Thanks, Gerry Naugle

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Fall Meeting Schedule

 November 13: Annual Towel Show—bring your 2008 field trip finds (club or personal) and display them on a towel for the club to see, and you may win a prize.

December 18: Annual Gift Exchange—anonymous gift exchange of mineral or lapidary-related gifts ($5 or less in value)—one of our most fun annual events! Note that the date has been moved from Dec. 11 due to our Annual Show being held Dec 12-14.

January 10: Don Cook will give us a talk on Trilobites. See next newsletter issue for more details.

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Junior Geologists Active on Many Fronts!

The juniors have been busy, completing the requirements for two badges and beginning a third.

Stone Age Tools and Art Badge

We finished the requirements for the Stone Age Tools and Art badge with a trip to the CU Natural History Museum. At the museum, we learned more about how the Native Americans utilized the rocks and minerals they found to make their tools, houses, and art. Here are a few pictures of our tour of the Museum.

The juniors and their families learning about how the Native Americans utilized stones for tools from a museum staff person.

Caleb Huber and Katherine Codrescu try their hand at fire making.

The juniors appreciate the time that Ray Horton, Gerry Naugle, Charlotte Morrison, and Bob Smith spent with them to pass on their knowledge of prehistoric artifacts.

Gold Panning and Prospecting

We had a great time learning about how the prospectors found and recovered gold from the Colorado hills. Bob Smith, Gerry Naugle, and Ray Horton set up a gold panning opportunity at the September meeting, so everyone got to pan for gold. The juniors completed the requirements for the Gold Panning and Prospecting badge with a trip to the Phoenix Mine, outside of Idaho Springs. Ray Horton led a great trip into the mine, explaining how the miners extracted gold from deep inside the mountain. Everyone also got to try their hand at gold panning after the tour.

  Here are a few photos of our trip.
 

Ray Horton leading the tour inside the Phoenix Mine. The juniors are learning about how the miners recovered gold from the crushed ore.


Perry Chesebro trying his hand a gold panning.


Ryan Huber with his gold finds (fool’s gold that is)

A special thanks to Ray Horton, Bob Smith, and Gerry Naugle for helping to teach this badge.

The Junior Geologists program is open to all Flatirons Mineral Club families. We meet on the third Thursday of each month, plus have special weekend activities from time to time. For more information about the Jr. Geologists program, please contact Dennis Gertenbach. or Todd Shannon.
 

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An Elephant Never Forgets!

A friendly reminder that the annual dues to the FMC become due on October 1st, 2008. The dues are only $18 per individual and member immediate family.

You can pay in two ways:
SEND A CHECK made out to: "Flatirons Mineral Club" (or "FMC")
P.O. Box 3331
Boulder, CO 80307

or you can pay cash or check to Gerry Naugle, Jan Buda, or Alex Cook, Membership Co-Chairs at any FMC monthly meeting. One of them is at the sign-in table upon entering the West Boulder Senior Center room for the monthly meetings. The payment receipt is your new annual 2008-09 FMC membership card.

Please do not send a cash payment to the Club P.O. Box 3331 by USPS mail. Remember, you can receive electronic (or) paper club newsletters containing the general meetings information, guided club field trips information, annual show opportunities, silent auction opportunities and the club annual summer picnic if you are a member of the Flatirons Mineral Club. Your 2008-09 dues must be received by Jan 31st, 2009 in order to stay current on the club newsletters and club member benefits.

Thanks.
 

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November “Show and Towel”

November 13 (Thursday) is our annual Show and Towel, the club's version of an old fashioned show-and-tell night. Bring your mineral, rock, and fossil finds or your lapidary arts projects that you have completed this past year to the meeting to show others. Also, bring a towel to put your specimens and projects (hence the "Show and Towel"). It is a chance to let others know what you have found and where you found it. Your lapidary projects may spark an idea with someone else. And, you may go home with a prize. The meeting is a great time to see lots of neat things.

