Field guide No. 625
Black shadow drift
Drifting, but the wrong colour.
On a snowy plain under a bright sun, a fence post has a heap of black stuff piled against it like a snowdrift, crumbling at the edges. Its shadow has blown in overnight and banked up.
Field noteA fence post’s shadow has banked up against it like snow, crumbs and all. Wind usually does this in white.
Also possible, also breaking material
The softest fossil in the abyssFossils are bone turned to stone. This one turned to smoke and has somehow kept its shape for ages.
Paper plane in origami mudMud can hold folds until rain returns. The plane has a runway of damp paper.
Tire tread in quartzA truck tread pressed deep into clear quartz. Crystal does not take a print, but a boulder with one is coherent.
Tapering sedimentary layers in harsh lightShale this thin would snap under its own weight; sedimentary rock is not known for cantilevers.