Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois - ESCONI

Events for October 2013

Friday, 10/4	ESCONI Field Trip to St. Paul quarry. We will meet at the quarry office between 7:45 AM and 8:00 AM Eastern Time to sign waivers and receive instructions. To participate, you must be a paid member of ESCONI by September 23. As always, the trip is tentative based on quarry activity. Trip rules: You must be 18 years of age (Indiana State law). A hard hat will be worn at all times. Sturdy construction-type shoes need to be worn. Long pants, no shorts, need to be worn. Limited to 20 participants. To sign up, contact John at Fossilnautiloid@aol.com.
Fri 10/11	ESCONI General Meeting 8:00 p.m. College of Dupage,  - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) Topic: "Discovery of a Major Ancient Maya Pilgrimage Shrine at Lake Mensabak, Chiapas, Mexico" by Joel Palka. Mirador mountain rests on an island in picturesque Lake Mensabak in the jungles of Chiapas, Mexico. I recently discovered that the island-mountain was a major Maya pilgrimage shrine 2,000 years ago with plazas, temples, ceremonial caves, and thirteen terraces --a sacred number in Maya religion-- leading up to it's artificially-leveled summit. What is fascinating about the find is that colonial period indigenous peoples mentioned that their most important sacred place in their histories was a mountain filled with caves on a pristine lake. While I do not claim to have found 'Aztlan' of the Aztecs and historic Maya, I argue that Mirador mountain was an important symbol of Maya community origins and world balance in the Mensabak region. My presentation will cover the archaeological discoveries on Mirador Mountain and place them in the context of pilgrimage shrines in world cultures.
Sat. 10/12	ESCONI Mineralogy Meeting 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: Members' Favorite Collecting Spots
10/11-13	Wausau Gem Mineral and Fossil Show. East Gate Hall at Marathon Park. Friday 12-5, Saturday 9-5, Sunday 10-4. Free. For more information: website - http://www.exclusiveinspirations.com/wausau-gemshow
10/13 - 10/19	Earth Science Week
10/19	Burpee Museum of Natural History - They're back! Family Fossil Field Trips are back at Burpee Museum! Join us in celebration of National Fossil Day for our first Family Fossil Field Trip to a great site for collecting local fossils and minerals. Pre-registration is required, 50 participants maximum. $20/person Non-members, $15/person Members Registration will begin on Monday, September 23. To register call 815-965-3433. Contact Hillary Parks at Hillary.Parks@burpee.org with questions.
Sat 10/19	ESCONI Paleontology Meeting 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, - Tech Ed Building (TEC), Room 1038B (Map) Topic: Continuation of Show and Tell - Celebrate National Fossil Day - Bring a fossil to be identified!
Fri 10/25	ESCONI Board Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Tech Ed Build. TEC 1038B  (Map)
Sat 10/26	Archaeology Study Group Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, - Tech Ed Building (TEC), Room 1038B (Map) Topic: "Shipwrecks and Archaeology-What the finds tell us about history" Over the last several hundred years, there have been thousands upon thousands of shipwrecks in both the Great Lakes and Oceans. With over 70% of the Earth's surface covered in water, we will probably never know how many really exist. If we did, it would take hundreds of years to locate each one. Eric will be discussing some of his favorite shipwrecks. Over the years, Eric has acquired a few nice items from relatively famous shipwrecks-including the Titanic. His collection also includes a few shipwreck Silver 8 Reales which were the Spanish coins used in the middle/late 1700's in the soon to be United States.  One of them was on a ship used to fund the Spanish government-but sank in 1783. The coins never made it-but why? Why were these coins so historically significant?  Be sure to attend and find out how this shipwreck altered the history of the United States. If you have ever wanted to see an artifact from the Titanic or a famous shipwreck-be sure to attend and see them first hand.

New ESCONI Field Trip Announced - St Paul - 10/4/2013

Friday, October 4 - ESCONI Field Trip to St. Paul quarry. We will meet at the quarry office between 7:45 AM and 8:00 AM Eastern Time to sign waivers and receive instructions. To participate, you must be a paid member of ESCONI by September 23. As always, the trip is tentative based on quarry activity.