The prizes (to be voted on by all club members—this is half the fun!) will be awarded in the following categories:

Best Club Field Trip--Senior Div [& Junior Div]
Best Personal Field Trip--Senior Div [& Junior Div]
Best Lapidary--Senior Div [& Junior Div]
Best Jewelry--Senior Div [& Junior Div]
Best Ugly Rock--Senior Div [& Junior Div]
Best Towel--Both Divisions [combined, just the "Best Towel" in the room.]

 

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New Dinosaur Exhibit at the Museum
Dennis Gertenbach

Do you think you know a lot about dinosaurs? After a visit to the Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, you will be surprised about how much has been discovered in the last ten years. Here is just a sample of what you will learn:

Using advanced technologies, scientists are unlocking the secrets of dinosaur behavior. Dinosaurs are not the plodding creatures, as was once thought. Using the latest biomechanical studies, you will see dinosaurs spring into action.

It may have taken more than an asteroid impact to finish off the dinosaurs. You can explore evidence for other extinction theories, including global climate change, and massive volcanic eruptions.

Experience how paleontologists excavate fossils at the Dinosaur Gulch Dig Site.

In conjunction with this exhibit, the IMAX Theater is presenting a new presentation, Dinosaurs Alive! Using advanced computer animation, dinosaurs large and small are featured on the big screen.

One of the highlights of the exhibit is a 700-square-foot diorama depicting the 130-million-year-old forest that existed in what is now Liaoning Province, China. The diorama features many of the recent discoveries coming from this site, including dinosaurs with branched protofeathers - precursors to the feathers found on birds, dinosaurs that glided from tree to tree on biplane wings, and a sleeping dinosaur based on a recently found fossil.

The exhibit will continue through January. For more information, see http://dmns.org/dinosaurs/ or call the museum at 303-322-7009.

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Club Field Trip Report
Dennis Gertenbach

Since the last newsletter, the club had three great field trips, with lots of participation and good finds. Here is a brief report about each of these.

Mt. Antero

Craig Hazelton was able to arrange for the club to tag along with the North Jeffco Gem and Mineral Club’s trip to Mt. Antero on August 30-31 to search for Colorado’s state gem, the aquamarine. The collection site is well above timberline on the flanks of the mountain, and the weather could not have been more ideal for a weekend of collecting. As the photos show, everyone found really nice specimens to add to their collection and many of the finds were gem-quality. Here are several photos of the trip.

Cindy Hoaglund with one of her finds. (photo by C. Johnson)


Some of the aquamarines found this weekend (photo by C. Johnson)

A special thanks to Craig for arranging the trip and to the Jeffco club for allowing us to join them.

Tepee Buttes

September 20 was another great day to be out collecting. This time, the club went to Boone, outside of Pueblo, to collect Cretaceous fossils on the Tepee Buttes in the area. The Tepee Buttes are a string of unique geological formations that are the remnants of reefs that developed along methane vents in the Western Interior Seaway. With a limestone core, the buttes are now seen as elevated hills that stretch from Pueblo through northeast Colorado. Some of the finds that day included several species of ammonites, baculites, snails, and clams. Nico Caballero, one of the Jr. Geologists found a 4-inch Solenoceras, a bobbypin-shaped ammonite. Again, some pictures from the trip.
 

Several of the Tepee Buttes we collected in the Boone area (photo by Dennis Gertenbach)


Nico Caballero and Dennis Gertenbach collecting on one of the buttes (photo by Carlo Caballero)


A large baculite found by Steve Lubbs (photo by Dennis Gertenbach)


A special thanks to the two land owners for allowing us to collect on their property.

South Platte River

One September 27, we met at the Adams County Museum, where Jordan Sawdo gave us a terrific tour. If you have not been to the museum, you must add this to your list of things to do in the near future. Jordon has a terrific display of minerals and crystals from Colorado mines and localities. Many of the bones and archaeological artifacts are from the local area in Adams County.

