rocky mountain news—december 2011 page -...
TRANSCRIPT
Rocky Mountain News—December 2011 Page
I am delighted to officially announce that the 2012 RMFMS Convention and Show will be in Albuquerque, NM, on March 16-18. Bob Carlson worked to get this
location, and the Executive Committee voted their approval. I think it is so nice that the annual meetings move around the Federation. It gives everyone a chance to see a different part of the country and see how other clubs work their shows.
Every club should be represented at the annual meeting. This is where things happen for the Federation — we discuss, we comment, we vote, and we have a good time doing it. Your club is authorized two delegates, and they need to have the Delegates Form signed and submitted. If your club does not have a member who can attend as a delegate, please secure a proxy person, such as your State Director or any of the RMF officers. The Proxy Form should be signed by your club president and secretary and submitted to the Credentials Chair. Your rep-resentation is needed for a quorum. These forms will be available very soon.
The Federation if fortunate to have some new people filling committee chairs. These are peo-ple your club can call on when you have a question in their area. Pete Modreski is the new Fluorescent chair; Jennifer Biddle isn’t brand new, but new enough. She has the Federation program library from which clubs may order programs for meetings and most recently taken on the Webmaster position. Brian Paterson is handling the Webmaster contest, and Dan Alfrey has taken on the All American Club contest. If your club has a website, please enter the con-test and show it off. It’s my understanding that Dan may simplify the All American Club entry/judging requirements. Please contact him for additional information.
All of the RMF officers and committee chairs are listed on the last page of this newsletter. When you have a question, contact the person most likely to be able to help you. That’s why we are here. Best of the Holiday Season to you and yours!
DeLane Cox
Inside this issue:
Bulletin Contest 2
Why RMFMS Membership? 3
Collecting Kansas Minerals 4 Jurassic Dinosaur Bone 7
“All About Mining” 9 Road Log Corner 9
Shows & More 10
Officers & Committees 11
New Fluorescent Chair 8
New All Amer. Club Chair 8
“Smallest Fossil” 8
Book Nook & SW Shelf 10
The official publication of the Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. The RMFMS is a regional member of the American Fed-eration of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. and is issued monthly (except June and July). It is a privilege of membership of the RMFMS and cannot be exchanged by the editor for individual club newsletters from other regional federations. www.rmfms.org
NNOTESOTES FROMFROM THETHE P PRESIDENTRESIDENT BY DELANE COX
D ues from each club/society are due by December 15 unless other arrangement are made. December 15 is the magic date because we need to get your club
report to include the information in the RMFMS 2011-12 Directory. If your officer elections are in January, as some clubs do, please call or email me so that we may get the new officers information in the directory.
Dues notices and forms were sent by email in mid-October to each club with an available email address. Notices to other clubs went by US Postal Service. If you received the dues notice but are no longer the treasurer or other officer, please forward it to your treasurer. As explained on the form, we are requesting that you send in the annual reports using email and the MS Word docu-ment if possible. Otherwise, use USPS. Just follow the directions on the form.
If your club has not received the dues notice either by email or USPS, please contact me ASAP at 316-742-3746 or [email protected] so that we can arrange to get your club information to me by the December 15 deadline. You can also access the dues form on the RMF website www.rmfms.org.
Dues from each club are determined by multiplying $1.50 times each dues paying member age 12 or older in your club as of Oc-tober 31, 2011. Clubs having family memberships should count each family member age 12 or older.
Other than that, things are fairly quite on the treasury front. The 2011-12 budget has been submitted to the Executive Committee members for approval. Any club wanting to see the finances of the federation are welcome to request a copy of the budget from me, which I will happily provide.
T TREASURERREASURER’’SS R REPORTEPORT BY GENE MAGGARD
Editors & Webmas-Editors & Webmas-Editors & Webmas-Editors & Webmas-
ters Contest Due Datesters Contest Due Datesters Contest Due Datesters Contest Due Dates
12/31/11—Entry Deadline
2/25/12—Judging Deadline
3/17/12—Editors & Webmas-
ters Award Breakfast
Contact Betty Cain, Bulletins, or
Brian Paterson, Web Sites (contact
info on pg 11)
Look!
Rocky Mountain News—December 2011 Page 2
PublicationsPublicationsPublicationsPublicationsPublicationsPublicationsPublicationsPublications
Editor:Editor:Editor:Editor: Betty CainBetty CainBetty CainBetty Cain 2702 E. Pikes Peak Ave.
Col. Springs, CO 80909
719-634-8205
Circulation Manager:Circulation Manager:Circulation Manager:Circulation Manager: Bill CainBill CainBill CainBill Cain 2702 E. Pikes Peak Ave.
Col. Springs, CO 80909
719-322-6089
Subscriptions:Subscriptions:Subscriptions:Subscriptions: Gene MaggardGene MaggardGene MaggardGene Maggard 8318 SE Highway 77
Leon, KS 67076
316-742-3746
RatesRatesRatesRates————$3.50$3.50$3.50$3.50 a year for
the Rocky Mountain Federa-tion News only. $7.75$7.75$7.75$7.75 a
year for both the Rocky Mountain Federation News and the RMFMS Directory.
Directory onlyDirectory onlyDirectory onlyDirectory only————$5.00$5.00$5.00$5.00.
Order from Supplies Chair,
Bill Smith (temporary chair)Bill Smith (temporary chair)Bill Smith (temporary chair)Bill Smith (temporary chair)
PO Box 311
Hardtner, KS 67057
620-296-4652
DeadlineDeadlineDeadlineDeadline
Bulletin submissions deadline
is the second week of the
month prior to publication
date; i.e., the deadline for
January’s bulletin is the
second week of December
(NOW!).
Club Newsletter Editor
Qualification Test
This test was developed to determine if
patients at a seniors’ facility needed
assignment to the Alzheimer ward; also
a good test of Creative Thinking.
We fill a bathtub with colored water;
offer you a teaspoon, a soup ladle, a
cup, and a bucket; ask you to select
one and then empty the tub. If you
selected the bucket, you are obviously
distracted by the colored water. If you
selected the teaspoon, ladle, or cup,
your bed in the ward will be waiting for
you next week.
