www.cochisecountyrock.org
“Finding and
Grinding Rocks in
March 2007
This issue edited by Don
Hammer
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We Value Your Membership
Our records indicate you have not paid your dues. If you have decided to drop your membership in the Club please reconsider. If you have just overlooked paying your dues, please pay immediately. We do not want to drop you from the membership list. This will be your last newsletter unless your dues are paid by March 15.
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Veteran geologist Bill
Burton will talk on mineral exploration in
February
Field Trip
On Saturday February 17
nine members and three guests assembled in the Community Center parking lot,
loaded into three vehicles and caravaned to the Bisbee Mining and
We
will go to
February 12, 2007
Vice President Jack Weller called the meeting to
order. Paul McKnight was out of the
country at this time. We welcomed guests
and new members to the club.
There were no questions, corrections, or
changes for the minutes printed in the newsletter. Larry made a motion to accept the
minutes. Dick Yeager seconded the
motion, motion carried.
Walter gave the treasurer’s report. A Certificate of Deposit for $3000.00 was
purchased for a period of 180 days at 3.75 percent interest. That leaves us with a balance of $2,092.57.
Irvin gave the Lapidary report. They are meeting on Thursday afternoons at 1
p.m. No one has had any luck finding a
used saw. Don told us all lapidary
equipment was up in price at the show in
Jack told us that the Federation had kept
their word on sending us info on other clubs in the area. We also have rock-hounding booklets on sale. Joan Hammer is in charge of the rock raffle
tonight. All of this will be available
during the intermission.
The Field Trip this month will be to the
A video of “The making of a continent”
will be available after refreshments.
With no further business, Don made a motion to adjourn. Jack seconded the motion, motion
carried. Meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m.
We enjoyed refreshments from Cynthia Weller and Carol Pontious.
Respectfully,
Carol
Pontious. Secretary
Wanted: Rocks.
Bring one or more of your favorite rocks to the meeting to be included
in the rock raffle. We thank the
Fenners, Blandins and Henri vandenBos for donating rocks for our highly successful
raffles.
Anyone
with suggestions for speakers or program topics or field trip sites please
contact one of the officers.
Interested in
lapidary? We have a 1 pm Thursday and a
Saturday afternoon session – call Irvin Pontious – 824-0110. Silver soldering meets at 2 pm Tuesday – call Larry Strout 826-3991. Silver smithing
meets at 3 pm Monday – call Don Hammer 384-3105.
Our President Paul
McKnight has returned from 3 weeks in the
8 Board Meeting
12 Regular Meeting – William Burton, mining geologist. Host: Karen Grassell
18 Field Trip – Dry Canyon in the Whetstones for fossils
5 Board Meeting
9 Regular Meeting – Host – Rosita Pontious
14 Field Trip – Swisshelms for jasper and ?
10 Board Meeting
14 Regular Meeting
20 Field Trip
7 Board Meeting
Picnic
Field Trip
Field Trip
6 Board Meeting
10 Regular Meeting – Host Ilse-Rose Edgett
15 Field Trip
4 Board Meeting
8 Regular Meeting
14 Field Trip
8 Board Meeting
12 Regular Meeting
17 Field Trip
6 Board Meeting
17 Christmas Party
Upcoming
Regional Events
March 8 – 11, 2007 Deming Gem & Mineral Society Inc. 42nd Annual Rocks,Gems, Minerals, Geode Cutting, Auctions, Daily Door Prizes, Guided Field Trips, Breakfast & Lunch & More. Phone (505) 544-8643. dgms.bravehost.com
March 10, 2007
Minerals of
March 16-18, 2007,
April 21-22, 2007
June 7-10, 2007. Rocky Mountain Federation
Annual Convention & Show.
