General information
3817 Mineral Point Road
Madison, Wisconsin 53705-5100
phone: (608) 262-1705 | fax: (608) 262-8086
email: info@wgnhs.wisc.edu
Got a question?
Check out our list of experts to contact a subject matter specialist.
Looking to identify a rock, mineral, or fossil?
Before we can help, we need a few things to make an accurate identification: (1) A clear picture that includes a scale (such as a ruler, your hand, a pencil), and (2) details about where you found the object.
Other resources to explore for answers:
- Start local. Your local gem and mineral club is an excellent source of information.
- Fossils. Check out our Fossils of Wisconsin pages. Many Wisconsin fossils can be identified using our Common Paleozoic Fossils of Wisconsin publication.
- Minerals. Our comprehensive Minerals of Wisconsin database lets you search for minerals by county or name.
- Geology. If you’d like to learn more about Wisconsin’s geology, we have web pages and educational materials devoted to the subject.
- Rock units. Want to know the name of a rock group, formation, or member? Check out Bedrock Stratigraphic Units in Wisconsin.
- “Leaverites”. This site by Steven Dutch, emeritus professor of geoscience at UW–Green Bay, offers a lengthy list of oddball features that defy classification. It’s worth a read for the wide variety of possibilities suggested.
Find an Expert
Have a question about Wisconsin geology? Check out our list of experts at the Survey who can help. Look for the category that best fits your question. Please contact just one person—we’ll reroute you if needed.