MEMPHIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
MAGS Rockhound News ◊ A monthly newsletter for and by the members of MAGS
Volume 63 ◊ Number 02 ◊ February 2017 ◊ A monthly newsletter for and by the members of MAGS The Oseberg Project: In this issue !Vikings in Memphis The Oseberg Project P. 1 Rendy Hunt February Program Countdown to Show P. 1 MAGS And Federation Notes P. 2 President’s Message P. 3 New Members P. 3 Membership Renewal Drawing Winner P. 3 February Field Trip P. 3 Can You Dig It? P. 3 NASA Loves Lucy P. 4 December Board Minutes P. 4 December Meeting Minutes P. 5 February Birthdays P. 5 Fabulous Tennessee Fossils P. 6 A brief introduction and participates in the Society for Jewelry Bench Tips P. 7 explanation of the Oseberg burial Creative Anachronism, (SCA) February 6 Deadline P. 8 and the ongoing project to recre- which has led her on a journey Parsons Trip ate the burial grave goods using through History. Having Rescheduled P. 8 materials sourced from Memphis researched the Vikings in depth, The Collision That and the surrounding areas. she is now embarking on a project Made the Moon P. 8 to recreate the grave goods found Rendy Hunt is an Information Binomial Nomenclature P. 9 Systems Specialist from Memphis, in the Oseberg burial. Her research into this MAGS At A Glance P. 10 Tennessee. In her spare time, she Continued, P.4
COUNTDOWN TO SHOW Memphis Mineral, Fossil, and Jewelry Show volunteer before, during, and at cleanup. The The Earth Wide Open only way we can put on such a large show is with your help. Let Jim Butchko know if Saturday, April 22, 9:00-6:00 you would like to be part of the Show Sunday, April 23, 10:00-5:00 Committee (next meeting is February 6). The Show Committee is working Look for the SignUp Genius in March and hard to make sure our 38th Show will be a sign up in as many slots as you can. great success. We need our Members to Grand Prize Save the dates.
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MAGS Rockhound News ◊ A monthly newsletter for and by the members of MAGS 2017-2018 MAGS BOARD MAGS AND FEDERATION NOTES President–Charles Hill 1070 Park Swain Road, Grand Junction, TN 38039 Memphis Archaeological and Geological Society, ◊ (901) 626-4232 ◊ [email protected] Memphis, Tennessee 1st VP (Field Trips)–James Butchko The objectives of this society shall be as set out in the Charter 4220 Dunn, Memphis, TN 38111 ◊ (901) 743-0058 ◊ of Incorporation issued by the State of Tennessee on September [email protected] 29, 1958, as follows: for the purpose of promoting an active 2nd VP (Adult Programs)–W. C. McDaniel interest in the geological finds and data by scientific methods; to 2038 Central Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104 ◊ (901) 274-7706 ◊ [email protected] offer possible assistance to any archaeologist or geologist in the general area covered by the work and purposes of this society; to Secretary–Mike Baldwin 367 North Main Street, Collierville, TN 38017 ◊ discourage commercialization of archaeology and work to its (901) 853-3603 ◊ [email protected] elimination and to assist in the younger members of the society; Treasurer–Bonnie Cooper to publicize and create further public interest in the archaeo- 8695 Baylor Road, Arlington, TN 38002 ◊ (901) logical and geological field in the general area of the Mid-South 444-0967 ◊ [email protected] and conduct means of displaying, publishing and conducting Director (Asst. Field Trips)– Kim Hill public forums for scientific and educational purposes. 4755 Royal Elm Cove, Memphis, TN 38128 ◊ (901) 388-7572 ◊ [email protected] MAGS General Membership Meetings and MAGS Youth Director (Asst. Adult Programs)–Dave Clarke ◊ Meetings are held at 7:00 P. M. on the second Friday of every 456 North White Station Road, Memphis TN 38117 month, year round. The meetings are held in the Fellowship ◊ (901) 308-0334 ◊ dclarke@fieldmuseum.org Hall of Shady Grove Presbyterian Church, 5530 Shady Grove Director (Youth Programs)–Open Road, Memphis, Tennessee. Director (Asst. Youth Programs)–Open memphisgeology.org Director (Librarian)–Leah Gloyd MAGS Website: 2151 Dogwood Creek Court, Apartment 202, MAGS Show Website: www.theearthwideopen.com Collierville, TN 38017 ◊ (270) 847-3170 ◊ [email protected] We aren’t kidding when we say this is a newsletter for and by the Director (Asst. Librarian)—Jane Brandon members of MAGS. An article with a byline was written by a 4384 Castle Avenue, Memphis, TN 38122 ◊ (901) MAGS Member, unless explicitly stated otherwise. If there is 374-0366 ◊ [email protected] no byline, the article was written or compiled by the Editor. Director (Membership Services)–Bob Cooper Please contribute articles or pictures on any subject of interest 8695 Baylor Road, Arlington, TN 38002 ◊ (901) to rockhounds. If it interests you it probably interests others. 