Marcia Selsor on fri 19 may 00
Has anyone compared the characteristics of volcanic ash and where it
came down?
I did some tests from Lana Wilson's book using Helen Mackenzie's blend.
Mine did not
look like the name described. I got my ash 20 years ago in a parking lot
on the Coer 'd lane
Indian reservation -with permission.
I was wondering if the farther from the source the greater the variation
of the chemistry of the airborne ash. Sounds logical.
I am cleaning my office and fired some Mt. St. Helen's Ash for a 20th
anniversay reminder.
Marcia in Montana
--
Marcia Selsor
selsor@imt.net
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls/spain99.html
http://www.silverhawk.com/ex99/selsor/welcome.html
Paul Lewing on sat 20 may 00
Hi, Marcia.
I'm not surprised that the volcanic ash results varied from what Lana
Wilson led you to expect. Most published volcanic ash recipes were not
developed from Mt. St. Helens Ash, mostly because that eruption produced
such a (believe it or not) small amount of ash. Most of them were
developed for the ash either from that giant caldera in New Mexico that
coats the whole Midwest, or from ash from Mt. Etna.
But to answer your question about MSH ash, it did vary a bit with
distance from the mountain. The biggest difference was, obviously, in
particle size, but there were some differences in the chemistry, too. I
believe it got richer in silica and less rich in iron with increasing
distance, but I could be remembering that wrong. However, the chemistry
variation was slight.
In 1980 or 1981 Science magazine publiched an article with extensive
analyses of the ash, which is where I got my analysis. They published
analyses from 9 locations from Morton, WA, right next to the mountain
all the way to Missoula, MT. and they also gave an average. That's the
analysis I've always used, and it's been accurate enough for me to
invent glazes with Insight that worked right the first time, so I trust
it.
If you can't find that article, send me your address and I'll send you a
copy of the relevant pages, or I could post an analysis if you like.
By the way, we had the 20th anniversary of the mountain's eruption last
Thursday. I remember setting up at the University District Street Fair
here in Seattle that morning and seeing the ash cloud billowing in the
distance right down University Avenue.
Also by the way, I have used extensively ash from Ellensburg and
Spokane, which are about 150 miles apart, and noticed little difference
in its effects.
Paul Lewing, Seattle
Cyberpotter@AOL.COM on sat 20 may 00
Marcia:
I was living in Pullman WA when Mt St Helens blew (roughly the same distance
rom the blast site as Coeur d'Alene) and have only a small jar of ash I saved
from the parking lot of the restaurant I worked at at the time. Very fine and
light grey in color. Haven't dared do anything with it. I wasn't a potter
then and dearly wish I had saved more. I recall seeing Mt St Helen's pottery
pieces showing up in local shops for years thereafter and I seem to remember
blues and purples? I have a blown glass oil lamp which has Mt St Helen's ash
in it and it has gorgeous blues. Would you mind telling me how you
incorporate the ash into your pieces and how it comes out?
Here's a poem you might appreciate if you were "there" when it blew:
Mt. Sonnet Helens
An artichoke jar of powder fine ash,
Store label peeling off a lid once green,
Recalls the day the sky suddenly crashed
Just after the lunch rush. We ran outside
To watch the dry grey blizzard fall in May.
Bending above the road home, barely seen
Faint streetlamps ringed with foggy halos tried
Valiantly, hopelessly, to show the way.
When the storm had settled and eyes could see
We found the earth transformed. Spring was exchanged
For a mock moonscape of light grey grasses.
Grey bicycles wobbled tracks on grey streets;
Peddling outlaws, bandanas arranged
On noses, blinked dust from grey eyelashes.
Thanks!
