Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois - ESCONI

Dinos on Christmas Trees

Check out all the dinosaur ornaments on Christmas trees!

Cutting Stone

Found this personal short description of cutting stone for lapidary.

Fracking and Quakes

From Wall Street Journal:

The company leading efforts to unlock the U.K.'s potentially vast shale-gas reserves suffered a setback Wednesday after a report found it was "highly probable" a controversial production technique caused two small earthquake tremors in the country earlier this year.

The report, which was financed by U.K. energy company Cuadrilla Resources Ltd., pointed to "strong evidence" that the two minor earthquakes and 48 weaker seismic events resulted from Cuadrilla's pumping drilling fluids used in hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking." At the same time, the report said the events were the result of a "rare combination of geological factors."

 

Ferropericlase

Via ScienceDaily:

The crushing pressures and intense temperatures in Earth's deep interior squeeze atoms and electrons so closely together that they interact very differently. With depth materials change. New experiments and supercomputer computations have revealed that iron oxide undergoes a new kind of transition under deep Earth conditions. Iron oxide, FeO, is a component of the second most abundant mineral at Earth's lower mantle, ferropericlase....

 

Killer Claws

Via Science Daily:

New research from Montana State University's Museum of the Rockies has revealed how dinosaurs like Velociraptor and Deinonychus used their famous killer claws, leading to a new hypothesis on the evolution of flight in birds...

Saber Toothed Chicken

BoingBoing on the history of birds and dinosaurs:

...The connection between dinosaurs and birds, while kind of flipping obvious once somebody points it out, was not much discussed among laypeople until I was in my teens. (That would be the 1990s, FYI.)  But, among scientists, the idea of a dinosaur-bird relationship is nothing new. In fact, Thomas Henry Huxley was making that connection back in the 1860s...

Help in Identifying Fossils

The Fossil Forum web site offers a Fossil ID discussion board. Just post your photo and see what people think!

Dinosaur Artwork of the Past

Love in the Time of Chasmosaurs

So many interesting photographs of dinosaur artwork and dinosaur parks, complete with commentary.

Google Unearths Archaeological Sites

Via USAToday: 

... Well, how about Google Earth instead? Like a friendly genie, that modern technology has started answering archeologist's wishes with its worldwide catalog of satellite views of the Earth. A pair of studies in the Journal of Archaelogical Science this year suggest these views are revealing a vast and ancient story, one only starting to emerge from the fabled desert of Arabia....

Gallery of Lapidary

Via Lapidary Journal:  Gallery of Issues Contributors

 

13,800 Bone Spear

Via Science (October):

... researchers report new analyses of the remains of a mastodon found in the 1970s with a bone spear point in its rib. Scientists used DNA and radiocarbon dating to demonstrate that the point came from a mastodon bone shaped into a weapon by humans and used a startling 13,800 years ago. That's nearly 1000 years before the Clovis culture, long considered to be the first culture in the New World....

New Quasicrystal

Via Scientific American:

... A team of researchers says it has found in a Russian mineral sample the first natural example of a quasicrystal, an unusual material that displays some of the properties of a crystal but boasts a more intricate and complex structure. Since quasicrystals were characterized 25 years ago, numerous versions have been cooked up in the laboratory, but a natural example would indicate that nature's products are more diverse than previously thought...The find could force a redefinition of minerals to include such quasicrystals...

More - interview with Nobel Prize winner award to Israelli Chemist for another quasicrystal discovery.

Mining Protests in Peru

Via BBC:

...Mining is the main engine of Peru's booming economy, but it is also the cause of numerous social conflicts around the country.

The $4.8bn (£3.1bn) Conga project would be the biggest mining investment in the country's history.

On foot and on horseback, rural protesters climbed to four high mountain lakes whose waters would be moved to make way for the gold mine....

New Horned Dinosaur

Via Science Daily:

... A new species of horned dinosaur was just announced by an international team of scientists led by Alf Museum staff, 95 years after the initial discovery of the fossil.

The animal, named Spinops sternbergorum, lived approximately 76 million years ago in southern Alberta, Canada....

Antarctica Exposed

Via Washington Post: Map of Antarctica:

... Although some of these mountains are as tall as the Alps, they’re still obscured by more than 3,200 feet of ice. The highest elevations are marked in this image in red and black, and the lowest are shown in dark blue. The light blue area shows the extent of the continental shelf. Using radar to map the landscape, scientists at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have pooled data from decades of polar expeditions to create the most accurate and detailed map of the “white continent” ever made...

