Teeth from Ernst Quarry exhibit phosphorescence under long wave uv light (short video)

[Kurt Komoda]

Hello, all! I see that there are already a few threads concerning the fluorescent or phosphorescent properties of some fossil, but I thought I'd share a video I took today. I just received a Convoy C8+ long wave 365nm UV flashlight, and so, naturally, I was going around the apartment to see just how disgusting my kitchen and bathroom look when revealed under long wave UV light, but also to take a look at the various rocks and fossils I've collected over the years. I was surprised to find that the teeth from Ernst Quarry, in Bakersfield, all fluoresce a light orange color- like cantaloupe- but even more surprised to see that they glowed briefly after removing the UV light. 

 

The video does not show the orange fluorescence- I don't know much about this, but it was just quickly shot with an iPhone 11 and would probably need some sort of lens filter to display what I saw- and the brief flare up you see when removing the UV light is just the iPhone trying to adjust for the change in lighting. I dunno, I thought this was pretty neat.

 

I have a short wave UV field lamp on order, and that will produce different results, as a much lower amount of minerals fluoresce under long wave.

 

What mineral are the Bakersfield teeth comprised of?

[Coco]

Incredible phosphorescence !

 

Coco

[DPS Ammonite]

2 hours ago, Kurt Komoda said:

Hello, all! I see that there are already a few threads concerning the fluorescent or phosphorescent properties of some fossil, but I thought I'd share a video I took today. I just received a Convoy C8+ long wave 365nm UV flashlight, and so, naturally, I was going around the apartment to see just how disgusting my kitchen and bathroom look when revealed under long wave UV light, but also to take a look at the various rocks and fossils I've collected over the years. I was surprised to find that the teeth from Ernst Quarry, in Bakersfield, all fluoresce a light orange color- like cantaloupe- but even more surprised to see that they glowed briefly after removing the UV light. 

 

What mineral are the Bakersfield teeth comprised of?

 

 

The teeth are phosphatic. The orange may be caliche which is calcite. Orange-glowing caliche is very common in the SW US in semiarid and arid areas.

Edited October 6, 2021 by DPS Ammonite

[ChristineR]

That is fascinating. I will be at STH this weekend, so now I must order a UV light, and see what Rob knows about the mineralization. 

[Kurt Komoda]

4 hours ago, DPS Ammonite said:

 

 

The teeth are phosphatic. The orange may be caliche which is calcite. Orange-glowing caliche is very common in the SW US in semiarid and arid areas.

Thank you so much for this information! I didn't even know the term "phosphatic" until now. I'm reading up on the caliche of the SW and South America now.

 

2 hours ago, ChristineR said:

That is fascinating. I will be at STH this weekend, so now I must order a UV light, and see what Rob knows about the mineralization. 

Make sure what you get is a filtered long wave or short wave uv light. Those flashlights you see all over Amazon, with what looks like purple or clear LEDs are good for finding scorpions, but not much else. For long wave, I would recommend the Convoy  S2+ 365nm  or the new Convoy C8+ 365nm. For short wave, there aren't too many options that are portable, and all are pricey. I just ordered a DRK Light 35w shortwave mineral lamp from Engenious Designs, but that's going to take a month to arrive. I'm new to the fluorescent mineral hobby, so I'm just learning all of this. I recently took an hour's drive up to Sterling Hill Mine, here in Jersey, to go through their collection site and I guess I got the bug. It's an expensive bug, though! Attached is a side by side of two very common finds at the site viewed under short wave uv: rocks comprised of willemite (green) and calcite (orange).

 

I'll be returning to Ernst Quarry next month, the weekend of the 19-21st. Can't wait.

[ChristineR]

12 hours ago, Kurt Komoda said:

Make sure what you get is a filtered long wave or short wave uv light.

Your enthusiasm piqued my interest in the possibilities of using uv light. I found an interesting article on the topic, and can see how you caught the bug, uv presents a whole new world. 
 

Ernst Quarries is easy to get excited about, especially as the months get cooler. Saturday has a predicted high of 68 degrees!! I hope your trip has similar temperatures. Happy hunting. 
 

Chris

[Bob Saunders]

Hi, I was out on the Lake Michigan shoreline the other night looking for Yooperlites. Make sure that you wear U V protective safety glass in clear or yellow. I bought the clear one by 3 M for night walking.  Some phones and cameras do not do well for pictures but many place a yellow safety lens in front for a better photo.  The short and medium wave does not come in hand held flashlight. 2-3 hours of on time at full power is about the limit for the battery and the ones for E cigarettes or the most cost effective extras. Their is also two types of battery that should fit your Convoy the one being longer lasting for on time. Hope this helps.