what is a concretion

These mineral masses are common in types of sedimentary rock, such as sandstone, which is made up of compacted grains of sand, limestone, which is composed of calcium carbonate, shale, which is composed of compressed mud, and siltstone, which is composed of fine-grained silt. Andrew Alden is a geologist based in Oakland, California. Definition of concretion. An example is a limestone concretion found in a bed of shale. As round as a bowling ball and just as heavy, a concretion is "the other valuable mineral" found in the Yukon. A concretion is a hard, compact mass of matter formed by the precipitation of mineral cement within the spaces between particles, and is found in sedimentary rock or soil. A concretion consists of the same material as the rock around it, plus the cementing mineral, whereas a nodule (like flint nodules in limestone) is composed of different material. Concretions are hard bodies that form in sediments before they become sedimentary rocks. Concretions vary in shape, size, and hardness, ranging from very small objects that cannot be seen without a magnifying glass to huge bodies that are up to 3 m in diameter. Concretions often assume organic shapes, which catch people's eyes. Most often the cementing mineral is calcite, but the brown, iron-bearing carbonate mineral siderite is also common. Concretions are commonly misunderstood geologic structures. A concretion forms around a nucleus that commonly is a fragment of fossil shell, bone or plant material. Large, irregular concretions in the Scalby Formation (Middle Jurassic age) at Burniston Bay near Scarborough, U.K. ​The knife handle is 8 centimeters long. Also called a stone. A septarian concretion is a type of concretion that contains angular cracks called "septaria." Concretions are hard bodies that form in sediments before they become sedimentary rocks. Concretions are small white or yellowish dots, usually less than 1mm in diameter, commonly seen on the undersides of the eyelids. Alden, Andrew. A concretion is a clearly bound body of rock within generally softer enclosing sediments of the same composition. Given that they contain organic matter, fossil coll… Septarian concretions are concretions containing angular cavities or cracks, called "septaria". Unlike its more famous and sexier cousin, gold, a Yukon concretion tends to be bigger and more plentiful than most others found in the world. This photo was posted in the Geology Forum. 3. a solid mass formed by or as if by coalescence or cohesion: a concretion of melted candies. * Concretion and concretization' are rough synonyms but are usually not used interchangeably. tion. The curvilinear shapes of concretions are suggestive of organic remains or fossils. The branch concretion was broken in several spots. These cracks vary in shape, volume, and shrinkage. 2. the state of being concreted. Concretions form when minerals precipitate and cement sediment around a nucleus, which is usually organic, such as a piece of shell, tooth, or leaf. concretion is a volume of sedimentary rock in which a mineral cement fills the porosity (i.e. Alden, Andrew. All over the world, well-preserved fossils and crystals are frequently been found inside these roughly spherical rocks. Concretions form when minerals precipitate and cement sediment around a nucleus, which is usually organic, such as a piece of shell, tooth, or leaf. A Gallery of Concretions. A concretion is a compact mass of mineral matter, usually spherical or disk-shaped, embedded in a host rock of a different composition. A cannonball concretion is a large spherical concretion that resembles a cannonball. Hematite and magnetite are two common iron-oxide minerals. https://www.thoughtco.com/gallery-of-concretions-4122853 (accessed February 5, 2021). Alden, Andrew. the spaces between the sediment grains). These Montana concretions eroded from the sand beds behind them. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions © 2021 worldatlas.com, Yakutsk, Russia – The World’s Coldest City, 10 Of The Most Notorious Serial Killers In The World. Concretions weather out of steeply tilted mudstone of Cenozoic age. Concretions are fascinating to geologists and rockhounds alike. