Lionshead rock mimetolith EarthCache
Lionshead rock mimetolith
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In an area of outstanding natural beauty this rock stands out from the rest as a natural wonder - it's also a Mimetolith, but what's a Mimetolith ???? Read on to find out . .
A 'mimetolith'is a natural topographic feature, rock outcrop, rock specimen, mineral specimen, or loose stone the shape of which resembles something else -- e.g., a real or imaginary animal, plant, a manufactured item, or parts thereof, basically its a rock or rock formation that appears to look like something completely different! A walk in the Dovedale area will show you many Limestone related features, but why is there so many here ? Many of the rocks in Dovedale used to be parts of active coral reefs. Flowing water aided by rain and wind has eaten away the softer limestone. In some places caverns or arches have been formed, in others where the harder rock has offerred more resistance to erosion, huge crags or pinnacles have been left projecting from the sides of the valley. Lichens cover parts of them but for the most part they stand out bare, grey and massive, the limestone you see before you is Carboniferous Limestone. As previouly mentioned the Limestone is formed by an ancient coral reef, but how is it like this now? Carboniferous limestone is a sedimentary rock made of calcium carbonate. It is generally light-grey in colour, and is hard. It was formed in warm, shallow tropical seas teeming with life. The rock is made up of the shells and hard parts of millions of sea creatures, some up to 30 cm in length, encased in carbonate mud. Fossil corals, brachiopods and crinoids are very much in evidence as components of Carboniferous limestone; indeed the rock is full of fossils! The best view of the mimetolith can be found by walking from Ilam Rock towards Thorpe Cloud, passing the rock and then turning back and looking at it, the path runs directly underneath it, it may help to stand back a little if you don't see it at first, it's very clear! look about 50 ft up from path level and you will see the Lions head, it looks as if it is squinting! To claim this earthcache please fulfill the following requirements at the actual cache site: 1. Please post a photo from the Southern side of the mimetolith with you or your GPS in it 2. Please estimate the distance from the tip of the lions nose to the nearest corner of its eye 3. Please describe the feel of the rock at the base where you can touch it PLEASE NOTE: I receive a very high number of Earthcache emails, I can’t reply to them all otherwise I’d be doing nothing else all day, as has always been the case there is no need to await a reply from me regarding your answers…. However due to numerous people thinking they can just log these caches without emailing any answers, and/or completing the required tasks these will be picked up, and the logs will be deleted without further communication. To facilitate this Please email your information either before, or AT THE SAME TIME OF LOGGING THE CACHE, Thanks.
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