Finding Affordable Cabachons

Via Beading Daily:

... there are over 700 named agates alone! One of the things I love best about wandering through the endless maze of gem dealers at the Tucson shows in February, in fact, is keeping any eye out for interesting and unusual stones, and many of them are quartz...

16,000 Lenses on Anomalocaris

Via New York Times:

...The researchers report that anomalocaris had extraordinarily complex eyes, with 16,000 hexagonal lenses each. The findings appear in the current issue of the journal Nature....

Calendar of Events 2012

(Dates subject change) 

Sat. 1/21

	January 2012
Sat. 1/7	Dinosaur Day at Lizzadro Museum.
Fri. 1/13	General Meeting, 8:00 p.m. College of Dupage Building K, Room #161. Jack MacRae from the Willowbrook Nature Center will speak on "Local Discoveries of Mammoths and Mastodons."
Sat. 1/14	Mineralogy and Micromount Study Group Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161. Video of the Munich Mineral Show.
Sat. 1/14	Course: Climate Change and Archaeological Sites at Oriental Museum
Sat. 1/21	Rock and Mineral Identification at Lizzadro Museum.
Sat. 1/21	Paleonotology Study Group Meeting, 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161. Geology of the Dixon Quarrry by John Catalani
Fri. 1/27	ESCONI Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161
Sat. 1/28	Archaeology Study Group Meeting, 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161. Group discussion on, What's New on the Technological Front in Archeology Research.
	February 2012
Thurs. 2/9	Archaeological Society of America lecture, Evidence for Early Pipemaking in Illinois during the Middle Woodland Period (50BC-400AD) at Burpee Museum of Natural History
Fri. 2/10	General Meeting: 8:00 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161. Dave Dolak, Columbia College, will speak on "Geology as Destiny:  Across the Mid-Continental Divide and the Chicago Portage” which will outline the physiography of NE Illinois as influenced by the retreat of the Wisconsin Ice Sheet 12,000 years ago and the subsequent geomorphological development of the region including features such as the Chicago Outlet, Valparaiso Moraine, Chicago Lake Plain, Des Plaines River, and the Mid-continental Divide, and why the Chicago Portage was the logical place for the early Voyageurs to traverse the area to establish what would later become Chicago.. David Dolak is a long-time ESCONI member. He is the Senior Lecturer in Geology/Earth Science in the  Science and Mathematics Department at Columbia College Chicago. he has taught at the University of Chicago, Field Museum, Morton Arboretum, and was an environmental scientist at Argonne National Laboratory.  His graduate degree is from Indiana University and his thesis work was done at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
Fri. 2/10	Mammoths, Mastadons and More Science Night at Elgin Public Museum.
Sat. 2/11	Mineralogy and Micromount Study Group Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161.  Topic: Pyrite and Marcasite
Sun. 2/12	South Suburban Earth Science Club Silent AuctionSu: 11-4. Come for rocks, minerals, jewelry, gemstones, crystals, lapidary supplies and more! Freedom Hall, 410 Lakewood Blvd., Park Forest, IL. Contact: ssescus@yahoo.com
Sat. 2/18	Rock and Mineral Identification at Lizzadro Museum.
Sat. 2/18	Paleonotology Study Group Meeting, 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161.
Fri. 2/24	Board Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161.
Sat. 2/25	Archaeology Study Group Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161. Cahokia Mounds group discussion.
Sat. 2/26
	March 2012
3/2 - 3/4	Eastern Indiana Gem & Geological Society 39th Annual Mineral, Fossil & Jewelry Show Fr: 10-6, Sa: 10-6, Su: 11-4. Admission $5 for adults. Wayne Co. Fairgrounds, 861 N. Salisbury Road, Richmond, IN. Contact John LaMont (765) 647-4503 or Dave Straw (765) 966-4249