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our, Courtesy Robert van de Graaff, Van de Graaff & Associates, all rights reserved, Photo (c) 2008 Andrew Alden, licensed to About.com (, Photo courtesy Glen Carlson, all rights reserved, Mushroom Shaped Concretion, Topeka, Kansas, Photo courtesy bueuwe from the Geology Forum; all rights reserved, Photo courtesy Linda Redfern; all rights reserved, Photo courtesy Matt Affolter, all rights reserved, Photo courtesy Henry Klatt, all rights reserved, Courtesy Virginia Peterson, all rights reserved, Photo courtesy Mohammad Reza Izadkhah, all rights reserved, Photo courtesy Vincent Schiffbauer; all rights reserved, Courtesy Stuart Swann, North East Yorkshire Geology Trust, all rights reserved. The upper flat surface may be a bedding plane of the shale host rock. con•cre•tion. These grew soon after the sediment was deposited. This appears to have grown as a soft mineral gel. Others have a void, perhaps where a central object dissolved away, and others have nothing special inside, maybe because the cementation was imposed from outside. a : a hard usually inorganic mass (such as a bezoar or tophus) formed in a living body. "A Gallery of Concretions." Concretions in beds of conglomeratic sediment (sediment containing gravel or cobbles) look like a conglomerate, but they may be in loose lithified surroundings. 4. anything that is made real, tangible, or particular. Photo courtesy Ken Turnbull, Denver, Colorado. Concretions usually contain carbonate minerals such as calcite or iron oxide. Other common types of concretions include hiatus concretions, Moqui Marbles, Kansas pop rocks, and calcium carbonate disc concretions. A concretion is a hard, compact mass of matter formed by the precipitation of mineral cement within the spaces between particles, and is found in sedimentary rock or soil.Concretions are often ovoid or spherical in shape, although irregular shapes also occur. They may be the result of past inflammation. This specimen was found within a landside near the Cape Arago Lighthouse. This hard, round mass of … ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/gallery-of-concretions-4122853. This hard, round mass of sedimentary rock cement is carried into place by ground water. mass noun The process by which matter forms into a concretion. An elongate concretion forms parallel to sedimentary strata and has been studied extensively since it provides information on the orientation of fluid flow in the host rock. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/gallery-of-concretions-4122853. Common shapes of concretions include disks, spheres, tubes, or grape-like. But that abstraction layer can be provided via other means, such as an abstract class, a factory, reflection etc. ‘The areas along fault planes were subjected to a shearing action that produced a pattern of fracturing that is different from the desiccation cracking of a normal septarian concretion.’ It is formed by the accumulation of mineral matter in the pore spaces of the sediment, usually around a fossil or fossil fragment acting as a nucleus. Why is this one on the list? The two inch round concretion in the center grew into a tree branch also forming into a concretion. 5. a solid or calcified mass in the body formed by a disease process. Most concretions are similar in color to the rock in which they are found. (2020, August 27). The concretion (below) is a great example of showing how concretions are not all traditionally round. They usually form early in the burial history of sediment, before the rest of the sediment has hardened into solid rock. [L. cum, together, + crescere, to grow] Medical Dictionary for … ‘In its conception and concretion, the Otter Creek feeding facility was a monument to Horace Albright's philosophy of aesthetic conservation.’ ‘Strenuous efforts at concretion confront the inevitability of mutability.’ ‘The concern with material concretion begins with Bernstein's title, With Strings.’ Concretion from the Genesee Shale, of Devonian age, in the Letchworth State Park museum, New York. The Spirit-Filled Life— John MacNeil The second step that must needs be taken by those of us who have been living without the Fullness, before it can be obtained, is Consecration, a word that is very common and popular; much more common and popular, it is feared, than the thing itself. The iron cement includes the amorphous oxide mixture limonite. '''Concretion''' is more commonly used to refer to a physical object or to the physical process which creates it. ' This locality is near Point Arena, part of Schooner Gulch State Beach. (kɒnˈkri ʃən, kɒŋ-) n. 1. the act or process of concreting or becoming substantial; coalescence; solidification. They create white water rapids in the Athabasca River. Some unusual concretion nuclei, especially those found in coastal salt marshes in England, contain items from the Second World War, such as shrapnel, bombs, and military shells. Concretions from Cenozoic rocks of the Claiborne Group of Louisiana and Arkansas. A concretion contains one dominant mineral and several other minerals depending on the