Teplostanskaya Elevation EarthCache
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In Moscow region the bottom of geological cross-section is constituted by the crystalline basement (so-called Eastern European platform) formed more than 3 billion years ago. Within the city territory, the crystalline basement is located at the depth of approximately 1.5 km and is composed of ancient metamorphic rocks. The basement is divided into blocks by numerous tectonic faults, which are inactive now and which influenced the development of the local relief over all further epochs. The influence was most intensive in the Southern part of Moscow, where the lowest part of the basement is located: it is 0.5 km lower than the whole basement and it is called Podmoskovnaya Trough.
Moscow territory was repeatedly raised by endogenous processes operating in the Earth's crust to form a part of a continent, where water erosion occurred; it also repeatedly submerged to become a sea bed, where sedimentation went on, and a thick layer of limestone, marl, sandstone, clay and sand was accumulated. There were three continental and two marine periods in Moscow history during previous 3.65 billion years. The last marine basin quitted the Central Russia about 80 million years ago. A general rise of the Earth crust occurred then, the continent was formed and the paleorelief with deep river valleys developed.
During the last 2 million years this territory was covered by major glaciers at least thrice:
- Okskoe glacial period (500 - 400 thousand years ago): Scandinavian glacier reached Oka-river then (it advanced 100 km to the South from Moscow at this longitude).
- Dneprskoe glacial period (300 - 250 thousand years ago), the most intensive among the three ones: the glacier reached Dnieper-river (it advanced almost 150 km to the South from Moscow at this longitude).
- Moscow glacial period (220 - 140 thousand years ago): the glacier managed to advance not more than 20 km to the South from Moscow (the location of Podol'sk city) since Moscow was partly shielded by Klinsko-Dmitrovskaya Range which is located 50 km to the North - North-West from Moscow, and the glacier was almost completely stopped by Teplostanskaya Elevation in the Southern part of Moscow (its upper point of 255 meters above sea level is located near Teply Stan metro station).
After the last glacier retreated, the whole territory remained covered with glacial and fluvioglacial deposits of up to several tens meters thick and the modern topography with the valleys of Moskva-river and its tributaries was formed.
Finally, a 1.5 km thick sedimentary massif has been formed over the crystalline basement, the upper 50 - 100 m of which is of the utmost importance from the engineering geological viewpoint. The uppermost part is composed (from the bottom to the top) by marine carbonate and clay deposits of Carboniferous age, marine clay and sand of Jurassic and Cretaceous age, and sandy-clayey glacial, fluvioglacial and alluvial deposits of Quaternary age.
The marine Jurassic clay plays a special role in the geological cross-section. The low-permeable marine clay divides the rock massif into two hydrogeological complexes. The lower one, underlying the marine clay, contains several artesian aquifers used for water supply.
(References: E.A.Likhacheva, 1990, "On the Seven Hills of Moscow", Moscow, Nauka, pp.50-62)
The Cache:
You are standing at the famous observation point Vorob'evy Gory (Sparrow Hills), where Moscow guests and citizens usually enjoy the view of Novodevichy Convent and Luzhniki Stadium, but we are going to concentrate on geological objects that can be seen here.
First, this point is perfect for observation of the wide valley of Moskva-river. According to Earth science data, it was formed in before Quaternary age, that is more than 500 thousand years ago, though it was narrower and deeper before Okskoe glacial period.
And second, you are standing at the Northern edge of Teplostanskaya Elevation, the obstacle that almost stopped the third glacier: look towards the skyscrapers of Moskva-City - that's where it came from! The surface of Moskva-river approximately marks the level of the terrain in Jurassic age (the last marine period) here - Jurassic black clay could be seen on the slopes of Vorob'evy Gory in the middle of XX century, before the embankment have been built. That is, it took about 80 million years to form the elevation that grants you the impressive view of Moskva-river valley nowadays!
Please answer the following question in order to receive log permission:
Estimate the height of the point you are standing at relatively to the level of Moskva-river assuming the fact that the level of Moskva-river is 120m above sea level. That is, estimate the thickness of the layer that has been being formed for previous 80 million years!
Look to the left. Here you have a perfect sight to Teplostanskaya Elevation. To claim your found:
Calculate the slope of the fault line that lies to the left in degrees and give me an idea which tools you had used to calculate the angle of this geological feature.
Is the top edge of the Teplostanskaya Elevation curvilinear, linear or jagged and interrupted?
Logs without sending the answers to my geocaching.com account will be deleted. After sending me the answers to my GC EMAIL (NOT COMMUNICATION-CENTER!) feel free to log your found. If something is wrong I will contact you. Die Fragen können auch auf Deutsch beantwortet werden.
Big thanks to Vold to bring this Earthcache into service finally !!!
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