Table of Contents

• Ease On Down The Road by Conrad North 1–2
• From the Editor by Howie Green 3–4
• Special Report: UVGI and the SARS-CoV-2 by Howard Green and Jonathan Hobley 4–12
• Query Quarry – Non-Fluorescent Willemite? by Justin Bank 13–14
• Query Quarry – The Search for a Vaccine by Philip Fernsten 14–16
• EFTAS – Trancas Geodes by Doug Bank 17–18
• Time Is Running Out to Renew Your Membership by — 18

Ease On Down The Road

By Conrad North · pp. 1–2

A leisurely rockhounding itinerary turns a drive from Colorado through southern Utah into a multiday trip, with stops at the Book Cliffs near Grand Junction, areas near Marysvale, septarian nodule claims near Orderville, and shops around Zion National Park. The route highlights collecting opportunities for calcite, fluorite, banded rhyolite, and opalized fluorite, while also recommending local sights, meals, and lodging. The travelogue closes by suggesting possible collecting stops on the return journey.

From the Editor

By Howie Green · pp. 3–4

The COVID-19 crisis prompts reflections on uncertainty, coping, and the psychological resources available to people and mineral collectors. Drawing on clinical experience and family memories of wartime life, the editor argues that practical action, social support, and confidence in evidence can help manage fear. The piece notes how home collections, photography, online groups, and scientific inquiry can occupy collectors during restrictions, and introduces the issue’s examination of germicidal ultraviolet irradiation while cautioning against unsafe do-it-yourself use.

Special Report: UVGI and the SARS-CoV-2

By Howard Green and Jonathan Hobley · pp. 4–12

This report reviews SARS-CoV-2 biology, transmission, disease, prevention, vaccine and drug research, and the chemistry of ultraviolet damage to viral RNA. It explains how ultraviolet germicidal irradiation can impair a virus’s ability to replicate, while considering limits such as exposure dose, shadowing, equipment calibration, and risks to people and materials. The authors distinguish scientific explanation from practical guidance: household ultraviolet lamps are not a reliable substitute for soap and water, and irradiating skin is dangerous.

Query Quarry – Non-Fluorescent Willemite?

By Justin Bank · pp. 13–14

A gemmy willemite crystal from the Franklin Mine that fails to fluoresce is examined as a possible case of serpentinization. The response explains that relatively gemmy willemite may show weaker fluorescence, while alteration by water can produce largely non-fluorescent serpentine along crystal surfaces and grain boundaries. It considers how magnesium-bearing fluids from the surrounding Franklin Marble may have altered zinc- and manganese-rich minerals, and notes that the exact element sources and alteration history would require further study.

Query Quarry – The Search for a Vaccine

By Philip Fernsten · pp. 14–16

The search for a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in early 2020 involved dozens of organizations and several candidates already entering clinical studies. The article compares approaches including mRNA and DNA vaccines, viral vectors, protein subunits, virus-like particles, attenuated viruses, and inactivated whole-virus vaccines. It outlines their mechanisms, potential advantages, and safety or manufacturing challenges, emphasizing that rapid design does not remove the need for extensive testing, production capacity, quality controls, and evidence of efficacy.

EFTAS – Trancas Geodes

By Doug Bank · pp. 17–18

Thin-walled Trancas geodes from north-central Mexico lead to an account of how the author and his son became interested in fluorescent minerals and mineral photography. The geodes contain unusual intergrown quartz formations and can fluoresce green under shortwave ultraviolet light because of trace uranium associated with their formation; calcite or aragonite may account for a blue response. The article also recounts an attempt to photograph the specimen’s brief afterglow and explains how an external camera flash was used to create the image.

Time Is Running Out to Renew Your Membership

p. 18

A brief notice urges Fluorescent Mineral Society members to renew their membership for 2020 before time runs out. It directs readers to the Society’s website, uvminerals.org, for membership-related information. The notice appears alongside the Trancas geode article and serves as a reminder to existing members; it does not provide additional renewal instructions or describe membership benefits.