After the tour we headed down the river and found a couple of nice sandbars to search for fossil wood and anything else of interest. Everyone found great examples of fossil wood. Trick Runions' mom found 4 pieces and a sliver of fossil bone just around her chair! Trick also found two pieces of fossil bone and what appears to be a stegosaurus tooth. All in all, we had perfect weather and great success. Here are a few photographs from the trip.
 

Club members collecting along one of the sandbars along the South Platte River (photo by Trick Runions)


The possible stegosaurus tooth found by Trick Runions (photo by Trick Runions)

The club appreciates the time that Jordon Sawdo took to give the club a tour of the museum, where he volunteers much of his time to the geological exhibits.
 

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Comments From Lew

Lew Yoder has been a member of the Flatirons Mineral Club for 30+ years. He is willing to share his wit and wisdom.
Compiled by Skip Merlin

Faded Fish And Malevolent Malachite

Recently, a club member asked me why her Eocene fossil fish faded. She had traveled on a FMC field trip up to Kemmerer, WY to collect Green River Formation fossils. The fishing was a great success, and she wrapped her fish in newspaper for the perilous trip home. Then the fish, still wrapped in newspaper, were stored in a barn. A couple of months later, she went to inspect the fossils, and they were faded. Oh, dear.

Well, the first part of the explanation is that the newspaper, composed of gypsum, cellulose, and chlorine dioxide, reacts with the minerals in the fossil and hastens the process of oxidation. A ready ion exchange occurs between the gypsum (calcium sulfate) and the iron ores in the fossil. Also, the chlorine dioxide is a bleaching agent, used to bleach the paper, and traces of it will bleach the fossil. Additionally, the ambient humidity in the barn is higher than in a house, and this speeds up the reactions.

The fading process – oxidation – starts as soon as you remove the fossil from its 55 million year old bed, and expose it to sunlight, humidity, and atmosphere. Keeping it in a dark, dry, temp and humidity controlled vault seems a little counterproductive. I recommend that you keep your fish indoors, out of direct sunlight, and that you use a spray varnish, available at artist’s supply shops. The newspaper is an excellent choice, available and cheap, for protecting specimens during an always adventuresome FMC field trip. It’s not recommended for long term wrapping of fossils.

Crystal Hazards

My second subject for today concerns the hazards of collecting Pyrite, Malachite and Azurite.

Pyrite, iron sulfide, has somehow gotten a reputation for being a dangerous crystal to have in the living room. This is not true. Pyrite will not jump off the shelf and attack the children. The hazard for human health comes when you grind or saw it. The resulting dust is very bad for lungs. The gem cutter needs to wear a mask. Also, a chunk of pyrite sitting on the shelf can react with the humidity in the air and produce a very dilute sulfuric acid, which can, over time, dissolve all the paper labels that you so carefully placed on the other specimens. If you have a particularly energetic piece of pyrite, you might want to seal it in a plastic bag. Some members use pyrite crystals to fertilize their yard trees.

Malachite and Azurite are genuinely hazardous and should not be unsecured in a house with children. Malachite is named from the same Latin root as malign, malefactor, malediction, and, well, you get the idea. Azurite gets its name from the clear blue sky of the Mediterranean. The names of these minerals tell us what
to expect. The stunning blue/green beauty of these crystals is juxtaposed with their malevolent natures. Both are basic copper carbonates and are found in the secondary (weathered) zone of copper ore deposits.

Malachite and Azurite are useful prospecting guides. Rockhounds and explorers should always exercise good judgment. The old parental adage “Don’t put anything in your mouth, unless you know what it is”, still applies. The further danger to a child is that any accidental ingestion of bright attractive objects that look candy like will have a greater impact just because of the child’s small body size. There can quickly be lethal consequences if a child somehow ingests malachite or azurite. The exquisite beauty of these crystals makes them a valuable collector’s item. They should be displayed in a sealed and/or locked case. Jewelers and lapidaries need to carefully follow recommended procedures.

