Missouri River Valley Overlook Earthcache EarthCache
Missouri River Valley Overlook Earthcache
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As an earthcache, there is no “box” or “container” to discover. Rather, with this cache, you discover something about the geology of the area. For more info, consult www.earthcache.org
CACHERS STATE THIS IS ONLY LEGALLY ACCESSIBLE FROM WESTBOUND! PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY!
This earthcache is at the site of a viewing tower 1.5 miles east of where I-29 goes south from I-80. Restroom facilities open 8 am to 4 pm. This is part of rest area system, though there are no spots for RVs, trailers, trucks to park, and the loop road is a bit tight for anything over about 20’. If you are in a wheelchair or are walking impaired, you may complete the requirements from the sidewalk, otherwise walk UP the tower stairs to view the full extent of this earthcache.
The Missouri River is underlain by Quaternary age alluvial deposits consisting of clay, silt, sand, gravel, cobbles, and boulders. These deposits lie atop shale, limestone and sandstone bedrock and form the alluvial aquifer
On either side of the Missouri River in this area you see low lying hills The Loess Hills such as the one this tower is constructed on is about 3 miles east of the Missouri River channel. These hills are the first rise in land beyond the flood plain, forming something of a "front range" for Iowa.
The Loess hills formed during the final Ice Age, when glaciers advanced into the middle of North America, grinding underlying rock into dust-like "glacial flour." As temperatures warmed, the glaciers retreated and vast amounts of meltwater and sediment flooded the Missouri River Valley. The sediment was deposited on the flood plain, creating huge mud flats. When meltwaters receded, these mud flats were exposed. As they dried, the fine-grained silt was picked up by strong prevailing westerly winds. Huge dust clouds were moved and re-deposited over broad areas. The heavier, coarser silt was deposited close to the Missouri River flood plain, forming vast dune fields. The dune fields were eventually stabilized by grass. Due to the erosive nature of loess soil and its ability to stand in vertical columns when dry, the stabilized dunes were eroded into the corrugated, sharply-dissected bluffs we see today. An example of these sharply-dissected bluffs are on I-80 northeast of this tower for several miles
Please send #1-3 logging requirement answers/observations to my geocaching.com profile email. Post #4 picture with your log. Please go ahead and log your cache. I will contact you if you have not successfully completed the logging requirements.
Congrads to ClubMud1 for FTF (First to Finish logging requirements)
Logging requirements:
1.List the name “GC22YBM Missouri River Valley Overlook Earthcache” in the first line of your email. Also, list the number of people in your group.
2.What direction does valley (FLAT area) flow from/to?
3.What geological facts account for the observations that there are no steep drop offs but rather simply gentle rolling hills that end in the broad valley (info from description).
4.(Per current gc.com guidelines, photos are no longer allowed to be required. HOWEVER they are encouraged, since they can help clarify that you have visited the location if your other logging requirement answers are vague). Please post a picture from TOP of tower with GPSr unless you are handicapped!
I will only respond if you have incomplete logging requirements. Go ahead and log your cache
References:
(visit link)
The Rocks of the Great Plains – NPS Booklet
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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