Sat 3/3	Ancient “Elephants” MarathonCome join us on Saturday, March 3, 2012 for a field trip as we explore many of the ancient elephants (a.k.a., mammoths and mastodons) that have been excavated and preserved around DuPage County. Rob Sula, lecturer and Jack MacRae, Naturalist, Forest Preserve District of DuPage County will lead us on the day-long excursion and field experience. This is a field trip to supplement Mr. MacRae’s January, 2012 ESCONI general meeting presentation and should bring additional insights into the area’s glacial and post-glacial past. We will meet at 9:00 a.m. for our first stop, Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center, 3609 Spring Road (off of York and Ogden Avenues), Oak Brook 60523 where we will examine the reconstructed remains of a 13,000-year-old woolly mammoth which is on display. Next we travel to Wheaton College where we encounter the 11,000-year old Perry mastodon which was found in nearby Glen Ellyn. The mastodon spins on a turntable to show both its skeletal remains and as it appeared when it was “fleshed out.” We also may have a short presentation by the exhibit’s curator. There is an audio presentation at the exhibit as well. Afterward, there is a lunch break (on your own). After lunch, we will reconvene at Blackwell Forest Preserve, Winfield to see the site where the Fullersburg mammoth was first discovered and where Mr. MacRae will bring hands-on examples of ancient elephant bones and teeth. Our trip will conclude with Rob Sula providing a tour of the Phillips’s Park Visitor’s Center and Mastodon Gallery in Aurora where we will continue our investigations of the Chicagoland area during glacial times. Outside the facility is a full-size replica of a mastodon. On exhibit, are prehistoric bones, tusks, and teeth of the huge creatures that roamed Aurora at the time of the last glaciers. We will view a 15-minute presentation on how the mastodons were found in Phillip’s Park. There is no cost for this field trip. However, please remember that field trips are only open to current ESCONI members. The field trip is open all ESCONI members. This field trip also is limited to 30 participants. Reservations are being taken until February 25th. First-come, first served. Driving instructions to all the sites will be available at Fullersburg Woods. We are scheduled to end the excursion around 5:00 p.m. For further information or to make your reservation, please contact Joe Kubal, ESCONI Event Coordinator, 30W600 Sunrise Road, Naperville, IL 60563, 630-983-6159, SMKubal0712@aol.com.
Sat & Sun 3/3 - 3/4	Paleofest at Burpee Museum of Natural History.  Hours: March 3rd & 4th, doors open 10:00 am - 5:00pm - Adult lectures begin at 10:30am on Saturday March 3rd and at 10:15am on Sunday March 4th.
Sat. 3/3	Dinosaur Discoveries at Lizzadro Museum.
Tues 3/6	Archaeological Society of America lecture Children in Wartime: Ancient Athens and Modern Europe at Burpee Museum of Natural History
Fri.& Sat 3/9-10	Milwaukee Archaeology Fair. Milwaukee Public Museum. 10 am - 3 pm. Free with museum admission.
Sat. 3/10	Mineralogy and Micromount Study Group Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161.  Topic: Minerals of the state of New York.
Sat. 3/10	CRMS 63rd Annual Silent Auction 6 to 9 PM! First table closes at 6:30 PM. Free admission and parking. Rocks, minerals, crystals, fossils, geodes, handmade jewelry, books, magazines, cutting material and lapidary treasures! St. Peter's United Church of Christ gymnasium, 8013 Laramie Ave., Skokie, IL (at Laramie and Oakton, across from the Skokie Public Library).
Thurs. 3/15	Kendall County Geology. The Little White Schoolhouse, Oswego, IL, Thursday, 7 to 9 PM, Donation $5.00.  Geologist, author, and educator Ray Wiggers' presentation will center on outstanding geological sites and scenic locations in Kendall County and surrounding areas. Wiggers will relate the compelling story of how Kendall County's modern landscape and human settlement pattern, have been shaped by the massive geological forces of glaciers, invading seas, and shifting continents. Pre-registration is recommended, but walk-ins are always welcome.
Sat 3/17- Sun. 3/18	ESCONI GEM, MINERAL AND FOSSIL SHOW. Saturday and Sunday, March 17-18; Saturday 10 am - 5 pm Sunday 10 am - 4 pm  WHERE:  College of Dupage, Building K, Commons Room ADMISSION:  Free :)
Fri. 3/23	Board Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161.
Sat. 3/24	Mazon Creek Fossil Trip  by Lizzadro Museum.
Sat. 3/24	Archaeology Study Group Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161. Topic: Genghis Khan.
Sun. 3/25	Family - Junior Archaeology Event at Oriental Museum
3/30 -4/1	MAPS 34 National Fossil Expo - Western Illinois Universtiy, Western Hall, Malcolm, Illinois. (Mid-America Paleontology Society) Fr: 8-5, Sa: 8-5, Su: 8-Noon. Moonlight swap at Days Inn rooms. Free parking and admission. Best fossil show in country.
