GULF COAST MINERAL, FOSSIL & GEM CLUB

P.O. Box 1404      Venice, FL 34284-1404

www.mineralfossilgemclubvenicefl.org

NEWSLETTER

VOLUME 5 NUMBER 8 May 2006

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

PURPOSE

     The purpose of our club, organized in 1967, is to foster an interest in minerals, gems, fossils and lapidary arts, to give people with these interests the fellowship with each other and a chance to interact with informative meetings, programs and activities and to present our hobby to the community at our annual show.  We also try to foster an interest with the children of our community and to share our knowledge through programs and displays in the local schools and libraries.

½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½

MEETINGS

     Meetings are held the first Monday of the month, October through May in the Meeting Room at the Venice Public Library, 300 S. Nokomis Avenue, Venice, FL.

ANNUAL DUES ARE $10 FOR SINGLES OR $15 FOR FAMILIES

REGULAR MEETING DATES: 2005-2006 CLUB SEASON

Monday               7:00pm     Oct 3, 2005     Show & Tell                           

Monday               7:00pm     Nov 7, 2005    Geraldine Vest—Tourmaline

Monday               5:30pm     Dec 5, 2005     Dinner Meeting         

Wednesday          7:00pm    Jan 4, 2006     Discuss Show; Rob Campbell—Zeolites

Monday               7:00pm     Feb 6, 2006     Silent Auction—Club Members

Monday               7:00pm     Mar 6, 2006    Geraldine Vest—The Many Aspects of Quartz

Monday               7:00pm     Apr 3, 2006     Prof. Sam Upchurch, USF—Bisbee Mines, AZ

Monday               5:30pm     May 1, 2006    Dinner Meeting

SHOW 2006

Saturday January 28: 10 am to 5 pm

Sunday January 29: 10 am to 4 pm

CLUB OFFICERS

      President: & Newsletter Editor: Geraldine Vest (941) 408-1711 Gvest201@yahoo.com

      Past President/Liaison with AFMS: Allen Brown (941) 926-4171 allen_brown19467@msn.com

      Vice President: Ursula Jablonski, (941) 484-9956 ujjablonski@comcast.net

      Secretary: Barbara Walker (941) 488-1302                  

      Treasurer: Darlene Turzanski (941) 697-7809 tarzan4892@hotmail.com

      Webmaster: Duane Daniell (941) 485-8714 duanedaniell@yahoo.com

      Senior Trustee: Tom Ladd (941) 755-6428

      Trustee: Jack Appleby (941) 497-6638 maidmarion856@aol.com

      Trustee and Show Chairman: Ralph Marble, (941) 922-2135 marblesgems@aol.com

      Trustee: Gifford Smith (941) 698-0183 gif@gls3c.com

GULF COAST MINERAL, FOSSIL AND GEM CLUB

P. O. Box 1404; VENICE FL 34284

6:00pm to 9:00pm GALA MAY DINNER MONDAY, MAY 2, 2005 AT 6:00PM HELP—PLEASE COME at 5:30PM to set up tables      The club will supply fried chicken, drinks and tableware.  Members: bring a vegetable, salad or dessert to complement the chicken.  Those signed up so far are: Marian & Jack Appleby (2) [D], Bothum, George & Donna (2) [V], Duane Daniel & Charlotte Coffey (2) [D], Jablonski, Ursula (1) [?], Tom & Helen Ladd (2) [D], , Ralph Marble (2) [V], John & May Mort (2) [S], Gifford Smith (1) [D], Simmons, Jack & Mary (2) [D], Somos, Leslie & Suzi (2) [D], Jan & Darlene Turzanski (2) [V], Geraldine Vest (1) [V], Barbara & Gordon Walker (2) [S] Ross & Kathy Young and family (4) [V]. (X) = number attending, [6D] = dessert, [S] = salad, [V] = vegetable So far, 27 people responded that they were attending and are bringing [6D], [3S], [4V].      If you did not sign up and still want to come call Geraldine Vest (941) 408-1711 so that she can purchase enough fried chicken for you.  If it is a last minute decision—come anyway because we usually have extra chicken.

œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ

MESSAGE FROM YOUR PRESIDENT: GERALDINE M. VEST

First, I want to thank Captain Bob Morgan for his fossil exhibit—this year is the first time since I joined the club in 1999 that we have had such wonderful displays.  I want to thank everyone who participated in our club project to help Ruben Leobetter amass the money for his China trip with People to People group.

The Venice Community Center was reserved for our club show so mark your calendars—January 27 &28, 2007.

²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²

CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES TO OUR MEMBERS CELEBRATING:

Birthdays:

MAY: Richard Stevens [4], Katrina Meyer [10], Vivian Peters [11], Robert Dunham [11], Jack Simmons [21]

JUNE: Alice Tholen [1], Diane Prokop [7], Gifford Smith [9], Helen Dunham [16], Nancy Hintlian [21], Trish Morehead [23]

JULY: Barbara Walker [2], Fred Buti [2], Ralph Marble [5], Allen Brown [28], Jim Davis [28], Jack Appleby [31]

AUGUST: Dr. Eugene M. Gillum [12], Tom Rogers [16], Charlotte Coffey [16], Doug Chevalier [21], Lou Zark [27], Flo Harms [28], Evalyn Jones [31]

SEPTEMBER: Tom Ladd [1], Joe Winesette [2], Richard Dry [5], Ruben Leobetter [6], Thomas Granata [10], Karen K. Harris [11], Pat Stelzer [15], Helen Gardner [18], Roger L. Patriquin

YAnniversaries:

JULY: Frank & Pat Stelzer [28]

AUGUST: Jan & Darlene Turzanski [6], Thomas & Kathy Granata [8]

SEPTEMBER: Ralph & Eileen Marble [2]

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

UPCOMING SHOWS 2006

Apr 29-May 1       Jacksonville, FL – El-Mar Enterprises, Morocco Shrine Auditorium, 3800 St. John's Bluff Rd. S.  Elmer Robbins, 813-754-0858, jewelrybyelmar@aol.com, www.jewelrybyelmarent.com

May 13-15             Orlando (Kissimmee), FL - Gem & Lapidary Wholesalers, Inc. Business to Business Gem Trade Show. Osceola Heritage Park, 1875 Silver Spur Lane; Hours: Fri. & Sat. 10am-6pm, Sun. 10am-3pm;  32801-1416  13th & 14th, 10-6; 15th, 10-3. Tina Gray, 601-879-8832, fax 601-879-3282, info@glwshows.com, www.glwshows.com

May 19-21             Sarasota, FL—Frank Cox Productions, Gem, Crystals, Minerals, Unique gifts & Bead Bazaar, Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, 801 N. Tamiami Trail.  Contact Frank Cox Productions, 755 S. Palm Ave., #203, Sarasota, FL 34236.  Hours: 10am-5pm daily.  (941) 954-0202

Note this change for the Tampa club

Oct. 28-29        Tampa FL—Tampa Bay Mineral & Science Club—47^th annual show, Florida State Fairgrounds, Martin Luther King Blvd., just west of US Hwy 301.  Hours Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm.  Contact: Doug Heym (813) 626-6997, rockclub@tampabay.rr.com    www.tamparockclub.homestead.com

Note Ralph Marble’s Shows for 2006

Date	Location
Apr 7-9	Venice FL
May 10-14	Franklin, NC
Jun 2-4	Tannehill, AL
Jun 22-25	Bloomington, IN
Jul 25-29	Franklin, NC
Jul 30-Aug 6	Spruce Pine, NC
Aug 11-13	Melbourne, FL
Sept 7-10	Greenfield, IN
Sep 28-Oct 1	Indianapolis, IN
Oct 13-15	Huntsville, AL
Oct 27-29	Tampa, FL
Nov 10-12	Melbourne, FL
Nov 23-26	Mobile, Al
Nov 30-Dec 3	Montgomery, AL
Dec 8-10	Deland, FL

MINERALS THAT MAY HAVE AFFECTED HISTORY

By Rob G. Campbell

NATURE compiled the following theories in 2005; they aired on the Science Channel recently.

