Science & Nature

This 50-Ton Prehistoric Boulder Was Unearthed at O’Hare, Contest Is On To Name It

Crews have been moving a lot of earth during the construction of a new concourse at O’Hare Airport. What they didn’t expect to excavate was a 50-ton piece of ancient history.

A massive boulder — 11.5 feet wide, 8 feet deep and 7.5 feet tall —was recently discovered 30 feet below the airfield’s surface and analyzed by a geologist working on the project.

Turns out, the boulder is dolostone, the hard bedrock that lies underneath most of Illinois’ glacially-deposited soil. Dolostone formed during the Silurian period of the Paleozoic Era, some 400 million years ago, when the Chicago area was a tropical hot spot.

“A rock of this magnitude deserves a name of its own,” said Mike McMurray, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation, in a statement. 

So, the department launched a naming contest Wednesday, which is open for submissions via an online form for the next three weeks. Department officials will review the entries, select five finalists and then put them to a public vote. An exhibit is being planned to celebrate the boulder.

Contenders are already pouring in on social media: Butch (for Edward “Butch” O’Hare), BaRock Obama, Dwayne Johnson and Chip. And yes, because Boaty McBoatface will forever be the cautionary tale when it comes to naming contests, someone has suggested Rocky McRock Face. 

Contact Patty Wetli: [email protected]

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