If you pulled the plug, you are quali-
fied to be the editor of your club news-
letter!
Via Calgary Lapidary Journal, 12/11
H oly Cow; the next RMFMS Show is in March, and the Editors & Webmasters
Breakfast is scheduled for Saturday, March 17, 2012!!! That does not give
us much time to get our Bulletin Contest coordinated, and I will need the coopera-
tion of all our wonderful club editors to make this happen. Our timeline has been shortened by three months.
Here are the dates for the 2012 RMFMS Publication Contest:
December 31—Deadline for entries (via email or snail
mail, please call to let me know you have
mailed the entries)
January 15—Entries provided to the category judges February 22—Entries returned from judging
March 1—Trophies and Ribbons ordered
March 17—Awards presented at the Breakfast
This crunched timeline requires us to deviate from the well-established proce-
dures, and I am gratefully accepting electronic entries. I will even pull entries from
your web site if you’ll complete the entry forms to let me know which articles, month of newsletter, etc. That could save us both a great deal of time and money.
Perhaps a member in your club with a computer and email could assist some of our
‘old school’ editors in getting the items submitted electronically. I will accept any
format (.doc, pdf, jpg, etc.), just please enter!
I sincerely appreciate the work of our editors and want to provide the recognition
they richly deserve. I see excellent newsletters, articles, and items each month from the local club newsletters; it would be a shame for your club to miss the op-
portunity of sharing them with the Federation. You know, we can’t submit entries
to the AFMS Bulletin Contest if we don’t have RMFMS entries and winners. It’s up
to you to make it happen. It’s not about praise or platitudes for the editor, al-
though those are great; it’s about your club and how you reach out to your mem-
bers and potential new members. A growing club has a healthy newsletter, and a prosperous federation has participating member clubs.
BBULLETINULLETIN P PUBLICATIONUBLICATION C CONTESTONTEST BY BETTY CAIN, EDITOR
Merry Christmas
2011 Ineligible Editors/Authors
Small Bulletins—Quarry Quips
Adult Articles—Brett Whitenack &
Vivian Stockton
Adult Advanced—Bob Carnein & Steven
Veatch
Junior Articles (<12) - Ted Reeves & Aaron
Hendricks
Junior Articles (12-17) - LG & CS Junior Group
& Kurt Lahmers
Junior Poetry—Angela White
Written Features—Michael Mitchell & Mike
Nelson
Photo Stories—Lyle Koerper
Adult Poetry—Steven Veatch
New Editors, Mini Bulletins, Large Bulletins,
Drawn Features, and Special Publications
may be entered by any club.
Start early—Don’t wait until the deadline!
� � � � � � � � � � � � HAPPY HOLIDAYS � � �� � �� � �� � �
Rocky Mountain News—December 2011 Page 3
E very once in a while we hear this comment, “Just what does the Federation do for my club?”, or, “Why should my club join the Federation?”
There are many good reasons. Let me give you a brief look at some.
Has your Club Program Chair every needed a good program? There are hundreds of programs in the Program Library that can be borrowed, and the cost of $4 is to cover postage. A great range of topics is available.
If a club member has a question about fluorescent materials, fossils, minerals, or lapidary technique, there are committee chairs who are very knowledgeable in these areas. As a Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies member, you can call on their expertise for answers.
If your club is looking for a new place for a field trip, your State Director may have a suggestion. If you are going to take a trip to another area of the Federation, your Federation Directory will tell you if there are clubs in that area, and you can contact them about what collecting opportunities are in their locale.
Does your club have junior members? The American Federation sponsors the very innovative Future Rockhounds of America (FRA) program. The RMF is a member of the AFMS, therefore all RMF clubs are members. The RMF has a contest at the annual conven-tion for juniors to submit specimens for judging, and there is a cash award!
The RMF publishes a wonderful newsletter that is filled with good information and great technical articles. As a member, you get a copy for free. The newsletter is emailed to a contact in every club who are asked to forward it to all of their members. Have you seen a copy?
There are opportunities for Federation members to write their congressperson regarding collecting areas that are being closed. We should all be concerned that so much public land is being closed to collecting. Have you heard about any of these closings? They appear in the newsletter.
And then there are the many opportunities to attend other club shows, where you can meet and get to know other rockhounds. They are great groups and have so much knowledge to share.
Last, but not least, there is the insurance thing. Many people ask why buy insurance through the Federation that does not cover our club members? A club could purchase their own insurance but likely will not get near the coverage for the price. All it takes is one guest to have an accident on your club property, or at your show, field trip, or swap, and sue the club for mega-bucks. How would your club come up with that kind of money? The Federation insurance purchased by clubs covers that.
Did I mention the opportunity to visit other shows in other locations? Shows are listed in the Newsletter, and you can find one to attend in an area you might like to know more about. The American Federation newsletter and the Rocky Mountain Federation news-letter are on their respective websites, and contain so much information.
Has your club made good use of all these resources? Maybe it is time to take another look, and participate in more Federation events. We are here for you. Let your Federation know what your club wants or needs so the program can be tailored to those needs.
Let’s get out there and make good use of YOUR Federation resources!
Editor’s Note: I find the biggest advantages of federation membership are the wonderful friends and contacts we’ve made. You al-ways know someone who shares a common interest when traveling through the twelve Rocky Mountain states. I enjoy the feeling of being part of a bigger bunch of rockhounds!
WWHYHY RMFMS M RMFMS MEMBERSHIPEMBERSHIP?? BY DELANE COX, RMFMS PRES.
A GOOD YEARA GOOD YEAR
A brand new year is given us, it could be likened to a stone.
It can be polished and enhanced, or it can be left alone.
We can sit and watch it pass, and wish we had our youth,
Or we can use the years we have in search of love and truth.
This year can be a better year, we can shine it to a glow.
No year is bad, no year is good, just people make it so.
Let’s plan this year to be our best by sharing love with others,
For peace will never thrive on earth until we live as brothers.
