The state contains over 1,988 square miles (3,200 sq. Serpentine and Its Plant Life in California Ffirst, a multiple definition: Serpentine vegetation grows on serpentine soils that weather from serpentine (serpentinite) rock that contains serpentine minerals (chrysolite, antigorite, lizardite, etc.). •    The health danger of asbestos is when people breathe the powdered form into their lungs — and not just once or twice, but chronically over many years. Serpentine soil habitats are often home to many native species … Serpentine is a very common mineral, and is found in abundance worldwide. Serpentine is a group of minerals, one of which is chrysotile, the most common component in the industrial material known as asbestos. The primary reason, as stated in the bill, is because “serpentine contains the deadly mineral chyrsotile asbestos, a known carcinogen, exposure to which increases the risk of cancer mesothelioma.” Supporters of the bill include cancer awareness groups and other groups representing those dealing with mesothelioma. It’s almost a perfect choice for our state rock except that it is not found in Southern California. Serpentine soil habitats are often home to many native species that have adapted to some of its odd properties. Out of nowhere, a strange political issue: California's state rock is serpentine, and there is a effort to remove it. This unique and beautiful rock is rare in most of the world but here in California we have largest exposures of serpentine in North America. Serpentine is formed when rocks deep in the earth's interior come into contact with water, heat, and pressure. Serpentinite from the Klamath Mountains, California (sample courtesy of Hannah Scherer; photo from Brian Romans). Serpentine is related to the rocks that hosted the gold that made California a state. The state contains over 1,988 square miles (3,200 sq. In California, however, it is found in abundance. The final point I’ll make about this issue, which is something many other geologists have made as well, is that what’s most important here isn’t to maintain serpentinite as the state rock at all costs. California designated serpentine the official state rock in 1965 (California was the first state to designate a state rock). California was the first state to designate a “state r… Serpentine group minerals antigorite, lizardite, and chrysotile are produced by the hydrous alteration of ultramafic rocks. Serpentine is California’s state rock. Serpentinite is a unique and beautiful rock that’s rare in most of the world. https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/beauty/serpentines/adaptations.shtml Here in California, however, we have North America’s largest exposures and we’ve made it our official state rock. This interesting matrix of various rock types and large amounts of serpentine soil in the area also leads to unique ecosystems that rely on the properties of the California state rock. Serpentine is a shiny green and blue rock found throughout California. These are igneous rocks that are composed of olivine and pyroxene (peridotite, pyroxenite).Serpentine group minerals occur less commonly in some olivine-bearing marbles … The generally accepted theory is that serpentinite is created through a high pressure and a low temperature metamorphism of mantle rock or oceanic crustal rock. So, why is the issue coming up now? A bill introduced by California State Senator Gloria Romero in February 2009, the language of which was completely gutted and then amended in April of this year, would “remove serpentine as the state rock and lithologic emblem and would leave the state rock unspecified.” Why introduce a bill to the state assembly devoted to removing the state rock? California has a greater number of minerals and a wider variety of rock types than does any other state. See also Edit. It has a distinctive greenish-gray to bluish-black color and may have a waxy Figure 1. However, the connection between the mining process and harmful effects were discovered thereafter and asbestos mining was banned in California in the 1970s. These are igneous rocks that are composed of olivine and pyroxene (peridotite, pyroxenite).Serpentine group minerals occur less commonly in some olivine-bearing marbles … It varies in color, from apple-green to black and has a shiny, wax-like appearance with a soapy or greasy texture. Serpentine is an interesting and valuable rock that has an important role in education about California history, geology, biology, and environmental science. California designated Benitoite as the state gemstone in 1985. Because serpentine makes poor soil, few plants can grow on it; therefore there is little to obscure this showy … The recognition and study of serpentinite in California contributed to the understanding of modern plate tectonic theory. Much of the information presented in this post comes from the educating and advocacy about this issue by geoscience educator Garry Hayes at his blog Geotripper, Bay Area science writer Andrew Alden at geology.about.com, and environmental historian Jon Christensen from the Bill Lane Center for the American West at Stanford University. Serpentine: California State Rock Earth & Space Science , ESS2: Earth's Systems , ESS2.A: Earth Materials and Systems This California Geological Survey bulletin describes the state rock, serpentine. Learn about the geology and ecology of serpentine areas in the northern Sierra Nevada. Serpentine is a very common mineral, and is found in abundance worldwide. •    Bottom line: walking on, being near, handling, or even eating a piece of serpentinite rock is NOT harmful. Some of the mainstream reporting about this bill has failed to communicate that exposure to the rock serpentinite is distinct from exposure to the powdered form of a component mineral that might be in the rock. Serpentine group minerals antigorite, lizardite, and chrysotile are produced by the hydrous alteration of ultramafic rocks. California designated serpentine the official state rock in 1965 (California was the first state to designate a state rock). It can be found throughout California’s mountain ranges, especially the Klamath Mountains, the Coastal Range, and the Sierra Nevadas. Senate Bill 624 would remove serpentine as the state rock of California, and furthermore would declare the rock to be dangerous to the health of state residents. Supporters of this bill argue that having a rock with an association with harmful derivative materials is inappropriate for a state symbol. Species-rich archipelagos of communities comprise 1.5% of the state's land area. To reiterate, one