Sat 3/31	ESCONI Field Trip - Jacob's Geodes - Hamilton, IL. 9:00 am. Meet at 9:00 am at 823 East County Road. 1220 in Hamilton, IL at Jacob's Geodes to dig for geodes!. $16 for a full 5 gallon pail. Hard hats are not required. Boots and safety glasses are recommended. An Eastwing rock hammer is the best tool. Chisels, pick and pry bar are helpful also. Knee pads, back packs, fanny packs, extra clothes (you will get wet and muddy) are also a plus. Bring water and sun screen too! Please call John Good at 630 - 483 - 2363 for reservations or email at esconi@hotmail.com. This field trip happens in the same general location and at the same time as the MAPS Fossil Expo in Malcomb IL - so it is a good time to also attend the Fossil Expo!
	April 2012
Sat, Sun 4/14-15	Des Plaines Valley Geological Society's 46th Annual Jewelry, Gem, Fossil, Mineral and Lapidary Arts Show Sa: 9:30-5, Su: 10-4. Admission - Adults $3.00, Seniors $2.00, Students with School ID $1.00, Children under 12 FREE when accompanied by an adult. Kid's room, live demonstrations, educational exhibits, food, door prizes, raffles, silent auction, fine gem and jewelry dealers. Des Plaines Park District Leisure Center, 2222Birch Street, Des Plaines, IL. Info: www.desplainesgeologyclub.org
Thurs 4/12	Archaeological Society of America lecture All Roads Lead to Rome: The Roman Highway System in Global Perspective at Burpee Museum of Natural History
Fri. 4/13	General Meeting: 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161. Josh Mathews, Augustana College. He will speak on - Dinosaurs “On the Rocks”: An Exploration of Antarctic Fossils and New Discoveries & Insights from the Frozen Continent.
Sat. 4/14	Mineralogy and Micromount Study Group Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161.  Topic:
Sun. 4/15	ESCONI Field Trip - Schingoethe Center for Native American Cultures at 1:30 pm. We will meet inside the Center entrance. Cost is $4 per person, which includes a guided tour. Located in Aurora University in Dunham Hall, The Schingoethe Center for Native American Cultures holds more than 8,000 Native American artificacts.  Contact Bryan Nugent at 630-960-5147 to sign up or to find out more information.
Sat. 4/21	Paleontology Study Group Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161.
Fri. 4/27	ESCONI Fossil Field Trip, St. Paul, Indiana - meet at the quarry office by 7:45 am (6:45 am Chicago time). Normal safety equipment is needed - hard hat, protective boots, eye protection. To get to the office take I65 south around Indianapolis to 174. Exit and Exit 123 go south to Michigan Av. right to N. County Road 800 W left following signs to St. Paul. Go through the town over the railroad tracks past town, ending up on Mound Rd, to office on right. Indiana state law that no one under 18 is allowed in quarries.   --------------------- Board Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161.
Sat 4/28	Archaeology Study Group Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161. Topic: Archaeology of Mammoths.
	May 2012
Thurs 5/11 - Sun 5/13	TerQua: The 2nd Annual Meeting of the Tertiary and Quaternary Paleontologic Studies Society/strong> at Burpee Museum of Natural History
Fri. 5/11	General Meeting: 8:00 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161. Bob Martin: "Evolutionary Relationships of Neanderthals.
Sat. 5/12	Mineralogy and Micromount Study Group Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161.  Topic:
Sat. 5/19	Paleontology Study Group Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161.
Sat. 5/19 & Sun 5/20	ESCONI Field Trip  Collecting Mazon Creek Fossils on private property Meet at 8:00 A.M. Saturday at the BP Amoco in Coal City. No Age Limit.  Hard Hats not required.  Take I-55 to Exit 236 (Coal City).  Take a right onto Highway 113 (Division Street).  Go west to Broadway Street and Division in Coal City. We will be collecting Mazon Creek concretions from an old spoil pile on private property.  Hard hats are not required.  Boots are recommended.  An Estwing rock hammer is the best tool.  A small shovel or pick is helpful.  Knee pads, backpacks, fanny packs, extra clothes (you will get wet and muddy) are also a plus.  Bring a bucket for the fossils. Also bring insect repellant. Contact John Good at 1-630-483-2363 for reservations or e-mail at esconi@hotmail.com.  Or, on the day of the trip, contact John Good at 630-303-2352.