President Paul McKnight 520 824-4054
Vice-President Jack Weller 520-826-0625
Secretary Carol Pontious 520 824-0110
Treasurer Walt Sigel 520-826-1009
Delegate at Large Jack Light 520-384-4774
Hospitality
Coordinator Hanni Sigel 520-826-1009
Dues are due. $10 for individual and $20 for family. Please mail your check to Sunsites Gem &
Mineral Club,
Crinoids are neither abundant or familiar organisms today.
However, they dominated the Paleozoic fossil record of echinoderms and shallow
marine habitats until the Permo-Triassic extinction, when they suffered a near
complete extinction: many Paleozoic limestones are made up largely of crinoid
skeletal fragments.
Stalked crinoids, or "sea lilies", lived
attached to the bottom, and filtered food particles from the currents flowing
past them. The living stalked crinoids mostly inhabit deep water and are
therefore difficult for the average underwater enthusiast to observe.
Corals are the skeletons of some marine animals belonging
to the Phylum Cnidaria (NÎ-dÂ'-ri-a), a medium-sized phylum that contains a
large variety of solitary and colonial invertebrates including sea anemones,
hydroids, sea pens, jellyfish, siphonophores, and millepores, in addition to
corals. Two body forms, polyp and medusa, are characteristic of the phylum and
commonly occur as alternating stages in the development of individuals of the
Classes Hydrozoa and Scyphozoa. A third class, Anthozoa, has only the polyp
form and includes the true corals. Current molecular studies suggest that
Anthozoa is the most primitive of the three classes. Cnidarians are relatively
simple; they differ from other multi-celled animals in having only two body
layers, in appearing to have a radial symmetry, and in the possession of
stinging cells. They may have no skeleton, an organic skeleton, or a
mineralized one. Only those with mineralized skeletons, principally the stony
corals, are common as fossils. Stony corals belong to the anthozoan Subclass
Zoantharia. Their skeletons are external, secreted by the outer tissue layer,
and calcareous (composed of CaCO3), but may be formed of either calcite or
aragonite.
The oldest known fossil zoantharian corals are from the
Lower Cambrian; they are common fossils in rocks of every subsequent geologic
period because of their easily preserved skeletons. They were limited to the
marine environment and are most common in limestones and calcareous shales,
representing relatively clear and moderately shallow water conditions. Coral
skeletons are major components of many living and fossil coral reefs such as
the Great Barrier Reef that extends for 1200 miles along the northeast coast of
There are many orders of Paleozoic corals, but the overall
complexity and adaptive success of the Mesozoic-Cenozoic Order Scleractinia far
exceeds that of the Paleozoic groups. The principal Paleozoic corals, Tabulata
and Rugosa, built their skeletons of calcite, whereas the Mesozoic-Cenozoic
Scleractinia built their of aragonite. This compositional difference, plus
morphologic similarities and differences, is the basis for dividing the
Zoantharia into Groups 1 and 2.
Corals are very sensitive to environment, and their
mobility is limited to a floating larval stage that may live for a very brief
period of time. For these general reasons, most individual species are not
widespread and are useful for correlation in only limited areas or special
situations. Most species, however, lived for only a short period of geologic
time, and many are used as index fossils within their areas of distribution.
The radiating plates seen in many corals, and the
honeycomb pattern of coral colonies, are intrinsically appealing and serve many
decorative and artistic functions. The esthetic appeal of living coral reefs is
evident from the popularity of the numerous coral reef nature parks and
preserves that have been established in many parts of the world.
Bivalves are molluscs with a shell made of two
interlocking pieces (valves) made of calcium carbonate. They can be found in
many different freshwater and marine environments, such as lakes, tide pools,
reefs, and hydrothermal vents. Some bivalves attach themselves to hard surfaces
(oysters, mussels), a few species can swim (scallops), but most bury or anchor
themselves into soft sediment. Partly because they have a hard shell, and
partly because they are so numerous, the fossil record of bivalves is fairly
good and extends back to the Cambrian.
First known fossil occurrence: Cambrian.
Last known fossil occurrence: Quaternary. This group has
living relatives.