The lakeshore offers a great opportunity to study fossils, petrified wood, and different types of rocks and mineral along the shoreline.
Basalt Basalt is a dark, dense, and fine-grained volcanic rock formed from the solidification of lava flows and is typically black or dark gray in color.
ROCKS
Limestone Limestone is a sedimentary rock that is composed primarily of calcium carbonate. Limestone is common and often used as a building material in the region.
Tuff Tuff is a type of volcanic rock that is composed of volcanic ash and other pyroclastic materials. Tuff is is often used as local building materials.
Sandstone Sandstone is a sedimentary rock that is composed of sand-sized grains of mineral, rock, or organic material.
Granite Granite is a coarse-grained igneous rock that is composed of feldspar, quartz, and mica. Granite is not as common, but can be found in pockets around the lakeshore.
Andesite: Andesite is a volcanic rock that is intermediate in composition between basalt and rhyolite. It is typically gray to black in color and is commonly found in volcanic regions.
Rhyolite: Rhyolite is a volcanic rock that is similar to granite in composition, but is formed by volcanic activity. It is typically light-colored and has a fine-grained texture.
Conglomerate: Conglomerate is a sedimentary rock that is composed of rounded gravel-sized stones, held together by a finer-grained matrix. It is often found in areas with high energy water flows, such as river channels or shorelines.
Shale: Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock that is composed of clay minerals. It is typically gray or black in color and is often found in areas where sediment has accumulated over time, such as lake or ocean beds.
Schist: Schist is a metamorphic rock that is characterized by its foliated texture, which is caused by the alignment of mineral grains during metamorphism. It is typically composed of mica, quartz, and feldspar and is often found in areas with high levels of metamorphic activity.
SAND
Brown/beige sand: This type of sand is likely made up of weathered rock fragments and sediment that has been transported by rivers and streams that flow into the lake. The color is probably due to the presence of iron oxide minerals, which are common in many types of rocks.
Black volcanic sand: This type of sand is likely formed from volcanic ash and other pyroclastic materials that have been eroded and transported by wind and water. The black color is likely due to the presence of basalt or other dark-colored minerals. The mica and quartz are likely minerals that were present in the original volcanic material and were not altered during the erosion and transport processes. The ultrafine nature of the sand particles is likely due to the abrasive nature of volcanic ash and the intense weathering that occurs in the tropical climate of Nicaragua.