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5 days ago
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Glowing rocks in the U.P.? What to know about 'Yooperlites'
Most people do their rock hunting during the day, but you can't find "Yooperlites" until the sun goes down. Yooperlites are rocks that fluoresce in the dark under ultraviolet light. They became known when a UP resident discovered them in 2017, according to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. Spring is the best time to search for Yooperlites and other rocks, according to Pure Michigan, because winter ice moved beach sand and stones around, and now has broken up for the season, leaving newly unearthed stones along Lake Superior's shoreline to be discovered. Throughout the year, the best time to seek Yooperlites and other stones is after a storm, when waves have disrupt and uncover new rocks. Here's what to know about the rock that is found in the Upper Peninsula along Lake Superior: Yooperlites are a variety of sodalite-rich syenite found in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Syenite is a coarse-grained, plutonic (intrusive) igneous rock that primarily consists of the minerals feldspar, typically orthoclase feldspar, and often includes smaller amounts of other minerals such as hornblende, mica, or amphibole. Unlike granite, which is another common intrusive igneous rock, syenite contains minimal to no quartz, Geology Science said. Sodalite is a deep blue to blue-violet mineral best known for its use in jewelry, sculpture, and decorative stonework. Sodalite forms in igneous rocks that crystallized from sodium-rich, silica-poor magmas. That's how it got its name—soda + lithos, or 'sodium stone," according to Rock Your World gem & art gallery. In normal light, a Yooperlite looks like granite. Sodalite replaces quartz, so the larger the mineral size, the brighter the shine, EGLE said. There are roughly five classes of Yooperlites: Gemmy (mostly Sodalite or large sodalite crystal, the entire specimen glows orange) Snowflake or Flower (similar to snowflake obsidian, large blotches on the surface that look like snowflakes, but crystal glow does not penetrate into the interior) Striated (sodalite fills cracks in the rock matrix, so appears as orange lines or veins) Spray Paint (tiny crystal droplets scattered around the surface) Galaxy (larger crystals than spray paint that are dispersed in the rock that glow like the night sky, crystals penetrate the matrix) The rocks can be found in different areas throughout Michigan, but are most likely to be found in the Upper Peninsula along Lake Superior, often on beaches near Grand Marais and in the Keweenaw Peninsula. Yooperlites can be found as loose pebbles and cobbles along many Lake Superior beaches and even in some inland gravel pits. The stones are derived from igneous rocks near Marathon, Ontario, known as the Coldwell Alkaline Complex and were transported into Michigan by glaciers during periods of continental glaciation. How to search for them: Start with a beach that has known stones Get a good UV light (365 wavelength) Wear safety glasses with UV protection Take along a garden tine rake to move the deposited gravel around or to reach out into the water. Yooperlites may not shine on all surfaces, so moving stones around will increase your chance of seeing them Be strategic: Use a sweeping side-to-side motion for better coverage and light angle about 6 to 8 feet in front" Walk at a normal pace and shine the light with a sweeping motion. According to the EGLE, one person can not exceed 25 pounds per year on state-owned and public trust lands. These identification techniques, according to the EGLE, can help rock hunters determine the type of rocks they have: Color (also color of a "streak" if it can be made by swiping the specimen on a piece of porcelain, creating a powder) Luster (shiny, dull, glassy) Fluorescence (shines under UV light) Shape/structure (crystal form or amorphous?) Breakage (how does it break apart, cleavage or fracture?) Density/specific gravity (can get an idea by "hefting" to see if it's heavy for its size) Magnetism Smell Radioactivity The stones can be found across multiple locations in Michigan including: Eagle River Beach Whitefish Point Muskallonge State Park Grand Marais Beach Bay Furnace Beach Pebble Beach Agate Beach Misery Bay Black River Harbor Beach Agates are formed when gas bubbles in lava leave a hole in the "vesicle" in the rock, according to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Silica (silicon dioxide) solutions flow into the hole in the host rock and fill it up over time, making the bands, the news release says. Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: What to know about 'Yooperlites.' How to find Michigan's glowing rocks
Yahoo
08-03-2025
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Mount Roraima: The 'lost world' isolated for millions of years that Indigenous people call the 'house of the gods'
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. QUICK FACTS Name: Mount Roraima Location: Tripoint between Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana Coordinates: 5.131793939771963, -60.758709443048986 Why it's incredible: The mountain looks like a floating island from the sky. Mount Roraima is a plateau with near-vertical sides that sits on the triple border point between Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana. The plateau is often encircled by a ring of clouds, which makes the summit look like an island floating in the sky. The mountain towers 9,219 feet (2,810 meters) above the surrounding savanna, jutting out like a giant tabletop. Geologists call this kind of formation a "tepui," which means "house of the gods" in the language of the Pemon, the local Indigenous people. The Pemon believe tepuis to be sacred, and that Mount Roraima is the stump of a supernatural tree that held all the fruit and vegetables of the world until a mythical figure named Makunaima felled it, according to the International Business Times. But scientists have another explanation for how Mount Roraima came to be. Tepuis are exclusively found in South America, and specifically in Venezuela and western Guyana, where they number more than 100. According to the Geological Society of London, tepuis are the remnants of a huge block of sandstone that formed in this region around 1.8 billion years ago as large sand dunes slowly solidified into rock. Over the next 1.5 billion years, other types of rock accumulated on top of the sandstone, but these layers were eroded away roughly 180 million years ago, according to the Geological Society. Wind and water then went to work on the sandstone, carving out the giant, steep-sided plateaus we see today, according to Geology Science. Finally, geologic uplift raised the plateaus to their current height, according to Geology Science. Related: Snake Island: The isle writhing with vipers where only Brazilian military and scientists are allowed Like other tepuis, Mount Roraima's summit harbors a "lost world" ecosystem that has been sheltered from the surrounding region for about 70 million to 90 million years, according to a 2012 study. Much remains unknown about the way that tepui ecosystems have assembled and evolved, but researchers estimate that a high proportion of the flora and fauna on the summits are endemic, meaning that they aren't found elsewhere. For example, about one-third of the vegetation found at the top of all tepuis, including carnivorous plants and orchids, is endemic, according to the World Wildlife Fund. MORE INCREDIBLE PLACES —The Bungle Bungles: Towering domes in the Australian outback that contain traces of the earliest life-forms on Earth —El Ojo: The mysterious floating island in Argentina's swampland that looks like a perfectly round eye —Upheaval Dome: Utah's 'belly button' that has divided scientists since its discovery However, the 2012 study found that these ecosystems aren't completely isolated. The researchers analyzed the DNA of four tree frog species living on separate tepuis to determine whether these species have had any contact with each other in the past 70 million years. The scientists discovered that the frogs shared a common ancestor as recently as 5.3 million years ago, suggesting that tree frogs — and perhaps other creatures as well — can migrate up and down the cliffs of tepui formations. Rare nectar-sucking birds and other unusual creatures, such as the Roraima black frog (Oreophrynella quelchii), thrive at the top of Mount Roraima thanks to pools of crystal-clear water and streams that feed waterfalls down the tepui's sides. These cascades are fed by rainwater and include the Crystal Valley Falls and Triple Point Falls. Mount Roraima's summit and its incredible views are accessible to tourists, but ascending to the top requires a multi-day trek through challenging terrain, according to Geology Science. Discover more incredible places, where we highlight the fantastic history and science behind some of the most dramatic landscapes on Earth.