For the next column, I would like to explain how to get Barite crystals out of matrix.

Skip Merlin is a member of FMC, and is a writer looking for work.

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2009 Officers Elected

At October’s meeting we elected Flatirons Mineral Club officers for 2009. We are pleased that Paul Boni will be our President next year. Paul has been very active in the club for many years, previously serving as Second Vice President in charge of field trips and on our Board. Shaula Lee, former club Secretary is taking over the Second Vice President position and she would like to hear your suggestions for field trips this next year. Returning to our Board is Ray Gilbert as Third Vice President in charge of our 2009 club show. We are also pleased to welcome two new members to our Board, Craig Hazelton as Secretary and Betsy Lehndorff as a director. Members who are staying on the board for another year are Terry O’Donnell as First Vice President in charge of meeting programs, Gerry Naugle as Secretary, and Ed Raines and Alex Cook as directors.

We want to thank all of these club members for volunteering to provide leadership to our club for next year.

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Geological Discoveries
Dennis Gertenbach

Earth’s Oldest Rocks Found

The world’s oldest rocks, dated at 4.28 billion years, have been found on the shore of Hudson Bay, Canada. Known as the Nuvvuagittuq greenstone, this rock is 250 million years older than any rocks known. Before this study, the Acasta Gneiss found in Canada's Northwest Territories were the oldest rocks, estimated from 4.03 billion years ago. The only things known to be older are zircon mineral grains from Western Australia, which date back 4.36 billion years.

The newly discovered rocks were dated by measuring isotopes of the rare earth elements neodymium and samarium. Geologists are keenly interested in these rocks, as they contain geological structures that may only form if life forms were present on the planet. The rocks display a banded iron formation with thin  alternating ribbons of magnetite and quartz. Some researchers believe that this structure requires bacteria to form. If true, then these rocks would be the oldest evidence of life on earth.

Geology’s Role in the Civil War

Robert Whisonant of Radford University has long been fascinated with the role that geology played on the history of the Civil War. Teaming with Judy Ehlin, the two researchers have examined the geomorphology of several battlefields and compared the terrain to known casualties for each day of fighting. Their study shows that for some battles in the Civil War, the shape of the land dictated the risk to soldiers. And, the underlying geology created a more dangerous terrain.

At Gettysburg, the Union had the high ground. However, the high ground has hard rock so close to the surface that the soldiers could not dig trenches and were quite exposed to the Confederates artillery fire. However, geology did not help the Confederates, either. When they attacked the Union troops, they had to charge up open slopes formed on more erodible rock. Because the rocks eroded easily, there was nothing for them to get behind and they were exposed to Union fire. Although the Union troops won the battle, both sides suffered very high casualties.

Antietam was the site of the bloodiest battle in the Civil War. On September 17, 1862 up to 23,100 soldiers were killed, wounded, or declared missing. Two geologic units underlie the area. One is a very pure limestone that erodes to a very level, open surface. There are not many deep holes or high hills for the soldiers to hide. Miller's Cornfield lies on this flat surface and the two armies just shot each other to pieces. Nearby, the geology is much different, where it is made up of limestone and dolomite interspersed with shale. The topography is much different, with many areas that provided good cover and concealment. The casualties were much lower on this part of the battlefield.
 

One of the Largest Diamonds Found

 The Letseng Mine in the southern African country of Lesotho has yielded one of the world's largest diamonds. The near-flawless white gem weighs 478 carats, with very few inclusions and outstanding color and clarity. Four of the world's 20 largest rough diamonds have been found at the mine, including the three largest found this century. Although it is difficult to determine the value of a diamond before it is cut, a recently sold gem weighing nearly as much as this one sold for $12 million.

The world's largest diamond is the Cullinan, discovered in South Africa in 1905. It weighed more than 3,100 carats before it was cut into a number of gems. Many of these are now part of the British crown jewels.