Trip rules: You must be 18 years of age (Indiana State law). A hard hat will be worn at all times. Sturdy construction-type shoes need to be worn. Long pants, no shorts, need to be worn. Limited to 20 participants. To sign up, contact John at Fossilnautiloid@aol.com.

Archaeology Study Group This Saturday 9/28

Archaeology Study Group Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, - Tech Ed Building (TEC), Room 1038B (Map) Topic: Show and Tell-Metal Detecting Finds"

Why Were These Jade Shapes Made?

From National Geographic via Geology.com:

Jade Mystery Remains

September 7, 2013—Jade bi (discs), from China, that resemble modern-day CD's or donuts, and date to the late Neolithic Period, Liangzhu culture (ca. 3300-2250 BC) remain a mystery. 

Click here to see video.

Discovery of a 6.1-million-year-old Ape

From SciNews:

An international team of scientists has announced the discovery of a 6.1-million-year-old relatively complete and largely undistorted juvenile cranium of the fossil ape Lufengpithecus lufengensis at the Miocene site Shuitangba in Yunnan Province, China.

Database of 3D Fossils

From the Atlantic Magazine:

A Database of 3D Fossils, Ready for You to Explore and Print

Beyond their beauty, fossils are also physical objects, with heft and depth, contours and textures. These qualities are not easily conveyed across the Internet, which tends to resolve on screens, brightly colored and flat.  

This shortcoming is being addressed by a new database launched by the British Geological Service, which contains not just thousands of images of fossils held in a host of British collections, but also 3D models of many of those fossils, which can be viewed, rotated, and enlarged in an interactive display case (if your browser supports HTML5) and can additionally be downloaded as .ply and .obj files, for those who would like to try printing out their own version. Here, for example, is a 3D, interactive trilobite for you to play with.

Field Trip: Mazon Creek 9/28 and 9/29, 2013

ESCONI Field Trip: Braceville—Mazon Creek Fossils

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.  On day of field trip contact John Good at 630-303-2352

Huge Canyon Discovered

Via

One of the biggest canyons in the world has been found beneath the ice sheet that smothers most of Greenland.

The canyon - which is 800km long and up to 800m deep - was carved out by a great river more than four million years ago, before the ice arrived.

It was discovered by accident as scientists researching climate change mapped Greenland’s bedrock by radar.

The British Antarctic Survey said it was remarkable to find so huge a geographical feature previously unseen.

The hidden valley is longer than the Grand Canyon in Arizona. I

BBC:

Good News: New IL Law: Liability Protection for Private Landholders

Governor Quinn Signs Recreation Liability Bill 

At a press conference this morning, Governor Pat Quinn signed SB1042 into law as Public Act 98-0522.  This new law will give private landowners that open their land to the public for recreation, conservation, and education liability protections.  The Governor was joined by representatives from Openlands, The Nature Conservancy, Illinois Environmental Council, Environmental Law and Policy Center, and many other land and conservation organizations.  We are very grateful to the Governor, the staff in the Governor's office, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for their support and hard work to enact this important law.
Lenore- Beyer Clow, policy director at Openlands and IEC board president summarized the imprtance of this bill, "Openlands worked with its partners for 7 years to reinstate protections for generous private landowners who open their land to the public for recreation. We are excited that this law will offer new opportunities for people to connect to nature and enjoy Illinois beautiful open spaces."

Liability protections are a critical incentive for private landowners to allow the public on to their property.  Private landowners can include non-profit organizations, land trusts, residential landowners, and even businesses.  Without these protections, a landowner could potentially be threatened with a lawsuit. For many non-profits and individuals, the cost of a lawsuit could be financially devastating.  We want to encourage people to pursue outdoor activities of all sorts safely.