444-0967 ◊ [email protected] The 15th of the month is the deadline for next month’s issue. Director (Historian)–Carol Lybanon Send material to [email protected]. 2019 Littlemore Drive. Memphis, TN 38016 ◊ (901) 757-2144 ◊ [email protected] February DMC Field Trip Newsletter Editor–Matthew Lybanon 2019 Littlemore Drive. Memphis, TN 38016 ◊ (901) WHERE: Gravel Pit/Coal Mine, Brookwood, AL 757-2144 ◊ [email protected] WHEN: Saturday, February 18, 8:00 A. M. Webmaster–Mike Baldwin 367 North Main Street, Collierville, TN 38017 ◊ COLLECTING: Petrified wood, jasper, agate, oolite, others (901) 853-3603 ◊ [email protected] INFORMATION: Lou Ann Newell, (205) 482-3234, Show Chairman–James Butchko [email protected] 4220 Dunn, Memphis, TN 38111 ◊ (901) 743-0058 ◊ [email protected] Links to Federation News Past President–W. C. McDaniel 2038 Central Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104 ◊ (901) ➡ AFMS: www.amfed.org/afms_news.htm 274-7706 ◊ [email protected] ➡ SFMS: www.amfed.org/sfms/ ➡ DMC: www.amfed.org/sfms/_dmc/dmc.htm
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MAGS Rockhound News ◊ A monthly newsletter for and by the members of MAGS President’s Message Memphis Mineral, Fossil, and Jewelry Show Hello again, all. The Earth Wide Open As I promised previously, I Presented by the Memphis Archaeological and Geological Society will try to keep everyone informed Rocks, Fossils, Minerals, Gems, on club news. One immediate Jewelry, Lapidary Equipment and Beads need: we are still looking for Sat. April 22, 9-6 Sun. April 23, 10-5 Agricenter- 7777 Walnut Grove, Memphis someone to take the reins with the Adults -$5, 2 day pass $8, 12 & under - $2 youth program. So far, we only Scouts in Uniform - Free www.theearthwideopen.com [email protected] have January covered. If you can’t 901-692-7518 / 901-490-3575 be chairman, maybe you can pick a month to present a program for our youth. Pick a theme—some- thing you really like—and then show the kids why you like it. They will love it, you will help the club, and you can take that service off your bucket list. Membership Renewal Can You Dig It? We are also going to restart Tina Walker the hospitality list in 2017. Drawing Winner Hospitality volunteers set up the Bob Cooper Yes, you can in Marion food and beverage tables, fill cups Kentucky. You can come dig with ice for the drinks, and make Fluorite and related minerals sure the chairs get set up. Emily during the day and fluorescent and I will do hospitality duties for minerals at night. January. A list will be passed Scheduled Digs for 2017 around, so please sign up if you are ★ April 29 willing to help. ★ May 20 Congratulations! Finally, the annual Memphis ★ June 3* & 4* Archaeological and Geological ★ June 24 The 2017 renewal drawing was Society Gem, Mineral, and Jewelry ★ July 22 held at the end of the January 13th Show will be here in about 87 days. ★ August 18, 19, & 20 (Eclipse on Membership Meeting and the Are you ready? August 21) winner is Richard Arnold. Rich- ★ September 23 Charles ard is a MAGS Member living in ★ October 21 Barnesville, Georgia, and he has won the fossilized bivalve scallop. *Also, dates of the Ben E. Clement New Members Annual Gem, Mineral, Fossil, & Christine Lemons Thanks to all who renewed their 2017 MAGS membership. Jewelry Show. There wil not be a Wain and Dorothy Poole night dig on June 4th. Lawson and Anna Tully, and February Field Trip Pre-registration is required, so daughters Sophie, Ivie, Nola, and register early as space is limited to Gwen The February 11 field trip will the first 30 people per date. go to Blue Springs, between New Regina Lindsey and Bob Fletcher Registration forms can be found Albany and Tupelo. Meeting time on our website at Welcome to MAGS. We look will be 9:30 A. M. Look for a map www.clementmineralmuseum.org. forward to seeing you at monthly and other details at the February meetings and field trips. Membership Meeting. Continued, P. 4