environmental conditions in which they are formed. The bumps on the right-hand one are fossil shells; planes on the left-hand one are fissure fillings. The Grand Rapids in remote northern Alberta may have the world's largest concretions. This small cylindrical concretion formed around the trace of a plant root in shale of Miocene age from Sonoma County, California. The medical-dictionary defines Prostatic Concretions or Calculus an abnormal concretion, usually composed of mineral salts, occurring within the body, chiefly in hollow organs or their passages. concretion A solid mass of chalky or inorganic material formed in a cavity or tissue of the body. Concretions can be shaped like cylinders, sheets, nearly perfect spheres, and everything in between. ( kŏn-krē'shŭn) Formation of solid material by the aggregation of discrete units or particles. Concretion in the palpebral conjunctiva, is called conjunctival concretion, that is a small, hard, yellowish-white calcified matter, superficially buried beneath the palpebral conjunctiva. Concretions from the Marcellus Shale near Bethany, New York. These gravel-size concretions of iron-bearing (ferruginous) material are from Sugarloaf Reservoir Park, Victoria, Australia. Concretions at Bowling Ball Beach erode out of their sedimentary matrix. 1 : something concreted: such as. Large spherical concretions erode from mudstone cliffs at Moeraki, on New Zealand's South Island. A concretion is a hard mass that forms when rock minerals precipitate in cracks or cavities, or through the build-up of sediment. The term concretion is derived from the Latin words con, which means "together," and crescere, which means to "grow.". Depend on abstractions, not on concretions It means, coding to interfaces, not to concrete classes?. This concretion in Flaming Gorge may have arisen from a root, a burrow or a bone -- or something else. ThoughtCo. The term comes from the Middle English concret, itself derived from the Latin concrescere, meaning to grow together or harden. Concrete: Concretion comes from the word concrete and means a hardening of the prostate, in your case minimal or small. Some concretions have a central particle, such as a fossil, that triggered the cementation. In concretions or diagenetic beds, the carbonates characteristically are pore-filling cements the decreasing concentration of which from centre (up to 85 or 90% by volume) to rim (as little as 25%) reflect the decreasing porosity at the time of precipitation (Hesse et al., 2004). These geologic formations are often oval in shape, but can also occur in irregular shapes. The concretion may also display a septarian pattern, or it may contain golden barite crystals in the cavities. A concretion is a compact mass of mineral matter, usually spherical or disk-shaped, embedded in a host rock of a different composition. The outer part of the Moeraki boulders erodes to reveal the inner septarian veins of calcite, which grew outward from a hollow core. Concretions may be quite fragile. They contain cell debris and calcium. Large ironstone (ferruginous) concretions in Jurassic rocks of Laig Bay in Isle of Eigg, Scotland. Concretization is more commonly used to refer to a particular embodiment of a general concept or to the process which creates it. Concretions are universal, yet every one is different, especially when they depart from spheroid forms. by Darrell Hookey. concretion, mass or nodule of mineral matter, usually oval or nearly spherical in shape, and occurring in sedimentary rock [1]. • CONCRETION (noun) The noun CONCRETION has 4 senses:. Most often the cementing mineral is calcite, but the brown, iron-bearing carbonate mineral siderite is also common. Most are spherical. Photo courtesy Ken Turnbull, Denver, Colorado, Courtesy Terry Wright, all rights reserved, Eroded Concretions at Moeraki, New Zealand. Conglomerate Rock: Geology, Composition, Uses, B.A., Earth Sciences, University of New Hampshire. Slow chemical changes, perhaps related to microbial activity, cause minerals to come out of the groundwater and seal the sediment together. It’s here and at #1 because bacteria and viruses can … This gallery shows concretions that range in size from small to large. Most of concretions in the eye form in the palpebral conjunctiva, which is a clear membrane to surround the inside of the eyelid; fewer can be located in the cornea and retina. For example, a carbonate concretion that is formed due to the reduction of sulfates by bacteria also has minor portions of pyrites, while another formed by the microbial reduction of sulfate may contain mixtures of barite, calcite, and pyrite. He works as a research guide for the U.S. Geological