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The Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. Volume XXXVI Issue Eleven December 2012 Newsletter The Friendly Federation Founded to Serve Lodestar FROM YOUR PRESIDENT Jason Hamilton It's been a pleasure! I often think about our group and consider myself lucky to be a part of such a great organization and among great people. The dedicated members that make it all possible for us all to enjoy, prosper and grow. Many functions that make up our family of like-minded members give so much and many things may seem to go unnoticed. Take the time to thank the people around that do so much, not only in the SFMS but in your family, friends, neighborhood and job. The SFMS is staged at a point where it can experience tremendous growth. Next year, we have the opportunity to capitalize on the national rock hound spotlight by hosting the AFMS at our annual SFMS meeting. Now, more than ever, we need to pull together and think about what's best for SFMS. We need to get all of our rock clubs more involved and interested in participating in all the functions of the SFMS. We also need to think about our individual contributions and how we can best support and protect the collective mission and vision that will benefit us all. I'm excited at the prospect of once again seeing all the state directors spreading the word about the SFMS to all the clubs in the South East generating interest in attending our quarterly meetings. My greatest hope is running out of room to host an SFMS meeting because so many rock hounds show up to share in the joy and excitement. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve you and share in the joy and excitement. I look forward to serving the SFMS for many years to come. Respectfully, Jason Hamilton CARL’S EDITORAL COMMENTARY Ethics in science and technology ought to be of interest to us all; it certainly is of concern at Notre Dame University where a list of important ethical issues has just been released (see Page 4). In two more lead articles, both written by Dr. Philip S. Neuhoff, and published in the Idaho Gem Club’s monthly newsletter, Grindings , there are technical discussions (see Pages 6 and 7) on mineral formations of Idaho Opal at the Whangdoodle Opal Mine and of Snakeskin Agate from Rome, Oregon. A few more details regarding SFMS 2013 Workshops are available starting on Page 9. This is not only the last edition of the Lodestar for 2012, but it is also the last issue that I shall publish as Editor. Many thanks to those of you who not only enjoyed reading the Lodestar these past three years but also took the time to tell me of that pleasure. Website: http://www.amfed.org/sfms email: [email protected] Inside this Issue: Page SFMS Officers and State Directors for 2012 2 DMC Field Trips & Society/Club Shows 3 Emerging Ethical Dilemmas in Science and Technology 4 Geology of the Whangdoodle Opal Deposit 6 Geologic Origins of Snakeskin Agates at Rome, OR 7 BE SAFE BE WELL 8 Youth Poster Contest: FOSSILS OF THE WORLD 8 2013 SFMS Workshop Class Schedule 9 2013 SFMS Workshop Registration Form 10 SFMS Committee Chairs & Mayo Foundation Officials 11

Transcript of Lodestar r - amfed.orgamfed.org/sfms/_pdf/Lodestar_dec2012.pdf · Lodestar FROM YOUR PRESIDENT...

Page 1: Lodestar r - amfed.orgamfed.org/sfms/_pdf/Lodestar_dec2012.pdf · Lodestar FROM YOUR PRESIDENT Jason Hamilton It's been a pleasure! I often think about our group and consider myself

The Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. Volume XXXVI Issue Eleven December 2012

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The Friendly Federation Founded to Serve

Lodestar

FROM YOUR PRESIDENT Jason Hamilton

It's been a pleasure! I often think about our group and consider myself lucky to be a part of such a great organization and among great people. The dedicated members that make it all possible for us all to enjoy,

prosper and grow.

Many functions that make up our family of like-minded members give so much and many things may seem to go unnoticed. Take the time to thank the people around that do so much, not only in the SFMS but in your family, friends, neighborhood and job. The SFMS is staged at a point where it can experience tremendous growth. Next year, we have the opportunity to capitalize on the national rock hound spotlight by hosting the AFMS at our annual SFMS meeting. Now, more than ever, we need to pull

together and think about what's best for SFMS.

We need to get all of our rock clubs more involved and interested in participating in all the functions of the SFMS. We also need to think about our individual contributions and how we can best support and protect the collective mission and vision that will benefit us all. I'm excited at the prospect of once again seeing all the state directors spreading the word about the SFMS to all the clubs in the South East generating interest in attending our quarterly meetings. My greatest hope is running out of room to host an SFMS meeting because so many rock hounds show up to share in the joy and excitement. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve you and share in the joy and excitement. I look

forward to serving the SFMS for many years to come.

Respectfully, Jason Hamilton

CARL’S EDITORAL COMMENTARY Ethics in science and technology ought to be of interest to us all; it certainly is of concern at Notre Dame University where a list of important ethical issues has just been released (see Page 4).

In two more lead articles, both written by Dr. Philip S. Neuhoff, and published in the Idaho Gem Club’s monthly newsletter, Grindings, there are technical discussions (see Pages 6 and 7) on mineral formations of Idaho Opal at the Whangdoodle Opal Mine and of Snakeskin Agate from Rome, Oregon. A few more details regarding SFMS 2013 Workshops are available starting on Page 9. This is not only the last edition of the Lodestar for 2012, but it is also the last issue that I shall publish as Editor. Many thanks to those of you who not only enjoyed reading the Lodestar these past three years but also took the time to tell me of that pleasure.

