The Continental Divide--New Mexico at I-40
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(not chosen)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
Become an Earthcache Master:
This earthcache is fairly basic and easy. The terrain and
difficulty ratings are only higher than 1 because you will need to
make three stops and take elevations at each stop.
A Continental Divide, sometimes called the backbone of a continent,
is a topographic feature (natural boundary line of elevated land
surface) which forms a border between separate drainage basins
resulting in separating streams, rivers and waterways that flow
toward the opposite sides of a continent.
The term Continental Divide refers to a particular type of drainage
divide. A drainage divide/continental divide is the boundary of a
drainage basin. It is the geological boundary that physically
separates the drainage of one drainage basin (area drained by a
river or lake) from that of another drainage basin. Precipitation
on one side of a divide will drain into one basin and precipitation
on the other side will drain into another basin.
A Continental Divide is found on each of the continents except for
Antarctica which has no Continental Divide. A Continental Divide
results over millions of years during the formation of the earth as
mountain ranges form and the earth’s crust folds, terrain erodes
and ridges and peaks that are now defined as divides are formed. We
may picture the divide as a line on a map. But, the Continental
Divide is a result of major geological formations and disruptions
over millions of years as waters fell on the mountains and traveled
downhill to valleys, into river systems and oceans. The position
and number of divides, including The Great Divide, is strongly
affected by climatic and tectonic forces, which raise mountains and
alters drainage patterns. Surprisingly the Continental divide is
not static. It is dynamic and changes in accordance with tectonic
forces (forces within the earth that cause movements of the earth’s
crust) and isostatic forces (equilibrium in the earth’s crust where
the forces that tend to elevate landmasses balance the forces
tending to depress landmasses), climatic forces that may alter
drainage patterns, growth or loss of continental glaciers and human
interference.
The Continental Divide, also referred to as The Great Divide,
extends north to south and runs from the Seward Peninsula in
Alaska, through British Columbia in Canada, through Montana,
Wyoming and Colorado along the crest of the Rocky Mountains to New
Mexico, along the crest of the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico
and finally extends to the tip of South America following the crest
of the Andes. The Great Divide is the only of the world’s
continental divides to divide the river systems of two continents.
In the landscape of the American West the continental Divide is a
most dominant feature. Even though it is a dominant feature, it is
not obvious in most places. “It stays on neither the highest peaks
nor the most conspicuous crests; sometimes it veers off a perfectly
obvious ridge to head down the flank of a mountain and then back up
quite a different slope. It hides itself among waves of parallel
ridges; it masquerades a just another unimportant bump in the
flatlands of New Mexico and southern Wyoming. Sometimes it goes on
long detours, making 100-mile curves to the east or the west.”
Berger, K. & Smith D. (1993) Where the Waters Divide: a walk
along America’s continental Divide. Random House.
The Continental Divide passes through six of the seven ecological
zones that are found in North America. It passes through the artic
alpine tundra of the highest peaks in Colorado and through the
harsh dry sands of the desert in New Mexico. Many definitions of a
continental divide state that the divide follows along the high
mountainous terrain. However, many places along the Continental
Divide are not mountainous. Some areas along the divide are planar
or follow a gentle slope. Elevations along the Continental Divide
through United States range from approximately 1400 meters above
sea level in the basin range of southern New Mexico to more than
4000 meters above sea level in the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming and
Colorado.
Some parts of the Continental Divide remain in natural wilderness.
Still other parts have been settled. Some of the things that now
exist along the divide are grazing lands for cattle, logging camps,
recreation resorts, towns, cities, highways and interstates.
At the coordinates of this earthcache, you will find the
Continental Divide as it runs through New Mexico at Interstate 40.
At this point, you will find a natural boundary line forming the
boarder between two bodies of water. The precipitation falling on
one side of the boundary line eventually travels one side of the
continent and precipitation falling on the other side eventually
travels to the other side of the continent, provided the water is
not evaporated or redivereted in any way. Commonly it is said that
precipitation falling on opposite sides of the divide always
travels to two different oceans. However, snow that melts or water
that falls may actually evaporate or be used by vegetation after
the water enters into the soil. When this happens, the
precipitation may not actually make it to the ocean unless it again
falls as precipitation. Also, particularly in the North American
southwest (where you are standing now) a lot of the precipitation
flows toward deep underlying aquifers of groundwater. Sometimes,
because the divides underground in the aquifers do not match
exactly to the above ground Continental Divide, the water that
falls on one side of the topographical Continental Divide may
actually infiltrate the groundwater, travel within the underground
aquifer and then redistributed on the other side of the divide.
People can also redirect the precipitation through the use of
diversion tunnels that can alter the way water would normally move
when falling on the Continental Divide. Even though it is not
possible because of reuse, evaporation, aquifers or human
intervention for us to positively determine the destiny of each and
every single drop of water that falls along the Continental Divide.
We can be fairly certain that for the most part the precipitation
falling east of the divide will ultimately reach one body of water
and the water falling west of the divide will ultimately reach a
separate body of water.
The sign at the coordinates will help you to determine which two
bodies of water the precipitation falling here will eventually
reach.
It is very important that you do not attempt to access this
earthcache site directly from the interstate. The coordinates will
take you to a road side sign that is located off of the interstate
on a parallel road near exit 47. You will need to take the exit and
follow the road signs to the Continental Divide. There is plenty of
room for safe parking off of the roadway.
In order to log this earthcache as found you are required to email
the following answers to me through my profile.
1. What is the elevation at this point of the Continental Divide?
2. According to the definition of a divide, this point should be at
a higher elevation than the surrounding land. Is it? Travel .25 to
.5 miles west and east of the Continental Divide and use your GPSr
to measure the elevation there. What are these elevations? How do
they compare with the elevation reading at the Continental Divide?
3. If it were raining at the coordinates, the rain falling to the
west of the sign would eventually flow where?
4. If it were snowing at the coordinates, the snow falling to the
east of the sign would eventually go where?
5. What is one natural occurrence that may prevent the
precipitation falling along either side of the divide from reaching
it's intended final destination?
6. Look on the back of the Continental Divide sign. What point of
interest is located near the number 16? (bottom, left side)
A photo of you and your GPSr is always appreciated as added proof
of your visit. If you have the ability to take and upload a photo,
please do so. If you do not have that ability, please don’t let
that keep you from exploring the Continental Divide, learning a bit
about earth science or logging this earthcache.
Congratulations for being the FTF goes to WhirledCache and biomedy.
As of April 11, 2009, I am adding this note
to all of my earthcache listings. I request that you email the
answers to me on the same day that you log your “found it” log.
(This does not have to be the day you visit, just the day you log
the find on the computer.) I also request that you do not log a
“found it” log unless you have actually visited the site of the
earthcache and sent the answers to me. As much as I hate to do so,
I will delete logs of finders who have not provided the appropriate
answers.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Nyjnlf erzrzore gb rawbl gur wbhearl naq Yrnir Ab Genpr