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March 2020
Moldavite
WEST SEATTLE PETROGLYPHS
Mike Wall, Editor P.O. Box 16145 Seattle, WA 98116
email: [email protected]
Monthly Bulletin of the West Seattle Rock Club, Inc.
Seattle, Washington
Our Club:
Practices the Rockhound Code of Ethics
Website:
http://www.westseattlerockclub.org
March 2020 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 1
Volume 55, Number 3
Meetings:
Visitors are always welcome!
WEST SEATTLE ROCK CLUB, INC. Mailing Address: P.O. BOX 16145, Seattle, WA 98116
The purpose of this Club is to promote the study and enjoyment of the Lapidary Arts with good Rock-hounding and good fellowship; and to further education and lapidary skills for all; to conduct field trips for exploration and collection of minerals, gems, rocks and fossils; to promote shows and displays; to publish a monthly periodical known as West Seattle PETROGLY PHS relating to club activities.
COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS (2020):
Show Co-Chairs (2020 show) Programs Refreshments/Hospitality Membership Historian Library Chair Field Trips
Webmaster
AFFILIATED WITH:
Northwest Federation & American Federation of Mineralogical Societies Seattle Regional Gem and Mineral Show Committee
Washington State Mineral Council ALAA – American Lands Access Association
Meetings are held on the Fourth Wednesday of each month, except for November which can be on the THIRD or FOURTH Wednesday depending on Thanksgiving and no meetings in July and December
The meetings are held in Adams Hall of the Tibbetts United Methodist Church 3940 41st S.W. (corner of 41st S.W. and S.W. Andover Street) Seattle, WA
6:15 PM – Junior Meeting 7:00 PM – Adult Meeting Dues are: $20.00 first year (including name badge), then: $10.00 per adult member per year or $15.00 for 2 adults in same family, $3.00 per junior member per year
VISITORS ARE INVITED AND ARE ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL MEETINGS
All material in this Bulletin may be reprinted if properly credited - Exchange Bulletins are most welcome.
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OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS (2020):
President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Federation Director Director at Large Mineral Council Reps Newsletter - Editor Current Past President
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Brooke Babcock Annette Nelson Sue Fox Audrey Vogelpohl Audrey Vogelpohl Ken Schmidt Rich Babcock Mike Wall Scott Ryan
(360) 305-8106 (206) 379-3677 (206) 835-0774 (206) 932-3292 206) 932-3292 (206) 932-3626 (206) 326-8951 (206) 476-6471 (206) 354-2101
Sue Fox Annette Nelson <Vice President> Sue Fox Mary Bentler Audrey Vogelpohl Erin Thompson Rich Babcock Donn Ullery
(206) 835-0774 (206) 379-3677
<Vice President> (206) 835-0774 (206) 932-6108 (206) 932-3292 (253) 307-1589 (206) 326-8951 (206) 550-1318
March 2020 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 2
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CLUB CALENDAR
March 25, 2020
Junior & General Meeting
CANCELLED
April 22, 2020
Junior & General Meeting
CANCELLED
April 25-27, 2020
WSRC Show
CANCELLED
(Looking at rescheduling)
Hello WSRC,
I want to start out by saying I hope every-one is healthy and happy. It has been a very trying time for everyone as a whole. We have had to make some hard decisions to cancel this month’s meeting and the April meeting amidst orders from the State and Local officials due to COVID-19. We want to do our part as a club to prevent anyone from getting sick. That being said, we are also going to have to cancel (for now) our annual Show that is scheduled for the end of April. We will have to coordinate with the other clubs in the NW to see about oth-er possible dates later in the year as long as this all gets better before then. We will continue to send out the newsletter, so if you have articles or ideas send them to Mike Wall. This is having a big impact on everyone and this WILL affect our vendors a great deal so we want to encourage, as folks are able, to check for any links to our
PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE
WHAT’S
INSIDE
Club Calendar 3
President’s Message 3
What’s Inside 3
WSRC Feb. Gen. Meeting Minutes 4
2020 Refreshments 6
Hello Members 6
Other Cancellations 6
Virgin Valley Opals 6
Virgin Valley Opal Pics 7
Cement and Concrete 6
What on Earth is a Tektite? 9
Tektite Pics 9
2020 Field Trips 10
2020 Shows 10
March 2020 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 3
vendors online sites for purchasing items from them to support our rock hounding communi-ty. If you are a part of our Facebook group, that is a great place to see updated information for vendor sites and to stay connected.
