"Taseq soup" boulder, Taseq West

 

While the team was busy elsewhere up the slope I went downhill and encountered this large boulder, apparently composed of ussingite and still marked by an old geological survey stick. Pronounced "oozing-ite", it was discovered by a geologist named Ussing. Here are some pictures of fluorescent ussingite from Greenland.

I was pretty excited because there were various fluorescent minerals mixed together with the ussingite such as polylithionite and analcime, as well as sodalite. But it was difficult to break off decent pieces. Then I saw the largest piece of polylithionite that anyone discovered on the trip. I succeeded in breaking it off with a hammer - for the rest of the trip it was referred to as the "monster poly". It's a solid 9 inches long x 5 inches wide and fluoresces a pale yellow.

 

Center: big polythionite from Taseq West

 

Getting a big polylithionite specimen safely home was tricky. I'm happy to report that it's home and all in one piece. Pictures of it will appear in the future. It was one of my best collecting moments.

 

 

Stereo 3D version

 

 

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