Saturday, March 16, 2024

CSMS UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH GRANTS

After a pause in the CSMS student research awards due to "pandemic problems," the Society is pleased to announce the 2024 program is up and running. These awards are to encourage and support original research by undergraduate students. Please see the application below. Questions may be addressed to Mike Nelson at csrockguy@yahoo.com

2024 COLORADO SPRINGS MINERALOGICAL SOCIETY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH GRANTS

Committee Chair:  Dr. Michael Nelson

csrockguy@yahoo.com

The primary goal of the Colorado Springs Mineralogical Society (CSMS)) Student Research Grant Program is to promote and support original research on Colorado geology by undergraduate students. The grant program does not seek to cover all of the researcher's expenses but instead should be viewed as a professional endorsement of the research endeavor. Requests for grants are judged on how well the proposed research will advance the science of geology and its related branches within the State of Colorado. Since the grant program budget is not anticipated to be large enough to fund every research proposal, the grants will be awarded on a competitive basis. The policy for applying for and awarding grants is outlined below.

Eligibility
Undergraduate students who are undertaking original research projects on Colorado geology are eligible to apply for CSMS research grants.  CSMS research grant applicants need not be members of the Colorado Springs Mineralogical Society. Undergraduate students must be currently enrolled in a Colorado degree-granting institution and their research must be part of a degree program (an academic course granting credit and a grade). Institutions may not request that overhead costs be added to budgets. The Colorado Springs Mineralogical Society strongly encourages women, minorities, and people with disabilities to participate fully in this research grant program. The research proposals will be evaluated on the basis of the feasibility and scientific merit of the project, the abilities of the researcher, and the reasonableness of the budget. Students are eligible for only one CSMS Student Research Grant per degree pursued.

Research Grant Guidelines
Individual grants will not ordinarily exceed $700, although a higher sum may be awarded based on merit and number of grant applications received. One confidential letter of recommendation from the student’s research advisor is required for each grant applicant. This letter should be either sent directly to the Committee Chair via Email (csrockguy@yahoo.com) to preserve confidentiality.

Due to different schedules at different institutions, research should be scheduled to begin within 4 months of the grant award (anticipated by early May). For 2024, CSMS anticipates that research will begin during summer 2024.

Rules for the Use of CSMS Research Grant Funds
Grants are to be used for expenses directly associated with the research proposed. For example, research funds may be used for field expenses (travel, some meals, lodging), materials and supplies (sample bags, base maps, air photos, film and developing costs, etc.). Travel to professional meetings will not be funded.  CSMS will not fund research by undergraduate students that relates directly to a thesis or dissertation by a graduate student.

Funds requested for equipment, computer time and software, thin-sections, chemical and isotopic analyses, and the purchase of services must be fully justified. Research grants may not be used for salaries or tuition. Upon completion of the research, equipment and materials purchased with a CSMS research grant become the property of the department in which the student is enrolled and are expected to be available to help additional students with their research.

Responsibilities of Recipients
Grant recipients are encouraged to present their results at professional meetings as well as to publish them. In both cases, support by the CSMS should be acknowledged. Recipients who cannot undertake or complete their project must return any unused funds along with a written explanation of expenses incurred. Grants may be subject to tax by the IRS and the grant recipient and advisor are responsible for determining this point. Within 1 year of receiving their grant, all CSMS research grant recipients are expected to 1) submit a written report documenting  results of their research; the Society prefers that the grant recipient submit a short article for publication in the CSMS Pick & Pack (a newsletter; see
www.csms1936.com).

Applications
A research grant application follows. The Research Grant Committee of the CSMS will review each application. The decisions of this committee are final.

COLORADO SPRINGS MINERALOGICAL SOCIETY

Student Research Grant Program Application

Please follow the format below and submit a signed application postmarked (email attachment) by the 2024 deadline:  APRIL 28

1.    Name of Applicant: 

Temporary Address:

Permanent Address:

          E-mail: 

Telephone numbers and hours that are best to reach you: 

 

2.      College/University enrolled:

          Expected degree completion date: 

          Project supervisor and address:

                   Email:

 

3.      Project title: 

 

 

4.      Statement of problem.  Please include in your statement how this work will further our understanding of Colorado Geology. 

