Icelandic Minerals EarthCache
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Icelandic Minerals
From a geological perspective, Iceland is a quite young vulcanic island still being in the process of formation. This makes it a fascinating place for those being interested in rocks and minerals. Iceland is most famous for zeolite minerals which are quite abundant here and can be particularly found in the eastern and western fjord areas.
48 mineralogically different species of natural zeolites are scientifically recognized of which about 20 can be found on Iceland. Natural zeolites are formed by a geological process called “alteration”. As water percolates down into fresh vulcanic rock, which is mostly porous and thus water permeable, it heats up with final temperature depending on the depth of its penetration. The hot water dissolves various substances (salts) from the surrounding rock. On cooling again, new secondary or so-called alteration minerals precipitate from these solutions and form fissure fillings. Thus zeolites are mostly found in cavities and vesicles of rocks. It depends on the temperature and chemical composition of the solution which minerals are formed. Zeolites form at relatively low temperatures of 30°C to about 200°C, while at higher temperatures mostly quartz is deposited. Often one can find rock cavity formations in which several kind of minerals have grown on top of each other in the course of slowly cooling down the aqueous salt solution, thus successively passing the generation conditions of the various minerals.
Around the location at the position N64° 45.207 W014° 28.666 you can find lots of rocks with zeolite inclusions. In order to log this cache please find a piece of zeolite containing rock. It will be appreciated by the cache owner (but it is not a necessary requirement for logging this earth cache) if you take a photograph of this rock with your GPS shown in the picture and attach it to your log-entry.
You further have to figure out and mail me through my geocaching account the answers to the following questions (you do not have to await my permission to log the cache; I will contact you if something is wrong with the answers):
1.) What is name of the world-famous site for zeolites near the GPS coordinates of the cache listing (N64° 40.346 W014° 20.262)? Actually, this site is now under environmental protection and searching zeolites is thus not anymore permitted in this area. Please follow the site protection rules!
2.) Who needs to be contacted to obtain authorization to visit the protected areas? Please quote the wording on the information sign at the GPS coordinates of the cache listing.
3.) How many types of zeolites, for which this site is best known for, are mentioned on the information sign?
4.) What is the name of the type of zeolite mentioned on the information sign, which was first identified in samples from here?
5.) The word “zeolite” is derived from ancient Greek language. What is the meaning of the word and who coined this name based on what observation? Explain this observation in simple words.
6.) The Icelandic word for “zeolite” is “geislasteinar”, which translated into English means “ray stone”. Explain the meaning of this name.
7.) Zeolites – mostly synthetically produced – are nowadays used in plenty industrial and domestic applications. Please mention at least one of such applications.
8.) While formed mostly in the vicinity of central vulcanos, zeolites on Iceland are most abundantly found in the coastal regions, in particular around Berufjördur and Reydarfjördur in the eastern part of Iceland as well as Hvalfjördur in the western part. Develop an explanation of this observation.
If you are interested to have a look at some impressive founds of zeolites and other minerals from the region of the Icelandic Eastern fjords, you may want to stop by “Petra’s stone collection” in Stödvarfjördur (N64° 50.110 W013° 52.840). The visit is optional, i.e. not a condition to log the cache. In summer 2010 entrance fee to visit this collection was 700 ISK or 5 € , and I personally found the visit to this place quite interesting.
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