Ringing Rocks EarthCache
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Be sure to bring a hammer!
This pile of unusual rocks sits in the Dry Mountains between Butte and Whitehall, Montana. There are only two locations in the United States with this unique feature.
This large mound of rocks possess a unique quality, unexplained by science, and often seen more as a novelty or mystery than an oddity of geology.
When struck with a hammer, these rocks produce a ring similar to that of a bell. When asked why, no one seems to know - not even the land managers who regularly answer this question.
One key to the mystery is that the rocks on the ground don't chime when hit, meaning that the mound may have something to do with the sound.
Another clue is that the rocks don't chime when they're removed from the area. Which is ironic because it is illegal to remove any of the rocks from this site.
The rocks here are igneous, meaning they were formed when molten rock cooled, and have an iron component. They're about the size of small cars, piled helter-skelter in a mound about 30 feet high. Their surfaces are rough like a pumice stone, with their brown color disrupted by off-white lichen.
The requirements to log this earthcache: Estimate the number of rocks that make up the "pile," and provide to the owner your theory as to what causes these rocks to rign. Submit the answer to the owner's email.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)