Meteorite Lecture by UW Professor in Port Townsend - Saturday April 1, 2017

"Meteorites—Exotic Fragments of Other Planets and Asteroids"

Free public lecture by Dr. Tony Irving, Professor of Geology
Earth & Space Sciences, University of Washington.
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Saturday, April 1 at 4 pm at Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2333 San Juan Avenue, Port Townsend.
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Sponsored by the Jefferson Land Trust Geology Group www.quimpergeology.org.  See below for more information released today about this exciting upcoming talk!
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"Meteorites are extraterrestrial rocks or metal-rich objects that fall onto our planet. Sometimes those that survive entry through our atmosphere are found and analyzed. However, until 1492 when the Ensisheim meteorite was seen falling to Earth in France, the idea of rocks from space was not accepted. Since then and especially over the past 20 years, this field of study (meteoritics) has grown significantly due in large part to the recovery of many new specimens, especially from the barren deserts of Northern Africa. Meteorite samples can be quite valuable as collector's items.
Dr. Irving's presentation will describe how research on meteorites is conducted and how the results have greatly expanded our knowledge of the history of the Moon, Mars, and bodies within the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter.

In addition to Tony's lecture, local meteorite collector Eric Twelker will be on hand to display some samples of meteorites from his extensive collection. You can see photographs and descriptions of some of these in advance on his website (www.meteoritemarket.com)."

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR:
Saturday, April 1 at 4 pm. Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2333 San Juan Avenue, Port Townsend. The talk is free and open to the public, although a $5 donation would be appreciated to defray our speakers travel expenses.
www.quimpergeology.org

Upcoming Jefferson Land Trust Geology Talks: Saturday April 1 and Saturday May 13

The Jefferson Land Trust Geology Group has two upcoming geology talks in Port Townsend.

April 1, 2017; Dr. Tony Irving, Univ. of Washington,  Meteorites (with Eric Twelker, hand samples). Saturday, 4 pm.

May 13, 2016; Dr. Ned Brown, Western Washington University, Bellingham—Geology of the San Juan Islands. Saturday, 4pm.

The talks will be held at the Quimper UU Building, 2333 San Juan Ave, Port Townsend, WA 98368.

Talks are free and open to the public. A $5 donation is suggested.

The mission of the JLTGG program is to educate the public about geology and its association with long-term land conservation.  The program offers presentations on topics of general public interest, and periodic field trips to important geologic features in the Jefferson County region.

http://www.quimpergeology.org/index.html

Vivianite in Port Townsend...and the Alps

There's just something about the mineral vivianite that fascinates me. I first learned about vivianite when I was reading a well drilling report for Jefferson County, Washington in 2007. Earlier that year, I happened to see a well drilling rig at HJ Carroll Park in Port Hadlock when I was walking with my son and later checked out the report when it became available online.

Buried in the details of the 2007 Chimacum Valley Drilling Report, deep in the appendix (where many juicy scientific details are frequently found) there was a photograph log. One of the photos showed a glacial clay layer from 148 feet below ground surface that contained vivianite.

Photo excerpted from Pacific Groundwater Group's 2007 Chimacum Valley Drilling Report.

I was amazed at the bright blue color and added vivianite to the list of minerals I would like to one day find in the wild. (Like a bird enthusiast's life list...I too have a mineral life list. And I'm not alone. So many people share this interest that the Washington Department of Natural Resources created a Washington State Minerals Checklist.)

Vivianite at Fort Worden State Park

When I first discovered vivianite at Fort Worden State Park in August 2015, I thought I was looking at blue flecks of paint on the beach. Once I realized it was vivianite, I became so excited I got up at 4 am multiple days in a row just so I could go back at low tide and look at it some more. (When you live by the ocean you plan around the tide table not the clock!). This is the vivianite location featured in the Field Guide to the Rocks & Geology of Port Townsend. 

I've since found a second spot at Fort Worden where vivianite occurs - this spot within the intact peat layer about a 1/2 mile north of the Point Wilson. You have to squint to see vivianite here, as the light blue flecks are only about 2-3 mm wide.

Photo with my hand lens and lanyard show the location of the in situ (in place) vivianite.

Photo showing a close-up of the vivianite mineral found in the peat layer. The vivianite flecks in this location are a lighter blue than found elsewhere and only about 2-3 mm wide - so you will need to look closely.