Take care and reach out if you find yourself needing anything.
Sincerely, Brooke Babcock West Seattle Rock Club President
WEST SEATTLE ROCK CLUB –
GENERAL MEETING MINUTES
February 26, 2020
Business: The meeting was called to order by President Brooke Babcock. 17 adult members, 7 junior members and 6 guests present. New Members (Audrey Vogelpohl): New member badges have been printed and are ready for pick-up. Mary Bentler will be the Hospitality Hostess and handing out member applications at the door. No changes reported to the January Minutes
Committees: To save time at future meetings, we will only talk about committees with updates to
share.
Junior Advisor Coordinator (Annette Nelson):
Scott Ryan coordinated a “true/false” game.
Editor's report (Mike Wall): Let Mike know if you have a story or a story idea
Washington Mineral Council (Kat Koch): no update
Librarian (Erin Thompson): library available for member use
Washington Mineral Council (Kat Koch): no update
Refreshments for the meetings (Sue Fox):
Thank you to Joe Moushey and Herb Viet for this month’s refreshments
March: Mary Bentler = snacks, Sue Fox = drinks
Historian (Audrey Vogelpohl): no update
WSRC Field Trips (Rich Babcock):
Burke Museum: March 15th, information will be sent via email, $22 adult (15% discount if we have 10+ adults), $14 seniors/kids
Field Trips and Shows:
North Seattle Club Show
This weekend, Feb 29-Mar 1, 10am – 5pm
Crown Hill Center, 9250 14th Ave NW
Oregon Agate & Mineral Society Show – “Treasures Beneath Our Feet:
Feb 28 – March 1
Portland, OR
East King County Club Show
March 7-8
Pickering Barn, Issaquah, WA
Tualatin Valley Gem Club
March 6-8
Forest Grove, OR
East King County Club Show
March 6-8
Forest Grove, OR
Old Business:
(Continued on page 5)
March 2020 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 4
March 2020 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 5
2020 Show: (Annette Nelson and Sue Fox)
Planning Meetings – Next meeting combined with the Board Meeting on March 4th; 7:00 at the Vogelpohl’s house.
Advertising:
Posters and Flyers available!
West Seattle Farmers Market – still working on getting a table
Volunteer Sign-Up Sheets:
Each volunteer role was described
This year, requesting time available and we will assign shifts:
Display Case Sign-Up Sheet: routed
New table skirts!
New Business: Board Meeting: 1st Wednesday of the month, next meeting March March 4th, 7pm, at the Vogelpohl’s
home
Program: “RadioLab, Dinopocalypse” (Scott Ryan)
Show and Tell — “Fossils”
(*designates displayer’s prize winner )
Lyle Vogelpohl: dinosaur bone from Canada - spinal disc, vertebrae, and either forearm or legbone. Slice of agatized bone out of Arizona, fossil ivory, leaf fossil from SW of Boise ID, fish fossils
Brooke Babcock*: Saddle Mt material, driftwood fossil
Lola Smith: fossilized clam
Annette Nelson: Orthoceras
Ezra Babcock: Orthoceras
Logan Smith: petrified wood
Diane Christensen: petrified wood
Scott Smith: petrified wood
Jim Grace: Faceting rock from Tuscon, amethyst – if anyone has old faceting equipment to sell, please contact Faceting Guild
Zoe: maybe a fossil
Mike Wall: megalodon shark teeth, petrified wood, pallasite meteorite from Kenya
Erin Thompson: Beverly Beach fossil with clamshell imprints
Pedro (guest): mystery rock, looking for identification
Scott Ryan: sand from Nevada – looking for samples of sand for his rock show case
Ken Schmidt: tumbled rocks The meeting was adjourned; Respectfully Submitted by Sue Fox, WSRC Secretary
(Continued from page 4)
March 2020 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 6
2020
REFRESH-
MENTS
The signup sheet is available at our meetings. There are still lots of open slots. Please signup. You can also contact Sue to signup. Thanks to everyone for bringing refreshments!