The consequences of the removal of this incentive in 2005 were real.  Groups like the Illinois Paddling Council found that access to several Illinois waterways was cut off by landowners afraid of opening lands to the public.  Land conservancies stopped or decided not to open natural areas to the public.  Non-profit organizations bought expensive insurance to continue to offer natural experiences to the public. Governmental properties such as the state parks or park districts were also impacted.  Often trails are connected by land that goes through private property or neighboring lands utilized by parks.  
"The Nature Conservancy has always provided the public access to our property and we are pleased that this new law will encourage more land owners to do so by limiting liability. We want the public to come to our sites and enjoy nature," said Susan Donovan, TNC Director of Government Relations.

A bill to restore these protections has been introduced ever year since 2006.  And every year, 

negotiations stalled.  As you know from previous EnviroBulletins, this bill passed the legislature almost completely during the last week of session.  Senate sponsor Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) worked hard to negotiate an agreed to bill that fully restored these protections and House sponsor Representative Ann Williams (D-Chicago) fought to get deadlines waived and leadership to pay attention so that this bill could be passed this year. 

The bill that has passed is an important incentive to private landowners to open land to the public for recreation, conservation, and education.  This incentive comes at no cost to taxpayers and with tremendous benefit for our state.  We are hopeful that this law will inspire new organizations, businesses, and landowners to open up natural areas to the public to enjoy.

World's Oldest Trees and Other Items

The world's oldest tree lives in Utah - the Pando - 80,000 years old.

This and more interesting information is beautifully presented: 

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2013/07/7-graphics-of-earths-coolest-phenomena-from-rainbows-to-earth-wobble/

 

Earth Science Week 10/13-10/19

Earth Science Week

 

Since October 1998, the American Geosciences Institute has organized this national and international event to help the public gain a better understanding and appreciation for the Earth Sciences and to encourage stewardship of the Earth. This year's Earth Science Week will be held from October 13-19 and will celebrate the theme "Mapping Our World."

Click on the following links to see the many ways that everyone can participate in Earth Science Week!

• Mission & Theme
  
• Press Releases
• Contests
• Events Near You
• Newsletter
• Past ESW Highlights
• Future Dates
• Facebook Group
• Facebook Fan Page
• Twitter Page
• Photo Gallery
• Our Sponsors
• Order an ESW Toolkit
• Geoscience Congressional District Visits Days

Rock and Gem Magazine's Lapidary of the Month

Gem and Mineral Coffee Table:

“We visited the rock show on Friday and Saturday and purchased some slabs. Back in Caldwell, the fun began. I started with the butterfly in the middle, using two slabs of petrified wood. I cleaned up the edges on the 6-inch by 1½-inch 100 grit diamond wheel, glued them in place, and then formed the body out of tiger’s-eye.  ...

Rutile

Rock and Gem Magazine's Rock of the Month: Rutile

... Although it usually occurs in small amounts, rutile is widespread in plutonic igneous rocks (those formed by magma cooling deep within the earth) and metamorphic rocks that formed at high pressure and temperature.

Rutile is often associated with quartz. When needlelike “Venus hair” crystals of rutile become encased in other minerals, such as clear quartz, the resulting crystals make stunning display specimens and can be cut into attractive gemstones....

 

Mindat Fundraiser Online

Mindat Campaign For the Future 

Mindat.org is now 13 years old. It has grown from a small personal database of minerals and localities into the largest and most visited mineralogy website around. It is used daily by amateurs and professionals around the world.

Since I started mindat.org, I have worked hard to keep it true to my founding promise, that it would be free for everyone to use.

I want to ensure that whatever happens in the future, mindat.org will continue to be dedicated to providing free mineralogical information to all.

Now mindat.org has matured, it is time to put in place an organizational structure that can keep mindat.org running long into the future, can support our aims to improve and extend the site, and can ensure it continues to provide our free data to all who will benefit.

In order to ensure this, a Not-for-Profit institute will be set up, as a US-based 501(c)(3) organization, to operate the mindat.org database and website, and to continue to raise funds to ensure its future operation.

But we cannot do this without your help and your sponsorship.