Website: http://www.amfed.org/sfms email: [email protected]

Inside this Issue: Page

SFMS Officers and State Directors for 2012 2

DMC Field Trips & Society/Club Shows 3

Emerging Ethical Dilemmas in Science and Technology 4

Geology of the Whangdoodle Opal Deposit 6

Geologic Origins of Snakeskin Agates at Rome, OR 7

BE SAFE – BE WELL 8

Youth Poster Contest: FOSSILS OF THE WORLD 8

2013 SFMS Workshop Class Schedule 9

2013 SFMS Workshop Registration Form 10

SFMS Committee Chairs & Mayo Foundation Officials 11

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THE SOUTHEAST FEDERATION OF MINERALOGICAL SOCIETIES, INC.

A Non-Profit, Non-Commercial, Non-Political Organization and

Regional Federation of the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies

PURPOSE:

To bring about a closer association of Clubs and Societies devoted to the study of Earth Sciences and the practice of Lapidary Arts and Crafts in the Southeast part of the United States.

OBJECTIVE:

To cooperate with similar Federations to promote public interest in the Earth Sciences and the conservation of natural resources.

2012 SFMS OFFICERS

President

Jason Hamilton 7141 Natal Ave.

Jacksonville, FL 32254 904.786.7605

[email protected]

First Vice President

Danny Griffin 1320 Byrd Cir.

Kingston, TN 37763 865.406.8802

[email protected]

Second Vice President

James Darnell 6700 Wall St. Apt 7E

Mobile, AL 36695-8066 251.633.5875

[email protected]

Secretary

Beryl Ferguson 414 S. Ridgewood Ave.

Ormond Beach, FL 32174 386.677.1049

[email protected]

Membership Secretary Kerri Wetzel

5010 Sunset Drive Easley, SC 29642

864.306.6749 [email protected]

Treasurer Barbara Green

116 Sycamore Dr. Marietta, SC 29661

864.836.5896 [email protected]

Assistant Treasurer Darlene Gunsolus

13245 Maryweather Ct Jacksonville, FL. 32225

904.220.3957 [email protected]

Editor Carlos (Carl) M. Talbott, D.Sc.

216 Spring View Drive Murphy, NC 28906

828.494.7213 [email protected]

Immediate Past President Barbara Green

116 Sycamore Dr. Marietta, SC 29661

864.836.5896 [email protected]

AFMS President Don Monroe

350 Lapidary Lane Young Harris, GA. 30582

706.379.9662 [email protected]

President: Mayo Education Foundation

William G. (Bill) Waggener 1909 Moores Mill Rd.

Atlanta, GA 30318-1309 404.354.8752

[email protected]

2012 SFMS STATE DIRECTORS

Alabama Iris McGehee

2433 Upper Wetumpka Road Montgomery, AL 36107

334.262.7275 [email protected]

Florida Joe and Addy De Pietro

P.O. Box 928, Frostproof, FL 33843

Cell 863-241-9559 [email protected]

Georgia Frank Decaminada

795 Nile Dr. Alpharetta, GA 30022

770.992.8309 [email protected]

Kentucky Allen Jewell

P.O. Box 805 Versailles, KY 40383

859.873.8749 [email protected]

Louisiana Dr. Bridget Joubert

P.O. Box 5402 Alexandria, LA 71307

318.443.5184 [email protected]

Mississippi

- OPEN -

North Carolina Mike Streeter

7 English Place Candler, NC 28715

828.667.8290 [email protected]

South Carolina Fred Sias

120 Holly Avenue Clemson, SC 29631

864.654.6833 [email protected]

Tennessee Marty Hart

4935 Olivia Drive Antioch, TN 37013

615.331.3570 [email protected]

Virginia Steve Gordon

213 Sugar Mill Drive Amherst, VA 24521

434.929.1524 [email protected]

Articles for the Jan 2013 Lodestar are due by Dec 26, 2012.

Copyright© 2012 by the Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, inc. Except for items that are specifically copyrighted by their authors, other societies may use material published in Lodestar provided that proper credit is given and the sense or meaning of the material is not changed. - Editor: Carl Talbott

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DMC FIELD TRIPS

January 26, 2013: Tignal, GA. Jackson Crossroads

Amethyst Mine (Fee Site) from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Sponsored by the Jacksonville Gem & Mineral Society. No children under 12. Contact your club/society DMC member.

Official Field Trips of the Field Trip Committee are open to

all members of clubs associated with the DMC program of

the SFMS Field Trip Committee and to all members of

SFMS clubs/societies who provide their membership with

SFMS liability insurance. Because of insurance

requirements, members of the general public are NOT

invited to these or any DMC program field trips.

