CompuServe Messages

Hi, John– Trinity county may not match the southern Calif. deserts as a mineral cornucopia, but it sounds like rockhound heaven to me while I remain assigned to Oklahoma. There are fossils here and there, but minerals within a few hours' drive are mostly limited to calcite, barite, and gypsum. There was a hematite petrified branch found hereabouts, but I do not know where the hematite came from. Orange-red is an intriguing color for petrified wood fluorescence. I do not expect that fluorescence to come from quartz (though this is not impossible); it suggests calcite, barite, or some such. I have some petrified wood, from the Salton Sea if I recall correctly, that has a dim orange fluorescence. I have had it since childhood, and never got around to trying to figure what mineral that was; have you any idea as to what mineral replaced your wood? How bright is the fluorescence, compared to Franklin, NJ calcite? A manganese deposit may have some fluorescent calcite nearby. Manganese traces with smaller traces of lead activate and orange-red fluorescence in calcite, halite, barite, and others; it can be as bright as the best Franklin, NJ calcite if the proportions are right. If you like Mineralogical Record, you may want to consider Mineral News. Lanny, who publishes it, has uploaded a few condensed samples in this forum's library to give you an idea of what it is like. The filenames are MNN*.ARC. Download GEOMAG.TXT for a list we have been composing of magazines and subscription addresses; it includes international magazines equivalent to Min. Rec. – I keep meaning to subscribe to the one from U.K., but have not gotten around to it. –Doug