Erika Anderson
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andersonmineral.bsky.social
Erika Anderson
@andersonmineral.bsky.social
660 followers 110 following 600 posts
Former Curator of Mineralogy and Petrology. MSc in Volcanology. Views are my own.
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andersonmineral.bsky.social
Been looking for her and her husband’s mineral collection, if anyone has any info. #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
November 29, 2025 at 10:35 PM
andersonmineral.bsky.social
This is a skull of one of the biggest duck-billed dinosaur species, Edmontosaurus regalis. #FossilFriday⚒️🧪🦖
Fossil skull of Edmontosaurus regalis mounted on a red plinth behind glass. There are edges of specimens and labels around it. At the Royal Ontario Museum.
November 28, 2025 at 12:24 PM
andersonmineral.bsky.social
The answer to this Guess the Gem is spinel!! This one was part of the Treasury of Saint-Denis in France. #GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
andersonmineral.bsky.social Erika Anderson @andersonmineral.bsky.social · 7d
Guess the Gem time!! What mineral do you think this gem is? Hint: in the past gems of this mineral were called rubies, though now the term refers to corundum. #GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
A pink oval cabochons mounted on a metal rod on a grey shelf with a grey background. There are some fractures in it. At the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle.
November 26, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Reposted by Erika Anderson
kwh.bsky.social
Kīlauea is erupting! 🌋 Here’s a link to one of the three @USGS live cams - enjoy! www.youtube.com/live/tk0tfYD...
November 26, 2025 at 2:04 AM
andersonmineral.bsky.social
Guess the Gem time!! What mineral do you think this gem is? Hint: in the past gems of this mineral were called rubies, though now the term refers to corundum. #GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
A pink oval cabochons mounted on a metal rod on a grey shelf with a grey background. There are some fractures in it. At the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle.
November 25, 2025 at 12:37 PM
andersonmineral.bsky.social
Great little crystal of bright orange scheelite. It would be surprisingly heavy if you held it due to the tungsten in this mineral. #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
Bright orange crystal octahedra of scheelite in white crystals. It sits on a black background. Edges of a plexiglass label and white specimen can be seen to the upper right. At the Sorbonne.
November 24, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Reposted by Erika Anderson
aussiastronomer.bsky.social
It's Friday, and apparently bluesky is ready for this fun revelation:

Dinosaurs lived on the other side the Galaxy.
November 21, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Reposted by Erika Anderson
scottishgeology.bsky.social
Want to visit Siccar Point but can’t get out or it’s too far away?

@callanbentley.bsky.social has made this amazing online field-guide, including gigapan images and some fantastic virtual outcrops that you can explore in 3D. Check it out!

opengeology.org/historicalge...
VFE: Siccar Point, Scotland – Historical Geology
opengeology.org
November 22, 2025 at 10:38 AM
andersonmineral.bsky.social
The skull of a giant sloth, Megatherium americanum, from South America. This species went extinct, along with most other megafauna, in the Late Pleistocene Extinction Event thought to be caused by humans and changes in the climate. #FossilFriday
The skull of the giant sloth, Megatherium americanum, mounted on a metal rod on a wood plinth. Wood plinths with other specimens can be seen behind it. A white label sits to the lower left. At the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle.
November 21, 2025 at 12:27 PM
andersonmineral.bsky.social
The answer is topaz!! It’s a mineral that can be a few different colours. #GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
andersonmineral.bsky.social Erika Anderson @andersonmineral.bsky.social · 14d
Guess the Gem!! What mineral do you think these two gems are? Hint: the blue one is irradiated and heated to get that colour.
#GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
Two gems on a beige background. The top is a large round light brown Portuguese-style cut gem. The bottom is a small bright blue oval cute gem. The edges of white labels can be seen at the top and bottom. At the Natural History Museum in London.
November 19, 2025 at 11:54 AM
andersonmineral.bsky.social
Guess the Gem!! What mineral do you think these two gems are? Hint: the blue one is irradiated and heated to get that colour.
#GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
Two gems on a beige background. The top is a large round light brown Portuguese-style cut gem. The bottom is a small bright blue oval cute gem. The edges of white labels can be seen at the top and bottom. At the Natural History Museum in London.
November 18, 2025 at 11:41 AM
andersonmineral.bsky.social
Have you ever heard of this mineral? Pachnolite was discovered in Greenland and the name translates to frost stone, which is a very cool name. #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
Specimen of pachnolite showing bright brown yellow sharp crystals in a cavity in white crystals. It sits on a frosted plinth on a glass shelf on a grey wall. The edge of a green and brown specimen on a plinth can be seen to the top left. The plinth has a label that says « Pachnolite/Pachnolite » on it.At the Royal Ontario Museum.
November 17, 2025 at 12:34 PM
andersonmineral.bsky.social
The metamorphic mineral staurolite with its distinctive penetration twinning forming a cross. It’s positively delightful!! #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
Brown crystals forming a cross in white matrix. It sits on a black background. At the Sorbonne.
November 10, 2025 at 12:23 PM
andersonmineral.bsky.social
As cool and cute as sabre-toothed tigers are, at least I don’t have to fear staring down the maw of Smilodon populator these days. #FossilFriday ⚒️🧪
Looking down the jaw of mounted skeleton of a fossil sabre-toothed tiger with its mouth open. It stands on a wooden plinth on a wood floor among glass display cases. At the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle.
November 7, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Reposted by Erika Anderson
diygeochemist.bsky.social
Oh my gosh. These are both super cool. Ilmenite is amazing, and I love titanium...but I think I'm gonna vote for the super unusual #Jadarite, which is a lithium borate.
mineralcup.bsky.social Mineral Cup & Ore Cup @mineralcup.bsky.social · 28d
#OreCup R1M3: It’s a battle of black and white as titanium ore #Ilmenite is pitted against lithium and boron ore #Jadarite.

