OSU Geotour Supplemental VI: Mineral Utopia

We’re about to conclude our tour of OSU geology, and of course, the worst is yet to come. Well, it’s the best, too, but the worst because you’re going to want to hold and squeeze and pet and love these mineral samples, and take them home and call them George, and you can’t because they’re behind glass and people will become very upset with you if you break them out.

But if you become a geology major, you could go live with them most days for up to four years, and that wouldn’t be so bad.

Stop 14. Wilkinson Hall

So, geologists have a habit of bringing back great big chunks of geology for display purposes. And ye gods, what displays!

Petrified wood outside Wilkinson Hall
Petrified wood outside Wilkinson Hall
Blueschist, probably from Bandon, Oregon, outside Wilkinson Hall
Blueschist, probably from Bandon, Oregon, outside Wilkinson Hall
Pyrite, Wilkinson Hall
Pyrite, Wilkinson Hall
Labradorite, Wilkinson Hall
Labradorite, Wilkinson Hall
Galena, Wilkinson Hall
Galena, Wilkinson Hall
Moar Pyrite, Wilkinson Hall
Moar Pyrite, Wilkinson Hall
Arsenopyrite, Wilkinson Hall
Arsenopyrite, Wilkinson Hall
Quartz, Wilkinson Hall
Quartz, Wilkinson Hall
Quartz, Wilkinson Hall
Quartz, Wilkinson Hall
Quartz, Wilkinson Hall
Quartz, Wilkinson Hall
Fluorite, Wilkinson Hall
Fluorite, Wilkinson Hall
Fluorite, Wilkinson Hall
Fluorite, Wilkinson Hall
Atacamite, Wilkinson Hall
Atacamite, Wilkinson Hall
Chalcanthite, Wilkinson Hall
Chalcanthite, Wilkinson Hall
Apophyllite, Wilkinson Hall
Apophyllite, Wilkinson Hall
Sulfur, Wilkinson Hall
Sulfur, Wilkinson Hall
Stibnite, Wilkinson Hall
Stibnite, Wilkinson Hall

There, there, now, I know. They’re so beautiful it hurts. But it’s a good hurt. It’s nice to end a tour with a bang and a whimper, eh?

And now you can go have a nice cup of coffee or tea or hot chocolate (oh, my darlings, the hot chocolate at Interzone – it will ease the pain of not being able to haul home mineral samples larger than your head), and rest your feet, and reflect on all you have seen here. Certainly gives you ideas for your own private geologic mansion, doesn’t it?

 

Back to Phase V, or Return to Phase I

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OSU Geotour Supplemental VI: Mineral Utopia
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11 thoughts on “OSU Geotour Supplemental VI: Mineral Utopia

  1. 1

    ohmystars…. covet – i fear i covet them too…. i can picture them lined up along the top of the half wall between my living room and kitchen. all sparkly and beautiful on their stands. dana, you must return and bring me along! i’ll be the lookout (since i can’t run fast) and we can divvy up the loot later…

  2. rq
    2

    I have a soft spot for pyrite, since that (and apatite) were the first two minerals I learned to identify. And these are gorgeous, beautiful pieces. I’m with suzannetwoton; I can drive a mean manual shift, when necessary. But it seems a shame to split all of these lovely pieces into even more pieces…

    Oooh and you know what place always had a mineral gallery that I love? The Royal Ontario Museum . I’m going to be making an exhibition to that museum when I’m back in Canada in 2014. Want to come? It’s got lots and lots of things to see, even lots of geologyyy…
    (It’s in Toronto, a bit less than an hour from Hamilton (and the Niagara Escarpment), where all the Latvians will be at, including myself.)

  3. 3

    Rq, I immediately thought of the ROM too! Have you seen their new(-ish) rocks and minerals gallery? It’s almost overwhelming. So many shiny rocks. And if you do go on a Toronto expedition, the U of T geology department also have some nice specimens outside of their building, not far from the ROM.

  4. rq
    4

    I haven’t been back in Canada in three and a half years now, and I have two more to wait. So no, I haven’t seen it, but I’ve been reading about their expansions and new exhibits, and I can’t wait to go see it all. An entire day at the ROM? For sure.
    Also, now that you mention it, the downtown U of T campus might be of interest – the buildings are great on their own, but with Dana’s eye for geology… I’ve never been by the geology building (that I know of), but it certainly sounds neat!

  5. 6

    In the apophyllite photo, the pinkish tabs are stilbite, a zeolite mineral. While apophyllite is actually a phyllosilicate, like mica, it associates very strongly with the zeolite group, and is a common secondary mineral in mafic to (less abundantly in) intermediate volcanic rocks.

  6. 10

    And another off-topic; but I know this is the place for mystery stuff to get a positive ID!

    Any Herpers here? Found this sunning itself, completely oblivious to the killer kittehs prowling about, in my driveway this morning (central Mississippi) About 10-11″ long. Pretty sure it’s Storeria dekayi – DeKay’s Brown Snake – but would like to be sure before I let it chew on my fingers.

    http://i47.tinypic.com/25aqnab.jpg

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