Thurs. 5/24	Miner Safety Training, Rm 161, 7:00  pm to 10:00 pm   We are offering  Miner Safety Certification Training.  John McArdle of ZRS (Zoological Research  Services) is approved to offer Miner Safety Certification Training and issue certificates.  He will  teach the course.  This involves a formal presentation based on a 250 page book, followed by a formal test that must be passed to receive a certificate.  The training take  three (3) hours with a break.  Reservations recommended due to ordering certificates in advance.  Contact John Good at 1-630-483-2363 for reservations or e-mail at esconi@hotmail.com   Miner Safety Training must be recertified every year.   We need miner safety training for successful and safe collecting.  Several ESCONI members have gotten into quarries due to their Miner Safety Training.   The cost will be $10 for each ESCONI Member payable at the door to John McArdle.  Each Participant must also have a copy of the book at the training session ($7 per book).
	No Archaeology Study Group Meeting.
Sat. - Sun. 5/26 - 5/27	36th Chicagoland Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show Saturday, May 26, 2011 10am - 6pm Sunday, May 27, 2011  10am - 5pm Adults - $5.00 Seniors- $3.00 Students (13-17) - $3.00 Children (Under 13) Free  DuPage County Fairgrounds 2015 W. Manchester Rd. Wheaton, IL  CGMA Show Website
Sat 5/27	This field trip is being held by Les Marszalek, President of GOLD (Greater Oak Lawn Diggers). If you are interested, meet at the boat house at 11 AM on Sunday 5/27/12.  The boat house is by Canal Street on the I&M Canal off of Route 6 and Canal Street. At 11:30 AM, the attendees will head out for a tour of Briscoe Mounds (see bottom of page). If you have further questions about his Sunday May 27th Fieldtrip to Briscoe Mounds, contact Les at (708) 501-0677.
	Board Meeting - see June 1.
	June 2012
Fri. 6/1	Board Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161.
Sat - Sun. 6/2 - 3	ESCONI Field Trip - Cahokia Mounds State Park. Saturday June 2nd and Sunday June 3rd. Contact Bryan Nugent (630) 960-5147 to register or for additional information. There is no admission fee but a suggested donation of $4 for adults and $2 for children ($10 max. per family). Events and programs are free, unless otherwise noted. Workshops and classes require pre-registration and fees paid to instructors. For more information, call 618-346-5160. Cahokia Mounds is located in Collinsville, Illinois off Interstates 55/70 and 255. Cahokia Mounds is just fifteen minutes east of St. Louis, Missouri. Much more information can be found by downloading this Field Trip document (.pdf).
Fri. 6/8	General Meeting: 8:00 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161.  Peter Makoviky  "New Cretaceous Allosauroids from the Americas."
Sat. 6/9	Rock Swap - Chicago Rocks and Minerals Society1 - 5 pm, St. Peter's United Church of Christ gymnasium, 8013 Laramie Ave., Skokie. Free admission and free parking. For more info. contact Betty, 708-795-7539 or Jeanine at 773-774-2054
Sat. 6/9	ESCONI Mineralogy Meeting7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161., Topic: Indiana Geology and Mineralogy
6/16	ESCONI Field Trip to the Vulcan (was Larson) Quarry on Barber Greene Road in Sycamore, IL on June 16th 2012, from 9 to noon. Sign up by sending me an email with the number of people and their names. I will acknowledge by return email. By request of the quarry management, the trip is limited to 20 people. Rules: 1. Must be an ESCONI member. 2. Must be at least 18 years old. 3. Must wear a hard hat and boots. Be there by 9AM. Park by the metal office on the south side of Barber Greene Rd. We will go through site-specific training before going into the quarry area. Bring your MSHA Part 46 certificate if you have one. It isn't required - just nice to have. The rock exposed here is Late Ordovician (Maquoketa Group) to Early Silurian (Wilhelmi Fm.). Hammers are usually not needed. Bring a bucket, plastic bags to hold fossils, and something to wrap them in (like TP) if they are delicate. The most common fossils are brachiopods and bryozoans, but there are also trilobites, crinoids, cystoids, cephalopods and conularids. I can send directions or a map for anyone who is unfamiliar with the quarry. Dave  email - fossil54@att. net
6/22-24	Lawrence Co. Rock Club 47th Annual Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show & Swap Fr: 10-6:30, Sa: 9-6:30, Su: 10-4. Free admission. Monroe County Fairgrounds, at Airport Road and Hwy. 45 near Bloomington, IN. Contact Dave Treffinger: (812) 295-3463