March
Cancelled
April (Next Month)
Cancelled
VIRGIN VALLEY OPALS by Evelyn Cataldo
Hidden in the high desert region of the northwest corner of Nevada, lies the famous Virgin Valley pre-cious opal mines. The area is famous for black opal, known to occur in only two places on Earth: Virgin Valley, Nevada and New South Wales, Australia. It is believed that this area was once a large lake sur-rounded by a forest filled with a variety of tree spe-cies. Over time the forest was devastated by a series of volcanic eruptions. Twigs, limbs and rotting wood collected in the coves of the lake. The forests, the lake and the driftwood were buried under layer after layer of ash. The buried wood decayed and left cavi-ties. Over millions of years, heat and pressure filled the cavities with silica that percolated through the ash; gradually hardening into opal. Under the right conditions, precious opal was formed. Over time, the entire area has been uplifted and eroded, exposing the opal deposits. It is said that it took Mother Nature
(Continued on page 7)
OTHER
CANCELLATIONS
(DUE TO CORONAVIRUS
RESCTRICTIONS)
Everett Rock and Gem Club Show on May 2-3 ————————————————-
HELLO MEMBERS As you all know, people around the world are dealing with the coronavirus emergen-cy. This week has seen the Governor and local officials place bans on gatherings over 250 people and tight restrictions on all other gatherings, such as our club meeting. Our members’ health and safety is of the utmost importance. It is with this in mind that we regretfully are cancelling our March and April club meetings, and postponing our an-nual rock and gem show. We apologize for any inconvenience and we will keep you posted regarding future meetings and the re-scheduling of the show. Thank you, WSRC Board
NFMS Annual Show & Convention The decision has been made to cancel Gemstone Junction and all NFMS activities in conjunction with the show in Ogden, Utah. Please inform all your club members, everyone continue to practice social isolation, and stay safe. We will all get through this. Now is a great time to work on projects at home. Judi Allison, NFMS Secretary ————————————————- Canadian Show Cancellations The “Vancouver Gem and Mineral Show” March 27, 28, and 29 The BC Lapidary Society show, April 3, 4, and 5 ————————————————- Gem Faire in Puyallup is moved out to July….and the Portland one is cancelled without any new date.
March 2020 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 7
water, a bucket for sitting on, gloves and some zip lock bags to store your specimens. The opal mines at Virgin Valley are fee dig areas. Some mines allow digging through the tailings, some allow digging in the clay wall and Rainbow Ridge offers loads of virgin material. Prices range from $50 per day for going through tailings to $400 for a load of virgin material. (via The Tumbler, 3/20; via Golden Spike News, 3/18; via The Geode, 4/07)
twenty million years to make a Virgin Valley black opal. The Virgin Valley area has been inhabited by man for more than 10,000 years. In the southwestern portion of the valley lies the “Last Supper Cave”. Its bones and artifacts have been carbon dated to 10,000 to 12,000 years. There is evidence that the Chinese sent an expedition to mine the precious black opal approximately 4,500 years ago. During the late 1800s and early 1900s a few specimens were collected by cowboys and sheepherders. These specimens were reported to the press and soon prospectors found their way to Virgin Valley. Opals were first mined commercially in the area in 1905 with the discovery of the Bonanza Mine. Other early mining operations included the Rainbow Mine. Both are still in production today. Most of the opal found in Virgin Valley is in the form of replaced wood and limb casts. Opalized bones of vertebrate animals have also been found, as well as opalized bark, roots, pine cones and seeds. The opals are found in layers of clay. The precious opal bearing layers may be as much as 10-30 feet below the sur-face and range in thickness from 2-12 feet. Common opal is abundant throughout the layers of clay and ash, but only specific conditions produced the pre-cious opal. Anything that resembles petrified wood should be carefully examined and kept. Look for specimens that are glassy looking. The background color does not matter. Some of the most beautiful opal specimens do not show color immediately. Collect everything glassy looking, black, clear , milky, brown, etc. Sometimes, good pieces of opal are covered with a white, chalky coating. A small percentage of the opal found in Virgin Valley is valued at more per carat than diamonds. Keep your eyes open for other fossils and artifacts. Virgin Valley is high desert. Expect warm days and cool nights. Be prepared with a variety of clothing, plenty of liquids, sun screen, hat, and chap stick. Food, fuel and lodging can be found at Denio, Neva-da (35 miles away). Dry camping is available at the CCC campground which is about five miles from the mines. The campground is free. There are no hookups but out-houses are available, a shower room and swimming in the hot spring. There are fire pits for the cool eve-nings, but you need to bring your own wood. Other items you will find useful are a small pick, small garden rake, small shovel, spray bottle with
