GNC Fall Colors 2015

CNC Rainbow

It's Autumn and time to look for fall color.  We may not have a colorful time this year  so I thought I would share color from 2015.

            

Thoughts on Global Warming

Leaf on Ice

Global Warming

I've read that global warming has ocurred periodically as long as history records the weather.  Extenctions have been associated with it in the past as they will be this time.  I read a report about ice cores that makes a strong case for the effects that this global warming event are much more threatening because of our use of fossil fuels and the CO2 emissions associated with that use.  Scientists can track history from ice cores drilled at the poles. They can obtain air samples from whatever the historical period they choose as dated from the ice cores. They then compair the concentrations in the air bubbles to air concentrations currently.  According to the information I obtained the amounts of greenhouse gases, methane, CO2 etc.  during the current event are much higher than they have been recorded during any period historically.  They did not give numbers but they showed a graph where the G-H gases have risen far beyond the levels previously recorded.  That graph alarmed me! 

Following the global warming comes mass extinctions where multiple species die off.  What about the human species?  After global warming  comes global winter where ice sheets cover portions if not all of the earth. Global winter can be caused by super volcano erruptions. nuclear explosions, and asteroid strikes.  Will we live long enough to see the coming Global Winter?

The reasons we should avoid global warming relates to sea level rising.  According to the USGS sea levels could rise as much as 265 feet as the glaciers melt.  Walk to the nearest ocean and look how high the water is and then try to imagine how high it would be if it rises 265 feet.  That would be slightly more than 1/4 the height of a 1000 foot sky scraper if you're in NYC.  I think that our efforts are warrented in this instance.  We need to stop burning fossil fuels.  We need to generate electricity, a commodaty we cannot live with out, with wind power, falling water power, and solar power.  Coal and oil burning emit green house gases!  Maybe we need to avoid flying except only when necessary or invent a different power source for aircraft.  I'm sure our efforts will bring big changes to our lives.

With population of earth reaching 7.7 billion this October, how long can the earth support us, the people?  What about the food supply?  I'm sure you have realized that food does not grow in the grocery store!  I've read that population experts say the earth can support only 8 to 10 billion.  We seem to be reaching the earth's limit.  Any way you think of it, large changes are coming to our lives.

Large Milkweed Bug

Large Milkweed Bug

I know that most of you will not enjoy this.  I'm sorry.  I photograph what I like not what my viewers like.  That is probably why I don't have followers.  This is an image stack at 2X.

Large Milkweed Bug

This one is at 10X.

Large Milkweed Bug

I think I have mentioned previously that this insect's required food is the sap from the seedpods.  The one in the top left center is a larva.  Can you notice the wings, unformed,  It is near moulting, climbing out of its skin, to become like the larger insect near the center.

Large Milkweed Bug Exuvia

This is what they leave behind after moulting.  It is called an exuvia.  As I write the Large Milkweed bugs are still on the milkweed plant.  It is October 3, 2019.

Large Milkweed Bug Larva

I recognize most the insects visiting the milkweed because I visited the milkweed daily while I was at the nature center.  I started because I was interested in the Monarch Butterfly and its caterpillar.

Narsarsukite

Narsarsukite

Narsarsukite is rare.  This sample comes from Jones_Mill_Quary_Magnet_Cove_Arkensas.  Its colors can be:  Yellow, yellowish-white, grayish-white, honey-yellow, tan, greenish-yellow. 

Narsarsukite

This is a stack using Sigma 105mm Macro mounted on 68mm of extention.

Narsarsukite

This could be the greenish-yellow version of Narsarsukite.  Its formula is:  Na4(Ti,Fe)2[Si8O20](O,OH,F)2 

Narsarsukite

This may be the best if not the only view of conventional Narsarsukite on the sample.  I was reading at Excalibur Mineral Corporation site and they mentioned some samples of narsarsukite that contain needle like crystals such as the ones around these crystals.  They may be elbaite. 

Anatase

Anatase

It as been some time since I showed Anatase.  This is a new, to me, sample:  Anatase_Poudrette_Qy._Mt._St._Hilaire_Canada.  I shot this with a Pentax 200mm mounted on 68mm with a nikon 10x objective.

Anatase without the Extention

This is the same setup minus the 68mm extention. 

Anatase is a form of Titanium Dioxide, usually found as brown crystals, used as a pigment in paints and inks.  TiO2    It crystalizes in the Tetragonal system.  Named by Rene Just Hauy.  Thanks Wikipedia.

Anatase

This is a sample I've shown before:  Anatase_jones_mill_magnet_cove_arkansas.  Some of you might recognize it.  It's a new stack dated 9-19-19.

Anatase (same sample)

I had a viewer question me about the "electric blue" crystal beside of it.  I think this shot shows that the crystal is blue through and is therefore also Anatase.

Dawsonite

Dawsonite and Quartzite

The sample was labeled "Dawsonite"  I didn't know what Dawsonite is so I assumed it to be the starlike structur.  I worked and worked to get it where I wanted it in the frame.  I took print to the local rock, gem and mineral show to ask someone.  The response was  that the needles are Dawsonite and the starlike structure is calcite.

Dawsonite

The reason I worked so hard to get the above and below shots is because the DOF is so thin and you can't see exactly what you will get until it is finished.

Calcite Star

The above samples came from Francon Quarry, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  The bottom one is at almost 18X.  Top one is ~10X where as the middle one is a little over 11X.

Chert

Chert

This has been one of my favorite rocks since 2010.  I usually walked the stream at the nature center when wild life was inactive, usually starting in December.  I picked this up in 2010, brought it home and threw it into the tumbler.  It went the first week and then as I was changing the grit, I decided to keep it out because I liked its looks just as you see it.

It's a loose end for me because I can not find it.  I want to test its hardness.  I have asked mindat.org to help me identify it and they have asked.

This is a panorama and I have loved the image for a long time.  The actual rock is about 1.5 inches horizontally,  When I made this as a print, I recognized something was wrong but I did not know what.  Recently, I was cleaning out the basement and found the canvas print I made.  I set it out and looked at it while I worked.  I decided it was just floating in the frame with no anchor so I added the shadows you can see above.  I had printed on the white canvas and stretched it.  Now, I wish to reprint it with the blue background but I do not have enough ink so I will leave it as is.  My friend, Paul the painter, came by and added the drop shadows with a felt tipped marker.  I am too shaky to do such a thing.

I may have given it to a visiting grandchild because they like rocks too.  I have asked them to look for it but no one seems to recognize it.

I hope you enjoy looking at it.