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

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 :) !

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.