From Chiasto-Hi-Lites, via Surrey Rockhounder 12/08,
via Calgary Lapidary Journal 12/11,
Rocky Mountain News—December 2011 Page 4
CCOLLECTABLEOLLECTABLE M MINERALSINERALS FROMFROM K KANSASANSAS, P, PTT I I BY DR. MIKE NELSON, CSMS
K ansas is a state with abundant fossil and mineral resources but with few specimens that rockhounds would con-
sider gemstones or even semi-precious gemstones. However, there are some very collectable specimens avail-
able for most mineral enthusiasts. The problem usually associated with collecting in Kansas is that virtually all land is
privately owned and/or state land is off-limits to collecting. On the other hand, residents of Kansas are nice peo-
ple and often will give permission to rockhounds for admittance to property. The major exception to this possibil-
ity is with the collecting of vertebrate fossils. In the last couple of decades, landowners have found that verte-
brate fossils may be valuable monetary resources—items worth hundreds or thousands of dollars to interested
buyers. So, beware of this fact and be on your best behavior--ask permission before entering land.
The eastern one-half of the state has numerous outcrops of late Paleozoic sedimentary limestones and shales (Fig. 1) and these
rocks hold tremendous numbers of invertebrate fossils, many of which became extinct during the great end-of-Permian extinction
event (~ 251 Ma). The western part of the state is home to Cretaceous and Cenozoic sedimentary rocks and sediments with their
vast resources of both vertebrate and invertebrate fos-
sils, as well as interesting minerals. As with the Paleo-
zoic, the end of the Mesozoic (~65.5 Ma) had a large-
scale extinction event.
This article will focus on collectable minerals from the
state and leave the fossils for another story. However,
it often is not possible to collect minerals without notic-
ing the fossils!
Outside of a few scattered kimberlite pipes (Fig. 2) of
igneous rocks in eastern Kansas, the surficial rocks in
the state are either sedimentary or unconsolidated sedi-
ments. Kimberlites are of special interest since olivine–
rich magma has been “shot” upwards from deep in the
earth’s crust, perhaps as deep as 100 miles and travel-
ing ~1200 feet per second (Kansas Geological Survey,
2000). Most kimberlite pipes are located in South Africa where many are
major diamond producers.
No diamonds have been lo-
cated in the Kansas pipes;
however, hundreds of dia-
monds have come from similar pipes in the Colorado-Wyoming State Line Diamond
Belt. All other igneous rocks, with their vast array of interesting minerals, are far below
in the Kansas subsurface.
At one time, before the current trend for diamond exploration, I was able to collect
hundreds of small red pyrope garnets from the Stockdale pipe in Riley County, north of
Manhattan (Meyer and Brookins, 1976). I am uncertain about current access but rock-
hounds could check with the Geology Department at Kansas State University.
In 2010, the Wichita club hosted the RMFMS show with the theme of “Tri-State Miner-
als”, a reference to the vast mineral deposits in extreme southeastern Kansas, north-
eastern Oklahoma and southwestern Missouri—the Ozark Plateau. Galena (lead ore)
was discovered in Missouri in the 1830’s and the mines were coveted by both sides
during the Civil War. In the 1870’s, lead ore was discovered in Kansas and production
of both lead and zinc (sphalerite) continued for a century. The Kansas Geological Sur-
vey (2001) noted that the Tri-State District, with more than 4000 mines, produced in
excess of 23 million tons of zinc concentrates and four million tons of lead concen-
trates—50% of the zinc and 10% of the lead in the U. S. The mining also left behind tremendous environmental damage and the U.S.
Government has literally purchased and closed several towns in the region. Growing up in Kansas we were informed in school,
somewhat facetiously, that the tallest mountains in the state were the “chat piles” (overburden composed of chert, limestone and dolo-
mite and a variety of bad things”, like cadmium) in southeastern Kansas. On the plus side the region has produced spectacular min-
eral specimens of galena, sphalerite, dolomite, and chalcopyrite that occupy museum cases around the world. Unfortunately, most
mines no longer allow collecting and those of us who had the chance to collect in the 1960’s highly value our specimens (Figs. 3, 4).
www.csmsgeologypost.b
logspot.com
Fig.1 Generalized geologic map of Kansas. The eastern one third of the state has bedrock of Mississippian, Pennsylva-nian and Permian age (blues and purples). Outcrops of Cre-taceous rocks (green) and Cenozoic (yellow, tan and brown) dominate in the western section. Map from Kansas Geologi-cal Survey
Fig. 2 Diagram showing emplacement of kim-berlite pipes. Courtesy of Kansas Geological Survey.
Rocky Mountain News—December 2011 Page 5
The Flint Hills are a major topographic high extending north-south through Kansas
and south into Oklahoma (Osage Hills). The rocks holding up the Hills are of Permian
age and consist of numerous beds of alternating marine limestones and shales. The limestones contain uncountable nodules and
beds of flint or chert (Fig. 5). As rainwater percolates through the surficial vegetation a weak acid is formed and this in turn begins to
dissolve the limestone. Since the flint/chert (a form of microcrystalline quartz) is rather insoluble the residue left behind is a cherty soil
or cherty gravel and thus hinders erosion; hence, the rugged topography prevails. The hills have not been broken by the plow and
contain the largest tall grass prairie in the United States (see Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve).
The rocks of the Flint Hills contain a fantastic
array of Permian marine fossils such as brachio-
pods, bryozoans, corals, and some of the latest
known trilobites. The rocks also produce some
beautiful building stones and many of the old
county courthouses, the buildings at Fort Riley, and
early farm homes are constructed of local stone
(Fig. 6). Of interest to rockhounds is the fact that
some of the limestones contain geodes filled with
(mostly) calcite, chalcedony, quartz and occasion-
ally celestite. I have collected numerous speci-
mens from the Winfield Limestone, Dickinson
County, in roadside ditches along KS 18 north of
Chapman (Fig. 7). The Kansas Geological Survey
(2005) suggests prospecting “near the town of
Rock [Cowley County], along the Walnut River in
Cowley County; north of the town of Douglass in
Butler County; in Riley, Marshall, and Chase coun-
ties and T in a road cut ¼ mile west of Chapman,
on 4th Street”.
