As there isn't a definitive guide one can turn to that lists sites yielding
specimens likely to suffer from pyrite decay if storage conditions are less
than ideal I would like your help to put together some guidelines that could be
published in the Geological Curator / NatSCA or somewhere similar.
If you have had fossil or mineral specimens suffer from pyrite decay please get
in touch (see below) and give me the details. Also, tell me about any sites
and/or geological horizons that you know yield specimens that suffer
particularly badly or easily from pyrite oxidation, even if you know of only a
few examples. This includes minerals as well as fossils. A locality name is
essential (as detailed as possible, but if all you have is ‘Whitby area’ that
will do) and include as much stratigraphic information as you have. It would be
useful if you could indicate the sort of material, i.e. ‘ammonites’ or ‘marine
reptiles’ etc and (it is usually unlikely one would know the following) whether
the pyrite decay is active only in the matrix surrounding the specimen, or only
within the specimen, or in both.
Also, please send me references for any published papers you know of relating
to pyrite decay. Please ask ex-curators and other relevant colleagues for their
input. The more people that contribute, the more reliable and useful the end
result will be.
I will put all the information together and will publish a list of sites known
to produce particularly susceptible material. This would be a useful starting
point for curators either wanting to round up material to put in a better (low
RH) microclimate or those wanting to check targeted parts of their collection
once a year.
Please reply off-list so we don't clog-up everyones' mailboxes. Many thanks for
your help.
Nigel Larkin.
Email: [log in to unmask]
Nigel R. Larkin BA MSc
http://norfolk.academia.edu/NigelLarkin
http://www.natural-history-conservation.com
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Natural-History-Conservation/119346798095177
Research Associate (Geology),
Norfolk Museums and Archaeology Service,
Shirehall, Market Avenue, Norwich, Norfolk. NR1 3JQ.
http://www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk
Associate Member of the "Ancient Hominid Occupation of Britain Project"
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted_sites/ahob/
Telephone: 07973 869613
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