The collection is the oldest on campus, established in 1912, and is the oldest provincially-funded museum collection in Alberta. The meteorite collection, partially on display, is his third largest in Canada and the largest meteorite collection at a Canadian university.
When I first visited this museum, I was intrigued by the variety of rocks and minerals on display. I was amazed by the bright colors, unique textures, and unique shapes of the rocks. Lured by the educational atmosphere of the museum, I read the descriptions of the exhibits and learned about the origins and history of these pieces. I found it easy to navigate the different sections of the museum. I was able to fully understand each part regardless of the order in which I looked at the sections.
My favorite in the collection is the Toluca Meteorite. I was able to feel the texture of a 4.6 billion year old meteorite, and this meteorite was discovered near my hometown of Mexico! Now that I know about this meteorite, I can visit the various museums on campus to learn more about the various specimens held in other collections, find out where these specimens came from, and maybe find another one in my hometown. Now I want to find the exhibits.
Before visiting the collection, I had limited knowledge about rocks and minerals. The structure of the exhibits and the explanations on the boards make learning easy even if you have limited background on the topic. Even if you don’t know much about rocks or think you’re not interested, visiting a museum is a great idea. Like me, you may change your mind and become a huge rock fan.
What to expect during your visit
The University Museum’s mineralogy and petrology collection contains 15,000 specimens, 2,500 of which are on display. There are over 2,000 meteorites in the meteorite collection. The museum organizes and displays these specimens in various sections.
first section Contains rocks displayed on the east, south, and north walls. Some of the elements found in these rocks are used to make things that we use in our daily lives. For example, some rocks contain copper, which is the raw material for making electrical wires.
2nd section It consists of a flat case, and displays various minerals grouped by type. This grouping of minerals is based on their chemical composition. Interesting fact: Some of the minerals in the flat case were donated by William Ferrier, who received an honorary doctorate from the University of A as part of his contribution to the mineralogy collection.
third section is the “Fluorescent Minerals” section. Here you can see different minerals under UV spectrum light. Ultraviolet light is light beyond the blue end of the visible spectrum. These ultraviolet rays are invisible to the human eye, but can make many minerals and rocks glow. When describing minerals that glow, it is appropriate to say that they “fluoresce.” One of the fluorescent minerals, fluorite, gives this phenomenon its name.
Section 4 It has to do with lock cycles. These examples show how rocks are grouped and how they change during cycles. This cycle includes different types of rocks such as sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks.
Fifth It’s a diamond. This section showcases uncut diamonds and explains that diamonds take billions of years to form and travel hundreds of kilometers before reaching the Earth’s surface. This exhibit explains that kimberlite rock is the main host rock for diamonds. Diamond exhibits display the natural color and shape of diamonds before they are cut.
Section 6 It is called “From Minerals to Rocks”. It explains that there are “more than 6,800 different minerals,” which differ in “composition or structure that distinguishes one mineral from another.” This exhibit describes some of the properties of minerals such as luster, gravity, magnetism, foaming, color, hardness, cleavage, and fracture. Finally, this section explains that rocks are “composed of one or more minerals.”
Section 7 He talks about meteorites that “fall from space to Earth as a ball of fire hurtling through the sky.” Its structure and “meteorite chemical composition preserve the blueprint of the solar system’s earliest history.” This record helps provide information not otherwise available.
Next section focuses on the geology of Canada. If you look from left to right, you’ll see this geology starting in the west and ending with the geology in the east. To the left are the Canadian Mountains, which are made up of bands of mountain ranges separated by plateaus and valleys. This mountain range stretches from the west coast to the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountain foothills. This part also covers plate tectonics, landforms, the Rocky Mountain cross-section, the physical geography of the region, and the mineral discoveries of the region. The next exhibit on the right focuses on Alberta’s geology and describes the region’s mineral resources, which “played a major role in Alberta’s economy, including coal, natural gas, crude oil, and oil sands.” The final exhibit on the right is about the Canadian Shield, “the largest area of exposed Precambrian rocks on Earth.” Important minerals such as nickel, copper, silver, gold, uranium, and diamonds were discovered in this area.
last section The centerpiece of the museum is the hands-on specimens that can be touched and interacted with for learning purposes. These specimens include quartz, septarian nodules, limestone, Cadomine conglomerate, granodiorite, and Toluca meteorite. This meteorite is 4.6 billion years old, the same age as Earth, and is the oldest item you can ever touch. This meteorite was discovered in Mexico in 1776 and has a known mass of 3 tons.
The museum is regularly used for education. Approximately 1,200 students use this collection for their studies each year. Groups from different disciplines come to the museum every day. For example, some students observe rocks to write travelogues, art students use collections for painting purposes, and earth science students visit museums to complete lab assignments. Research projects examining works in the collection are ongoing throughout the year by both faculty and students. Similarly, some specimens are lent around the world for research purposes.
In addition to research, the museum is open to visiting K-12 classes and special events such as Science FUNday and U of A Days, where more than 1,000 guests visit the collections. It is estimated that approximately 6,500 people visit the museum each year.
If you are interested in rocks and earth science, please join us. PS Warren Geological Society!
Visit our collection and feel the texture of a 4.6 billion year old meteorite.
About the museum
The museum is located at: Earth Science Building Located in University North Campus, Room B-08. It is free and open to the public during opening hours (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.). An interactive virtual tour is also available.