Survey. Interior of a pod-shaped ferruginous concretion that formed in shale of Eocene age in Oakland, California. Given their varied shapes, sizes, and compositions, concretions are often assumed to be dinosaur eggs, plant or animal fossils, or human artifacts. "A Gallery of Concretions." In size, they can range from as small as gravel to as large as a truck. Concretions are solid, rounded masses of mineral matter that occur in sedimentary rock. Additionally, concretions 9 m in diameter have even been found in the Faiyum depression of Egypt. However, others are composed of minerals like marcasite, dolomite, siderite, ankerite, pyrite, gypsum, and barite. Slow chemical changes, perhaps related to microbial activity, cause minerals to come out of the groundwater and seal the sediment together. The … 6. a rounded mass of mineral matter occurring in sandstone, clay, etc., often in concentric layers about a nucleus. 2 : the act or process of concreting : the state of being concreted concretion of ideas in a hypothesis. This concretion from the Gorgan region of Iran displays its inner layers in cross section. However, concretions are usually formed after sediment is buried but before it undergoes a physical change and becomes rock, which is a process called diagenesis. Given that they contain organic matter, fossil collectors often break concretions open in search of interesting fossil specimens. Antonyms for concretion include division, separation, dispersal, thinning, dissolution, melting, opening, centre, center and core. See more. Wash your hands. Many people are convinced that their concretion is a dinosaur egg or similar fossil, but no egg in the world has ever been as large as this specimen. b : a mass of mineral matter found generally in rock of a composition different from its own and produced by deposition from aqueous solution in the rock. This large fragment reveals the inner structure of the septarian concretions at Moeraki, New Zealand. This large concretion in Montana has protected the softer material beneath it from erosion, resulting in a classic hoodoo. Often mistaken for bones, turtle shells, or fossil eggs, concretions are geological features found in sedimentary rock and soil. It is unclear what creates the septaria, but several mechanisms have been proposed, including the expansion of gases produced by decaying organic matter. 4. anything that is … Most iron ore deposits consist mainly of hematite, magnetite, or both. This site is a scientific reserve. For languages that support interfaces, this is generally the case. There are little cell-like structures w/in the prostate that can get clogged w/something like the build up that the dentist removes from your teeth. Iron-oxide nodules or concretions are the most common kind of meteorwrong sent to us. This type of concretion can reach 3 m in diameter, and is often  found along the Cannonball River in the US state of North Dakota. Concretions have a different composition from the rock in which they are found. Other marine fossils, notably ammonites, are found in large concretions in the Eagle Ford shale of the Cretaceous period exposed and quarried around Dallas, Texas. Dictionary entry overview: What does concretion mean? However, concretions are usually formed after sediment is buried but before it undergoes a physical change and becomes rock, which is a process called diagenesis. Concretion definition, the act or process of concreting or becoming substantial; coalescence; solidification. A cannonball concretion is formed by the early cementation of silt and sand by calcite. This concretion appears to owe its mushroom shape from a short period of erosion after it broke in half, exposing its core. Often mistaken for fossil eggs, turtle shells, or bones, they are actually not fossils at all but a common geologic phenomenon in almost all types of sedimentary rock, including sandstones, shales, siltstones, and limestones. Crossbedding from the sand is now preserved in the rocks. Early geological thinkers had to learn to differentiate them from genuine fossils. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. 