the hole story

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Chip Down
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the hole story

Post by Chip Down » June 10th, 2018, 7:36 pm

I see these precise round straight holes in rock, maybe about the diameter of a quarter, all over. What are they? I think most people will immediately think of a hole used for explosives, but I see them even in remote wilderness areas, and in flat places (no cliffs, mines, quaries, etc).
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-Q-
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Re: the hole story

Post by -Q- » June 11th, 2018, 6:55 pm

I find these types of holes a lot as well, often far away from most human activity. I think they are totally natural.

Some interesting links to help solve the puzzle...

www.thoughtco.com/holes-in-rocks-1440784

https://www.thoughtco.com/mechanical-or ... ng-4122976

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aiwetir
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Re: the hole story

Post by aiwetir » June 11th, 2018, 7:18 pm

Whenever I'm feeling like I'm in a remote place where no one had either ever been or at least very few people have ever been, invariably I'll see a Capri Sun wrapper or something rather modern and not biodegradable. The forest service is notorious for messing with things in the middle of nowhere just to mess with people like us. I'd blame these on some phenomenon like that.
- Michael

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texasbb
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Re: the hole story

Post by texasbb » June 11th, 2018, 7:24 pm

Martians. Don't you watch the news?

Webfoot
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Re: the hole story

Post by Webfoot » June 12th, 2018, 3:43 am

I've seen some of these too, and they don't look natural to my uneducated eye. The ones I noticed were in steeper areas I think so I thought they might be some kind of rock anchor used during USGS surveying. If they are in flat areas maybe mineral sampling? How are those USGS Survey Markers installed? Is there a bore hole under them?

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bobcat
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Re: the hole story

Post by bobcat » June 13th, 2018, 4:40 pm

The ones on the coast are natural. Those are made by piddock clams, but usually in softer rock like sandstone.

Common piddock clams (Penitella penita), Nelscott Beach, Lincoln City.jpg
Common piddock clams (Penitella penita), Nelscott Beach, Lincoln City

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NickingUp
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Re: the hole story

Post by NickingUp » June 13th, 2018, 8:19 pm

Webfoot wrote:
June 12th, 2018, 3:43 am
I've seen some of these too, and they don't look natural to my uneducated eye. The ones I noticed were in steeper areas I think so I thought they might be some kind of rock anchor used during USGS surveying. If they are in flat areas maybe mineral sampling? How are those USGS Survey Markers installed? Is there a bore hole under them?
Agree with you.
Wander around, look up to the sky and let my feet feel the earth.

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K.Wagner
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Re: the hole story

Post by K.Wagner » June 18th, 2018, 6:03 pm

I have also seen these holes, in some very unlikely places.

Then just this last Saturday, I was walking along the Loowit Trail, minding my own business, about 1/2 way between June Lake & Ape Canyon, and as I stepped over a rock, I looked down. And there they were! These were weathered, so they were not as new as the ones you saw. These were larger also, about the size of an old silver dollar. The right one was maybe 3" deep, the left one perhaps 1 1/2" deep. My ax gives some scale.
24-Mystery holes-S.jpg
25-Mystery holes-S.jpg
Then, as I was walking back, about 150 feet from the pair of holes, was a single hole, again right in the middle of the trail.

I wonder if they are perhaps sample holes from geologists, trying to get material for mineral content analysis.
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Re: the hole story

Post by Webfoot » June 18th, 2018, 6:50 pm

K.Wagner wrote:
June 18th, 2018, 6:03 pm
I wonder if they are perhaps sample holes from geologists, trying to get material for mineral content analysis.
Yes, that's what I meant by "mineral sampling." Today I searched and found this:

BackpackDrill.com
Academic investigators have used the Shaw portable core drill for a variety of projects including petroleum source, reservoir, cap rock investigations, paleomagnetic studies, hydrogeologic investigations including monitoring well installations[...]. NASA and NASA contractors have used the Shaw drill extensively as have many universities located around the world.
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Chip Down
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Re: the hole story

Post by Chip Down » June 18th, 2018, 7:10 pm

K.Wagner wrote:
June 18th, 2018, 6:03 pm
I have also seen these holes, in some very unlikely places.

Then just this last Saturday, I was walking along the Loowit Trail, minding my own business, about 1/2 way between June Lake & Ape Canyon
Ah, back there again? Where's the TR? I was a day behind you, and I saw some holes too. Can't remember exactly where.
So it was sunny on Saturday? I waited for clearer skies Sunday. [yes, this is off-topic, but it's my topic :D ]

As for sampling, I never see them all that deep, usually just a couple three inches.

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