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MAGS Rockhound News ◊ A monthly newsletter for and by the members of MAGS The Oseberg Project area has Psyche (https://sese.asu.edu/ high-resolution visible imager Continued fom P. 1 spanned 15 research/psyche), will launch in from the Johns Hopkins Univer- years of fact 2021 and 2023, respectively. sity Applied Physics Laboratory finding, as well as hands-on arts Discovery Program class mis- (APL), Laurel, Maryland, and a and sciences practices. sions like these are relatively low- thermal infrared spectrometer Editor’s note: The Oseberg ship cost, their development capped at from Arizona State University, is the oldest known Viking ship, about $450 million. They are Tempe. The APL instrument is having been constructed circa 820 managed for NASA’s Planetary the next-gen version of the Long A. D. Science Division by the Planetary Range Reconnaissance Imager, or Missions Program Office at LORRI, currently flying on the New Horizons spacecraft, which Can You Dig It? If you would Marshall Space Flight Center in provided the first detailed close- Continued fom P. 3 like to schedule Huntsville, Alabama. Lucy will up views of Pluto and its moons. a private dig, launch in 2021 to study six of the please call the museum. Trojans, a population of primitive “This is a unique opportunity,” said Dr. Harold F. Levison, Lucy Contact Information: asteroids orbiting in tandem with Jupiter. It will fly by its targets principal investigator from SwRI. The Ben E. Clement between 2025 and 2033. Scientists “Because the Trojans are remnants Mineral Museum say understanding the differences of the primordial material that P. O. Box 391 Marion, KY 42064 between the Trojans will provide formed the outer planets, they Phone (270) 965-4263 unique and critical knowledge of hold vital clues to deciphering the planetary origins, the source of history of the solar system. Lucy, NASA Loves Lucy volatiles and organics on the ter- like the human fossil for which it Matthew Lybanon restrial planets, and the evolution is named, will revolutionize the Compiled from press releases of the planetary system as a whole. understanding of our origins.” Lucy (named after the Beatles’ Southwest Research Institute “Understanding the causes of song “Lucy in the Sky With (SwRI) in Boulder, Colorado, is the differences between the Diamonds”) was found by Donald the principal investigator institu- Trojans will provide unique and Johanson and Tom Gray on the tion for Lucy and will lead the critical knowledge of planetary November 24, 1974, at the site of science investigation. NASA’s origins, the source of volatiles and Hadar in Ethiopia. She looks Goddard Space Flight Center, organics on the terrestrial planets, pretty good for someone 3.18 mil- Greenbelt, Maryland, will provide and the evolution of the planetary lion years old—she’s the second- overall mission management, system as a whole,” said Dr. Cathe- oldest hominid fossil yet discov- systems engineering, and safety rine Olkin, the mission’s deputy ered. Study of Lucy provides clues and mission assurance. Lockheed principal investigator from SwRI. to our species’s origins. Martin Space Systems in Denver, “The Lucy mission is one of those Colorado, will build the spacecraft. rare moments where a single mis- Now NASA has chosen the sion can have a major impact on name for a mission to learn about The Lucy spacecraft and a our understanding of such funda- the formation of the solar system remote-sensing instrument suite mental questions,” added Dr. —an early step in the origin of all will study the geology, surface Keith Noll, Lucy project scientist life on Earth. NASA has selected composition, and bulk physical from Goddard. two missions that have the properties of these bodies at close range. The payload includes three potential to open new windows on December Board Minutes complementary imaging and one of the earliest eras in the Bonnie Cooper for Mike Baldwin history of our solar system. The mapping instruments, including a missions, known as Lucy (http:// color imaging and infrared map- Called to order 6:30 P. M. Present: W. www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/ ping spectrometer from NASA’s C. McDaniel, Charles Hill, Carol Lybanon, Bonnie lpsc2016/pdf/2061.pdf) and Goddard Space Flight Center, a Continued, P. 5