The Osage Cuestas, east of the Flint Hills, cover the eastern part of Kansas south of I-
70. The underlying bedrock is composed of limestones and shales of Pennsylvanian age;
however, they differ from similar looking rocks in the Flint Hills in that they are devoid of
the flint and chert. These beds dip gently to the west with the land surface following the
dip slope; the limestone beds hold up escarpments or cuestas on the east flank. As in the
Flint Hills, the rocks hold a variety of marine organisms and fossils are plentiful. Perhaps
the best locations to collect are in road cuts along secondary roads.
North of I-70 from Manhattan east to Kansas City the underlying Permian and Pennsyl-
vanian strata are covered by widespread glacial drift resulting from incursions of the large
northeastern U.S. continental glacier. The main event (in Kansas), perhaps on the order
of 600 ka, left behind various thicknesses of silt, clay, sand and gravel along with scat-
tered boulders (termed glacial drift). Some of the erratics in the drift may be traced to
their source area with great accuracy. Two of the easily identifiable cobbles came from
outcrops of the Precambrian Sioux Quartzite (red quartz arenite, a sedimentary
“quartzite”) near Sioux Falls (Fig. 8), South Dakota and the Duluth “Gabbro” (dark-colored
igneous rock from near Lake Superior). There are several internet sites that talk about
the presence (see www.findingrocks.com) of Lake Superior Agates in the drift; especially
in gravel pits near McLouth north of Lawrence. I have never seen these specimens but
do not doubt their existence.
Fig. 3 “Black-jack” sphalerite (large dark mass and small crys-tal), dolomite crystals (white), and scattered chalcopyrite crystals (on dolomite). Col-lected from near Galena, Kan-sas, in 1960’s. Fig. 4 Galena cubes on chert with minor sphalerite and chal-copyrite collected from near Galena, Kansas, in 1960’s.
Fig. 5 Permian limestone with scattered flint nodules and flint layers exposed along I-70 Riley County, Kansas
Fig. 6 Chase County Courthouse in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas. The native building stone is the Permian Cottonwood Limestone, one of the many Permian building stones quarried in Kansas.
Rocky Mountain News—December 2011 Page 6
Fig. 8 Large glacial erratic o
f Sioux Quartzite (Precamb
rian)
found in Wabaunsee County,
Kansas. Photo courtesy of J
ohn
Charlton and Kansas Geologic
al Survey.
In south central Kansas is an area bordering Oklahoma termed the Red Hills. Most visitors
to the state would not recognize this landscape as being part of “flat” Kansas. Late Permian
red shales, siltstones and sandstone are eroded into a variety of tables, buttes and mesas
often capped with beds of gypsum and/or dolomite (Fig. 9). The area also has numerous
sinkholes as subsurface salt (halite) and gypsum have dissolved leaving a void and then col-
lapsing. These rocks in the Red Hills represent the “drying up” of the vast, latest Paleozoic,
restricted circulation sea. It is fairly easily to collect specimens of rock gypsum and/or anhy-
drite.
Halite, or table salt, is a very common mineral in Kansas; however, since the mineral dis-
solves in “water”, outcrops are essentially non-existent and all beds are in the subsurface. In
fact, one of the largest halite deposits in the world is known as the Hutchinson salt bed, up to
400 feet thick and covering 37,000 sq. miles (Kansas Geological Survey; 1999). The beds
have been mined for several decades
My fifth grade school trip was to the salt mines at Hutchinson where we wandered around
underground without hardhats picking up pieces of halite. In today’s world a fifth grader would not even get close to a working mine
let along be taken down unprotected in a steel-cage elevator. One small piece of halite remains from this little excursion by my class
of 15 students. The mine is still in use today and produces rock salt. Perhaps more interesting to the rockhound is the Kansas Un-
derground Salt Museum where visitors actually tour the caverns at 650 feet below surface level. To be continued.
REFERENCES CITED:
Berendsen, P., T. Weiss and K. Dobbs, 2000, Kansas Kimberlites: Kansas Geological Survey Public Information Circular 16.
Brosius, L. and R. S. Swain, 2001, Lead and Zinc Mining in Kansas: Kansas Geological Survey Public Information Circular 17.
Kansas Geological Survey, 1999, Arkansas River Lowlands and Wellington-McPherson Lowlands; Rocks and Minerals: www.kgs.ku.edu/Extension/lowlands/AL_factsheet1.pdf
Kansas Geological Survey, 2005, Flint Hills; Rocks and Minerals: http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Extension/flinthills/rocks.html Meyer, H. O. A, and D. G. Brookins, 1976, Sapphirine, Sillimanite, and Garnet in Granulite Xenoliths from Stockdale Kimberlite, Kan-
sas: American Mineralogist, v 6.
Fig. 7 Cut geodes with a calcite rind and calcite crystals in hollow center. Col-lected from Winfield Limestone.
Fig. 9 Permian redbeds in Barber County, Kansas. Photo courtesy of John Charlton and Kansas Geological Survey.
Fig. 10 Halite cube collected from Hutchinson salt bed in 1950’s.
Rocky Mountain News—December 2011 Page 7
A CA CLOSERLOSER L LOOKOOK ATAT AA J JURASSICURASSIC D DINOSAURINOSAUR B BONEONE FROMFROM THETHE M MORRI-ORRI-
SONSON F FORMATIONORMATION, C, COLORADOOLORADO: : AA D DINOSAURINOSAUR B BONEONE P PRIMERRIMER BY KURT LAHMERS, COLORADO SPRINGS MINERALOGICAL SOCIETY JUNIOR MEMBER
A closer look at a dinosaur bone found in the Garden Park area of Cañon City, Colorado (USA) shows some interesting details on
the end of the bone. The holes in the dinosaur bone shown in figure 1 used to be tube-like structures called Haversian canals.
