Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois - ESCONI

2020 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show March 21st and March 22nd - Preview #7, Atacamite from Chile #mineral #copper

This is the preview post #7 for the 2020 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show.  The show is on March 21st and March 22nd, 2020.  Show details can be found here.

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Here is a beautiful specimen of Atacamite from Chile.  Atacamite is a fairly rare mineral of copper.  This one had a deep green color.

2020 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show March 21st and March 22nd - Preview #6, Macroneuropteris scheuchzeri #MazonCreek #fossils

This is the preview post #6 for the 2020 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show.  The show is on March 21st and March 22nd, 2020.  Show details can be found here.

This one is a beautiful specimen of Macroneuropteris scheuchzeri.  There is quite a but of detail.  We have a bunch of Mazon plants this year.  Don't miss it.

ESCONI Flashback Friday #43: Field Trip To Rosiclare, IL For Fluorite #minerals #fluorite

As part of the celebration of ESCONI's 70th Anniversary, here is Flashback Friday post #43.  If you have pictures or stories to contribute, please send them over to esconi.info@gmail.com.  Thanks!

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Here are some pictures of a field trip to a fluorite mine in Rosiclare, IL in Hardin County.  There is the American Fluorite Museum in Rosiclare.  They have the Fluorspar Festival every year in October.  Wow, who knew?!?

Palaeocast Episode 108: Plesiosaurs @Palaeocast #fossils #plesiosaurs #cretaceous

Palaeocast has a new episode about Plesiosaurs.  The discussion touches on the history of plesiosaurs and some of the opalized fossils from Coober Pedy in South Australia.

Plesiosaurs are some of the most easily recognisable animals in the fossil record. Simply uttering the words ‘Loch Ness Monster’ can conjure a reasonably accurate image of what they look like. Thanks to palaeoart, it’s also fairly easy to envision how they lived: swimming through the open Jurassic seas, picking fish, ammonites and belemnites out of the water.

What we don’t imagine are plesiosaurs at the South Pole, nor would we ever picture them swimming amongst icebergs or poking their heads out of holes in the ice to breathe. We’d never think to find them in freshwater either. Even more surprising is that the evidence for this radical vision of polar plesiosaurs is often found preserved in the precious mineraloid opal.

In this interview, we’re joined by Dr Benjamin Kear, Curator of Vertebrate Palaeontology at the Museum of Evolution, Uppsala University in Sweden. He paints for us a picture of life at the South Pole and discusses the importance of polar habitats in driving the evolution of the plesiosaurs.

 

ESCONI Field Trip to Vulcan DeKalb Quarry - Saturday, April 4th, 2020 #fieldtrip

There will be an ESCONI Field Trip to the Vulcan DeKalb (aka Larson) Quarry on Saturday April 4, 2020 from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM. The quarry is located at 15622 Barber Green Road. This trip is combined with a visit from Dr. Roy Plotnick’s class from UIC, and Dr. Reed Scherer’s class from NIU. The rules are shown below:

Everyone in your party MUST be an ESCONI member as of 11:59 PM April 1st and at least 18 years old to attend this trip.

1. Because this is a combined trip, there are only 10 open slots for ESCONI members.

2. The parking lot is on the south side of the road, but it isn't big. Follow any directions given by quarry management on parking.

3. We will have site-specific training, and everyone will sign a waiver.  Waiver forms will be distributed by email a few days before the trip. You DO need to print out and sign the Vulcan waiver, and bring it along. You DO NOT need to print out the ESCONI Accident and Liability form. Your signature on the sign-in sheet affirms that you have read the ESCONI Accident and Liability form and agree to the conditions in it.

4. We will be collecting in a designated area on the overburden shale dump only.  We cannot go anywhere else in the quarry.

5. You must have the following safety gear: steel-toed boots, hard hat, safety glasses and safety vest.  These must be worn at all times on the property.

6. No rock hammers, chisels, or large shovels.  We can keep the fossils we find as long as they can easily be carried. A wagon can be helpful.

7. Photographs of the quarry or quarry facilities are not allowed.  Photographs of fossils ARE allowed, and Vulcan management would like to have pictures of nice specimens.

8. Please review the ESCONI Code of Ethics available on the ESCONI website.  This applies to field trips.

If you have unique or impressive specimens found at this quarry, and are willing to bring them for the group(s) to see, please do so.

To sign up for this field trip, please send Dave Carlson an email with the number of members attending. The email address is: fossil54@att.net  No phone calls please. You will receive a confirmation via return email within 24 hours. If you do not hear back within that time, send it again!

ESCONI Events March 2020

Field trips require membership, but visitors are welcome at all meetings!

Sat, Mar 21st	ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM - CANCELED
Sun, Mar 22nd	ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM - CANCELED

 

Reminder: Chicago Rocks & Minerals Society - 71st Annual Silent Auction Saturday March 14th, 2020 - Rocks, Minerals, Fossils and Lapidary #rocks #minerals #fossils #lapidary

We Will Rock You!

 

Chicago Rocks & Minerals Society

Hosts 71st Annual Silent Auction of 

Rocks, Minerals, Fossils and Lapidary Treasures

 

Saturday, March 14, 2020

6 to 9 p.m.

 

St. Peter's United Church of Christ

8013 Laramie Ave., Skokie, IL

(Across the street from the public library on Oakton)

 

The first table closes at 6:30 p.m. There's something for everyone who has rocks on their mind: minerals, fossils, crystals, geodes, gemstones, handmade jewelry, rough rock, books, magazines, and lapidary treasures galore. The variety is amazing.

 

Families are welcome; children must be accompanied by an adult. Free admission.

 

Free parking For more information, contact Jeanine N. Mielecki, (312) 623-1554 or email jaynine9@aol.com.

 

Visit www.chicagorocks.org. Like us on Facebook /  Chicago Rocks & Minerals Society.

 

2020 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show March 21st and March 22nd - Preview #5, Calcite on Marcasite on Iridescent Calcite #mineral #calcite

This is the preview post #5 for the 2020 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show.  The show is on March 21st and March 22nd, 2020.  Show details can be found here.

This mineral specimen is doubly terminated calcite on marcasite on iridescent calcite from Eddyville, IA.  It's gorgeous with a bunch of colors.  We have other mineral specimens... come out and see them at the show!

PBS Eons: How a Hot Planet Created the World's Biggest Snake #paleontology #snakes #titanoboa

 

The new PBS Eons episode is about titanoboa and the world it lived in.  Check it out!

About 59 million years ago, the largest animal lurking in the ancient forests of Colombia by far was Titanoboa - the largest snake ever known. It’s only been in the past few years that we’ve put together the many pieces of this puzzling creature, but it turns out that the greatest snake that the world ever saw was made possible by a warming planet.