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MAGS Rockhound News ◊ A monthly newsletter for and by the members of MAGS
December Board Minutes Cooper, be Monday, December 5, at the Agri- end of the evening. There were games, Continued fom P. 5 Kim Hill, center. All Show meetings will be at door prizes, and gifts for all. New Debbie 6:30 pm on the Monday after the Member Leo won a carved wooden Schaeffer, Jim Butchko, Marc Mueller, Board Meeting. W.C. said we should bowl (he vowed to fill it with polished Bob Cooper, Leah Gloyd, Matthew fill out IRS forms to get discounted stones from Richardson’s Landing). Lybanon. postage since we are tax exempt. Mike Baldwin won the Christmas Secretary: No report. Mike sent Old Business: tree, loaded with stone ornaments. minutes via email to all Board Mem- • Those Board Members whose bers to review. Approved as read. positions are being taken over by February Birthdays Treasurer: November bank state- someone else should pass notes/ ment not received yet. Bonnie sent information about the job to the the November checking register and new person. checking summary to all Board • Discussed hosting Sandfest 2018. Will discuss further later. Members via email. Report accepted. 1 Mike Blumenthal New Business: Membership: Bob advised we have 2 Caleb Crawford new Members and have gotten a • Discussed a donation to a project in couple more renewals. Another Peru that Robert Connolly is 2 Peggy Davis renewal notice was sent out to the involved in. Motion passed to make 3 Lupe Suarez entire club this week. a $100 donation. Matthew will do 4 Anne Pinkerton Field Trips: Charles Hill will lead and the club will reimburse him. Brooklyn Coulson • Went over the details for the the December 17th field trip to 7 Shelia Evans middle Tennessee. The January field Holiday Party and confirmed that 9 Vincent Mayer trip to the Vulcan Quarry in Parsons everything is on schedule. Carol is full and has a wait list. This trip will advised that David & Beth Day, W. 10 Abby Parish be led by Jim Butchko and Kim Hill. C. & Cornelia, and Carol will pro- 12 Kathleen Ward W. C. discussed renewing our partici- vide handcrafts for the prizes for the Louis White bingo games. W. C. will check with pation in the Dixie Mineral Council 13 David Von Boeckman and sponsoring a field trip, probably the church to see if we can come in in Oct 2019. early to set up. 14 Aaron Van Alstine Adult Programs No December Adjourned 7:42 P. M. 15 Mackenzie Reed program since we will be having the Barry R. E. Taylor annual Holiday Party. W. C. reported December Meeting 16 Bradley Mendel programs for next year: January still Minutes Darren Mendel open, February Wendy Burns, March Mike Baldwin 18 Sarah McGregor David Clarke, April the Show, May Called to order 7:06 P. M. Over 90 gem trees, June Mike Howard. 19 Aaron Shelley individuals present, at least 7 of them Ben Hodge Junior Programs: No programs for visitors. David Vaughn December due to the holiday party. Charles Hill gave an overview of the Jim can bring in rocks for the kids to January 21 field trip to Vulcan Quarry 20 Kim Hill paint in January. in Parsons, Tennessee. Attending 21 Manny Childress Historian Leah got a 1TB hard drive Members must be at the quarry, ready Bella Hill for the club. She will continue to collect at 6:00 A. M. Charles 22 Tyler Gilmore scanning the old club records. reviewed safety aspects of the dig. All Nicole Phillippo-Schultz attendees should bring a hard hat and Library, Web: No reports. 24 Anna Tully safety glasses. Charles also reminded Newsletter: Matthew said the Feb- Katie Waddell ruary newsletter might have to be Members of the December 19 field published early due to travel If not, trip to middle Tennessee. 25 Dan Schultz the newsletter will be published after Meeting adjourned, Holiday Party Cecillia Hemme they return. began. Attendees were asked to sign 26 Harrison Parks Show: The next Show meeting will up for gifts to be given away at the 27 Leigh Scott