************************************************************* UPCOMING SHOWS

January 11-13, 2013: Largo, FL. Pinellas Geological Society. 37th Annual Gem, Jewelry and Mineral Show, Largo Cultural Center, 105 Central Park Drive. Hours: Fri & Sat 10-6, Sun 12-5. Admission free, Contact Hugh

Sheffield (727) 894-2440 or cell (727) 707-3236

February 8-10, 2013: Cocoa, FL. Central Brevard Rock &

Gem Club. 36th Annual Symphony of Gemstones show and sale, Space Coast Convention Center (Holiday Inn Express); 301 Tucker Lane., Exit 201 west, I-95 at Hwy. 520. Hours: Fri. 12-6, Sat.& Sun. 10-5. Admission: adults $4 (discount coupon on Website), children (12 and under) free. Hand-crafted and fine jewelry, rough and cut gems, fossils, minerals, beads, slabs, cabs, equipment and tools. Demonstrations, free miniclasses; hourly prizes, grand prize and silent auction. Contact Ray Huntington, (321) 799-8536; e-mail: [email protected]; web site: www.centralbrevardgems.org February 23, 2013: Lakeland, FL. Imperial Bone Valley Gem, Mineral and Fossil Society. Location: 175 Lake Hollingsworth Dr., Lakeland, Fl. 33801. Hours: Saturday 9:00am - 4:00pm. Admission: Adults $3.00, Children and Teachers Free. Hourly Door Prizes, Spin & Win Game, Kids Treasure Dig, Demonstrations and Educational Displays, Silent and Chinese Auctions. Contact Clarence Razabdouski, Show chair, at (863) 858-5905, or email [email protected]. Website: www.bonevalley.net

March 1-3, 2013: St. Petersburg, FL. The Suncoast Gem & Mineral Society. 43rd Annual Gem, Jewelry & Mineral Show and Sale, The Minnreg Building, 6340 126th Ave. N., Largo, FL 33773. Hours: Fri: 10-6; Sat: 10-6; & Sun: 10-5. Hourly Door Prizes, Grand Drawing at End of Show, $1.50 Grab Bags, Free Parking, 15+ Dealers, demonstration exhibits on Beading, Wire Wrapping, Cabbing, Faceting, & Metal Work plus Club display cases and exhibits. Show contact: Bill Schmidt, Show Chair, 727 822-8279. Email contact:

[email protected] & web site http://www.sgams.com/Shows/show.html March 8-10, 2013: Augusta, GA. Co-sponsored by the

Aiken Gem, Mineral, & Fossil Society and the Augusta Gem & Mineral Society. The 25th Annual Aiken-Augusta Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show, Julian Smith Casino, 2200 Broad Street, Augusta. Hours: Fri & Sat 10-7, Sun 10-4. Admission: $3 for adults, children under 16 free with paying adult. Dealers, gem dig, geode cutting, treasure dig, hourly door prize, grab bags, grand door prize, and demonstrations. Contacts: Richard McNutt or Chris Glass. March 15-17, 2013: Rome, GA. Rome Georgia Mineral

Society. The 34th Annual Valley and Ridge Gem and Mineral Show, The Forum, Rome. Hours: Fri & Sat 10-6, Sun 11-5. Free admission. Gems, Jewelry, Minerals, Crystals, Geodes and Fossils. All visitors eligible for free Door Prizes and a Grand Prize drawing. Club members will offer mineral and fossil identification, exhibits, and demonstrations. Contact Jose Santamaria, Show Chair

678.488.9560 or [email protected]

April 27-28, 2013: Memphis, TN. Memphis Archaeological and Geological Society. Memphis Mineral, Fossil, Jewelry Show “The Earth Wide Open”. Memphis International Agricenter, Expo Center, West Pavilion & A-wing, 7777 Walnut Grove Rd. Memphis. Hours: Sat 9-6 & Sun 10-5. Dealers, Exhibits, Demonstrations, Kids Area with Rockzone featuring Gem Dig, Geode Bowling, Rocks Around the Clock. Admission: Adults $5.00, Children 12 and under $2.00. Contacts: Show Chair James Butchko (901) 743-0058; Dealer Chair WC McDaniel (901) 274-7706, or see web site www.The EarthWideOpen.com or email [email protected]. September 21-23, 2013: Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville

Gem & Mineral Society. 24th Annual Show, Morocco Shrine Auditorium, 3800 St. Johns Bluff Road, Jacksonville. Hours: Fri 1-6, Sat 10-6, & Sun 10-5. Admission: $4. Contact: Karen Olson, (904) 981-0293 weekdays, (904) 448-5182 evenings & weekends, or [email protected].

October 12-14, 2013: Huntsville, AL Huntsville Gem & Mineral Society. Von Braun Center, 700 Monroe Street, Huntsville. Hours: Fri & Sat 10-6, Sun 12-5. Hourly door prizes, 30+ dealers. Contact: Tony Smith at [email protected].

The Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. Dec 2012

Lodestar Page 3

Please Note

To ensure your show is listed here, send a written notice to the

2013 Lodestar Editor: John Rasmussen , 276 Lacy Lane, Easley,

SC 29640-7777. SFMS clubs/societies are also encouraged to

register their event listings on the SFMS website at:

www.amfed.org/sfms.

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Page 4 Lodestar

Dec 2012 The Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc.

Emerging Ethical Dilemmas in Science and Technology University of Notre Dame Press Release, December 17, 2012).

As a new year approaches, the University of Notre Dame's John J. Reilly Center for Science, Technology and Values has announced its inaugural list of emerging ethical dilemmas and policy issues in science and tech-nology for 2013. The Reilly Center explores conceptual, ethical and policy issues where science and technol-ogy intersect with society from different disciplinary perspectives. Its goal is to promote the advancement of science and technology for the common good. The center generated its inaugural list with the help of Reilly fellows, other Notre Dame experts and friends of the center. The center aimed to present a list of items for scientists and laypeople alike to consider in the coming months and years as new technologies develop. It will feature one of these issues on its website each month in 2013, giving readers more information, questions to ask and resources to consult. The ethical dilemmas and policy issues are: Personalized genetic tests/personalized medicine Within the last 10 years, the creation of fast, low-cost genetic sequencing has given the public direct access to genome sequencing and analysis, with little or no guidance from physicians or genetic counselors on how to process the information. What are the potential privacy issues, and how do we protect this very personal and private information? Are we headed toward a new era of therapeutic intervention to increase quality of life, or a new era of eugenics? Hacking into medical devices

Implanted medical devices, such as pacemakers, are susceptible to hackers. Barnaby Jack, of security ven-dor IOActive, recently demonstrated the vulnerability of a pacemaker by breaching the security of the wireless device from his laptop and reprogramming it to deliver an 830-volt shock. How do we make sure these de-vices are secure? Driverless Zipcars In three states -- Nevada, Florida, and California -- it is now legal for Google to operate its driverless cars. Google's goal is to create a fully automated vehicle that is safer and more effective than a human-operated vehicle, and the company plans to marry this idea with the concept of the Zipcar. The ethics of automation and equality of access for people of different income levels are just a taste of the difficult ethical, legal and policy questions that will need to be addressed. 3-D printing

Scientists are attempting to use 3-D printing to create everything from architectural models to human organs, but we could be looking at a future in which we can print personalized pharmaceuticals or home-printed guns and explosives. For now, 3-D printing is largely the realm of artists and designers, but we can easily envision a future in which 3-D printers are affordable and patterns abound for products both benign and malicious, and that cut out the manufacturing sector completely. Adaptation to climate change The differential susceptibility of people around the world to climate change warrants an ethical discussion. We need to identify effective and safe ways to help people deal with the effects of climate change, as well as learn to manage and manipulate wild species and nature in order to preserve biodiversity. Some of these ad-aptation strategies might be highly technical (e.g. building sea walls to stem off sea level rise), but others are social and cultural (e.g., changing agricultural practices).

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The Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. Dec 2012

Lodestar Page 5

Low-quality and counterfeit pharmaceuticals Until recently, detecting low-quality and counterfeit pharmaceuticals required access to complex testing equipment, often unavailable in developing countries where these problems abound. The enormous amount of trade in pharmaceutical intermediaries and active ingredients raise a number of issues, from the technical (improvement in manufacturing practices and analytical capabilities) to the ethical and legal (for example, In-dia ruled in favor of manufacturing life-saving drugs, even if it violates U.S. patent law). Autonomous systems Machines (both for peaceful purposes and for war fighting) are increasingly evolving from human-controlled, to automated, to autonomous, with the ability to act on their own without human input. As these systems oper-ate without human control and are designed to function and make decisions on their own, the ethical, legal, social and policy implications have grown exponentially. Who is responsible for the actions undertaken by autonomous systems? If robotic technology can potentially reduce the number of human fatalities, is it the responsibility of scientists to design these systems? Human-animal hybrids (chimeras) So far scientists have kept human-animal hybrids on the cellular level. According to some, even more modest experiments involving animal embryos and human stem cells violate human dignity and blur the line between species. Is interspecies research the next frontier in understanding humanity and curing disease, or a slippery slope, rife with ethical dilemmas, toward creating new species? Ensuring access to wireless and spectrum Mobile wireless connectivity is having a profound effect on society in both developed and developing coun-tries. These technologies are completely transforming how we communicate, conduct business, learn, form relationships, navigate and entertain ourselves. At the same time, government agencies increasingly rely on the radio spectrum for their critical missions. This confluence of wireless technology developments and socie-tal needs presents numerous challenges and opportunities for making the most effective use of the radio spectrum. We now need to have a policy conversation about how to make the most effective use of the pre-cious radio spectrum, and to close the digital access divide for underserved (rural, low-income, developing areas) populations. Data collection and privacy