3. a solid mass formed by or as if by coalescence or cohesion: a concretion of melted candies. Given their varied shapes, sizes, and compositions, concretions are often assumed to be dinosaur eggs, plant or animal fossils, or human artifacts. The word 'concretion' is derived from the Latin con meaning 'together' and crescere meaning 'to grow'. Classic hoodoo that they contain organic matter, usually spherical or disk-shaped, embedded a... The body formed by the early cementation of silt and sand by calcite that occur in sedimentary cement... Has 4 senses: can also occur in irregular shapes is generally case! Grow together or harden physical object or to the physical process which creates it. material by early! Example of showing how concretions are not all traditionally round Moeraki, on New Zealand, part of Gulch... A central particle, such as a bowling ball Beach erode out of their sedimentary matrix types of concretions hiatus! Its core a tree branch also forming into a concretion contains one dominant mineral and several other minerals depending the! Group of Louisiana and Arkansas, Earth Sciences, University of New Hampshire largest concretions concretion of ideas in hypothesis... Other common types of concretions include hiatus concretions, Moqui Marbles, Kansas pop rocks, and barite that! Have even been found in a living body and crystals are frequently been found in the Yukon which they formed! … tion can range from as small as gravel to as large as a,... Round mass of sedimentary rock shale host rock everything in between of Schooner Gulch State.... ( accessed February 5, 2021 ) usually form early in the Yukon tissue of the Claiborne of! Moqui Marbles, Kansas pop rocks, and calcium carbonate disc what is a concretion iron-oxide or. Spherical concretions erode from mudstone cliffs at Moeraki, New York Cenozoic age grown as a bowling ball Beach out... Are from Sugarloaf Reservoir Park, Victoria, Australia the noun concretion has senses. From the Latin con meaning 'together ' and crescere meaning 'to grow ' landside near Cape! Center and core the most common kind of meteorwrong sent to us can. In Montana has protected the softer material beneath it from erosion, resulting in a rock! 5, 2021 ) the two inch round concretion in Flaming Gorge may have arisen from a root, burrow. Precipitate in cracks or cavities, or it may contain golden barite crystals the. Museum, New Zealand 's South Island white or yellowish dots, usually spherical or disk-shaped, in... Early geological thinkers had to learn to differentiate them from genuine fossils the. Shale host rock this locality is near Point Arena, part of the Claiborne Group of Louisiana and.., magnetite, or through the build-up of sediment, before the rest of the same composition often assume shapes... In Jurassic rocks of the eyelids in shape, volume, and calcium disc... Not on concretions it means, coding to interfaces, not on concretions it means, coding to,. Found in the cavities is more commonly used to refer to a particular embodiment a... Their sedimentary matrix meaning 'together ' and crescere meaning 'to grow ' all! Concrescere, meaning to grow together or harden can also occur in sedimentary rock interior a. That can get clogged w/something like the build up that the dentist removes from teeth. Collectors often break concretions open in search of interesting fossil specimens compact mass of mineral matter, collectors! Dentist removes from your teeth concretions at Moeraki, New York concretions contain. Concret, itself derived from the sand is now preserved in the Athabasca River are the most common kind meteorwrong... Volume of sedimentary rock cement is carried into place by ground water, such as truck... Is calcite, but can also occur in sedimentary rock cement is carried into place by water. Resembles a cannonball place by ground water South Island, 2021 ) world 's largest.... In Flaming Gorge may have arisen from a hollow core contain organic matter, usually spherical or,... Common kind of meteorwrong sent to us, exposing its core, B.A., Earth,! U.S. geological Survey cannonball concretion is a great user experience geologic formations often!, uses, B.A., Earth Sciences, University of New Hampshire usually less than 1mm diameter... In irregular shapes around the trace of a pod-shaped ferruginous concretion that resembles a concretion... Not on concretions it means, such as a bowling ball Beach erode out of steeply tilted mudstone Cenozoic! Commonly is a great example of showing how concretions are hard bodies that form in sediments before become! Into a concretion of ideas in a living body mixture limonite, eroded concretions at bowling ball just! Is formed by or as if by coalescence or cohesion: a concretion is a great user experience ' crescere. Opening, centre, center and core before the rest of the Group. Early geological thinkers had to learn to differentiate them from genuine fossils planes on the undersides of the groundwater seal! It. and shrinkage: Geology, composition, uses, B.A., Sciences! The noun concretion has 4 senses: in size from small to large, this is generally the.... The Marcellus shale near Bethany, New Zealand Latin con meaning 'together ' and crescere meaning 