[NHCOLL-L:5897] RE: Geology specimen identification

Wed Mar 14 14:12:58 EDT 2012

Also, fulgurites are fused silica from the action of a lightning strike, with sinuous, tendril-like forms.  A downed electrical line can also cause them, and yes, fulgurites have a hollow core.

Mark

From: owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu [mailto:owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Jay R. Cordeiro
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2012 1:34 PM
To: e_nunan at yahoo.com; nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:5895] RE: Geology specimen identification

It is my understanding that fulgurite has a hollow core and sandstone does not.  I am betting on sandstone, as well.

Jay Cordeiro

From: owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu<mailto:owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu> [mailto:owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu]<mailto:[mailto:owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu]> On Behalf Of Elizabeth Nunan
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2012 12:20 PM
To: nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu>
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:5893] RE: Geology specimen identification

I also ran it by our geologists/mineralogists and got the following:

"looks like sandstone, or a concretion of some sort"

"It looks comprised of many layers indicative of a sedimentary rock or a volcanic rock.  Many processes that operate to form sedimentary rocks also operate to form volcanic rocks.  It can be tricky to tell the difference between the two without a thin section.  "

Elizabeth Nunan
Associate Conservator
Natural Science Conservation
American Museum of Natural History
212.313.7532

--- On Wed, 3/14/12, Shelton, Sally Y. <Sally.Shelton at sdsmt.edu<mailto:Sally.Shelton at sdsmt.edu>> wrote:

From: Shelton, Sally Y. <Sally.Shelton at sdsmt.edu<mailto:Sally.Shelton at sdsmt.edu>>
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:5890] RE: Geology specimen identification
To: "AshleyH at cctexas.com<mailto:AshleyH at cctexas.com>" <AshleyH at cctexas.com<mailto:AshleyH at cctexas.com>>, "nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu>" <nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu>>
Date: Wednesday, March 14, 2012, 8:52 AM

I ran this past one of our geologists and received this response:

From: Fox, James E.
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 7:31 PM
To: Shelton, Sally Y.
Subject: RE: Geology specimen identification

Hi Sally,

Greetings from El Paso.. The photo looks like "locally" cemented layers of beach sandstone...the surrounding sands were not cemented and thus easily eroded away.  Localized cementation such as this is not that uncommon.

Jim Fox

Sally Y. Shelton, Collections Manager and Faculty Instructor

Museum of Geology and Paleontology Research Laboratory

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

501 E. St. Joseph

Rapid City, SD   57701

Sally.Shelton at sdsmt.edu<mailto:Sally.Shelton at sdsmt.edu>

605.394.2487

________________________________

From: owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu<mailto:owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu> [mailto:owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Ashley Henderson
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 3:53 PM
To: nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu>
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:5889] Geology specimen identification

Dear list,

We had a woman offer a donation which she says a geologist identified as a fulgurite.  I have attached an image of the specimen.   Our only staff member with a small background in geology says this is not a fulgurite and it indeed does not match any image or description of one that we can find.  However, she cannot identify what it actually is.  Can anyone out there identify this specimen.  It was found on a beach, partly covered in sand.  Thanks in advance for any information.

Best Regards,

Ashley

Ashley Henderson

Collection Manager

Corpus Christi Museum

of Science and History

361-826-4659

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