 

 

5.      Concisely state how you plan to accomplish your investigation. 

 

 

6.      Give a brief bibliography of the most important papers related to your proposed research (no more than five). 

 

 

7.      Duration of investigation (dates): 

 

 

8.      Budget: 

 

 

9.      Budget justification: 

 

 

10.    Other support for this project, both applied for and received.  For support applied for, include dates you expect to know outcome: 

 

 

 

 

12.    Sign (electronic signature is valid) and date the submittal:

 

                   

Signature  

Date

 

Please send completed application, via Email attachment to: csrockguy@yahoo,com

Sunday, March 10, 2024

TUCSON 24: MICROMOUNTING

 

On Friday morning, February 6, I had the opportunity to attend The Arthur Roe Memorial Micromount Symposium held in the Tucson Convention Center and part of the Main Show. Roe’s interest in micromounts was developed during his early interactions with Lazard Cahn and the Colorado Springs micromount group (precursor to CSMS). Later in life Roe was instrumental in organizing the micromount symposium at the Tucson Show and, after his death in 1993, the annual event was renamed in his honor. Roe also was an early inductee into the Micromounters Hall of Fame. Roe’s son Nick introduced the Symposium and announced that the University of Arizona Alfie Norville Gem and Mineral Museum had received a donation of over 9,500 micromounts collected by Arthur “Art” Roe, along with a $1.6 million endowment for conservation and education, all from the family of Dr. Roe and his wife, Barbara. 

                                           Arthur Roe.


Alfredo Petrov led off the Symposium presentations with a fantastic description of collecting microminerals from the flanks and inner workings of volcanoes: Volcanic Fumarole Minerals in Japan. I mean he was stomping around in a gas mask and insulated hazmat suits to collect in the dangerous sulfur steam (and who knows what else) fuming from these vents. Personally, I prefer my volcanoes dead before hunting for minerals.

 Alfredo Petrov.

John Rakovan is one of the better-known mineralogists in the U.S. (and probably the world). After a distinguished career in “mineralogy and crystal chemistry” at Miami University (Ohio), New Mexico Tech pulled a real coup in 2022 and lured him to Socorro as State Mineralogist and Senior Mineral Museum Curator (a position formally held by Virgil Lueth). Tech is home to the well-known New Mexico Mineral Symposium held each November (Nov. 1-3, 2024). I first “knew about” Rakovan due to his regular contributions to Rocks and Minerals magazine, an international, bimonthly publication for mineral enthusiasts and professionals. For the last 23 years he has also served as the magazine’s executive editor.


 John Rakovan.

Rakovan’s presentation entitled Mosaic and Split Crystals was, to say the least, fascinating. My two thoughts about the talk: 1) I might have had a better understanding of mineral crystallography if Dr. Rakovan had been my mineralogy instructor; and 2) the presentation reminded me of why I became a soft rocker and paleontologist!

Vandall King was not physically present at the Symposium but with the wonders of technology presented on Granite Pegmatites of the Northeast USA--- complete with fantastic photos of pegmatite minerals. King has served in a variety of positions, in fact a big variety, in the mineral world but may be best known for his volumes describing minerals of Maine (among his 250 peer-revied publications. He also discovered the minerals perhamite, mccrillisite, perloffite, mangangordonite, and gainesite.

 

  • The micromounters room overlooking the Main Show ballroom.

The Tucson micromounters also have a room dedicated to their scopes and minerals. In other words, micromounters can sit and chat and look at specimens “all day long.” Micromounters also have the reputation for bringing along flats of specimens (rocks with micro minerals present) for the freebie table. I spent a few hours during two different days in the room trying to learn—everyone is super friendly. I was also able to “collect” from the overflowing flats several specimens that hopefully I can prepare and contribute information to my Blog (listed below).

Bawana Mine, Beaver County, Utah

        Type Locality Whelanite

Cu2Ca6[Si6O17(OH)](CO3)(OH)3(H2O)2


Sprays of clear and blue whelenite, Bawana Mine. Width FOV ~6mm.

Dulcinea de Liampos Mine, Copiapo Province, Chile

        Dioptase: CuSiO3 · H2O

East Grants Ridge, Cibola County,  Arizona

        Topaz: Al2(SiO4)(F,OH)2

        Spessartine: Mn2+3Al2(SiO4)3

??

        Byssolite (actinolite): Ca2(Mg4.5-2.5Fe0.5-2.5)Si8O22(OH)2

Wheal Phoenix, Cornwall, UK

        Chalcosiderite: CuFe3+6(PO4)4(OH)8 · 4H2O

Lake Pleasant, Maricopa County, Arizona

        Ferrierite-Na?: (Na,K)5(Si31Al5)O72 · 18H2O

Hummingbird Springs, Maricopa, Arizona

        Maricopaite (Type Locality): Pb7Ca2(Si,Al)48O100 · 32H2O

Cave Springs, Esmeralda County, Nevada

        Searlesite: Na(H2BSi2O7)

Gold Hill, Tooele County, Utah

        Austinite (Type Locality): CaZn(AsO4)(OH)

Austinite, Width FOV ~4 mm.
 

Potosi Mine, Mineral County, Nevada

        Scorodite: Fe3+AsO4 · 2H2O and other minerals

Dry Hill Mine, Cumbria, UK

        Campylite, var. of Mimetite: Pb5(AsO4)3Cl

Lovelock Mine, Churchill County, Nevada

        You call it

Mohawk Mine  (which one)