Club Equipment and Collections
The Club owns and operates a range of facilities for geological investigation and processing of rock and mineral finds (see lonks below). These include:
- a high-powered stereoscopic microscope
- a rock cutter
- a rock polisher
- a large collection of minerals, microminerals and fossils
- an extensive database (including photographs) of minerals, microminerals and fossils collected by Club members
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Equipment
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External Websites
The sites listed below are some useful web sources for information on geology in general, and on methods for studying rocks, minerals and fossils.
Fossil Finds in New Zealand
Fossils of the Top of the South: a gallery and description of several hundred of the fossils that you can find in the area (and elsewhere) based on the collections of a Nelson Roack and Mineral Club member:
https://fossilfindsnz.weebly.com
Mindat
The Mineral Database: Details of rocks, minerals and (to a lesser extent) fossils and where to find them, including useful guides and databases of specimens:
https://www.mindat.org
FRED
The Fossil Record Electronic Database: a searchable database and (partially-) interactive map of all officially registered recordings of fossils found in New Zealand
https://fred.org.nz
GNS WebMap Client
A web-based application giving access to an interactive map of the geology of New Zealand, at 1:1 million and 1:250,000 scale.
https://data.gns.cri.nz/geology/
Geology.com
An independent website run by a small team of enthusaists, providing detailed information on rocks and minerals, with a large gallery of photos.
https://geology.com
GeoNet
Geological hazard infdormation - including real time monitoring and mapping - for earthquakes, landsl;des and tsunami ion New Zealand.
https://www.geonet.org.nz
IRIS
Interactive real-time mapping of earthquake activity, world-wide. Navigation of the site isn't easy, but with persistence you can discover a rich pool of information.
http://ds.iris.edu/seismon/index.phtml
Alex Strekeisen
A truly amazing website of landscapes, rocks, minerals and thin-sections, featuring photos, descriptions and useful tips on identification. It's worth following him on Facebook as well!
http://www.alexstrekeisen.it/english/index.php
Virtual Microscope
A virtual micrpscope that allows you to examine thin sections of rocks from around the world, including the ability to zoom in on and rotate individual views in both plain and polarised light.
https://www.virtualmicroscope.org
Digital Atlas of Ancient Life
A US-based website providing 3D-images of a wide range of fossils, together with extremely useful information on how to identify fossils, (Part of a bigger website that covers rocks and minerals as well.)
www.digitalatlasofancientlife.org/learn/
The rock identification key, by Don Peck
A simple and useful interactive key to rock identification, based on easily recognisable characteristics. Only covers the more common rock types (so exckudes most New Zealand curiosities).
https://trailism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/The-Rock-Identification-Key-interactive.pdf
Jan Rasmussen: How to identify rocks and minerals
A downloadable guide to rock and minerral identification. Covers a limited number of more common varieties, and isn't interactive, but it is free!
https://janrasmussen.com/pdfs/rock%20and%20mineral%20identification%202012.pdf
And a really useful website for teachers and youngsters interested in learning about geology:
Lots of links to informative and fun web sites, courtesy of the US Career Institute
https://www.uscareerinstitute.edu/library/a-career-in-geology