VIRGIN VALLEY OPAL
PICS
March 2020 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 8
CEMENT AND CONCRETE
(Part 1 of 3) by Steve Mulqueen
Concrete is one of the most common construction materials used today. It is a complex mixture of ce-ment, aggregate, and numerous chemical additives, and is an essential component of foundations, roads, bridges, dams, containment walls, fences, walkways, and many other structures. Almost everyone in the world has benefited from the use of cement and its finished product, concrete. Cement: a finely powdered, manufactured substance that is composed of a complex group of manufactured compounds, natural minerals, and chemical additives The earliest introduction of cement to various forms of mortar used in constructing stone walls and brick structures dates to approximately 6500 BCE. This is based upon evidence found at numerous archaeologi-cal sites in the Middle East. Ancient sites in Europe, China, Egypt, Greece, and the former Roman Empire also show signs of the development and use of ce-ment. Concrete: a blend of cement with the proper portions of aggregate, more chemical additives, and water The Romans did not invent cement and concrete, but they greatly enhanced their chemistries and devised complex means of shaping concrete with wooden forms. The Romans also applied cement mortar to large rocks for use in constructing roads, walls and aqueducts. The best example of early cast concrete can be observed at the Roman Colosseum, which was completed in 82 in present-day Rome. Portland cement: the basic component of concrete The term “Portland cement” was coined in 1824 by Joseph Aspdin, an Englishman who was the first to patent a recipe and process for the manufacture of an “artificial stone” from limestone, clay and water, cal-cined in a furnace. Aspdin claimed that his cement-mortar resembled the natural limestone that was quarried on the Isle of Portland on the south coast of England. The term Portland cement is still used in reference to varieties of the common high-quality cement used in most blends of concrete, although modern formulas bear little resemblance to the original. Cement plants and concrete mixing plants derive commodities from many natural rock deposits, indus-trial mineral sources and chemical suppliers, using available materials that do not have uniform composi-tions.
Clinker: the baked product discharged from a rotary kiln Clinker is made by baking carbonate sources such as a limestone, marble, dolomite, or other comparable materials with mineral commodities in raw form com-posed of silica sources, alumina sources, iron sources, and many other miscellaneous materials. It is manu-factured in a rotary kiln (rotary calciner) at a cement plant. The rotary kiln produces a baked product that may include compounds containing complex molecular chemistry. The clinker compounds may include trical-cium silicate, dicalcium silicate, tricalcium aluminate, and/or tetracal ciumalumonoferrite. These compounds are the primary binding agents in cement, and give it strong adhesive qualities and supe-rior shear strength. Clinker is allowed to cool, then is crushed into a fine powder and blended dry with other additives and compounds to form cement. Concrete Curing Process Concrete is a complex mixture of cement, aggregate (sand, crushed gravel and/or pebbles) and water with mineral compounds and chemical additives that is blended in a concrete mixing plant. After concrete is poured from a mixer into wooden or steel forms, it under goes an exothermic reaction called hydration that produces crystalline fibers of calcium silicate hy-drate. These fibers are what bind the concrete into a strong solid substance with excellent adhesive quali-ties and superior shear strength. Some concrete formulas are custom blended for spe-cial applications that have high-strength requirements, for high-temperature environments, or to resist the effects of chemical degradation caused by seawater or other chemicals in liquid or solid form. Concrete is used to pave roads, erect walls, fabricate buildings, and set structural supports in many facets of the construction industry. In a real sense, concrete is the glue that holds a city together. References:
“Industrial Minerals and Rocks,” Society of Mining Engineers (SME), Seeley Mudd Book Series, 7th edi-tion, 2006.