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MAGS Rockhound News ◊ A monthly newsletter for and by the members of MAGS Fabulous Tennessee Fossils Dr. Michael A. Gibson, University of Tennessee at Martin FTF 25 Tennessee Namesake Index & Guide Fossils: Brachiopods with the tennesseensis Epithet Brachiopods (“lamp shells”) strophomenid brachiopod order tennesseensis Willard, 1928. In 1956, are one of the more commonly because of its long and straight U.S. National Museum paleontolo- encountered and easily recogniza- (Latin “stroph”) hingeline. Stro- gist G.A. Cooper (1902–2000) ble fossil, although often confused phomenids are flat and often have revised Chazyyan (Middle Ordo- for bivalve mollusks due to their an overall D-shape outline in plan- vician) brachiopoda in a Smithson- “bivalve” nature. To begin with, view. Ecologically L. tennesseensis ian publication Chazyan and Related brachiopods have a high potential was a stationary epifaunal suspen- Brachiopods and published an opin- for preservation as they have two sion-feeding brachiopod that ion that S. tennesseensis should be valves of similar form that each rested nearly flat on the sea floor. transferred to the new genus Rhi- record all growth increments It would have been susceptible to piodomena as Rhipidomena tennesse- (holoperipheral growth), hence the some sinking or current reworking ensis (Willard) 1956. The new des- entire skeleton has only two parts. in higher energy events. The ignation extended the species’ It only takes one of the two shells broad flat thin shell was an adap- known stratigraphic range from to identify the species. Addition- tation to retard sinking, called the Middle Ordovician through ally the shells are composed of “snowshoe effect”. Both the genus Silurian. calcite and thus also preserve well, and the species were erected by Trigonirhynchia tennesseensis is a especially in limestone deposits. E.O. Ulrich and G. Arthur Cooper, rhynchonellid brachiopod named Brachiopods are not always useful both of the U. S. National Muse- by J. M. Clarke and James Hall in index fossils because they are bot- um (Smithsonian), in 1936 based 1894. Rynchonellid brachiopods tom dwellers and are thus subject upon specimens collected about a are not flattened like strophomen- to local environmental conditions quarter of a mile east of the town tids. Instead they are more round- that may preclude wide distribu- of Friendship, Tennessee, from the ed with fatter shells that tapered tion, especially sediment type and Lenoir Limestone of Middle to a pointed pedicle attachment energy level. In other words they Ordovician age. L. tennesseensis is are with a very small opening for may be better environmental indi- also known from several other the pedicle. The pedicle allowed cators than they are time indica- Middle Ordovician formations, the brachiopod to remain attached tors (see FTF 21 for a review of the such as the Tellico and Blockhouse just above the seafloor and filter characteristics of good index fos- Shale, both of which represented feed within light currents. The sils); however, they often are used offshore deeper and quieter water genus Trigonorhynchia gets the “tri” to tell time regionally. Shimer and settings with lots of mud. prefix on its name from its roughly Schrock’s (1944), Index Fossils of Strophomena tennesseensis was triangular shell shape produced by North America recognized four first described in 1928 by Lehigh the tapering pedicle region. T. brachiopods with a tennesseensis University paleontologist Bradford tennesseensis occurs in the Brown- epithet: Leptelina tennesseensis and Willard (1894-1973), who was stud- sport Formation of Decatur Strophomena tennesseensis, both in ying the Ottosee and Holston for- County, especially the Bob Mem- the Order Stophomenida, and mations in eastern Tennessee. ber, and is thus a Middle Silurian Merista tennesseensis and Trigoni- Several U.S. Geological Survey index fossils for the area. It is rhynchia tennesseensis, both in the studies of the Middle Ordovician interesting to also note that there Order Rhynchonellida. Tellico and Sevier formations in is a reference in the Yale Peabody Leptelina tennesseensis Ulrich eastern Tennessee noted the Museum database to and Cooper 1936 belongs to the occurrence of Strophomena Trigonirhynchia Continued, P. 7