Nancy Chestnut
Cincinnati, Ohio
Ingeborg Foco on sat 20 may 00
When the mountain exploded 20 years ago, we lived just l8 miles from the
catastrophe. No ash came fell on us and we drove there and watched natures
furry. However, the second ash fall (mostly forgotten by people I think)
hit us quite hard. Ash everywhere. I "broomed" the roof and saved buckets
of it for later use. What fell on us was ash but very large particles
compared to those that were carried far away. The large particles are more
difficult to work with. The further it was carried, the lighter it was. I
always had intended to drive to Yakima and collect buckets of theirs;
(lighter I think because it was carried so far) but never got around to it.
However, I did use most of my ash. I mixed it with water and dipped tiles
in it and fired them to ^10 R and ended up tiling an entire bathroom:
Shower, tub enclosure, ceiling, counters and toilet surround. It is highly
sensitive to a reduction firing and gives beautiful variegated colors of
brown (the main color) with highlights of yellow and black and tan.
Ingeborg
----- Original Message -----
From:
To:
Sent: Friday, May 19, 2000 9:38 PM
Subject: Re: volcanic ash question
> Marcia:
>
> I was living in Pullman WA when Mt St Helens blew (roughly the same
distance
> rom the blast site as Coeur d'Alene) and have only a small jar of ash I
saved
> from the parking lot of the restaurant I worked at at the time. Very fine
and
> light grey in color. Haven't dared do anything with it. I wasn't a potter
> then and dearly wish I had saved more. I recall seeing Mt St Helen's
pottery
> pieces showing up in local shops for years thereafter and I seem to
remember
> blues and purples? I have a blown glass oil lamp which has Mt St Helen's
ash
> in it and it has gorgeous blues. Would you mind telling me how you
> incorporate the ash into your pieces and how it comes out?
>
> Here's a poem you might appreciate if you were "there" when it blew:
>
> Mt. Sonnet Helens
>
> An artichoke jar of powder fine ash,
> Store label peeling off a lid once green,
> Recalls the day the sky suddenly crashed
> Just after the lunch rush. We ran outside
> To watch the dry grey blizzard fall in May.
> Bending above the road home, barely seen
> Faint streetlamps ringed with foggy halos tried
> Valiantly, hopelessly, to show the way.
>
> When the storm had settled and eyes could see
> We found the earth transformed. Spring was exchanged
> For a mock moonscape of light grey grasses.
> Grey bicycles wobbled tracks on grey streets;
> Peddling outlaws, bandanas arranged
> On noses, blinked dust from grey eyelashes.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Nancy Chestnut
> Cincinnati, Ohio
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>
Mike Gordon on sun 21 may 00
Hi Paul,
I don't do ash glazes ....yet... so if it's not to much trouble... post
it! I love all the background info about the cauldera in New Mexico, any
idea when it erupted? Mike Gordon.
Jeff Lawrence on sun 21 may 00
Marcia was wondering about volcanic ash variation
Hell Marcia,
Here is an analysis of Upper Bandelier tuff from northern New Mexico USA
(welded volcanic ash from the Valle Grande explosion). I collected these
soft rocks from the roadside about 15-20 miles from the main caldera, and
got the analyis from "Field Excursions to the Jemez Mountains" from New
Mexico Bureau of Mines and Minerals. The numbers are fairly consistent
across all six samples they analyzed.
I read somewhere that before Mt. St. Helens blew, most volcanic ash used by
potters came from the Valle Grande eruption, but was gathered in Nebraska or
Kansas somewhere, maybe 500 miles away. Maybe this is the comparison you
were looking for?
Michael McDowell and Hank Murrow both have some data on Mt. St. Helens ash,
I believe. Condolences on your getting sucked into the local mineral thing.
It's a timesink and no mistake.