HOT ROCKS: GEOLOGY OF CIVILIZATION   “BELIEF”

1. In Ancient times, perhaps approaching armies or internal decay conquered the Roman Empire.  The downfall of Rome may actually be blamed on one culprit—galena.  Galena, a lead sulfide, mined in areas surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. The galena ore was processed to recover lead.  The lead was then fashioned into cooking pots and used to make syrup called sappa.  Sappa is a sweet but acidic sauce made by boiling and thickening red grape juice. The sappa, added to sweeten many foods including wine, containing as much as 20% lead.  Over time, consumption of sappa might have caused the craziness of the emperors, as well as the fact that chronic lead poisoning causes sterility and infertility as well as convulsions, seizure, and eventually death.  So the Roman Empire may actually have been “done-in” by one of our favorite beginner minerals—galena.
2. Most of you know about the emperor—Napoleon Bonapart but you may not be familiar with the cause of his death.  The culprit in this murder mystery most likely was lurking in his bedroom for quiet some time.  During a recent renovation of his residence, the pigment found in his wallpaper was determined to orpiment, an arsenate sulfide containing 60 %, by weight of arsenic.  Orpiment means gold pigment and it was called King’s yellow.  Once again, a mineral ended up changing history by hastening the death of Napoleon Bonapart.  If he would have lived longer, who knows what else he would have done.

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

INTRODUCTION TO PETROLOGY, continued

By Geraldine M. Vest, Ph.D., FGA, GG

ROCKS

     Grouped according to their method of formation, all rocks contain one or more minerals.

1.      Igneous rocks solidify from molten magma, either at the surface resulting from volcanic action (extrusive or volcanic rocks) or in the crust under the earth’s surface (intrusive or plutonic rocks); the minerals in igneous rocks form interlocking-grains.  Since they form at high temperatures, the constituent minerals are usually not stable at the low temperatures and pressures of the earth’s surface; upon weathering from the parent rock, some of the minerals react with their surroundings and change into other minerals.

2.      Metamorphic rocks form under high temperatures, high pressures, or both from previous igneous, sedimentary, and/or other metamorphic rocks.  The recrystallization occurs without melting as the new minerals form interlocking-grains.

3.      Sedimentary rocks form from deposited fragments of other rocks cemented together, usually by calcite or silica; the grains are not interlocking. Alternatively, sedimentary rocks can be precipitation from solutions.

METAMORPHIC ROCKS-KEY IDEAS

1. All rocks are composed of one or more minerals.
2. A given mineral is stable only over a certain range of temperatures and pressures—beyond that range the mineral will tend to break down or combine with neighboring minerals to form new minerals.
3. Most minerals at the earth’s surface formed at higher temperatures and pressures, and they are somewhat unstable.
4. The speed of these rock transformations depends upon temperature—at the earth’s surface, this is a very slow process.  Weathering and burial are also very slow processes.
5. Holding a rock at a high temperature, high pressure or both over a long period of time, causes the constituent minerals to change dramatically by recrystallizing without melting—producing metamorphic rocks.  Metamorphism may occur in a localized area, called contact metamorphism, or over a large region such a at destructive plate boundaries when an oceanic plate slips under a continental plate—producing regional metamorphism.
6. The final minerals formed at any level of metamorphism, depends upon the original mineral composition.
7. Geologists classify metamorphic rocks by groupings called facies—each facies reflects a different range of temperatures and pressures.

This diagram shows the pressures and temperatures required to produce metamorphic rocks of each facies.  These facies grade into one another and the boundaries between them are ill defined. ⁽¹⁾

     Repeated from the April newsletter…Note the scale increases from the top (earth’s surface) down (into the earth).  The vertical axis on the right gives depth into the earth and the scale on the right is pressure exerted by the material on top.  The pressure is in kilobars (kbar), one kbar equal to 1000 times atmospheric pressure.  {{For the old-timers like myself, atmospheric pressure is 14.7 pounds per square inch (psi), thus 1kbar is 14,700 psi; and for the depth scale, 10 kilometers (km) equal 6.21 miles.  Thus, a depth of 10 km (6.21miles) corresponds to a pressure of almost 44,000 psi}}

     A few examples of what happens to rocks under some of these conditions—originally starting with (1) basaltic rock [(Jan newsletter) volcanic rock containing plagioclase feldspar, amphibole, pyroxene, and olivine] and (2) mudrocks [(Apr newsletter) very fine grained sedimentary rocks] and.

*This information was taken from the above diagram.

(1) Rothery, David A., Teach Yourself geology, McGraw Hill, (2003) [261pp] {ISBN: 0-07-143972-2}