In October 2020, Rock & Gem Magazine published an article, “Captivating Find At the Carver Agate Field,” by John Carver and Bill Halepeska. The article as published by Rock & Gem is an abridged, edited version of the original work submitted to Rock & Gem by Carver and Halepeska. The Rock & Gem article in its summary captioned “Authors’ Opinions” incorrectly states that Bill and I came to different geological conclusions. The fact is just the opposite.

We collaborated extensively and reached consensus that the ‘deep pit’ nodules and geodes formed in and then weathered out of gas bubbles formed in lava before hardening. Since these nodules and geodes are only in one small area of the ‘deep pit’, we do not believe that they were formed where found, nor weathered out in their current location. We both believe they were formed elsewhere (in the Paisano volcano, several miles to the west of The Carver Agate Field) and that subsequent to formation, the nodules and geodes were transported to the ‘deep pit’ as post volcanic debris flows which traveled through a ‘channel not unlike the dry washes seen in the area’. The medium of transport was a thick ash mud flow moving in a minimum to non-turbulent flow. Therefore, the ‘deep pit’ nodules and geodes came from the Paisano volcano, miles away, and were not formed from a different volcano which formed the highly diverse and colorful Carver Agate Field materials.

Two attached photos visually illustrate the difference between typical Carver Agate Field nodules and agates which contain lots of internal sagenitic material (photo #3181). Photograph #3281 typifies the ‘deep pit’ material. This photo depicts a smoky quartz blue-banded agate geode with a starburst. Note the soft yellow/green ashy material on the exterior. We believe this was formed from the Paisano volcano and then transported to The Carver Agate Field where it was recovered from the ‘deep pit’ . We do not believe this geode was formed from the volcano which created The Carver Agate Field’s extraordinary diversity of sagenitic materials.

Read the original unabridged article for a more nuanced detailed geological review and to view many more photos than were published in Rock & Gem.

3181: Typical Carver Agate Field nodules and agates which contain lots of internal sagenitic material.

3281: This is a classic smoky quartz blue-banded agate geode with starburst which is typical of the ‘deep pit’ materials which came from the Paisano volcano.