Photo of the Cable House Canteen at the Fort Worden lower campground area, where we stopped on the way home to celebrate finding another vivianite viewing spot. At the Canteen you can build your own frozen yogurt sundae with candy toppings. The cafe is open seasonally in the summertime.

Vivianite in the Alps

When Ötzi the Iceman - the 5,300 year old frozen mummy - was discovered in the Austrian-Italian Alps in 1991 it was a major scientific discovery.

This photo of a reconstruction of Otzi is from an exhibit at the South Tyrol Museum of Archeology. Photo Credit: Thilo Parg / Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0


Archeologists have gleaned a lot of information from Ötzi's remains -  his diet, diseases, and manner of death. It turns out that the mineral vivianite was also found on his remains - and that vivianite is used by archeologists worldwide to learn about burial practices.

Vivianite is an iron-phosphate mineral that forms in the presence of sulfur and when there is a lack of oxygen. Getting buried in a peat bog - whether you are a mammoth or a human - is a great way to preserve bones and form the mineral vivianite.

A recent article from Science Alert calls vivianite "a mineral of death." I think that statement is a little dark...but that didn't stop me from enjoying the article and vivianite photos!

Here's a link to the vivianite article from Science Alert:

http://www.sciencealert.com/vivianite-the-blue-mineral-that-eerily-turns-buried-bodies-blue

Nature Now Radio Interview: Port Townsend Geology on KPTZ 91.9 FM

I recently had the opportunity to spend an afternoon at the KPTZ 91.9 FM studios in Port Townsend with Mary Robson, one of the Nature Now radio program hosts, to discuss Port Townsend's geology. There was so much to talk about - there were 2 radio segments that came out of it.

You can listen to the two Nature Now segments about Port Townsend's local geology as archived podcasts, the links are provided below. Thanks again to KPTZ.org and Nature Now for having me on their show!

Below is a photo from the studio, that's Mary Robson on the right.

Nature Now #286 Beach Stones and Their Origin

(first aired November 16, 2016). Host Mary Robson interviews researcher and science writer Annika Wallendahl and discusses how to appreciate and identify stones found when walking on local beaches. Closing music is “Help Me Rhonda,” by the Beach Boys.
https://kptz.org/?s=286

Nature Now #288 Uncommon Stones

(first aired November 30, 2016). Host Mary Robson welcomes back researcher and science writer Annika Wallendahl and discusses uncommon stones found in our area. Closing music is “Heart of Stone,” performed by The Rolling Stones.https://kptz.org/?s=288

Girls Scouts Rock Out at Fort Worden

I had a chance to lead 12 enthusiastic local Girl Scouts on a guided tour of the beach geology from North Beach to Fort Worden on the morning of Saturday September 24. Those girls were amazing at identifying rocks and their questions about the visible landslides were excellent. I hope they keep their zest for rocks and geology - there's a need for more geoscientists in the future.

And I really appreciate the thank you cards I received :) !

You found a cool rock or fossil - can you keep it?

You just found an amazing rock or fossil and want to keep it. But can you? The answer in Washington State is...it depends who owns the land.

Below is some information about Washington State rock hounding, mineral and fossil collecting on 1) federal, 2) state and 3) private lands taken from the agency websites. Click on the links for more details.

If rules don't allow you to take your treasure home, you can still take a photo to remind you of your great find. By respecting the rules and leaving the rock, gem or fossil behind, someone else will be able to share the same excitement when they find it.

1. FEDERAL LANDS

Are you on Federal Land that is a Park, Monument, Refuge or Tribal Land?
Below is a list of Federal public lands managed by the Federal Government that do not allow rock hounding or fossil-hunting. If you find something here, you need to leave it.
National Parks
National Monuments
National Wildlife Refuges
National Scenic Areas
Tribal Lands

Are you on Federal Land managed by the Bureau of Land Management?
You can collect up to 250 pounds of rocks, gems and specimens for personal, non-commercial use from BLM land annually without a permit. You can use hand tools such as shovels and picks, but no power equipment for excavation. (Commercial uses of rocks and specimens include selling, trading or bartering them.)

Are you on Federal Land managed by the US Forest Service?
You can collect a reasonable amount of rocks and minerals for personal or hobby use from most National Forest Service lands without a permit.  The reasonable amount is defined as 10 pounds. You can collect samples from the surface only - no digging, even with hand tools - when on Forest Service land. You can collect common minerals, as well conduct recreational gold panning and collect gold and other naturally occurring metals.

