ITSU EarthCache
This cache has been locked, but it is available for viewing.
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(not chosen)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This cache is just off of Cheapside in London which is close to St Pauls.
You are looking for a fossil buried in the wall of one of the many buildings on this street. In order to claim the cache as found you need to:
1) Identify the creature that has been fossilised (I'll give a clue, it's NOT a snail!)
2) Measure the length of the fossil on it's longest axis.
3) Send your answers to both questions to me and wait for me to confirm your answers before logging your find or your log will be deleted.
Please don't publish photos of the fossil itself with your log entry but photos of the surrounding area are fine.
Difficulty rating is because of bad GPS coverage due to the surrounding buildings.
****************
Fossils are formed in a number of different ways, but most are formed when a plant or animal dies in a watery environment and is buried in mud and silt. Soft tissues quickly decompose leaving the hard bones or shells behind. Over time sediment builds over the top and hardens into rock. As the encased bones decay, minerals seep in replacing the organic material cell by cell in a process called "petrification." Alternatively the bones may completely decay leaving a cast of the organism. The void left behind may then fill with minerals making a stone replica of the organism.
Fossils can form in unusual ways. Small bugs or insects can become trapped in tree sap. Eventually the sap hardens and forms the semiprecious material called amber. In some pieces of amber the entombed remains of organisms can be found. Volcanic eruptions can form fossils when animals get trapped in the hot ash flows. In this case, the fossil is a hole in the shape of the animal.
By far the most common fossil remains are those of shelled invertebrate sea loving creatures such as snails, corrals, and clams. These make up most of the fossil record. Plants can leave fossils. In fact coal is the fossil record of whole forests; however, individual plant structures usually do not survive as the plant materials are compressed to less than one hundredth of their original size.
To find out more about fossils check out one of the following links:
(visit link)
(visit link)
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ab fzbxvat