About Me

            My name is Neil Ray and I'm a graduate student at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas.  I'm working on my Master's thesis, which involves determining the origin of an unusual refractory material from Granada, Colorado.

 

GSA Presentation

            This project has been presented at the annual 2004 Geological Society of America meeting in Denver, Colorado.  The original abstract that was submitted and published for the poster stated that the material is lunar in origin, when in fact it is not.  Unfortunately, the amount of analytical testing equipment and faculty with the knowledge of meteorites is rather limited at Fort Hays State University.  As a result, I have been required to search elsewhere for testing facilities and expert advice.  The original abstract that was submitted was merely a hypothesis that fit the data at the time.  This is often the case at professional meetings, where abstracts are submitted before the research is completed.  The material was deemed lunar, because amphibole grains resemble orthopyroxene and larnite resembles anorthite under thin section view.  It was not until I required the electron microprobe analysis that I was able to clarify that it is not lunar.  Unfortunately, it was too late to change the submitted abstract.  I apologize for any misunderstanding or confusion that my published abstract has brought about.  I invite you to read the revised poster presentation as it was presented at GSA.  If you have any questions or comments than please feel free to email me (bottom left) for I'm open to suggestions.