You can collect fossils of plants, clams and insects (non-vertebrate only) from Forest Service land. You will need to get a free-use permit if you want to collected petrified wood (wood that has been fossilized by silica) for personal use.



Image caption: Checking out plant fossils in a roadcut near Wenatchee. Photo credit Jeff Schwartz.

You cannot collect fossil fish bones, shark teeth or other vertebrate bones from US Forest Service land, and you cannot collect Archeological artifacts such as remains of prehistoric or historic human life or activities (anything older than 50 years). Arrowheads cannot be collected, they are also considered human-modified stone.


2. STATE LANDS

Are you on Washington Department of Natural Resources State Lands?
State lands managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (WA DNR) are host to amazing agates, amethysts, garnets, jaspers, opals, and even gold nuggets. Washington State also has an array of fossils including crinoids, clams, trilobites, snails, corals, and at least one dinosaur.

The following specimens cannot be collected from DNR land without a permit due to their rarity: meteorites, vertebrate fossils, or any archeological or historic artifacts.

If you want to collect for hobby purposes from DNR land, check out DNR's online rockhounding and fossil map. Permits are issued by region, and Port Townsend is in the Olympic Region.

Are you in a State Park?
You must have a permit from the State Parks to collect any minerals or fossils.

Why? Any finds on State Lands are considered public property. In 2015, a therapod dinosaur fossil was found in Sucia Island Marine State Park in the San Juan Islands by Burke Museum staff. The therapod family of dinosaurs includes the carnivorous velociraptor. Cool! This dinosaur find will remain in the collection of the public Washington State Parks collection for all residents of Washington to enjoy in the future. The dinosaur femur is on display now at the Burke Museum in Seattle.






Image caption: Theropod dinosaur femur discovered at Sucia Island Marine State Park in 2015. Images courtesy of Burke Museum.


Are you on County or City land?
Then you need to check with the folks at the local city or county permitting office. Local rules vary.


3. PRIVATE LAND
Before entering private land, you must ask the landowner for permission. Private land owners include farmers, forestry companies and residents. No trespassing!

It is illegal to remove cultural artifacts from public land or from private land you do not own. Take a picture, get the GPS coordinates, or draw a map and notify the public or private landowner. Contact the Burke Museum to help you find the correct public landowner, or to help you identify an artifact or fossil.

If you own property and mineral rights, then you have the right to collect on your property or to give permission to others to do so. If you are not sure if you own the mineral rights to your property, check the property deed, or contact your County Assessor’s office.

Mining claims (both patented and unpatented) are considered private lands, and you must obtain the owner's or claim holder's permissions before proceeding.

If you want more information on how to obtain a commercial collecting permit, check mineral rights for your land, or file a mining claim or mineral lease on public land click here.


Obey the collecting rules, the fines are steep!

Free Guided Geology Beach Walk at Fort Worden State Park - Sunday June 12 at 2 pm

All ages are welcome!

I will be leading a free guided geology walk of the lower beach at Fort Worden State Park Sunday June 12 at 2 pm in Port Townsend. We will look at the glacial clay and peat layers exposed by a landslide just north of the beach campground area.

The guided geology walking tour will be about 1/2 mile total distance and last about 30 minutes. Stay after to beach comb and identify rocks from the Field Guide to Port Townsend Rocks and Geology. Low tide is at 4:13 PM on June 12.

Click here for the full-size Fort Worden Trail Map.

The guided geology walk will start from the paved parking area about 200 feet east of the beach campground loop. This is a rain or shine event - so bring your raincoat just in case.

In 2010, I taught a "Geology of Port Townsend" Course through Peninsula College. The Fort Worden beach landslide deposits (called "Qls" on geology maps) was one of our class field stops. Below is a slide that gives some background information on what we will be looking at June 12.

You will need a Discover Pass to park your vehicle in the lower beach area. You can purchase a pass the same day of your visit from the Friends of Fort Worden Gift Shop located inside the park. Gift Shop address: Fort Worden State Park, 200 Battery Way, Port Townsend, WA 98368.

Photo: Northeast section of park showing beach campground and bluffs at left. Photo taken from top of Battery Kinzie in May 2016.