Haversian canals are branching channels where the blood vessels and nerve fibers are carried through the bone.
Surrounding these canals are bone tissues called osteons. The osteons are part of the cortical bone, or the compact bone.
The cortical bone is the structure of bone that holds up the body, while on the other hand, the spongy bone marrow (cancellous bone) produces red blood cells. The cortical bone is the outside structure of the bone that surrounds the cancellous spongy bone.
This dinosaur bone that is part of this study is on siltstone. Siltstone is composed of very fine-grained sandstone that has been deposited as silt. Through heat and pressure, this silt compacted and hardened into siltstone. This material is found in semi-quiet depo-sitional areas including ponds and lakes where standing or slow moving water permits fine-grained sandstone to fall to the lakebed forming silt. The dinosaur could have died either while in or near a body of water. Silt covered the bones and the water allowed sil-ica to replace the cells, one-at-a-time over a millennia.
This large dinosaur bone (Figure 2)—petrified in what became known as the Morrison Formation—quietly waited to be discovered and studied by the Colorado Springs Minera-
logical Society(CSMS) Pebble Pups and Junior members. This paper is the result of a CSMS Pebble Pup and Junior member study group to: 1) look some of the structures of a dino-saur bone and, 2) to learn how to take pictures of paleontological speci-mens. We accomplished our mission in the 45-minute monthly class. More exciting studies and papers are planned.
Bibliography Unk., . "Bone." Bone. Internet BioEd Project, Unk.. Web. 20 Jul 2011. http://www.bcb.uwc.ac.za/Sci_Ed/grade10/mammal/bone.htm>. Unk., . "Siltstone." Siltstone. LSF, 18/07/00. Web. 17 Jul 2011. <http://csmres.jmu.edu/geollab/fichter/SedRx/Rocks/Silt1.html>. Unk., . "Siltstone." Siltstone. B2bchinastone.com, 2008. Web. 21 Jul 2011. <http://www.b2bchinastone.com/products-112/siltstone.html>. Unk. "Haversian Canal." Wikipedia. March 2011. 1. USA: Wikipedia Foundation, 2005. Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haversian_canal>.
Author’s biography: Kurt is a member of the CSMS Junior study group and is a 9th grade student at Doherty High School in Colo-rado Springs, Colorado. He is a respected mentor to the younger Pebble Pups.
Nov. 25-onward, Free Maps for Holiday Wrapping Paper! The Map Store at the USGS is giv-
ing away its annual distribution of free "government surplus" maps for holiday gift wrapping (or any
other use you care to make of them!). FYI, I've noticed that copies of a World Seismicity map are
being included, as well as topographic maps. Available at the Map Store, Building 810, Denver
Federal Center, main entrance on Kipling St. between 6th Ave. and Alameda, Lakewood CO, open
8 to 4 weekdays. For teachers, free copies of the 2011 Earth Science Week Teachers Packet
(posters, maps, brochures, CDs, notebooks) are also available if you ask at the sales counter.
Check with your local USGS office to inquire about free maps in your area, or contact the Denver
office to see if they would send them if you paid postage!
Figure 1. As shown in this photo, the Haver-sian canals have dried out, leaving hollow holes throughout the bone. Photo by K. Lah-mers. S.W. Veatch specimen.
Figure 2. This Jurassic dinosaur bone was once a rather large, live, and active dinosaur that was part of a prehistoric ecosystem that included streams and ponds. Photo by K. Lahmers. S.W. Veatch specimen.
Rocky Mountain News—December 2011 Page 8
I was recommended by Betty Cain of Colorado Springs to serve as the “Fluorescent-Technical” chairperson for the RMFMS, for which I’ve agreed, so I would like to introduce myself.
I have been interested in mineral collecting since high school (East Brunswick, NJ) and college, and fluorescent minerals have always been one of my favorites. In fact, I think my first “real field trip” was in the summer after I graduated high school (1964), when I drove to Franklin, NJ, bought a rock pick at the local hardware store, visited the Franklin Mineral Museum, and collected minerals at the Buckwheat Dump. I graduated from Rutgers (Chemistry, ‘68) and then went to Penn State where I studied Geochemistry (M.S., and Ph.D. in 1972). After several years in the USAF (working on laser research) and at Sandia Labo-ratories, Albuquerque, NM, I joined the U.S. Geological Survey in 1979 and have worked for the USGS in Denver ever since.
Over the years, I have been a member of mineral clubs in New Jersey, State College PA, Albuquerque, and Colorado; I am a past president and life member of the Littleton Gem & Mineral Club, and a longtime member of the Friends of Mineralogy (currently President of the Colorado Chapter) and the Fluorescent Mineral Society. I’m also a current member of the Colorado Springs Min-eralogical Society, the Lake George Gem and Mineral Club, and the Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society, as well as the Geological Society of America, Mineralogical Society of America, Mineralogical Association of Canada, and the Society of Eco-nomic Geologists. I am a Research Associate at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and have been a Consulting Editor and Executive Editor for Rocks & Minerals magazine.
That sounds like more than enough about me. Some of my special interests are fluorescent minerals, pegmatites, rock-forming minerals, minerals of alkalic igneous rocks, and minerals and geology of Colorado and New Mexico in general; but there aren’t very many kinds of minerals that don’t interest me. I’ll always be happy to try to help answer any questions anyone might have about mineralogy, mineral collecting, and mineral localities, and of course, anything about fluorescence and ultraviolet light.
WWELCOMEELCOME, N, NEWEW F FLUORESCENTLUORESCENT C CHAIRHAIR!! DR. PETE MODRESKI
W e are very pleased to announce another Colorado rockhound has agreed to fill a vacant chair position. Perhaps he will pro-
vide an article in the January newsletter. In the meantime, I gleaned his report to the Lake George Gem & Mineral Club
newsletter, 12/11.
“Dan Alfrey sent the following report about an exciting new position he will occupy at the Rocky Mountain Fed-
eration of Mineralogical Societies: ‘Next time you see me, you will be looking at the new Chair of the RMFMS All
American Club! I believe we have 78 clubs in 12 states in the RMF. I am extremely excited to be working with our
awesome new (2-year) RMF President, DeLane Cox, on this venture & others !!!!’
