The Rocks of Penny's Bend -

Diabase

Diabase boulders and outcrop at Penny's Bend are typically covered in lichen or have a brown weathering rind.
diabase outcrop

Fresh Sample of Diabase:

Fresh diabase is black in color (chipped part of boulder). As the rock weathers, the outer shell of the rock chemically alters to clay minerals forming the brown-colored weathering rind.
fresh diabase
Diabase intruded the existing Triassic aged sediments. Over time the overlying sediments were eroded away. This photograph shows a pendant of Triassic sediments exposed in the Butner diabase sill. Tr sediments-pendant

Please remember that rock and mineral collecting is STRICTLY PROHIBITTED on protected land!

  

 

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Want to learn more about the geology of the Eno River area?

You may be interested in A Geologic Adventure Along the Eno River - A richly illustrated publication from the North Carolina Geological Survey.

NC Geological Survey - http://www.geology.enr.state.nc