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silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
Bill Minarik
@silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
170 followers 13 following 260 posts
teaches #EarthSystemScience at #McgillUniversity. Research in #geochemistry and inexpensive, accurate sensor meshes for environmental monitoring.

[bridged from https://fosstodon.org/@silicatefondue on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
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silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
A fascinating talk by Tricia Nadeau, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, on volcanic gas monitoring at Kīlauea.

...after an eruption with fire-fountaining, researchers need snowshoes to walk across the fresh fluffy tephra, which can be 25 meters deep close to […]

[Original post on fosstodon.org]
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field engineers on July 10, 2025, visited monitoring stations downwind of the Kīlauea summit eruptive vents. They wore snowshoes, as the large footprint keeps the field engineers walking on top of the frothy pumice everywhere instead of sinking through it. The mask is necessary due to the sharp tephra shards. (Photo: U.S. Geological Survey/M.Warren)
November 21, 2025 at 6:58 PM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
A fascinating talk by Tricia Nadeau, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, on volcanic gas monitoring at Kīlauea.

This included sampling a groundwater-fed lake after a recent caldera collapse, using drones due to the difficult terrain and the possibility that the […]

[Original post on fosstodon.org]
A four part figure taken from Nadeau et al, (2024)*. A drone collects water with sampling device at the end of a 5-meter cord, while the depth of the lake is measured (up to 50 meters deep), and the color monitors the formation of ferric-iron bearing minerals. *Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 25, e2023GC011154. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GC011154
November 21, 2025 at 6:46 PM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
A magnesium-rich basalt retrieved by the Apollo 12 mission from the Moon. brightly coloured pyroxene and olivine surround grey plagioclase in cross-polars.

This photo was taken in 2003 from a travelling collection of thin sections sponsored by NASA […]

[Original post on fosstodon.org]
A thinsection imaged in cross-polarized light. Brightly colored pyroxene and olivine grains surround gray laminated plagioclase feldspar. field of view ~1mm. Sample 12005.
November 20, 2025 at 4:14 PM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
I never voted for the Squirrels Eating Jack o'Lantern Faces Party!

#halloween #montreal #pumpkin
A photo of a carved pumpkin on a snow covered table. The carved jack o'lantern face has been eaten away, leaving a tunnel through the pumpkin
November 15, 2025 at 5:02 PM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
Native copper in a sedimentary conglomerate. It is proposed that detrital hematite reacts with copper sulfate solutions to reduce the copper and the fluids carry away the iron and sulfur.

From Calumet and Hekla Mine, Michigan. University of Waterloo Earth […]

[Original post on fosstodon.org]
A conglomerate with the iron oxide replaced by native copper. From Calumet and Hekla Mine, Michigan. University of Waterloo Earth Sciences Museum Collection. https://uwaterloo.ca/earth-sciences-museum/resources/detailed-rocks-and-minerals-articles/copper
November 7, 2025 at 3:34 PM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
Nice article on the type locality of #carrollite : Carroll County, Maryland and the Patapsco Mine.

https://jamesrada.com/carrollite-the-mineral-once-found-only-in-carroll-county/

#orecup #orecup25 #mincup25 #maryland #sykesville #cobalt
A screen shot from James Rada, Jr.'s article on Carroll Co., Maryland and carrollite. Has a nice photo of carrollite, not from Maryland (the local samples are not photogenic).
November 6, 2025 at 3:05 AM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
#galena is a primary ore mineral for lead.

Nearly every car on the road today, even EVs, have a lead battery for powering accessories.

Lead batteries are the most recycled product (over 99% in the US) and overall lead recycling (76%) is second only to gold […]

[Original post on fosstodon.org]
A figure from Canadian Energy showing North American recycling rates. Lead batteries are first at 98%, followed by aluminum cans at 67%.
November 3, 2025 at 1:42 AM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
Andrew Frederiksen (U. Manitoba) gave us a very clear explanation of a better way to analyze shear-wave splitting as a way to probe the fabric (heterogeneities) of the upper mantle under continents.

The red and orange contours of large split times in British […]

[Original post on fosstodon.org]
A figure from Andrew Fredericksen's presentation showing contours of shear-wave split times for much of British Columbia and Alberta. The dots are broad-band seismometer stations.
October 31, 2025 at 8:28 PM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
A graded bed and the start of the next one in a Silurian greywacke, Appalachians. The mostly quartz and plagioclase grains get finer to the left, indicating that 'up' was to the left as the grains settled in the water column.

#ThinSectionThursday #geology #sediment #quebec
A thin section imaged in plan-polarized light. The big clear grains are quartz, and get finer to the left, before abruply coarsening again. The original 'up' was to the left.
October 30, 2025 at 5:32 PM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
[moose blood]

Our sleddog found the blood trail of a moose hunted by neighbors. Luckily the lake is still warm enough to clean her up with a swim.

#mondog #dogsofmastodon
A sled dog that had tracked a wounded moose through the woods, now covered in blood.
October 27, 2025 at 4:07 PM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
Magnitude 6.8 earthquake off Guadeloupe, as recorded near the Quebec-New Brunswick-Maine common border.

#raspberryshake #quebec #guadeloupe #seismology #temiscouata
A day's worth of recorded ground movement, each line represents 30 minutes of data. The tracing at the bottom shows the Guadeloupe earthquake arrivals. Other signals are distant trains, trucks, and a few electrical spikes.
October 27, 2025 at 1:08 PM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
Ulexite (TV stone) has packed parallel fibers that have a fiber optic effect when viewed vertically, Seen from the diagonal, the crystal domains are visible in the mottled pattern.