7/19	Thursday July 19, 2012 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM "History of Area Coal Mining" - Presentation  by Dick Joyce 7pm at Braidwood City Hall Refreshments and mingling at the Museum afterward. http://www.braidwoodhistoricalsociety.org/apps/calendar/showEvent?calID=6439203&eventID=182898222
	July & August 2012
7/26 - 29	A Celebration of Agates Internationally recognized agate experts and enthusiasts. Thursday - Agate seminars. Friday - Sunday Show with dealers, exhibits and speakers. AFMS & MWF Annual Meetings, with Awards Banquet on Saturday evening. Hopkins High School, Lindbergh Center, Minnetonka, MN. Info: www.minnesotamineralclub.org
Fr-Sun 8/24 - 26	Michiana Gem & Mineral Society's 49th Annual Jewelry, Gem & Mineral Show. South Bend, IN
Fri 8/24	Board Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, DIFFERENT ROOM! Tech Ed Build. TEC 1038B (Map)
Sat. 8/26	Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art, "Working with Healing Stone", Lecture - Adult, 2-3 pm. Reservations Recommended. Regular Museum Admission.
	September 2012
Sat. 9/8	ESCONI Mineralogy Meeting7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, NOTE: Room Change! - Tech Ed  (TEC) Building, Room 1038A (Map) - Topic: Show & Tell
Fri. 9/14	ESCONI General Meeting 8:00 p.m. College of Dupage, NOTE: Room Change! - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038A (Map)Topic: Thomas Loebel will speak on, "Ice Age Hunters and Illinois Clovis Point Survey"
Sat. 9/15	1. Saturday - ESCONI Field Trip - Belvidiere IL - see web page for more details 2. Rock and Mienral Swap - 6219 Forest Hills Road ~ Rockford, Illinois, Odd Fellows Hall,  Bring it, Swap it, Buy it, Sell it - 9:30 am to 3:00 pm 3. ESCONI Paleontology Meeting 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, NOTE: Room Change! - Tech Ed Building (TEC), Room 1038A (Map)Topic: Show & Tell
Sat. 9/22	Archaeology Study Group Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, NOTE: Room Change! - Tech Ed Building (TEC), Room 1038A. (Map)Show and Tell.
Fri 9/28   Sat 9/29	Board Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, DIFFERENT ROOM! Tech Ed Build. TEC 1038B (Map)   9am to 5pm: Wheaton College Geology will again offer a large amount of valuable material to collectors at all levels. One room will be devoted to children's and beginner's goodies. One room will be for sale of higher-quality items, and one room for intermediate items. Marked prices range from less than a dollar to hundreds of dollars. "Deals" can be made to discount for larger numbers of purchases. These prices are not at the lowest, wholesale range, but are far less than most stores and online offerings. CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED. NO OUT OF TOWN CHECKS. Items included: large, nice MI coppers; many varieties of quartz (top-quality Arkansas); Tampa Bay agatized corals; Madagascar Ocean Jasper slices; loads of calcites from the TriState, Mexico, etc.; Tsumeb malachite; pyrites and marcasite; TriState galenas, sphalerite, and chalcopyrite, IL fluorite, some with witherite; many pegmatite minerals (including columbite); Mexican arsenates; SD barite; US metamorphic minerals from the Rockies and Appalachians; copper ores from AZ, NM and Butte, MT; gold and platinum ores: uvite and hexagonite from New York; Indian zeolites; New Jersey zinc ores and associated skarn minerals; many types of garnets (uvarovite, melanite, grossular, etc.); USGS portfolios; projection petrographic microscopes; fossils, including many invertebrates (trilobites, corals, etc), Tertiary mammals, turtles, and dino bones; and much more, some in large quantities. If you want more specific information, please contact me. The sale will take place in Wheaton College's new Science Center.
	October 2012
Oct 2 - Jan 6 2013	Lizzadro Museum - New exhibit - Florentine Mosaics"
Thur, - Sat. 10/4-6	Fluorospar Festival, Rosiclare, IL
Fri. 10/12	ESCONI General Meeting 8:00 p.m. College of Dupage, - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038A (Map)Topic: Mike Henderson will speak on Captorhinus and friends, the lower Permian Tetrapods of the Fort Sill fissure fillings southern Oklahoma
Sat. 10/13	ESCONI Mineralogy Meeting7:30 p.m. College of Dupage,  - Tech Ed  (TEC) Building, Room 1038A (Map) - Topic: Geology of Wisconsin
