MINERALOGICAL SOCIETY OF ARIZONA
JOINT FIELD TRIP
DOBELL RANCH (PETRIFIED WOOD)
Saturday, May 4, 2024
*** REGISTERED TRIP ATTENDEES SCROLL TO BOTTOM FOR MEET-UP DIRECTIONS WHEN YOU GET REMINDER EMAIL ***
This is a joint Mineralogical Society of Arizona (MSA) and Daisy Mountain Club Field Trip. We are going to DoBell Ranch in Holbrook, AZ on Saturday, May 4th, 2024.
This is a great trip to pick up some very nice pieces of petrified wood. Everything from jewelry size pieces to several hundred pounds are available at a very inexpensive rate (normally, I fill up a 5-gallon bucket for about $45).
Rhonda DoBell and her family make sure everyone finds what they want and leaves happy. She will probably have lunch for us as well, usually burgers, hot dogs and stuff.
MEET TIME: 9:45 AM, Saturday, May 4, 2024
*(Meeting location near Holbrook, AZ and trip details will be sent via email AFTER Registration)*
END TIME: Estimated 2-3:00 PM
FEE's: $45 per 5-gallon bucket
TRAVEL NOTE: This is a long drive, about 3 hours. Please allow at least 1/2 hour more time than normal to get to the meeting spot.
VEHICLE: Any vehicle can make this trip without issue.
RECOMMENDED TOOLS & ITEMS:
· A minimal digging tool will be useful.
· Bring something (a bucket) into which you will place your rocks.
· Don't forget your hat, sunscreen, gloves and other regular field trip stuff, AND CASH!
MATERIAL: Petrified Wood.
RSVP REQUIRED: By Thursday, May 2, 2024 @ 6:00 PM.
FIELD TRIP LEADER:
Bill Freese
MSA Field Trip Committee & Trip Leader
(602) 568-6843
bfreese77@cox.net
Top Photo: White Light.
Bottom Photo: Long & Short Wave UV Light.
Araucarioxylon Arizonicum, Chinle Formation, Holbrook, Arizona (Arizona State Fossil), LGF Foundation/Mike Fleeman Collection. Chris Whitney-Smith Photos.
Triassic period (around 250 to 200 million years ago).
Araucarioxylon arizonicum is an extinct species of conifer and is the state fossil of Arizona. The petrified wood of this tree is frequently referred to as "Rainbow Wood" because of the large variety of colors some specimens exhibit. The red and yellow are produced by large particulate forms of iron oxide, the yellow being limonite and the red being hematite. The purple hue comes from extremely fine spherules of hematite distributed throughout the quartz matrix.