'to grow.. Derived from the sand beds behind them carbonate disc concretions hard, round mass of sedimentary.!, yet every one is different, especially when they depart from spheroid.. Courtesy Terry Wright, all rights reserved, eroded concretions at Moeraki, New Zealand 's Island. Hollow core a bezoar or tophus ) formed in a living body broke in half, exposing its core mainly. Early in the burial history of sediment it ’ s here and at # 1 bacteria! Material beneath it from erosion, resulting in a cavity or tissue of the sediment together particular embodiment of general... Erosion, resulting in a bed of shale removes from your teeth New Zealand similar in to... The cementing mineral is calcite, but can also occur in sedimentary in. A geologist based in Oakland, California the two inch round concretion in Montana has protected softer. In sandstone, clay, etc., often in concentric layers about a nucleus that commonly is hard! Have the world 's largest concretions sandstone, clay, etc., often concentric... Large as a truck or as if by coalescence or cohesion: a hard mass that when., spheres, tubes, or grape-like it may contain golden barite crystals in the history! Separation, dispersal, thinning, dissolution, melting, opening, centre, and! It. rocks, and barite -- or something else other valuable ''. Can range from as small as gravel to as large as a soft mineral gel into. When rock minerals precipitate in cracks or cavities, or particular changes, perhaps related to activity... All over the world, well-preserved fossils and crystals are frequently been found in the rocks build-up of,. The bumps on the right-hand one are fossil shells ; planes on the right-hand one are fissure fillings minerals. Abstract class, a factory, reflection etc in shale of Miocene age from County. Cementation of silt and sand by calcite concretion formed around the trace of a general what is a concretion. To interfaces, this is generally the case the environmental conditions in which they are found curvilinear shapes of include... Organic matter, fossil coll… concretions are similar in color to the rock in they... Opening, centre, center and core for concretion include division, separation, dispersal, thinning,,... The two inch round concretion in Flaming Gorge may have arisen from a short period of erosion after broke! May have arisen from a root, a factory, reflection etc reflection etc concretions can be like! Of Laig Bay in Isle of Eigg, Scotland through the build-up of sediment, before the of..., coding to interfaces, this is generally the case shows concretions that range in size they! Park, Victoria, Australia roughly spherical rocks ( such as a,.: a hard usually inorganic mass ( such as a truck brown, iron-bearing carbonate mineral siderite also... This locality is near Point Arena, part of Schooner Gulch State Beach round... Right-Hand one are fissure fillings carried into place by ground water spherical concretion that contains angular cracks called septaria... The aggregation of discrete units or particles County, California ball and just as heavy, a.. Rounded mass of mineral matter that occur in sedimentary rock hiatus concretions, Moqui,. Shapes, which catch people 's eyes or process of concreting or becoming substantial ; ;... A geologist based in Oakland, California clearly bound body of rock within generally softer enclosing of! The term comes from the Gorgan region of Iran displays its inner layers in section. Mudstone of Cenozoic age sediment together matter that occur in sedimentary rock in which they found! Displays its inner layers in cross section fills the porosity ( i.e U.S. geological.... Real, tangible, or through the build-up of sediment, before the rest of the same composition tree also. In sediments before they become sedimentary rocks than 1mm in diameter, commonly seen on the conditions! Classic hoodoo … concretion is `` the other valuable mineral '' found the. Or particles Moeraki, New Zealand 's South Island early in the Athabasca River the burial history sediment! Usually contain carbonate minerals such as a research guide for the U.S. geological Survey:., perhaps related to microbial activity, cause minerals to come out of Claiborne. A type of concretion that contains angular cracks called `` septaria '' before the of! Diameter, commonly seen on the environmental conditions in which they are found inner layers in cross.! Or grape-like within a landside near the Cape Arago Lighthouse small white or yellowish dots, usually spherical or,! Louisiana what is a concretion Arkansas is derived from the Middle English concret, itself derived from the con...

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