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MAGS Rockhound News ◊ A monthly newsletter for and by the members of MAGS Fabulous Tennessee Fossils tennesseensis becomes Boucotela Tennessee cave beetle”) just to Continued fom P. 6 tennesseensis (Roemer), where it name a few. Are there any genera tennesseensis Roemer that was remains today. that memorialize Tennessee? Sure, reported by Thomas Amsden from Merista tennesseensis was named see if you have Tennesseelum formica Blue Mound Glade (0.2 miles by the great New York paleontolo- (spider) around your house? north of road leading from Cedar gist James Hall and James M. Grove Church to Mt. Carmel Clarke in 1894 in their epic tome Jewelry Bench Tips by Church and also from a locality series Paleontology of New York for Brad Smith 0.8 miles northeast of Cedar specimens collected in Perry ADJUSTABLE CHUCK FOR Grove Church, all on the County. The Paleontology of New DREMELS York series of books are so impor- Perryville quadrangle. Notice I Many of us have a Dremel tant to Tennessee geology that wrote Roemer and not Clark and motor tool to use at home or when they warrant their own article at a Hall as the namers. There is a out to a class or workshop. The future date. M. tennesseensis also chart in Amsden’s Stratigraphy and one thing that makes this tool belongs to the rhynchonellid Paleontology of the Brownsport much more productive is the brachiopod group like T. tennesse- Formation (Silurian) of Western addition of one inexpensive ensis described above. Merista is a Tennessee (1949), where he lists “T. option, an adjustable chuck. tennesseensis (Roemer), emended”, as smooth-surfaced shell with a if Ferdinand Roemer was the origi- moderate flexure near the middle The basic motor tool as sold nal namer. Oddly in Roemer’s of the shell (fold and sulcus) that typically comes with a collet earlier 1860 monograph, T. tennesse- helped direct currents in and out chuck. This means you have to ensis appears as Rhynchonela of the shell. M. tennesseensis is the use a wrench to change every tool tennesseensis. Roemer had named index fossil for the Middle Silurian bit, you have to switch collets to the species in Rhynchonela and Brownsport Formation, especially use different shaft sizes (3/32 or 1/8 Amsden “emended” that descrip- in Perry and Decatur counties. It inch bits), and you can't use tion after noting that Roemer had is sometimes confused with a ordinary drills at all—only the actually mixed fossils belonging to similar genus of Devonian brachi- special ones that have a 3/32 shaft. two different genera into his single opod of similar name called A simple and inexpensive ($12) R. tennesseensis, so he amended the Meristela (which has much deeper adjustable chuck solves all of this. Tennessee species to the genus of fold and sulcus). It's available in most large local Trigonorhynchia (which had been This last series of articles has hardware stores or modelmaking erected in 1925 by Muir-Wood and focused on index fossils with the outlets. Tightening the chuck is Cooper. Just when you might Tennessee epithet; however, done easily by hand to any size think everything was finally “tennesseensis” shows up as the shaft. No key is required. settled, enter Zeddie Bowen, a Ph. species name for many organisms D. student at Harvard working on other than index fossils. Most brachiopods. Bowen noticed that may be familiar to you today in the differences of the Tennessee our modern world, such as: Echina- specimens is great enough to cea tennesseensis (“Tennessee warrant them being moved to an coneflower”, which is also the entire new genus, which he names Tennessee State Wildflower), Xyris Boucotela after the great Univer- tennesseensis (Tennessee Yellow- IDENTIFYING UNMARKED sity of Oregon paleontologist eyed grass), Chrosomus tennesseensis SOLDERS Arthur Boucot, a world authority (“Tennessee dace fish”), Aphaeno- There are plenty of ways to on the Silurian and Devonian. gaster tennesseensis (“Tennessee mark your sheet or wire solders, Bowen publishes his findings in hidden belly ant”), and Pseudano- but suppose you forget and have a 1966 in the Journal of Paleontol- phthalmus tennesseensis (“East couple that you ogy and the original Rhynchonela Continued, P. 8