How often do we consider the massive amounts of data we give to commercial entities when we use social media, store discount cards or order goods via the Internet? Now that microprocessors and permanent mem-ory are inexpensive technology, we need think about the kinds of information that should be collected and re-tained. Should we create a diabetic insulin implant that could notify your doctor or insurance company when you make poor diet choices, and should that decision make you ineligible for certain types of medical treat-ment? Should cars be equipped to monitor speed and other measures of good driving, and should this data be subpoenaed by authorities following a crash? These issues require appropriate policy discussions in order to bridge the gap between data collection and meaningful outcomes. Human enhancements Pharmaceutical, surgical, mechanical and neurological enhancements are already available for therapeutic purposes. But these same enhancements can be used to magnify human biological function beyond the so-cietal norm. Where do we draw the line between therapy and enhancement? How do we justify enhancing human bodies when so many individuals still lack access to basic therapeutic medicine? EDITOR’S NOTE: If ethical topics such as those above are of interest, visit http://reilly.nd.edu for further dis-cussion.

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Page 6 Lodestar

Dec 2012 The Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc.

Geology of the Whangdoodle Opal Deposit, Owyhee County, ID By Philip S. Neuhoff, Ph.D.

The Whangdoodle opal deposit held under claim by the Idaho Gem Club is perhaps the best known of a host of precious opal occurrences in Owyhee County, Idaho. The deposit reportedly was discovered in the 1890's during a time in which opal mining in Idaho was at its peak. The famed Hungarian opal deposits had nearly played out, the great opal deposits of Australia were just beginning to be mined, and Owyhee County ap-peared poised to be one of the world's great sources of precious opal. (The Gem City deposit near Moscow and Opal Butte in Oregon were also very active during this period; Spencer would not be discovered for an-other 50 years). Considerable opal was mined during this period from a number of localities in Owyhee County, including Whangdoodle, until the difficulty of extracting opal from the volcanic rocks and the prolific supply from Australia caused the end of commercial opal mining in western Idaho. During its main production years, the Whangdoodle deposit was said to have consisted of an open cut and a 40 foot shaft (cf. Eckert, A.W., 1997, The World of Opals. John Wiley and Sons, 448 pp.). Today little remains of these workings, with the claim occupying a low knob in the Squaw Creek canyon that shows little evidence of mining except for some hand-dug pits and piles of broken rock. Nevertheless, the locality still produces pre-cious opal of fine quality with exquisite flash fire patterns primarily in red and green. The deposit is located within a series of relatively young volcanic rocks that cover the flank of the Owyhee Mountains. The host rock for the Whangdoodle deposit is a Miocene lava flow within a formation referred to on geologic maps as the "Lower basalt of the Owyhee Mountains". The age of this flow is likely be-tween 5 and 16 million years old. Deposited on top of this lava flow are a series of other volcanic rocks including latites, more basalts (the upper basalt of the Owyhee Mountains), and rhyolites. The Whangdoodle deposit is fairly typical of precious opal deposits occurring in basaltic lavas. The opal-bearing lava is a fairly typical basalt lava flow that was erupted subaerially (that is, on land). These lavas typi-cally are very massive in the centers of the flow, with the bottoms and especially the tops containing abundant vesicles, or gas cavities, that formed as gases came out of solution once the lava erupted and was no longer under pressure. These vesicles provided pore space for fluids to move through the lavas, dissolving minerals and volcanic glass within the flow and depositing new materials such as opal, clays, and calcite within the vesicles. Vesicles within this lava flow typically range in size from 1 mm to a cm, though occasionally larger vesicles are found. This limits the size of opals found in the deposit, though sometimes larger opals are found (up to a couple of cm) that formed in unusually large vesicles or veins (a good example is the President's opal en-trusted to the club's president each year). Precious opal such as that found at Whangdoodle forms under a very restricted set of temperature and pres-sure conditions. The play of color seen in precious opal is caused by light diffraction by spheres of silica within the opal. For this to occur, the opal needs to be devoid of any regular crystallinity (most common opal is at least partially crystalline with atomic domains similar to the silica minerals cristobalite or tridymite). Com-pletely non-crystalline opal only forms are (sic) very low temperatures, probably less than 120 °F. If tempera-tures are higher than this, common opal, chalcedony, or quartz will form instead. Thus, during formation of the Whangdoodle deposit the temperature must have been quite cool. As one follows the lava flow to the South away from the main digging area, opal disappears and instead the vesicles are filled with chalcedony and quartz, indicating that the fluids altering this portion of the flow were hotter (too hot to form precious opal). EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is reprinted from www.idahogemclub.com/news/2012/Apr12.pdf

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Lodestar Page 7

The Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. Dec 2012

Geologic Origins of Snakeskin Agates at Rome, Oregon

Philip S. Neuhoff, Ph.D. The curious silica nodules known as snakeskin agates that are found near Rome, Oregon have long been a favor-

ite of rockhounds. These translucent white agates with reticulated, opaque white surfaces are readily found in certain

layers of sediment south of Rome. While lacking color patterns and other features typically appreciated by agate aficio-

nados, they will take a good polish and make interesting additions to any collection. Their origins are perhaps even more

interesting.