King Solomon’s Mine Found Legend holds that King Solomon's Mines held a treasure of gold and diamonds. Archaeologists, led by Thomas Levy of the University of California at San Diego and Mohammad Najjar of Jordan's Friends of Archaeology, say the real mines may have supplied the ancient king with copper. They recently discovered a copper production center in southern Jordan that dates to the 10th century B.C., the time of Solomon's reign.

The discovery occurred at Khirbat en-Nahas, which means "ruins of copper" in Arabic. It is located south of the Dead Sea in the region known as Edom in the Old Testament. Earlier excavations at the site in the 1970s and 1980s indicated that metalworking began there in the 7th century B.C., long after Solomon’s time. The current researchers excavated deeper into the site and found materials that were dated to the 10th century B.C.

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Fossils in the News
Dennis Gertenbach

Were Dinosaurs Just Lucky? Was there something special that allowed the dinosaurs to become the dominant animals for 135 million years? Were they better adapted to out-compete other animals? Led by Steve Brusatte of Columbia University, researchers compared fossils of Triassic dinosaurs with crurotarsan
archosaurs (a group of reptiles whose only living relatives are crocodiles) that lived at the same time. They found that both groups evolved at about the same rate. Crurotarsans even developed a wider diversity of body types than dinosaurs, which allowed them to adapt to more habitats than dinosaurs. However, when rapid climate change caused a mass extinction about 200 million years ago, all crurotarsans except crocodiles were wiped out, while dinosaurs made it through the extinction event. The researchers concluded that dinosaurs were just plain lucky. Needless to say, many experts do not agree, but say that the dinosaurs may have had some unknown edge that allowed them to survive.

North America’s Smallest Dinosaur Discovered A chicken-size dinosaur that dined on termites has been discovered in Alberta, Canada. This new species, named Albertonykus borealis, is an Alvarezsaur, a group of unusual-looking dinosaurs that have also been found in Asia and South America. Alvarezsaurs generally had long tweezerlike snouts, slender bird-like legs, long rigid tails, and stumpy arms. The team reporting on this find speculates that Albertonykus dined on insects, using its large thumb claw to tear open rotten logs to expose termites and other animals. The fossils date to 70 million years ago and indicate that the animal was only 2.5 feet long, the smallest dinosaur ever discovered in North America.

Why Crest on Duck-Billed Dinosaurs? Duck-billed dinosaurs known as lambeosaurs lived 85 to 65 million years ago during the late Cretaceous period and are known for the bony crests on their heads. These crests often contain long, looping nasal passages, whose function has been long-debated by paleontologists. These bony crests may have been used to produce deep, haunting sounds. As the animals aged, the nasal passages within the crests changed, thus changing the voices made by these animals. Individuals may have recognized each other by the low-frequency voices produced by these crests. Scans of the animal’s inner ears reveal that their cochlea were sensitive enough to detect the low-frequency sounds produced by the crests.

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Upcoming Events, Nearby & Elsewhere

Fri., Nov. 7, “Rock Out for the Ridge”, fund-raiser evening for Dinosaur Ridge, Morrison CO. An evening event at the Red Rocks Visitor Center; celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Friends of Dinosaur Ridge; “Laramie Luau”, featuring dinner, silent auction, and featured speaker Dr. Tony Fiorillo, “Tracking Dinosaurs in Alaska”. Reservations, $75.00. For more information please call 303-697-3466.

Nov. 7-9, Rocky Mountain Federation Show presented by Tulsa Rock & Mineral Society. Friday: 10am-6pm; Saturday: 9am-6pm; Sunday: 10am-5pm. In the Central Park Building at Expo Square (between Harvard & Yale on 21st) in Tulsa, Oklahoma. $5 adults, $10 for 3-day; children under 12 and Scouts in uniform are free with parent. Info: Richard Jaeger: RjgrSci@aol.com; Virgil Richards: dws@dances-with-snakes.com; or Peggy Stewart: peggy22@cox.net (publicity chairman). Gemstones, Jewelry & Beads, Crystals & Fossils, Lapidary, Top National Dealers, Special & Judged Exhibits, Working Demonstrations, Slide Shows & Presentations, Special Area for Children, Hourly Door Prizes, Silent Auction, Dry Camping on Grounds.