Jeff Lawrence ph. 505-753-5913
Sun Dagger Design fx. 505-753-8074
18496 US HWY 285/84 jml@sundagger.com
Espanola, NM 87532 www.sundagger.com
Jemez White Tuff
================
SiO2................ 77.00 77.38%
TiO2................ 0.07 0.07%
Al2O3............... 12.14 12.20%
Fe2O3............... 1.52 1.53%
MnO................. 0.06 0.07%
MgO................. 0.21 0.21%
CaO................. 0.33 0.33%
Na2O................ 3.40 3.42%
K2O................. 4.78 4.80%
========
99.51
CaO 0.01 0.33%
MgO 0.01 0.21%
K2O 0.05 4.80%
Na2O 0.05 3.42%
TiO2 0.00 0.07%
Al2O3 0.12 12.20%
SiO2 1.28 77.38%
Fe2O3 0.01 1.53%
MnO 0.00 0.07%
Si:Al 10.76
SiB:Al 10.76
Expan 6.65
Sherry Lutz on mon 22 may 00
Hi Nancy, I was in Pullman, Washington when the mountain blew also. I =
have some recipes and a little ash left that I save for special =
occasions. I was in the Ceramics department at the University and my =
graduate show had only been up two days when it happened and closed the =
place down-had nothing else to do but scoop ash and test it! Nothing =
like finishing up school with a Bang!
Sherry Lutz
smud10@gulfsouth.verio.net
Marcia Selsor on mon 22 may 00
Dear Jeff,
Thanks a bunch. I was on a ranger tour in Yellowstone Park. They said
the estimated ash fallout from the Caldera in Yellowstone dumped 8 feet
deep of ash in Kansas. Are you sure the ash in Kansas came from Valle Grande?
I have been doing local mineral thing for 20+ years. Just that the last
decade got too overwhelming with all the other teaching stuff one must
do. Glad to have some time to get back to working on these things.
Thanks for the info. I am still sifting my Mt. St. Helen Ash from my office.
The chemist on campus may analize it for me when he gets back from
teaching Marine summer school chemistry.
Any guess why my test have a dark blue tinge?
Marcia
Jeff Lawrence wrote:
>
> Marcia was wondering about volcanic ash variation
>
> Hell Marcia,
>
> Here is an analysis of Upper Bandelier tuff from northern New Mexico USA
> (welded volcanic ash from the Valle Grande explosion). I collected these
> soft rocks from the roadside about 15-20 miles from the main caldera, and
> got the analyis from "Field Excursions to the Jemez Mountains" from New
> Mexico Bureau of Mines and Minerals. The numbers are fairly consistent
> across all six samples they analyzed.
>
> I read somewhere that before Mt. St. Helens blew, most volcanic ash used by
> potters came from the Valle Grande eruption, but was gathered in Nebraska or
> Kansas somewhere, maybe 500 miles away. Maybe this is the comparison you
> were looking for?
>
> Michael McDowell and Hank Murrow both have some data on Mt. St. Helens ash,
> I believe. Condolences on your getting sucked into the local mineral thing.
> It's a timesink and no mistake.
>
> Jeff Lawrence ph. 505-753-5913
> Sun Dagger Design fx. 505-753-8074
> 18496 US HWY 285/84 jml@sundagger.com
> Espanola, NM 87532 www.sundagger.com
>
> Jemez White Tuff
> ================
> SiO2................ 77.00 77.38%
> TiO2................ 0.07 0.07%
> Al2O3............... 12.14 12.20%
> Fe2O3............... 1.52 1.53%
> MnO................. 0.06 0.07%
> MgO................. 0.21 0.21%
> CaO................. 0.33 0.33%
> Na2O................ 3.40 3.42%
> K2O................. 4.78 4.80%
> ========
> 99.51
>
> CaO 0.01 0.33%
> MgO 0.01 0.21%
> K2O 0.05 4.80%
> Na2O 0.05 3.42%
> TiO2 0.00 0.07%
> Al2O3 0.12 12.20%
> SiO2 1.28 77.38%
> Fe2O3 0.01 1.53%
> MnO 0.00 0.07%
>
> Si:Al 10.76
> SiB:Al 10.76
> Expan 6.65
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
--
Marcia Selsor
selsor@imt.net
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls/spain99.html
http://www.silverhawk.com/ex99/selsor/welcome.html
| |
|