The snakeskin agates are found in a group of Miocene (5.3 - 23 million years old) sedimentary beds commonly

known as the "Rome Beds". The Rome Beds consist of a 100 m thick series of alluvial (stream or river deposited) and

lacustrine (lake bed) sediments ranging from coarse-grained conglomerates through fine-grained mud-stones and vol-

canic tuffs. The sediments in these beds contain abundant volcanic-derived material that served as a main source for ele-

ments in the minerals found there. The beds are relatively flat-lying an rest on top of an erosional boundary that sepa-

rates them from the underlying (older) Miocene sediments and volcanic rocks and are themselves overlain by younger

volcanics and sediments.

The Rome beds have long been the focus of exploration for saleable mineral commodities. Significant dimension

stone was quarried from these beds prior to 1960, but further utilization of this resource is unlikely due to the presence of

erionite in the dimension stone (see note at end of article). The beds have been explored extensively for zeolites. These

hydrous alumi-nosilicate minerals have a wide range of uses as desiccants, feed supplements, and water treatment sub-

strates among others. To date, only a small tonnage of ore bearing the zeolite mordenite has been mined, again largely

due to the presence of erionite (also a zeolite). Other zeolites occurring in the deposit include chabazite, phillipsite, and

clinoptilolite. The zeolites and other constituents (clays, quartz, feldspars, mica, calcite, fluorite) of the finer-grained

Rome Beds are all microscopic and not of interest to mineral collectors.

The formation of zeolites and other secondary minerals in the Rome Beds resulted from interaction between the vol-

canic sediments and groundwaters. The minerals found in the Rome Beds (including the snakeskin agates) are indicative

of alteration of volcanic sediments in a very saline lake setting. Saline lakes (for instance the Great Salt Lake) form in

closed basins in which surface waters feed into the lake but not out of the lake. Evaporation causes the dissolved mineral

content of waters in the lake (and the groundwaters underneath the lake) to increase. When these very saline waters en-

counter volcanic sediments (which tend to react vigorously), sequences of minerals are formed reflecting changes from

relatively fresh water near the margins of the lake to very saline waters at its center. This is seen at Rome where the mar-

gins of the lake are relatively unaltered, the center of the lake shows extensive formation of potassium feldspars, and in

between form the zeolite beds that have been the focus of mineral exploration.

A common feature of saline lake systems with volcanic sediments is the precipitation of hydrous sodium silicate min-

erals. These minerals are generally not very stable and are usually only found in active saline lake systems (not fossil

systems such as the Rome Beds). Among the most common of these is magadiite [NaSi7O13(OH)3·4(H2O)], named for

the active saline Lake Magadi in Kenya where it was first found. Even within active lake systems, magadiite tends to

break down, losing water and sodium and converting into relatively pure silica (SiO2). The resulting silica often retains

to form of the pre-existing magadiitie nodules, being globular and having morphologies reflecting the desiccation and

shrinking of the nodules such as interior cracks and a reticulated surface texture. These nodules are referred to in the geo-

logic literature as "Magadi-type chert" as they tend to have a chert-like texture in Lake Magadi. Most Magadi-type chert

I have seen is like this. The one exception are (sic) the snakeskin agates from Rome, which are clearly formed from des-

iccation of magadiite but are more agate-like in their texture. The presence of Magadi-type chert at Rome is further evi-

dence of its past as a saline lake system.

A Note About Erionite: Many of the beds at Rome contain the zeolite mineral erionite [(Na2,K2,Ca)2Al4Si14O36·15H2O] at concentrations ranging from trace amounts to 100%. Erionite is a naturally-occurring fibrous zeolite mineral with no known uses. Numerous studies now point to erionite being a particularly carcinogenic mineral, being implicated in meso-thelioma in a number of places (see article in October, 2011 Grindings). Health concerns associated with this mineral are similar to those posed by blue asbestos (perhaps I will write a future article on asbestos mineralogy...not all asbestos is carcinogenic). The beds containing the snakeskin agates are generally low in erionite, but unnecessary suspension of dust during collecting activities is not advised. Those concerned may consider bringing a dust mask to avoid breathing erionite particles that may be stirred up while collecting.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article can be found at www.idahogemclub.com/news/2012/June12.pdf

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The Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. January 2010 Jan 2011 The Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc.

BE SAFE – BE WELL Don Monroe & Linda Behr - Safety Committee

Final Article

Things change and so is your Safety Committee. I have already discussed my situation with your new SFMS President, and you can expect a new chairman and maybe a new style of

safety articles. I have been communicating with you since 2005 and have truly enjoyed the opportunity. I have moved to a new position, and as the new President of the American Federation, I will have plenty to do. I will do a short article each month for the American Newsletter, but they may be a little more formal than what you have become accustomed to. It is the middle of the Holiday Season, and I want you to not let this be a Slack Time. You have new officers and some new committee chairs, and we must plan for the New Year. In order for our Southeast Federation to continue to grow and prosper there are some things that you can do.

The first thing that comes to my mind is the need

to recruit new members at every level. We need more people that will agree to help, participate and do the work of the federation.

