderite has cracked away revealing just the grey nodule.
My question is essentially can fossils be found inside the grey nodules? Should I continue to freeze/thaw these or are fossils really only found in the concretions that are predominantly the reddish/brown material? Lastly, what is the grey material? I've Googled it and it would seem to be labeled "siderite cement" - is that accurate?
Any help you can lend me would be greatly appreciated! I have been an ESCONI member, but to be honest, I think I'm due to renew!
Thank you,
Dave Albert