https://patentyogi.com/american-inventor/this-day-in-patent-history-on-october-21-1824-joseph-aspdin-patented-portland-cement/
www.cement.org/cement-concrete-applications/how-
(Continued on page 9)
March 2020 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 9
cement-is-made
www.cement.org/learn/concrete-technology/concrete-construction/curing-in-construction
https://interestingengineering.com/why-concrete-doesnt-actually-dry-out
(via The Tumbler, 3/20; via Rockhound Rambling, 2/20)
(Continued from page 8)
WHAT ON EARTH IS A
TEKTITE? by Kathy Reimers
“Tektite”from Greek τηκτός tēktos, "molten" I guess the better question would be: “Where do tek-tites come from?” There is controversy about their origin. The most accepted theory is that a tektite is the product of a meteorite crash onto the earth. The tektite is formed from the heat and pressure of the crash of the meteorite onto the natural debris on the earth surface. In other words, the heat of the crash melted the rocks and minerals of the earth and formed these small pieces instantly, changing the properties of the molten material. They were blown into the atmosphere from the impact and then came showering down. Some of them are shaped like a teardrop or are of other shapes that indicate they hardened while falling or as they hit the earth surface. They do come in some very cool shapes!
Another theory is quite con-troversial. It is the theory that tektites were ejected from volcanoes on the moon (or other extraterrestrial source), then drifted through space to land on the surface of the earth. This theory came about because tektites have chemical composition and physical properties
TEKTITE PICS
Moldavite
Libyan Desert Glass
Ivory Coast
that are very rare on earth. Tektites are a five out of ten on the Moh’s Scale of Hardness. They are glassy but are not made of the same material as obsidian. They have an extremely low water content and are made of silicon dioxide. They are found in every continent except Antarctica and South America. They are found in huge groups called “strewn fields”. Juniors, you could own one of these tektites if you come to the meeting! Mrs. Sack also has a craft in mind for our class! Kahy Reimers Source of Info and photos —Wikipedia , Britannica and Gem5.com (via Golden Spike News, 3/20; via The Hard Rock News, 3/20)
How Can You Help
Your Federation: Save stamps and give to our club treasurer.
Your Hobby: Join ALAA. - Contact Lyle Vogelpohl
Other: Volunteer to teach beginners what you are good at.
To Learn More About ...
Cabbing … contact Lyle Vogelpohl … (206) 932-3292
2020 SHOWS
Apr 25 9am-5pm WSRC Annual Show— To Be Rescheduled
Apr 26 9am-4pm Alki Masonic Temple, 4736 40th Ave. SW, Seattle, WA
(Note: I am assuming all other near-term rock shows are either cancelled or will be rescheduled at a later date as well)
————————————————————————————————————— See the Northwest Newsletter for additional show listings and times.
Available online at: http://northwestfederation.org/newsletters.asp
March 2020 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 10
2020 FIELD TRIPS
(Note: I am assuming all WSMC Fieldtrips are cancelled until further notice—as always please check with the fieldtrip leader before attending)
Mar 21 Host: Marysville Rock Club Location: Beaver Valley Meeting place/time: Beaver Valley Rd Info Cnter Material: Geodes,Zeolites & Calcite Tools: Hard Rock Tools Contact: Ed Lehman [email protected] h# (425) 334-6282 c# (425) 760-2786
————————————————————————————————————— See WSMC for https://mineralcouncil.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/fieldtrips.pdf additional field trips and
detail— Always check with the trip contact a week before the trip to get any updated information