Nov. 12, USGS Colloquium, lecture, public welcome; “The Iron Hill (Powderhorn) carbonatite complex, Gunnison County, Colorado: A potential source of several uncommon mineral resources”, by Bradley S. Van Gosen; 10:00 a.m., Foord Room, Building 20, Denver Federal Center.

Nov. 13, Friends of Mineralogy, Colorado Chapter, bimonthly meeting, program, The Cripple Creek Mining District, by Dr. Bob Carnein; 7:30 p.m., V.I.P. Room at Denver Museum of Nature and Science; all visitors welcome.

Nov. 14, Rush and Bust! Aspen's Silver Mining Legacy, by Dr. Malcolm Rohrbough; 7:00 p.m., Heritage Lecture Series at the Western Museum of Mining & Industry, Colorado Springs; no charge, RSVP by Nov. 7 to 719-488-0880 or info@wmmi.org

Sat., Nov. 15, Silent Auction: Littleton Gem & Mineral Club, 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Columbine Hills Church, 9700 Old Coal Mine Ave., Littleton, CO 80123

Sat. & Sun., Nov. 15 - 16, Hands of Spirit Gallery 11th Annual Holiday Mineral and Jewelry Open House from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. You're sure to find an incredible selection of the finest crystal and mineral specimens and a lovely selection of jewelry. Call 303-541-9727 for directions and further information.

Fri.-Sun. Nov. 21-23, Mineral, Fossil, Gem & Jewelry Show. Exhibit Halls, Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 15200 West 6th Ave., Golden, CO (just west of Indiana St. on the 6th Avenue Service Road). Fri.-Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
 

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Young Peoples’ Mineral Art Gallery

Diamond Dan Publications (Mini Miners Monthly) has just posted the beginning of a Gallery of Mineral Art by young mineral artists (under 18 years of age). Though still a relatively small gallery, it is a beginning with the plan that it will grow considerably in the coming months. If you are, or know of, a young mineral artist who has something to contribute, please contact Darryl Powell via the e-mail address or web site given below. Artwork can be submitted by email or snail mail, whichever is best for the artist and his/her family. There is a link to the gallery at the bottom of their home page Enjoy! There are some terrific young people out there who have a lot of talent and knowledge to share.

Darryl Powell, Diamond Dan Publications

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Equipment for Sale

5-Wheel Lapidary Grinder and Polisher for Sale -$500. This lapidary arbor includes a rough and fine grit grinder, rough and fine polisher, and a buffing wheel driven by a ½ horsepower Westinghouse Motor. Includes a cover and mounted light with switch, as well as some miscellaneous extra belts/supplies.  

6” Lapidary Trim Saw for Sale - $150. Dayton split phase AC motor with water supply. Includes an extra diamond blade.

Please email dianne@themarshalls.org with questions or for photos.

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Calendar of Events

Nov 13 - FMC Club Meeting, 7:00 PM, West Boulder Senior Ctr, 9th & Arap. Annual “Show-and-Towel”

Nov 20 - Junior Geologists Meeting, 6:30 PM. Charlotte Morrison’s house, continuing work on the Fossil badge.

Dec 2 - 2008 FMC Combined Show Committee & Board Meeting, Boulder County Fairgrounds meeting room (administration building), 7:13 p.m.

Dec 6 - Jr. Geologists Dino Day Explore Denver-area fossil locations, and bake dinosaur cookies, Dennis Gertenbach, leader.

Dec 12-14 - Flatirons Mineral Club & Boulder Model Railroad Club Annual Show. Boulder County Fairgrounds.

Dec 18 - FMC Club Meeting, 7:00 PM, West Boulder Senior Ctr, 9th & Arap., Annual Holiday Gift Exchange

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Updated 11/9/08