vote: www.mineralcup.org/vote-results...
results:
www.mineralcup.org
November 5, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Reposted by Erika Anderson
eos.org
We're Team #Ilmenite today in the #OreCup! Not only did it enable Bob Ross's happy little clouds, it also may have helped flip the Moon's mantle. So versatile! 🔭🧪🌕

eos.org/articles/the...
November 5, 2025 at 6:25 PM
andersonmineral.bsky.social
Ah yes!! Another bacon specimen!! This time it’s banded aragonite. #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
Specimen that is a polished slab of white and pale and dark brownish pink stripes , resembling bacon. It sits on a grey background with the edges of another specimens and labels seen around it. Label to the bottom right says « D28 - BM.58818 Stalagmitic banded, polished Loket, Karlovarský kraj. Czech Republic » At the Natural History Museum London.
November 3, 2025 at 12:35 PM
andersonmineral.bsky.social
The answer is the iron ore hematite!! A streak is when you rub a mineral on a slightly rough surface to see what colour the powder left behind is. The streak helps identify the mineral, as it might be different than the colour of the specimen. #GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
andersonmineral.bsky.social Erika Anderson @andersonmineral.bsky.social · Oct 28
Another Tuesday Guess the Gem!! What mineral do you think these gems are? Hint: their streak would be red.
#GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
In the center are two gems, each on white foam in a white gem case. The one on the left is a round cut and the right is a long cabochon with two pointed ends in the east west direction. They are surrounded by lined up gem cases you can see the edge of. At the Hunterian.
October 29, 2025 at 11:40 AM
andersonmineral.bsky.social
Another Tuesday Guess the Gem!! What mineral do you think these gems are? Hint: their streak would be red.
#GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
In the center are two gems, each on white foam in a white gem case. The one on the left is a round cut and the right is a long cabochon with two pointed ends in the east west direction. They are surrounded by lined up gem cases you can see the edge of. At the Hunterian.
October 28, 2025 at 11:33 AM
andersonmineral.bsky.social
Another bright mineral!! The element sulphur makes these beautiful crystals. Be careful, sometimes the warmth of your hand can cause these sensitive crystals to crack. #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
Tall specimen consisting of many bright yellow sulphur crystals on grey matrix. It sits on a frosted plinth in front of a grey wall. An edge of another striped mineral, orpiment, can be seen at the top left. At the Royal Ontario Museum.
October 27, 2025 at 11:34 AM
andersonmineral.bsky.social
When first described, the perceived agility of the theropod Deinonychus antirrhopus helped catalyze the idea that dinosaurs were not as slow moving as previously thought. #FossilFriday ⚒️🧪🦖
Mounted fossil skeleton of Deinonychus antirrhopus on top of a wooden display case. At the Sedgwick Museum.
October 24, 2025 at 11:47 AM
andersonmineral.bsky.social
The answer to this Guess the Gem is peridot!! This is a variety of the mineral group olivine, frequently found in basalts (and found in some meteorites!). #GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
andersonmineral.bsky.social Erika Anderson @andersonmineral.bsky.social · Oct 21
Another Guess the Gem for you!! What mineral or variety do you think this gem is? Hint: this is the gem variety of a mineral commonly found in my favourite type of rock: volcanic.
#GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
Green irregular cut gem in a clear round gem case on beige foam. The case sits on a beige background. The top edge of a small white label can be seen on the bottom right. At the National Museum of Ireland.
October 22, 2025 at 11:16 AM
andersonmineral.bsky.social
Another Guess the Gem for you!! What mineral or variety do you think this gem is? Hint: this is the gem variety of a mineral commonly found in my favourite type of rock: volcanic.
#GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
Green irregular cut gem in a clear round gem case on beige foam. The case sits on a beige background. The top edge of a small white label can be seen on the bottom right. At the National Museum of Ireland.
October 21, 2025 at 11:32 AM
andersonmineral.bsky.social
The most delectable rhodochrosite!! Bright minerals make me very happy!! From bright butterfly wings to the plumage of birds of paradise, nature is a tapestry of rich colours. #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
Specimen showing large bright reddish pink rhombohedrons with small white to clear crystals of quartz on dark grey matrix. It sits on a frosted plinth in front of a grey wall. At the Royal Ontario Museum.
October 20, 2025 at 11:26 AM
andersonmineral.bsky.social
Skull of the Early Triassic amphibian Thoosuchus jakovlevi. Lots of surface texture preserved on it!! #FossilFriday ⚒️🧪
Triangular skull of Thoosuchus jakovlevi mounted on a display wall with part of the black silhouette of the creature behind it. There is also part of the blue silhouette of another animal on the beige wall. At the Hunterian.
October 17, 2025 at 11:53 AM