Dan's new position will be Chair of a panel that judges applications from clubs wanting to be named All American
Club by the Rocky Mountain Federation. Maybe our Club should apply?”
Editor’s Note: I am very proud that fellow Coloradoans, Pete and Dan, volunteered as chairmen for these long-vacant positions!
WWELCOMEELCOME, N, NEWEW A ALLLL A AMERICANMERICAN C CLUBLUB C CHAIRHAIR!! EDITOR
A n X-ray scan of Baltic amber at the University of Manchester has revealed what scientists have said is the "smallest arthropod fossil ever". The 50 million-year-old mite, which was found on a fossilized spider, is just 170 millionths of a meter long.
The find, published in the Royal Society's Biology Letters, was made using computed tomogra-phy (CT) which builds up a 3-D image from flat images. Biologist Dr. David Penney said the fossil was "extremely rare". Baltic amber, the fossil- ized resin of trees from the area around the Baltic Sea, can contain fossilized arthropods - insects, arachnids and crustaceans - within it, which Dr. Pen-ney said were "preserved with lifelike fidelity".
The size of the mite means it is barely visible without a microscope, and Dr. Penney said the team at the university's Faculty of Life Sciences would not have been able to identify it without the CT scan. "CT allowed us to digitally dissect the mite off the spider in order to reveal the important features on the underside required for identification," he said.
"The specimen, which is extremely rare in the fossil record, is potentially the oldest record of the living family Histiostomatidae. Most amber fos- sils consist of individual insects or several insects together, but without unequivocal demonstrable evidence of direct interaction. The remarkable speci-men we describe in this paper is the kind of find that occurs only once in, say, a hundred thousand specimens." Via Pueblo Rock-hounds, 11/11; via http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-1565556.
'S'SMALLESTMALLEST FOSSILFOSSIL' ' SCANNEDSCANNED BYBY U UNIVERSITYNIVERSITY OFOF M MANCHESTERANCHESTER
Rocky Mountain News—December 2011 Page 9
G eologic road logs are some of the most useful tools field geologists and rockhounds have at their disposal. These logs de-
scribe geologic features and stratigraphy, at specific mileages, that are visible along the road in question. In the pre-
electronic age most road logs were printed in guidebooks published by various geological societies (and these remain a wealth of
information so check at your local academic library). This column will attempt to provide WWW addresses and small descriptions
of road logs that I find useful and interesting.
Rockhounds take note: as usual, be careful, take the necessary precautions when traveling, do not trespass on private land, and
know the local collecting regulations.
COLORADO PLATEAU TO GREAT BASIN http://www.aipg.org/2008/Phoenix%20to%20Flagstaff%20Road%20log.pdf
The road log describes the geology from Flagstaff, located in the pine trees of the Colorado Plateau, down elevation through the
Transition Zone, and into the Sonoran Desert of the Basin and Range.
KAYENTA TO MEXICAN WATER, ARIZONA: http://www.fourcornerssw.com/kayenta_to_mexican_water__ariz.html
Monument Valley in the northern part of Arizona occupies a prominent place on many traveler’s bucket list. The road logs follow
Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks exposed on the mesas and in the drainages. The bonus exposures include the numerous igneous
rocks called diatremes.
THE APACHE TRAIL: http://repository.azgs.az.gov/uri_gin/azgs/dlio/1007
Readers will need to locate this web site then click on the hot link Guidebook 4-Highways of Arizona. Although this log is about 40
years old, it gives a nice tour of the Apache Trail from the city of Apache Junction north by the Superstition and Goldfield Mountains
to the campground and marina at Canyon Lake.
I would like to share information about a very worthwhile class for teachers. “All About Mining - A Total Concept of the Mining
Industry” is a unique, 4-week, 6-credit recertification class for teachers conducted through the Colorado School of Mines Con-
tinuing Education/Teacher Enhancement program. Now in its 44th year, the class is sponsored by the Colorado Mining Association
Education Foundation. Its purpose is to show educators, via hands-on practical experience, the importance of mining and related
mineral industries to Colorado, the U.S., and the world. Teachers from any grade level and any subject area, science or not, may
take the course. It is a mixture of classroom sessions and field trips, including a three-day trip to western Colorado, with visits to
such sites as underground and open pit coal mines, a power plant, the Cripple Creek & Victor gold mine, the Henderson molybde-
num mine, a steel mill, a gypsum mine and sheetrock plant, and more. I personally help lead one of the field trips and give one of
the lecture presentations for this class. Over the years I have met many teachers who have taken the course (well over 1000 have
done so), and everyone who has counts it as one of the most unforgettable experiences of their lives. The tuition fee is $250,
which covers tuition-credit costs, but a greater amount in trip and class-related expenses is covered by the sponsoring organiza-
tions. Some scholarship assistance is available and can be applied for to defray expenses for participants who live beyond daily
commuting distance to the CSM campus; teachers from any part of Colorado and from anywhere in the U.S. are encouraged to
apply to attend the class (past attendees have come from all corners of the U.S., including Alaska). The CSM-Continuing Education
registration page for the class is at, http://te.csmspace.com/register.php?c=48 with more information posted at: http://www.all
aboutmining.org/Register.htm. The 2012 class will run from June 11 through July 6.
In the past few years, sign-ups for this course have been slow in coming, and the number of registrants has not filled the class to
capacity. Please help us ensure that the class continues into the future by spreading awareness of it via your club newsletter! I
hope that club members who read this, whether in Colorado or elsewhere, will pass it on to any teachers they know.
“A“ALLLL A ABOUTBOUT M MININGINING” C” COURSEOURSE FORFOR T TEACHERSEACHERS BY DR PETER MODRESKI, USGS, DENVER
L-R Cripple Creek &
Victor Mine hauler;
60-lb ingots of gold
worth $1 million
(Creeson); examining
uranium-rich zones in
Dakota Sandstone;
students learn to
gold pan.