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MAGS Rockhound News ◊ A monthly newsletter for and by the members of MAGS Jewelry Bench Tips can't identify. gaining important information and trip was rescheduled to February Continued fom P. 7 The answer is making valuable fossils available 18. There is a limit to the number to compare the for public view. But amateurs have of people who can attend, so any- melting temperature of the made important discoveries, also. one interested should check with unknown with that of a known Restricting amateur collecting field trip leader Jim Butchko solder. What I do is take a thick limits the number of “eyes on the concerning possible openings. scrap of copper or nickel and ground.” arrange several solders on it. Sccott Foss of the BLM The Collision That Ideally, I have a sample of easy, provided these “rules” for making medium, and hard known solders Made the Moon sure your public comments are Matthew Lybanon surrounding the unknown solder. considered by lawmakers: Then I heat the plate from the “Core Merging and Stratifica- bottom and watch the order in • Provide first and last name, tion Following Giant Impact” which the solders melt. city, state, and country. All sums up the point of this article, other fields of information are but it’s awfully long for a title— optional. Keep in mind that though it is the title of the scien- much of this information is tific paper. Scientists have long publicly viewable. hypothesized that the Moon • Comments may be typed in formed when a massive object— See all Brad's jewelry books at the box provided or they may something possibly as large as Amazon.com/author/ be uploaded as attachments Mars—slammed into Earth about bradfordsmith. (Word docs or PDFs only). 4.5 billion years ago. The collis- • Comments may be brief or in- ion, so the idea goes, would have February 6 Deadline depth/well-researched. Com- thrown large chunks of Earth's Matthew Lybanon ments with facts to support crust into space, where gravity them are much more useful (e. pulled the fragments together to An article in last month’s form the Moon. issue informed MAGSters of an g., examples of overlooked important issue. The Paleontolog- scenarios). Keep comments What's more, geomagnetic ical Resources Protection Act civil and straightforward. and seismic observations have (PRPA) was signed into law on 30 Comments using offensive suggested that Earth's liquid outer March 2009, and federal agencies terms, threats, or other core has an unexplained stratified were tasked with writing their own inappropriate language will be layer, about 200 miles thick, com- rules for how they would put the disregarded. posed mostly of iron, oxygen, law into effect. The rules for the Regulations on Federal land sulfur, and silicon. How did it get U. S. Forest Service went into today may become a precedent for there? Why isn't the outer core a effect on 18 May 2015. Now, the collecting on state or local land in homogeneous molten ball Bureau of Land Management the future, so it is in the interest surrounding the solid inner core? (BLM) has finished the draft of its of all amateur collectors to make Research led by Johns Hop- rules, and it is open for comments their voices heard. kins University (JHU) scientists, until 6 February 2017. Go to involving researchers from institu- www.blm.gov/paleontology. Parsons Trip tions in two other countries, crea- There is still time for amateur Rescheduled ted a lab simulation that links the so-called high-impact hypothesis collectors to present their case. Matthew Lybanon (Editor) PRPA’s goal is to prevent commer- with the odd strata in the planet's Because of dangerous condi- cial interests from going into fossil outer core. To re-create a collision tions due to the weather, Vulcan sites and “stripping” them, thereby between two large planetary Quarry in Parsons, Tennessee can- preventing paleontologists from bodies of different sizes, the celed the January 21 field trip. The
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MAGS Rockhound News ◊ A monthly newsletter for and by the members of MAGS researchers repeatedly dropped a that the giant impact scenario also or “specific epithet” is never capi- liquid "projectile," representing explains the stratification inferred talized. Both are always italicized. the core of the smaller body, into a by seismology at the top of the For example, Tyrannosaurus rex. target liquid that was a stand-in present-day Earth’s core. This That means that T-rex, T-Rex, for proto-Earth, with a top layer of result ties the present-day struc- Trex, Tyrannosaurus Rex, and all oil simulating Earth's magma and ture of Earth’s core to its other variations, with or without an aqueous bottom layer