Here is some information I ran across a while back while doing some meteorite research, hope it helps! -Barrett How to get there: Travel approximately 36 miles west of Salt Lake City on Interstate 80 until you reach the second Grantsville exit. Exit and turn west (left) onto the road to Stansbury Island (do not turn south to Grantsville). Travel about 6 miles on this main road until you reach an intersection with a stop sign on the west side of Stansbury Island. Turn west (left) and travel 0.5 miles to a sandy dune area adjacent to the road. Stop here and park on the edge of the road. Be careful not to get your vehicle stuck in the sand and watch out for the large trucks that use this road. Where to collect: Oolitic sand dunes are adjacent to the road and easily accessible in this area. Use a plastic bag or a bucket to collect the sand. Be careful not to disturb the vegetation that stabilizes the dunes. Geologic information: Oolitic sand is an unusual sediment that is found in and around the Great Salt Lake. Instead of forming from grains of mineral fragments washed down from higher ground, this sand formed within the Great Salt Lake. It is composed of tiny, light-brown, rounded oolites. Concentric layers built up around a central mineral fragment. An oolite has a shell of concentric layers of calcium carbonate that precipitated around a nucleus or central core. The nucleus is usually a tiny brine shrimp fecal pellet or a mineral fragment. Oolites form in shallow, wave-agitated water, rolling along the lake bottom and gradually accumulating more and more layers. On Saturday, June 21, 2014 1:04 AM, Rob Ratkowski <ratkwski@gmail.com> wrote: Hi Chuck No major time line but I'm just trying to help my friend Gary w/ collecting sand for a book about USA sands. I haven't talked w/ him about the framework of the book but his books are usually pretty interesting and well illustrated. I have had success in getting samples, I've contacted family and friends, associates and fellow crazies for samples and in the mail yesterday was 18 new US samples and over the last 2 days collected 14 samples from Maui. Hawaiian sands are highly prized, good for trades and that's where I've been doing good. I even have a sample of Trinity Site sand coming as well as Meteor Crater w/ it's shocked quartz and meteorite vapor dust. I got a photo from a HS classmate of him in Atlantic City putting sand into a baggie, big smile on his face. I really appreciate your help too!! One thing I'd love to get from Utah is Oolitic Sand from the Great Salt Lake, calcium based sand created by wave action I think. I'm not a sand collector but I like sand and have collected some over the years. I guess this project is just another way of getting out there for a reason. I had to rappel into a beach yesterday, about 170', then I realized I told no one where I was going or what I was doing. I just cruised the Maui north coast on Google Earth, made notes, prepped the gear and took off. I came back w/ a dz new samples yesterday and 3 today. Dianne and I went to Po'olenalena Beach and collected magnetite sand, my wife thinks I'm nuts but I had a ball. Rare earth magnet on a string and a pill bottle made the harvest fairly easy while I watched sea turtles swim by. IF you can, a handful of sand w/ the location marked on the bag is ideal. What can I do for you?? How you been?? I read the posts from SLAS and hope someday to meet you all. Di and I make it to Tucson for the rock and gem show in February, have a blast for 2 weeks then come home w/ our treasures, memories and photos. You ever been there?? YOU would love it, bring some money, there are things there you'll want that you didn't know you wanted. How's work?? You sound like sometimes you are in way too deep but I guess that's how it goes. You ever getting out this way?? You would love the summit!!! I'll send some photos tomorrow of beaches, grand daughter, summit, Hawaii. I love this place and like sharing it w/ people that would enjoy the sun, surf and sand. Aloha from Maui Rob Sent from Rob's iPad
On Jun 20, 2014, at 7:59 PM, Chuck Hards <chuck.hards@gmail.com> wrote:
Hey Rob, what's the time frame on this project? Is it needed ASAP, or do we have a few weeks? I will be heading to east central Utah in July and could grab some sand from dinosaur country for you, as well as places along the route.
C.
On Wed, Jun 18, 2014 at 2:58 PM, Rob Ratkowski <ratkwski@gmail.com> wrote:
Aloha from Haleakala Summit
I have a simple request, I am involved in a project photographing sand for a proposed book about the sands of the USA. If you would please collect a few tablespoons of sand from sand pits, river and lake beaches, sand dunes, anyplace sand is found in Utah or Nevada along with where it was collected and mail it to me, I would greatly appreciate your effort. Please send samples to
Rob Ratkowski c/o Dr. Gary Greenburg Institute for Astronomy 34 Ohia Ku St Pukalani Hawaii 96768
Again, many thanks. If anyone is visiting Maui and would like to observe from a 10,000ft volcano, please contact me with your interest in visiting the Haleakala site.
Aloha from Maui Rob Ratkowski
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