RROADOAD L LOGOG C CORNERORNER BY MIKE NELSON, RMFMS PUBLIC LAND ADVISORY
Rocky Mountain News—December 2011 Page 10
To have your RMFMS member club sponsored event listed here,
email bettycain3@com cast.net. Include the following informa-
tion:
You may include other
info about your show
if you wish but will
only be printed as
space permits.
All RMFMS clubs
are also encouraged to register their event listings on the
RMFMS web site at: www.rmfms.org. Email your sub-
missions to the Webmaster.
December 9-11, 2011 Longmont, CO
Flatirons Mineral Club; Boulder County Fairgrounds Exhibit
Bldg., 9595 Nelson Rd. (at Hover); Fri. 10-6, Sat. 9-6, Sun. 10-5;
$3 Fri., $5 Sat. or Sun., contact Ray Gilbert, Flatirons Mineral
Club, PO Box 3331, Boulder, CO 80307, (303) 774-8468; e-mail:
[email protected]; Web site: http://bcn.boulder.co.us/
community/fmc/fmcshow.htm
January 29, 2012 Quartzsite, AZ
S.C.R.I.B.E. 29th Annual Meeting and Editors' Symposium, Sat-
urday, January 21, 2012 (9:00 am MST), Senior Citizen's Center,
Moon Mountain Road, Quartzsite, AZ
• Show dates & times
• Show location • Phone number • Club web site
• Sponsor (club)
• Contact name
February 4-5, 2012 Tucson, AZ
Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, Tucson Convention Center, 260
S. church Ave., www.tgms.org
RMFMS Show March 15-18, Albuquerque, NM
Albuquerque Treasures of the Earth (TotE) Gem and Mineral
Show, Mar. 16, 17, 18, 2012 at the NM State Fairgrounds in
the Creative Arts Bldg. Over 40 dealers. Minerals, fossils,
jewelry, books, junior table, raffles, silent auction, live wolf,
door prizes. Friday is Dollar Day. Admission Sat., & Sun.
$3, under 13 free! Fri-Sat 10-6, Sun. 10-5.
May 4-6, 2012 McPherson, KS
McPherson Gem & Mineral Club 20th Annual Sale & Swap; 9a-
6p; Rock Auction Sat 7:15p; 4-H Fairgrounds, 710 W. Wooside;
contact Kim Vasper (620) 241-7732 or Brett Whitenack (620)
241-7600; [email protected]
May 10-12, 2012 Ogden, UT Cache Geological and Archeological Society annual show; Utah
State University Field House; Contact: Gary Warren (Club Presi-
dent)435-720-1775 [email protected]
AFMS Show July 26-29, 2012 Wayzata, MN
The Midwest Federation is hosting the 2012 AFMS Show.
Shows Shows Shows Shows
andandandand
MoreMoreMoreMore
BBOOKOOK N NOOKOOK & S & SOFTWAREOFTWARE S SHELFHELF BY MIKE NELSON, CSMS
A column devoted to reviews of interesting software (usually free) or books (usually not free) of interest to geologists and mineral,
rock and fossil collectors. If you would like to participate, please send in your review and/or comments.
ROADSIDE KANSAS: A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO GEOLOGY AND LANDMARKS; Second Addition, Revised and Updated, Rex C. Buchanan and James R. McCauley; February 2010, The University of Kansas Press: ISBN-13 9780700617005; ~$14.95
Rex Buchanan is a master story teller when it comes to describing the geology of Kansas in terms that most any traveler can
understand! Roadside Kansas 2010 is the second edition (first published in 1987 with James McCauley as co-author) of the popu-
lar book that “Tattempts to explain what’s along the state’s highways—the geology, natural resources, and landscape of Kansas.”
I have read most of the state “Roadside Geology ofTT.. “series and Buchanan’s book is by far the best of the lot. One of the ma-
jor differences in the books is that Roadside Kansas offers specific mileages, as in road logs, in describing the geology: “The hills
here are capped by the Ireland Sandstone Member, a thick Pennsylvanian sandstone that was deposited in an ancient river valley
that extended as far north as Douglas County” (p. 71). Virtually every major east-west and north-south highway in the state is cov-
ered, over 2600 miles. There are over 100 photographs, line drawings and maps so the book is well-
illustrated. I also appreciated the many historical aspects presented, such as: “238.7 Barber/Harper
county line. Thomas W. Barber was a native of Ohio who was killed in 1855 while defending Lawrence
during a raid by proslavery forces” (p. 55). This is a wonderful book for any rockhound or interested trav-
eler needing information about the varied geology and land forms of Kansas. The geology of Kansas “T
reveals a world that is difficult to imagine, a prehistoric world shaped by powerful, relentless forces”.
Pick up the book at your nearest book dealer, most likely an internet dealer since I could not find my
copy on shelves in Colorado Springs.