simula- formation.” italics, are wrong. T. rex, however, ting the core. Observing the tur- Landeau, a Marie Curie Fellow is just fine, and it’s common to bulence that ensued, they found at the University of Cambridge, abbreviate the genus name after an that the impact created a layer in co-wrote the paper with Peter initial use and as long as everyone the target that was strikingly simi- Olson, research professor in the in the conversation knows what lar to the unexplained layer of the Department of Earth & Planetary the abbreviation refers to. Earth's outer core. That means Sciences, Benjamin H. Hirsh, who The genus and species are the enigmatic core layer of Earth was an undergraduate at Johns followed by the last name of the could be a result of a collision 4.5 Hopkins majoring in the subject, person who first described the billion years ago that was big and Renaud Deguen, of Claude species in a formal, published enough to form the Moon. Bernard University in Lyon, scientific paper. Next comes the This is very appealing because France. date of that description. The it provides a common explanation Ref: Maylis Landeau, Peter Olson, author’s name and date are never of two mysteries. There is evi- Renaud Deguen & Benjamin H. italicized. dence for a stratified layer at the Hirsh, Core merging and strati- Take, for example, Bula striata top of the Earth's core, but its fication following giant impact, Bruguière, 1792, a member of the origin is not well understood And Nature Geoscience 9, 786–789 genus Bula, a marine gastropod the mechanism of the process that (2016) doi:10.1038/ngeo2808, pub- that has been around since at least created the Moon is speculative. lished online 12 September 2016 the Cretaceous and still exists Have both problems been solved? today. Bula includes hundreds of The research was regarded as Binomial species and is one good argument sufficiently conclusive to be pub- Nomenclature for binomial naming. Trying to lished in a peer-reviewed journal, refer to all 600 species by their Matthew Lybanon (Editor) Nature Geoscience. JHU author common name alone—“bubble Peter Olson said the giant impact In the binomial naming sys- shells”—would be chaos. tem, every organism is identified argument for the formation of the The designation above tells us by two names, a genus and a spe- moon is the most prevalent scien- that Bruguière (Jean Guillaume cies (there are some exceptions). tific hypothesis on how the Earth Bruguière, to be exact, a French That two-term name, sometimes satellite was formed, but it is still zoologist and physician) first known as the Latin name, scien- considered unproven because described Bula striata in 1792. there’s been no “smoking gun” tific name, binomen, and a few evidence. other terms, is how scientists refer As mentioned, there are some to living things—and is the way exceptions. The website listed “Our experiments bring they should be referred to by below gives some examples, as well additional evidence in favor of the people who work with scientific as common terms and giant impact hypothesis,” said information, whether or not they abbreviations. Maylis Landeau, the lead author of are professionals. the paper, who was a post-doctoral Editor’s note: More details on fellow in Johns Hopkins’s Depart- As with most systems, there this website: ment of Earth & Planetary Scien- are rules, but they aren’t difficult. https:// ces when the experiments were The genus name is always fourcatspress.files.wordpress.com/ conducted. “They demonstrate capitalized, and the species name 2016/09/binomial-nomenclature.pdf
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MAGS Rockhound News ◊ A monthly newsletter for and by the members of MAGS MAGS At A Glance February 2017
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 Board Meeting, 6:30 pm, St. Francis Hospital 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Show Committee Membership MAGS Field Trip, Meeting, 6:30 pm, Meeting, 7:00 pm, Blue Springs, MS Agricenter ‘Vikings in Memphis’ 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 MAGS Field Trip, Parsons, TN (rescheduled)/DMC Field Trip, Brookwood, AL 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 1 2 3 4
Memphis Archaeological and Geological Society 2019 Littlemore Drive Memphis, TN 38016
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