Presentation Information
[O12-P70]Quartz in Mt.Yoshida and to use It in Learning
*YUTA SUGAI1, *TONA SAKATA1 (1. SUWA SEIRYO HIGH SCHOOL)
1,introduction
Mt.Yoshida, a mountain in Chino City is loved as a citizens’ forest and used for nature study. I heard that quartz can be found there, so I became interested. However, I found no information about quartz from Mt.Yoshida or about the mountain’s geology.
I think if we can find the source and the scale of any quartz, we may be able to using to learn geology. Therefore, this study aims to clarify the occurrence of quartz on Mt.Yoshida.We will also design educational programs and teaching materials that can be used in school lessons, local learning activities, to demonstrate the geological educational value of the citizens’ forest.
2,methods
As mentioned earlier, there are no information about Mt.Yoshida. For this reason, this study uses fieldwork and observation of collected specimens.
Mt.Yoshida has well-maintained trails, so I observed the trails and around. I examined exposed rocks and looked for signs of quartz occurrence. If I found any signs, I recorded.
I examined the specimens obtained during fieldwork and discussed their features.
I obtained permission from the relevant local land management group and from Chino City before removing any specimens. The fieldwork took place during a period when the mountain was officially closed for hunting, and I also obtained permission from the land management group and the city for work during that period.
3,results
As of November 2025, I conducted two fieldwork and searched all trails within the citizens’ forest area (Figure 1). This report focuses on two trails where we obtained the most significant results.
While walking the north trail downhill from the top, I found several rocks with quartz veins. During the second fieldwork I searched this area more intensively and collected several small quartz.
On the central trail, uphill from the Citizens’ Pond, I found small quartz in a rock. I searched the surrounding area during the second fieldwork as I did on the north trail, but unlike the north course, this search did not produce new results.
Figures 2–3 shows quartz crystals collected on the north course. Figure 2 is a cluster of crystals, Figure 3 shows a large crystal point, and Figure 3 shows a highly clear crysta. All of these specimens have the typical terminated hexagonal prismatic shape of quartz and were found in the rock. Because the crystals are small, surface striations and internal inclusions could not be confirmed.
Figure 4-5 is another specimen collected on the north course. It has a quartz vein in the rock, and the exposed section shows quartz that formed as a unidirectional fibrous or banded growth. The section also shows columnar quartz crystals that are not fully developed, which suggests these crystals were still growing when formation stopped.
4,discussion
During the fieldwork I was able to collect several quartz. However, all quartz finds came from the north trail; no medium to large quartz (here defined as longer than 1 cm) were found. Because there are no previous reports to compare with, I cannot state a definitive standard size for this site, but based on our results the typical crystal size at this locality appears to be small, about 1 mm to 5 mm.
From the sumple that like Figure 4, we can also infer the origin of the quartz. According to the citizens’ forest guidebook, Mt.Yoshida is mainly composed of Tertiary Miocene diorite. The host rock of the specimen, judged by its mineral composition and comparison with school collection samples, is consistent with diorite. Therefore, it is plausible that the quartz formed within a diorite body.
5,Conclusion
Quartz was confirmed to occur on Mt.Yoshida, but the crystals are much smaller than expected, so using collecting as the main educational activity may be difficult. Still, observing the collected samples can provide a valuable opportunity to spark interest in minerals and the local geological environment.
6,Future prospects
Because we confirmed quartz occurs in the Chino City citizens’ forest, we plan to search a wider area and collect more samples to determine the amount of production, occurrence patterns, and origin more precisely. Using a GPS device for fieldwork would improve the accuracy of location records.
For host-rock identification, I used macroscopic mineral composition this time, but I want to prepare thin sections and work with specialist institutions for more detailed identification. The quartz we collected are not large single crystals but small crystals in the rock, which may make them less interesting for elementary school students. Therefore, contacting groups that collected here in the past and comparing their records with our findings will be important to increase the educational value.
Mt.Yoshida, a mountain in Chino City is loved as a citizens’ forest and used for nature study. I heard that quartz can be found there, so I became interested. However, I found no information about quartz from Mt.Yoshida or about the mountain’s geology.
I think if we can find the source and the scale of any quartz, we may be able to using to learn geology. Therefore, this study aims to clarify the occurrence of quartz on Mt.Yoshida.We will also design educational programs and teaching materials that can be used in school lessons, local learning activities, to demonstrate the geological educational value of the citizens’ forest.
2,methods
As mentioned earlier, there are no information about Mt.Yoshida. For this reason, this study uses fieldwork and observation of collected specimens.
Mt.Yoshida has well-maintained trails, so I observed the trails and around. I examined exposed rocks and looked for signs of quartz occurrence. If I found any signs, I recorded.
I examined the specimens obtained during fieldwork and discussed their features.
I obtained permission from the relevant local land management group and from Chino City before removing any specimens. The fieldwork took place during a period when the mountain was officially closed for hunting, and I also obtained permission from the land management group and the city for work during that period.
3,results
As of November 2025, I conducted two fieldwork and searched all trails within the citizens’ forest area (Figure 1). This report focuses on two trails where we obtained the most significant results.
While walking the north trail downhill from the top, I found several rocks with quartz veins. During the second fieldwork I searched this area more intensively and collected several small quartz.
On the central trail, uphill from the Citizens’ Pond, I found small quartz in a rock. I searched the surrounding area during the second fieldwork as I did on the north trail, but unlike the north course, this search did not produce new results.
Figures 2–3 shows quartz crystals collected on the north course. Figure 2 is a cluster of crystals, Figure 3 shows a large crystal point, and Figure 3 shows a highly clear crysta. All of these specimens have the typical terminated hexagonal prismatic shape of quartz and were found in the rock. Because the crystals are small, surface striations and internal inclusions could not be confirmed.
Figure 4-5 is another specimen collected on the north course. It has a quartz vein in the rock, and the exposed section shows quartz that formed as a unidirectional fibrous or banded growth. The section also shows columnar quartz crystals that are not fully developed, which suggests these crystals were still growing when formation stopped.
4,discussion
During the fieldwork I was able to collect several quartz. However, all quartz finds came from the north trail; no medium to large quartz (here defined as longer than 1 cm) were found. Because there are no previous reports to compare with, I cannot state a definitive standard size for this site, but based on our results the typical crystal size at this locality appears to be small, about 1 mm to 5 mm.
From the sumple that like Figure 4, we can also infer the origin of the quartz. According to the citizens’ forest guidebook, Mt.Yoshida is mainly composed of Tertiary Miocene diorite. The host rock of the specimen, judged by its mineral composition and comparison with school collection samples, is consistent with diorite. Therefore, it is plausible that the quartz formed within a diorite body.
5,Conclusion
Quartz was confirmed to occur on Mt.Yoshida, but the crystals are much smaller than expected, so using collecting as the main educational activity may be difficult. Still, observing the collected samples can provide a valuable opportunity to spark interest in minerals and the local geological environment.
6,Future prospects
Because we confirmed quartz occurs in the Chino City citizens’ forest, we plan to search a wider area and collect more samples to determine the amount of production, occurrence patterns, and origin more precisely. Using a GPS device for fieldwork would improve the accuracy of location records.
For host-rock identification, I used macroscopic mineral composition this time, but I want to prepare thin sections and work with specialist institutions for more detailed identification. The quartz we collected are not large single crystals but small crystals in the rock, which may make them less interesting for elementary school students. Therefore, contacting groups that collected here in the past and comparing their records with our findings will be important to increase the educational value.