Rock, Mineral, Fossil, and Meteorite ID
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I think I found a cool rock or mineral in/near Minnesota!
In an email to the department ([email protected]) please provide a description of your specimen and photographs, following all instructions below. If you do not provide the required information, we will be unable to assist you in identifying your specimen.
For specimens found outside of Minnesota: Given the large number of requests and limited personnel and capacity, the department only provides this assistance for samples found in or very near Minnesota. If you found or acquired your sample elsewhere, please seek assistance at another university or geological survey. It would be best for you to check with your local geological survey or university for assistance. We are only able to provide guidance on specimens found locally.
The Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences does purchase specimens. There are local vendors who do. One such vendor is Enchanted Rock Garden. Please contact them or other similar vendors for information on selling your specimen.
The Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences does not authenticate or provide value estimates of specimens.
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I think I found a fossil in/near Minnesota!
In an email to the department ([email protected]) please provide a description of your specimen and photographs. More information about this process below (please read before sending your email).
The Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences does NOT purchase specimens. Here is a helpful article about selling fossils.
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I think I found a meteorite in/near Minnesota!
We get many such inquiries each year, and though the vast majority of the objects are not meteorites. About every 10 years or so, an object brought to our attention has proved to be a meteorite; however, most of the objects have turned out to be terrestrial rock or a wide variety of human-made objects. Please see the meteorite section below for more information about researching your specimen and sending us photographs.
The Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences does NOT authenticate or provide value estimates of specimens.
The most realistic answer is that your rock is probably not a meteorite. Statistically speaking it is highly unlikely to stumble upon a meteorite. Minnesota has an amazing geological history which has left us with a lot of rocks that are very interesting to look at, but finding a meteorite in Minnesota is highly unusual. Most meteorites are found in deserts and Antarctica because they are easier to differentiate from the bare rock/ground and ice that dominates those landscapes. With the wide diversity of rocks that Minnesota is home to, locating a meteorite extremely unlikely. Less than one in 1000 of the objects presented to the University for identification have proven to be meteorites.
“But I saw it fall from the sky”. There are many reasons that rocks may appear to fall from the sky. Not every rock that appears to fall from the sky out of nowhere is a meteorite. There have been plenty of instances where rocks have “fallen” from the sky due to a variety of human activity. Check out some examples here.
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I found a cool specimen outside of Minnesota!
It would be best for you to check with your local geological survey or university for assistance. We are only able to provide guidance on specimens found locally.
Due to the volume of requests and limited capacity, the Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences does not take walk-ins or in-person visits to identify specimens.
Rock, Mineral, and Fossil Identification
The department has faculty, emeritus faculty, and students who can help you virtually identify specimens that you find in or near Minnesota. If you would like our team to try to identify your cool rock, mineral, or fossil, follow the instructions below. All instructions must be followed, and all questions answered to the best of your ability for us to assist you.
- First, do some independent research using reliable resources.
Some good resources on Minnesota to help you get started are in the box on the right. Take note of any unique features it has, especially those that would be difficult to see in an image. Send an email to [email protected] with the following information and questions answered:
-Do you have an idea about what you think your specimen is? Please let us know in your email!-Where in Minnesota was the specimen collected? Be as detailed as possible.
-Was it collected from bedrock, was it loose on the ground, or was it loose underground (buried in soil, sand etc.)?-If possible: How much does it weigh? Indicate units.
-If possible: What are the dimensions of the specimen (length x width x height,) indicate units.
For rocks and minerals specifically, there are a few simple tests you can try yourself to provide additional information, such as:
-Hold a magnet near the sample. Is it magnetic or are there some areas that might have magnetic minerals?
-Can you scratch the rock (if very fine-grained) or any distinct mineral grains (if coarse enough to see them by eye)? Consult the Mohs Scale of mineral hardness and the results of scratch testing with your fingernail and a pen knife.
***IMPORTANT***:Two to three, well-focused photographs of the specimen showing different sides. Use natural lighting. Examples to the right. Avoid shadows or reflections as much as possible. The photos must have something to indicate scale, such as a ruler, pen, coin, or finger. The resolution of the photos should be sufficient that a viewer can zoom in to see key features without the image getting too blurry. If you send low-resolution photos with no indication of scale, we probably can’t identify your specimen accurately. Please do not send video.- Please be patient as we identify your specimen.
Meteorite Identification
The Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences has a number of faculty, emeritus faculty, researchers, and students who are willing to provide assistance with potential meteorite identification within the their capacity limits. If you would like our team to try to identify a possible meteorite follow the instructions below. All instructions must be followed, and all questions answered to the best of your ability for us to assist you.
- Read the following pages from Washington University:
General Meteorite Information
Meteorite Realities
"Meteorwrongs"
Compare your rock to the information and images on these webpages and take note if your object possesses any unique characteristics (high density, magnetism, vesicles, regmaglypts, or a fusion crust). If after reading through these webpages you realize that you don't have a meteorite but still want to have your object identified, follow the instructions for rock, mineral, and fossil identification. Send a separate email to [email protected] for each object you think may be a meteorite with the following information:
-Any thoughts or suspicions you have about what your specimen may be.
-Was it collected from bedrock, was it loose on the ground, or was it loose underground (buried in soil, sand etc.)?-If possible: How much does it weigh? Indicate units. Does it weigh more than you would expect it to weigh given its size?
-If possible: What are the dimensions of the specimen (length x width x height,) indicate units.
-A detailed description of the object based on the webpages in Step 1. Be sure to include any meteorite-like characteristics as well as any characteristics that are difficult to see in the photos.-***IMPORTANT***:Two to three, well-focused photographs of the specimen showing different sides. Use natural lighting. Examples to the right. Avoid shadows or reflections as much as possible. The photos must have something to indicate scale, such as a ruler, pen, coin, or finger. The resolution of the photos should be sufficient that a viewer can zoom in to see key features without the image getting too blurry. If you send low-resolution photos with no indication of scale, we probably can’t identify your specimen accurately. Please do not send video.
Be patient while we start identifying your object and be prepared to send a sample if necessary.
-It is important to know that it is often possible to tell that an object is not a meteorite from a photo. But is is nearly impossible to positively identify a meteorite from photos, so please be prepared to send in a sample if necessary.