Sat. 10/20	ESCONI Paleontology Meeting 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage,  - Tech Ed Building (TEC), Room 1038A (Map)Topic: In celebration of National Fossil Day Dave Carlson will be giving a presentation on "Soft Tissue Preservation in Fossils". Members will be bringing fossils for display with free samples for guests. Free. All ages welcome!
Sun 10/21	Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art - "Curious about Mars?" Dr. Paul Sipiera from the Field Musuem will review the latest findings from the Curiosity Rover. Ages 8-Adult, 2 pm, Regular Museum Admission, Reservations Recommended
Sat. 10/27	Archaeology Study Group Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161. Topic: Artifact Identification - bring your artifacts
Sat. 10/28	Board Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Tech Ed Build. TEC 1038B (Map)
	November 2012
Fri. 11/2	ESCONI Field Trip - Sign up by sending an e-mail to John Catalini at Fossilnautiloid@aol.com - More information
Fri. 11/9	ESCONI General Meeting 8:00 p.m. College of Dupage,  - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038A (Map) Topic:  Stephen Moshier, "Retracing Lost Channels of the Ancient Nile Delta of Pharaonic Egypt"
Sat. 11/10	ESCONI Mineralogy Meeting7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, - Tech Ed  (TEC) Building, Room 1038A (Map) - Topic: Elaine Lord will give presentation on Geology of Wyoming and  he National Forest Preserve's Fossil Butte National Park and Jeff will give presentation on gold mining in Wisconsin and Michigan.
Sat. - Sun. 11/10-11/11	Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art - "The Art of Florentine Mosaics" - Saturday, Demo 1pm - 60 minutes; Lecture 2 pm - 45 minutes Sunday, Demo 1 & 3 pm; Lecture 2 pm Regular Museum Admission; Reservations Recommended (630) 833-1616
Sat. 11/17	Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art - "Lapidary Day" - Demonstrations by artists from West Suburban Lapidary Club - beading, silversmithing,cabochon cutting, wire wrapping, faceting, hands-on activities and free jewelry cleaning.
Sat. 11/17	ESCONI Paleontology Meeting 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, - Tech Ed Building (TEC), Room 1038A (Map) Topic: Topic: John Catalani will discuss Archaeopteryx, the first known fossil bird.
Sat. 11/17	Field Museum, 1 pm, Leakey Lecture: Human Biogeography with Dr. Alexander Harcourt. Free with admission; register online or (312) 665-7500 to reserve your seat.
Sun 11/25	Burpee Museum, 70th Anniersary Lecture series in memory of Steve Ellis: "Dinosores - Injury and Behavior in Cretaceous Dinosaurs by Dr. Joseph Peterson. 2:00 pm. Recommended for middle school ages and up. Free to members. Free with paid admission or $5 lecture only.
	December 2012
Fri. 12/7	Winter Holiday Dinner &  General Meeting: ESCONI ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY - 5:30 to 7:30 pm It is time to celebrate the holiday season with our annual ESCONI get together.  Greek Islands Restaurant 300 E. 22nd St., Lombard IL 60148 www.greekislands.net  - (630) 932-4545 PLEASE NOTE: The Holiday party will be a Dutch Treat . . . that is, we will be ordering off the menu and you will pay your own check. Be prepared to pay with CASH! We will continue our tradition of a Secret Santa gift exchange. This grab bag is optional.  MEETING & LECTURE - 8:00 - 9:30 pm Meeting will be at 8:00 pm.  College of Dupage, - Tech Ed Building (TEC), Room 1038A (Map)   Lance Grande,  Senior Vice President, Head of Collections and Research, and Curator, Department of Geology, Field Museum, will speak on the subject of the Green River Formation - “The Lost World of Fossil Lake: Snapshots From Deep Time”
Sat. 12/8	ESCONI Mineralogy Study Group, 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage - Tech Ed. (TEC) Bldg. Room 1038A - Winter Holiday Party and Mineral Identification Competition.
	2013...
1/11	ESCONI General Meeting 8:00 p.m. College of Dupage,  - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038A (Map) Topic:
1/12	ESCONI Mineralogy Meeting 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, - Tech Ed  (TEC) Building, Room 1038A (Map) - Topic:
1/19	ESCONI Paleontology Meeting 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, - Tech Ed Building (TEC), Room 1038A (Map) Topic:
1/25	ESCONI Board Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Tech Ed Build. TEC 1038B (Map)