Rocky Mountain News—December 2011 Page 11
President DeLane Cox 8152 Spanker Ridge Dr. Bentonville, AR 72712 479.254.0894 [email protected]
Vice President Debbie Leschner HC60 Box 512 Quemado, NM 87829 575.773.4119 [email protected]
Secretary Peggy Maggard 8418 SE Hwy 77 Leon, KS 67076 316.742.3746 [email protected]
Treasurer Gene Maggard Address on page 2
Historian Cinda Kunkler 210 NE35th St Topeka, KS 66617 785.286-1790 [email protected]
Bill Smith PO. Box 311 Hardtner, KS 67057 620.296.4652 [email protected]
Stan Nowak 2805 Sage Dr Enid, OK 73701 580.234.3126 [email protected]
Arizona
Vacant
Colorado Walton Wells 1447 S. 6th Cañon City, CO 81212 719.269.1988 [email protected]
Kansas
Lyle Koerper 1644 Valleyview Court Wichita, KS 67212 316.722.7115 [email protected]
New Mexico/Texas Yonis Lone Eagle PO Box 1975 Bloomfield, NM 87413 505.860.2455 rockymountainrockhounds@ yahoo.com
North Dakota Ray Oliger 516 N 20th St Bismarck, ND 58501 701.223.4986 [email protected]
Oklahoma/Arkansas Virgil Richards 26815 51st St Broken Arrow, OK 74014 918.640.9592 [email protected]
S Dakota/Nebraska
Vacant
Utah Tom Burchard 875 E. 4500 S. S. Ogden, UT 84403 801.479.4286 [email protected]
Wyoming Jim McGarvey PO Box 116 Kinnear, WY 82516 307.856.6188 [email protected]
Circulation Bill Cain Address on page 2
Convention Advisory Robert L Carlson 1585 Los Pueblos Los Alamos, NM 87544 505.662.5534 [email protected]
Finance
Robert Haines, Chair 104 S. Brookside St. Wichita, KS 67218
317/793/0-21
Wayne Cox 8152 Spanker Ridge Dr. Bentonville, AR 72712 479.254.0894 [email protected]
Lapidary Tech Mike Snively 8495 W. Starr Circle Littleton, CO 80128 720.981.0752 [email protected]
Mineralogical Tech Jim Hurlbut 2240 S Adams Denver, CO 80210 303.757.0283 [email protected]
Nominations Judy Beck, Chair 3021 E Country Club Rd Saline, KS 67401 785.823.7069 [email protected]
Richard Jaeger 3515 E 88th St Tulsa, OK 74137-2602 918.481.0249 [email protected]
Walton Wells See CO Director
Program Library Jennifer Biddle 1620 Kingsway St Sapulpa, OK 74016 918.361.1957 [email protected]
Public Relations
Vacant
Publicity/Editor Betty Cain Address on page 2
Safety
Vacant
Webmaster Jennifer Biddle See Program Library
Webmaster Contest Brian Paterson 203 Saddle Mountain Rd Colorado Springs, CO 80919 719.260.0114 [email protected]
Boundaries Robert L Carson See Convention Advisory
Credentials
Vacant
Directory Kay Waterman 2912 W 4th Pl S Claremore, OK 74017 918.521.4386 [email protected]
AFMS Club Rockhound of the Year Award (ACROY) Bill Cain Address on page 2
Ed. All American Club
Dan Alfrey PO Box 4164 Woodland Park, CO 80866 719.440.6234 [email protected]
Fluorescent Technical Pete Modreski 3555 Mill St Wheat Ridge, CO 0033 303.425.9549 [email protected]
Fossil Technical Roger Burkhalter 16560 E. Maguire Rd Noble, OK 73068 405.899.4260 [email protected]
Insurance Arlene Burkhalter 1267 Kingbird Lane Choctaw, OK 73020 405.732.0808 [email protected]
International Relations
Vacant
Junior Program Diane C Weir 2300 S Union Ave Roswell, NM 88203 575.622.5679 [email protected]
Long-Range Planning Judy Beck, Chair 3021 E Country Club Rd Salina, KS 67401 [email protected]
Richard Jaeger See Nominations
Robert L Carlson See Convention Advisory
Name Badges Richard Jaeger See Nominations
Parliamentarian Gene Maggard See Treasurer
Permanent Address Robert Carlson See Convention Advisory
Program Contest Jennifer Biddle See Program Library
Ribbons Kaye Thompson 1830 Mesita Ct. Colo. Springs, CO 80906 719.636.2978
Scholarship Sandy Cannedy 15071 County Rd 1170 Binger, Okla. 73009-5006 405.656.9019 [email protected]
Supplies
Vacant
Trophies Robert L. Carlson See Convention Advisory
Arizona Bill Jaeger 3441 E Astro St Hereford, AZ 85615 520.803.6590 [email protected]
Harry Kilb 3411 Tomahawk Dr Lake Havasu City, AZ 86406 928.855.1630 [email protected]
Colorado Tim Austin 2918 Plymouth Rd Grand Junction, CO 81503 970.263.7404 [email protected]
Mike Nelson 645 Popes Valley Dr Colo. Springs, CO 80919 719.522.1608 [email protected]
Kansas
Mike Nelson 645 Popes Valley Dr Colo. Springs, CO 80919 719.522.1608 [email protected]
Nebraska Leroy Meininger 50029 Sunflower Road Mitchell, NE 69357 308.623.2661 [email protected]
N Mexico/Texas Howell T. Whiting 2300 S. Union
Roswell, NX 88203 575.622.5679 [email protected]
N Dakota Rodney Hickle 1631 28th Ave SW Central, ND 58530 701.794.3342
Oklahoma/Arkansas Bill Lyon 112 N. Hillcrest St Ada, OK 74820 580.332.8666 [email protected]
Doris Perkins 405 SE Ave G I Idabel, OK 74745 580.286.3133 [email protected]
S Dakota
Jan Baumeister 19702 E Hwy 18 Sp 56 Welton, AZ 85356 928.785-3238 [email protected]
Utah Jim Alexander 360 5th St Ogden, UT 84404 801.399.0785 [email protected]
Wyoming Jim McGarvey See WY State Director
Lee Whitebay, Chair 4669 N Prentice Rd Ponca City, OK 74604 580.765.2074 [email protected]
B. Jay Bowman 191 Bowman Rd Ponca City, OK 74601 580.761.5966 [email protected]
Roger Burkhalter See Fossil Technical
Robert Carlson See Convention Advisory
Jack Thompson See Ribbons
Updated 11/21/11
STANDING COMMITTEES
PAST PRESIDENTS
RMFMS Officers, Executive Committee, and Committee Chairpersons 2011/2012
OFFICERS
STATE DIRECTORS
SPECIAL COMMITTEES
PUBLIC LAND ADVISORY UNIFORM RULES
COMMITTEE
Committees are
appointed by the
President.
Rocky Mountain News—December 2011 Page 12 RMFMS Distribution
2702 E. Pikes Peak Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80909
Educational Nonprofit
Time Value
Do Not Delay
December 2011
ARIZONA ARKANSAS COLORADO KANSAS NEBRASKA NEW MEXICO
N. DAKOTA OKLAHOMA S. DAKOTA TEXAS UTAH WYOMING