Karsee-Großer Arbersee EarthCache

Wichtig für alle, die um den See Wandern: Da die Moore besonders trittempfindlich sind, gilt im Naturschutzgebiet ein Wegegebot, was heißt: Zum Schutz des Moores dürfen Wanderer die Wege keinesfalls verlassen.

During millions of years the Bavarian Forest was formed by many geological changes, lowerings, foldings and meltings in the interiour of the earth.
The formerly high mountain range was partly eaten away later and deposited in the valleys. It's the oldest part of geological development in Bavaria.
The Kaitersberg-Arber-ridge is mainly formed of gneiss which has been layered by processes of destratification and pressure in the interiour of the earth. Striking about this ridge are the rocks with their sharp edges because of their roughness. That's because the associated minerals cordierite and sillimanite prevent the basic material consisting of feldspar, quartz and mica from withering.
There have been at least six ice ages in the age of the Pleistocene during the youngest geological past. It was only interrupted by some ten thausend years of interglacial period.
The last proven ice age in the Bavarian Forest during which all of the inner Bavarian Forest was covered with ice over a 100 metres thick ended about 10.000 years ago. The glaciers had a lasting effect on the landscape.
One relict from the ice age when there were large-scaled glaciations is the Großer Arbersee. This witness of a time period is a so called cirque-terminal moraine lake. Its cirque originated from ice sheets floating down the steep slopes and hitting a plain surface.
Due to the change of the flowing direction at the impact a large hollow was formed which was filled with water as an effect of the melting of the glacier and later on with the water of the Geigenbach.
The Große Arbersee is divided into two enclosed basins by a ridge beyond its surface. The maximum depth of the western basin is about 9 metres. The maximum depth of the eastern basin is about 15 metres.
Today the lake is fed by the Geigenbach, the Bärnbach and by springs out of the walls of the lake. The runoff flowing into the Großer Regen is the Geigenbach.
Geologically interesting is the wall of the lake which was polished by glacial movement. It´s about 400 metres high.
The Große Arbersee is situated at an altitude of 934 metres above sea level. The end of the glacier reached down to 850 metres.
You can find detailed information about the development and history of the Arbersee on information boards along the hiking path leading round the lake.
Important note: You have to stay on the paths due to the protection of the fens.
In order to log the cache answer the following questions and send then to me via GC-Email.
1). How did the basin and the steep wall of the lake emerge?
2). What does the impressive wall of the lake house?
3). How is the botanic feature called which can only be found on both of the lakes?
4). What´s the exact height of the wall of the lake
5). Which two letters are hidden behind the red circle on the photo "Fels hinter der Infotafel" for question five?
6). Measure the distance from the information board to the bridge leading over the drain of the lake in metres.
You can find all the answers for the questions 1-4 on the information boards.
The two letters for question five can be found on the left side behind the information board.
Please log immediately (without waiting for my confirmation). I will contact you, should your answers prove right wrong. In addition you can take a picture of you or your gps-device with the information board at the cache coordinates and post it in the log (not neccessarily required).