1/26	Archaeology Study Group Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, - Tech Ed Building (TEC), Room 1038A (Map) Topic:
2/8	ESCONI General Meeting 8:00 p.m. College of Dupage,  - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038A (Map) Topic:
2/9	ESCONI Field Trip - (written by Joseph Kubal): There is a small archaeology museum housed at nearby Wheaton College.  I have arranged for ESCONI members to tour the museum on Saturday, February 9, 2013 at 10:00 a.m.  We are to meet in the lobby of the Billy Graham Center Museum located at 500 E. College Avenue, Wheaton, IL 60187-5593.  Dr. Adam Miglio, Museum Curator, will explain the artifacts housed in this modest facility, discuss collecting in Palestine, explain how archaeology adds to Biblical scholarship, and answer questions that participants may have.  There is no cost to visit the museum.  If you need additional information, please contact Joseph D. Kubal at SMKubal0712@gmail.com or call me at 630-983-6159.  There is no need to RSVP for this trip, just show up.  Some information about the museum is located at http://www.wheaton.edu/Academics/Departments/Theology/Archaeology-Museum.  In addition, I probably am going to the nearby Wade Library, 351 East Lincoln, which is also on the Wheaton College campus.  It opens at 9:00 a.m.  It contains C.S. Lewis' wardrobe cabinet which may have instilled the idea for The Chronicles of Narnia's "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe."  Other displays include an original map of Narnia and J.R.R. Tolkien's (The Lord of the Rings) writing desk.  See http://www.wheaton.edu/wadecenter/.  Again, there is no cost to visit.  Finally, the Billy Graham Center Museum itself will be open to interested visitors after our visit to the archaeology museum.  More information is available at http://www.wheaton.edu/bgcmuseum.  There is no admission fee, but donations are welcome.  Some come and make a day of it.  And, of course if you did not make the ESCONI Ancient Elephants Marathon Field Trip that was run in March, 2012, you could visit the Wheaton Science Center, (also on-campus), http://www.wheaton.edu/Buildings/Wheaton-Science-Center, which houses “an unique, interactive atrium museum featuring the [11,000 year old] Perry Mastodon [that was found in nearby Glen Ellyn], a geology exhibit, a natural history exhibit, a Foucault pendulum, and additional exhibits.”  The Wheaton College Science Center is on the southwest corner of the intersection of Howard and University Avenues.  Admission is free.   ESCONI Mineralogy Meeting 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038A (Map) - Topic:
2/16	ESCONI Paleontology Meeting 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, - Tech Ed Building (TEC), Room 1038A (Map) Topic:
2/22	Tech Ed Build. TEC 1038B (Map)
2/23	Archaeology Study Group Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, - Tech Ed Building (TEC), Room 1038A (Map) Topic:
3/2 & 3	Burpee Museum Paleofest. Rockford, IL. Join us for our 15th Annual PaleoFest! For the first time we are partnering with the Cleveland Museum of Natural History to bring a first-of-its-kind scientific symposium to Burpee Museum. We will be hosting a symposium titled "The End of the Dinosaurs: Changes in the Late Cretaceous Biosphere" which will bring together some of the world's most renowned paleontologists for a weekend of lectures which will showcase their ongoing research. Talks will discuss paleobotany, invertebrate paleontology, pterosaurs, crocodiles and turtles, We are also excited to welcome back Dr. Scott Sampson, also known as Dr. Scott the Paleontologist, from PBS's popular kids show "Dinosaur Train!" Dr. Scott will be presenting TWO Children's Lectures and a Children's Workshop.
3/16-17	ESCONI Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show, Wheaton Fair Grounds. *Note new location!
4/5-7	Mid-American Paleontology's National Fossil Expo #35. Devonian will be the theme.
6/ 6 -9	Mining History Conference, Galena IL

Calendar of events for years past:

2011

2010 - 2009 

Ice Sheets Expand More Quickly Than Thought

Via PhysOrg:

A fast-moving glacier on the Greenland Ice Sheet expanded in a geologic instant several millennia ago, growing in response to cooling periods that lasted not much longer than a century, according to a new Arctic study.

Princeton's Art of Science Gallery 2011

Gorgeous photographs of artistic views of science - 2011 gallery from Princeton.  You will have to click to see!