We need each member to examine their role in

the federation and make sure that what we are doing is for the general good. If there are petty differences, we need to put them aside. We are a powerful group if we work together.

Lastly I encourage all of you to stay in touch. You

know how to find me, and if I can assist you or your club or your committee or whatever, contact me. Those of you who are faced with the responsibility of producing articles can call me. I may have something useful in my archives.

My best to each of you.

Don

MIDWEST FEDERATION

YOUTH POSTER CONTEST: FOSSILS OF THE WORLD

By Jim Brace-Thompson

AFMS Juniors Program Chair For the past few years, the Summit Lapidary Club of Ohio has been sponsoring a poster contest for kids in conjunction with their annual show and the Midwest Federation of Mineralogical & Geological Societies convention. The contest is open to any kids within an AFMS-affiliated club, especially those who already may be involved in the AFMS Future Rockhounds of America program. David Rich has emailed to let me know the tradition continues, and this year, the contest is focused around a theme of “Fossils of the World.” Kids wishing to enter the contest should prepare a poster illustrating one or more fossils that interest them, from anywhere in the world. The contest is open to kids in grades 1 through 8. Each grade level will have a winner. Ribbons will be awarded for 1st through 4th place, and 1st place winners will also receive a prize. Rules are as follows:

all entries must be presented on 12X18-inch

paper;

artwork can be pen, ink, crayons, magic marker,

paint, or any other artist's medium, but no three-dimensional posters accepted;

include name, address, age and school grade of

participant on back of entry;

the title maybe on front or back;

list of names of the fossils and why you chose

them; and

all entries become the property of Summit

Lapidary Club and the Midwest Federation. Points will be awarded as follows: Originality & Art Work—30 points; Design—25 points; Title—25 points; Listing of Fossils and Reason You Chose Them—20 points. Entries must be postmarked by March 2, 2013, and should be mailed to: Jennifer Fike, P.O. Box 26276, Akron, Ohio 44319. Winners to be announced April 6, 2013, at the MWF convention. Further contest info may be found at http://Lapidaryclubofohio.org, and if you have questions,

contact Poster Judge Jennifer Fike by email at:

[email protected].

The Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. January 2010 Dec 2012 The Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc.

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Jan 2012 The Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc.

The Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. Dec 2012

Lodestar Page 9

2013 SFMS WORKSHOP CLASS SCHEDULE

Workshop Staff

Wildacres Director Lisa Roberts

10328 Briar Bay Loop Johnesboro, GA 30238

423-494-7096 678-479-4177

Email: [email protected]

William Holland Directors David & Leslie Wayment 8802 N US Hwy 1 Suite 10

Sebastian, FL 32958 Phone 772-532-6432

772-539-2409

Email: [email protected]

Wildacres Registrar B J Gearhart

631 Lake Overlook Drive Canton, GA 30114-6887

770-479-0963 Email:[email protected]

William Holland Registrars Joe & Addy DePetrio.

P.O.. Box 928 Frostproof, FL 33843

863-635-5138 863-241-5959

Email: [email protected]

Education Committee Chair

Roy Deere 7041 Rodes Place

W. Melbourne, FL 32904 321-725-9179

Email: [email protected]

SESSION ONE - WILLIAM HOLLAND

SUNDAY, June 9-14, 2013

SESSION TWO - WILD ACRES Monday Aug 19-25, 2013

- Class Offering data are not yet available -

SESSION THREE - WILD ACRES Monday Sept 23-29, 2013

- Class Offering data are not yet available -

SESSION Four - WILLIAM HOLLAND SUNDAY, Oct 13-18, 2013

Beading, Seed Barbara Green

Cabochons Anita Westlake

Chain Case Leeser

Clay, polymer Carolyn Stearn

Enameling / Cold-Connection

Renee Kelley

Faceting Bill Roberts

Lampwork Ann Royer

Mineral ID / Field trips Scott Forward

Opals Joe DePietro

Photo Ron Gibbs

Silver ! Special Annette Gibney

Wire I Sandra Bergquist

Tool Making TBA

Beading, Seed Ronald Midkiff

Cabochons II Ellis Bray

Casting Joe DePietro /Lou Mager

Mixed Metals Kim St. Jean

Fused Glass Rich and Linda Dillon

Lampwork Cindy Reed

Silver I Rebecca McNairy

Silver Filigree Shannon Stafford

Wire I TBD

Wire II TBD

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The Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. January 2010

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Dec 2012 The Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc.

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2012 SFMS Committee Chairpersons

Nominations

Barbara Green 116 Sycamore Dr. Marietta, SC 29661

864.836.5896 [email protected]

Long Range Planning

John Wright 3304 Nottingham Road

Ocean Springs, MS 39564-4113 228.875.9192

[email protected]

Bulletin Editors’ Contest

Kathy Morris 551 Grayce Lane.