Montreal Gem and Mineral Show 2025

#montreal #mineral #ulexite #tvstone
A photo of slabs of ulexite, viewed obliquely. The multi-colored text below can only be seen as mottled patches of color in the top surface.
October 26, 2025 at 4:51 PM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
The high price found at the Montreal Gem and Mineral show (runs today until 5pm at the Palais des congrès).

Trilobites $2000

The dinosaur footprints are only $500 each!

#montreal #trilobites #fossils
A photo of a sample with three trilobite fossils and a $2000 price tag. Next to it are two small dinosaur footprints for $500 each.
October 26, 2025 at 4:43 PM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
Chartreuse tamaracks, but since it's Canada, not the Chartreuse massif, I can only call them sparkling larch.

#quebec #temiscouata #FallColors
Yellow-green of tamarack trees changing in the fall, against a blue sky.
October 22, 2025 at 9:14 PM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
Rare blue yoderite replacing kyanite (-talc + quartz). Only found in two places on Earth (Tanzania and Zimbabwe), yoderite forms at high pressure in hot subduction zones from rocks rich in in Mg and Al, poor in alkalis and Ca, in the presence of water and […]

[Original post on fosstodon.org]
Blue yoderite ( Mg(Al,Fe3+)3(SiO4)2O(OH) ) surrounding remnant kyanite with talc and quartz. Plane polarized transmitted light. Yoderite surrounding remnant kyanite with talc and quartz. Cross polarized transmitted light.
October 16, 2025 at 2:28 PM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
Double feature: #mondog #ThickTrunkTuesday
A sled dog (now getting old and blind) in front of a large tree stump, with the yard fencing constructed around it.
October 14, 2025 at 1:02 AM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
Thinking about the creators and local merchants who lost their businesses to fire. Luckily, no one was injured, and the The Carousel of Happiness survived.

If you get a chance, ride on the hand-carved animals of the carousel, created by a recovering Vietnam […]

[Original post on fosstodon.org]
A t-shirt from The Carousel of Happiness, Nederland, Colorado
October 12, 2025 at 4:20 PM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
And here are color versions of the 32 minerals in #mincup25 placed on the bracket.

Winner #Kyanite, runner up #tugtupite

Drawings by Fernando Salvaterra on BlueSky(@salvaterra.bsky.social)
The Mineral Cup 2025 bracket with color drawings of all the minerals. By Fernando Salvaterra on BlueSky(@salvaterra.bsky.social)
October 2, 2025 at 2:47 PM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
Fernando Salvaterra on BlueSky(@salvaterra.bsky.social) posted sketches of all 32 minerals competing in this year's Mineral Cup.

#mincup25 #minerals
32 black and white notebook sketches of the Mineral Cup contestants by Fernando Salvaterra.
October 2, 2025 at 2:43 PM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
With #Kyanite in the finals, better purchase your samples today (from your favourite retailer) before the prices go up!

Own the winner for a reasonable cost!

#mincup25
Bulk Kyanite from AliExpress Bulk Kyanite from Amazon
October 1, 2025 at 5:39 PM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
The Montreal Gem and Mineral Show is happening at the end of the month in the main convention center (Le Palais des Congrès).

No guarantee of fantastic #tugtupite or #Kyanite samples, but many others for sure. There's always a good representation of Canadian […]

[Original post on fosstodon.org]
The advertisement for the Montreal Gem and Mineral show, 24-26 October 2025.
October 1, 2025 at 3:54 PM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
Alkali-Nuts is a website devoted to the 400+ minerals found at Mont Saint-Hilaire, including #tugtupite

https://www.saint-hilaire.ca/en/tugtup.htm

#mincup25 #quebec #canada
Pink tugtupite from Mont St-Hilaire Pink tugtupite from Mont St-Hilaire
October 1, 2025 at 2:26 PM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
Wouldn't it be amazing to have a kitchen counter top made from kyanite?!

Photos from:
https://primestones.com/blogs/kyanite-a-blue-gem/

#mincup25 #Kyanite
A closeup of a stone countertop with the blue mineral kyanite: https://primestones.com/blogs/kyanite-a-blue-gem/ Blue kyanite-bearing rock forms the backsplash of a sink https://primestones.com/blogs/kyanite-a-blue-gem/
October 1, 2025 at 1:08 PM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
#hematite is also found on the island of Montreal -here associated with alkali-rich mafic magma intruding into limestone. The Francon quarry was primarily a source of building stone.

In the MinDat photo by Chris Emproto (sampled by Steve Chamberlain) the […]

[Original post on fosstodon.org]
Hematite from Francon Quarry, Montreal, Quebec. MinDat photo by Chris Emproto (sampled by Steve Chamberlain) the hematite is on Dawsonite NaAlCO3(OH)2. The small hematite spheres are on the end of the columns of clear dawsonite.
September 29, 2025 at 8:04 PM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
Repost: Kyanite isn't just a fetching blue mineral that documents the experience of sediments under extreme duress.
It's an ore: Virginia alone mined 83,000 tonnes in 2023. Kyanite in furnace insulation transforms to mullite when heated, expanding to reduce […]

[Original post on fosstodon.org]
Kyanite quartzite from Baker Mountain deposit, Prince Edward Co., VA. Photograph: J. Wyman
September 29, 2025 at 7:09 PM