must inhale the powdered version into their lungs for it to be harmful. km) of serpentinite outcrops, and it is present in 42 of the 58 counties. •    The term “asbestos” does not have a unique mineralogical association; it is derived from the term that describes the fibrous nature. Serpentinite is California’s State Rock. If the state assembly feels that spending the time and resources to do that isn’t in California’s best interests at this time, then simply table the bill and deal with it at a later date. It is the state rock of California, USA and the California Legislature specified that serpentine was "the official State Rock and lithologic emblem." The minerals are composed of iron magnesium silicate. I am writing to offer some perspective on Senate Bill 624 and the current debate about removing serpentine as the California State Rock. – is a rare rock type whose source is the mantle of the earth, dozens of miles below the surface. •    Varieties of asbestos from a completely separate group of minerals, called the amphibole group, are considered to be the most dangerous form. Serpentine group; Serpentine soil, a soil derived from the serpentine mineral Schikorr reaction, involving also the formation of magnetite and hydrogen by a very similar mechanism The current state rock, serpentine, is not the cause of mesothelioma in the state of California or anywhere else. The appropriate generalized formula is thus While we are all entitled to our own opinions, we are not entitled to our own facts. The ratios in the Klamaths are even more lopsided as serpentine covers about 14% of its land area, perhaps the most of any bioregion in the world. Serpentine contains the deadly mineral chrysotile asbestos, a known carcinogen, exposure to which increases the risk of the cancer mesothelioma. This mineral gives the serpentinite its characteristic light to dark green color. Serpentine, California's state rock, is relatively rare in the rest of the world. California's nickname is the Golden State. Chrysotile often occurs as fibrous veinlets in serpentine. The bill met with resistance from some California geologists, who noted that the chrysotile present is not hazardous unless it is mobilized in the air as dust. All State Rocks. As fits our state rock, it is brought to the surface by faulting and is known as a "regional metamorphic" -- a rock that requires large-scale faulting such … California has a greater number of minerals and a wider variety of rock types than does any other state. It’s unclear to me. Serpentinite is a metamorphic rock that is mostly composed of serpentine group minerals. What’s important is that the proposal deserves a fair and open debate. In that spirit, I think some basic geologic facts are in order: •    Firstly, “serpentine” refers to a group of minerals, not a rock. Serpentine is a seconds to think about it. Serpentine is closely associated with gold deposits in the foothills, with the California Gold Rush, and California’s history. position at the convergence of two tectonic plates and the stresses resulting from that meeting. And now, someone is hijacking the state designation for reasons I find suspicious. In California, however, it is found in abundance. It has a distinctive greenish-gray to bluish-black color and may have a waxy Figure 1. Serpentine, the California state rock, is a metamorphic rock that is made up of the mineral Serpentenite (if this is confusing, just call both the mineral and the rock Serpentine--many geologists do). Why? Serpentinite is a unique and beautiful rock that’s rare in most of the world. The latter forms by different geologic processes from a variety of rock-types; This resulted in serpentine being named the official California state rock in 1965, with native gold taking the title of official state mineral. Special to the Enterprise Although the state mineral is native gold, the official state rock for California is Serpentine. •    There is no such mineral as “chrysotile asbestos”; there is a mineral “chrysotile” that crystallizes into a fibrous material referred to as asbestos but not all varieties of serpentinite contain it. It is an appropriate state symbol. [specify] In California, 10% of the state's plants are serpentine endemics. In 2010, a bill was introduced which would have removed serpentine's special status as state rock due to it potentially containing chrysotile asbestos. Serpentine rock with veins of NOA. The term “serpentinite” is the proper term for the rock that is mostly made up of one or more of the serpentine group minerals. It is only found in … Serpentinites and Serpentine Formation. ^In 1965, California became the first state to name an official state rock. Serpentine occurs in central and northern California -- in the Coast Ranges, the Klamath Mountains, and in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Serpentinite rocks are almost exclusively made of serpentine minerals. Photo of serpentine rock © Michael Baird, shot near Cayucos, CA: The Franciscan Mélange at Estero Bluffs (used by permission). It can be found in … Serpentine is the state rock of California and takes its name from its mottled pattern, which is sometimes reminiscent of snakeskin. California should not designate a rock known to be toxic to the health of its residents as the state's official rock." Serpentine barrens are a unique ecoregion found in parts of the United States in small but widely distributed areas of the Appalachian Mountains and the Coast Ranges of California, Oregon, and Washington. All State Rocks. If organizations really are concerned about educating the public about asbestos and mesothelioma, why make the state rock go away? California was the first of the 50 states to choose a state rock. Learn the Facts About Serpentinite Before It's Removed as California's State Rock, bill introduced by California State Senator Gloria Romero. Serpentine minerals form where peridotite, dunite, and other ultramafic rocks undergo hydrothermal metamorphism.Ultramafic rocks are rare at Earth's surface but are abundant at the oceanic moho, the boundary between the base of the oceanic crust and the upper mantle.. The asbestos in serpentine is mostly the less-harmful form, chrysotile, rather than the more dangerous form - amphibole. Minerals in the serpentine subgroup are usually green or brown, but can also be black, yellow or white. Serpentine is California’s state rock. •    Serpentinite is a metamorphosed version of rocks that make up oceanic crust after they are incorporated into subduction zones (plate boundaries where oceanic plates are thrust under continental plates).