Hiawassee, GA 30547 706.896.3256

[email protected]

Constitution/By-Laws

Travis Paris 5064 Malmsbury Rd. Knoxville, TN 37421

865.691.8228 [email protected]

SFMS Field Trip Committee Jim Flora

P.O. Box 608 Hiawassee, GA 30546

706.896.8040 [email protected]

Education Kathy Morris

551 Grayce Lane. Hiawassee, GA 30547

706.896.3256 [email protected]

Historian

- OPEN -

Insurance Liaison Darlene Gunsolus

13245 Maryweather Ct Jacksonville, FL. 32225

904.220.3957 [email protected]

Publications Beryl Ferguson

414 S. Ridgewood Ave. Ormond Beach, FL 32174

386.677.1049 [email protected]

Safety Don Monroe

350 Lapidary Lane Young Harris, GA 30582

706.379.9662 [email protected]

Slide/Video Programs Freda Hull

P.O. Box 115 Grant, FL 32949

321.725.0847 [email protected]

Social Concerns

- OPEN -

Stamp Program

Carolyn Grothaus 225 Merrifield Dr

Greenville, SC 29615 864.676.9799

[email protected]

Supplies

Danny Griffin 1320 Byrd Cir.

Kingston, TN 37763 865.406.8802

[email protected]

Uniform Rules

Jim Robinson 1058 Wilderland Dr

Jacksonville, FL 32225 Phone 904-221-5038

Email: [email protected]

Ways & Means

- OPEN -

Youth Resources

- OPEN -

2012 Annual Meeting Host

Carolee Boyles P.O. Box 89146

Tampa, FL 33689 813-831-1944

[email protected]

Wildacres Director

Julia Larson 204 37th Ave North, #250 St. Petersburg, FL 33704

727-522-1254

Email: [email protected]

Wildacres Registrar

David & Leslie Wayment 8802 N US Hwy 1 Suite 10

Sebastian, FL 32958 Phone 772-532-6432

772-539-2409

Webmaster Jim Flora

P.O. Box 605 Hiawassee, GA 30546

706.896.8040 [email protected]

William Holland Director Denise & Carl Talbott 216 Spring View Drive

Murphy, NC 28906 828.494.7213

[email protected]

William Holland Registrar Joe and Addy De Pietro

P.O. Box 928, Frostproof, FL 33843

863.635.5138 [email protected]

Public Relations Herb Whittington

2102 Brookhill Road Dothan, AL 36301

334.793.6811 [email protected]

2012 Mayo Educational Foundation, Inc. Officers/Directors President

William (Bill) G. Waggener 1909 Moores Mill Road Atlanta, GA 30318-1309

404.354-8752

Vice-President Jason Hamilton 7141 Natal Ave.

Jacksonville, FL 32254 904.786.7605

Treasurer Frank Decaminada

795 Nile Drive Alpharetta, GA 30022

770.992.8309

SFMS Education Chairman Kathy Morris

551 Grayce Lane. Hiawassee, GA 30547

706.896.3256

Director Charlotte Mayo Bryant 506 Rain Song Road

Dalton, GA 30270 706.278.8344

Director Barbara Tuttle

85504 Blackmon Road Yulee, FL 32097

904.225.0689 [email protected]

Secretary Beryl Ferguson

414 S. Ridgewood Ave. Ormond Beach, FL 32174

386.677.1049 [email protected]

2012 SFMS Representatives to AFMS Committees

Club Rockhound of the Year

-OPEN-

Boundaries

Janie Hand 253 Wanda Drive

Brandon, MS 39042 601.825.3989

[email protected]

Bulletin Editors

- OPEN -

Club Publications

-OPEN-

Conservation & Legislation

John Wright 3304 Nottingham Road

Ocean Springs, MS 39564 228.875.4191

[email protected]

Collecting Sites Mike Streeter

7 English Place Candler, NC 28715

828.667.8290 [email protected]

Education All American

-OPEN-

Endowment Fund Betty James

169-A Florence Cir. Florence, MS 39073

601.914.6747 [email protected]

Juniors Program

- OPEN -

Program Competition Freda Hull

P.O. Box 115 Grant, FL 32949

321.725.0847 [email protected]

Supplies & Publications Danny Griffin

1320 Byrd Cir. Kingston, TN 37763

865.406.8802 [email protected]

Uniform Rules Jim Robinson

1058 Wilderland Dr Jacksonville, FL 32225 Phone 904-221-5038

Email: [email protected]

Ways & Means

- OPEN -

Public Relations Herb Whittington

2102 Brookhill Road Dothan, AL 36301

334.793.6811 [email protected]

Safety Don Monroe

350 Lapidary Lane Young Harris, GA 30582

706.379.9662 [email protected]

Webmaster Jim Flora

P.O. Box 605 Hiawassee, GA 30546

706.896.8040 [email protected]

The policy of the Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. is that neither the name nor the logo of the Federation may be used for commercial purposes. If any commercial ventures using the name or the logo of the Federation are found, Member Societies and their members are requested to advise Federation Officers.

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July/August 2009 The Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc.

January 2010 The Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc.

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The Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. Dec 2012

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