The Cypress Bowl Glacial Geomorphology Earthcache
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The Metro Vancouver region is a region that is full of an incredible array of different geomorphologic processes. These different processes, both natural and human made, have resulted in a dynamic area that is full of both beautiful but also dangerous land formations.
Why Cypress Mountain for this Lookout?
Throughout the 1960s the future of Cypress Bowl was a heated issue in the halls of the Provincial Legislative Assembly in Victoria. There was a lot of pressure, because of its proximity to the city, to allow the “chainsaws” to descend upon the park and fill it up with houses and condos. All of which would have been a short “landfall” for revenue. However, a Minister of Forests, Dave Barret decided to make it a personal mission of his to turn this mountain into a provincial park. Once he became premier in 1972 he made his dream come true and made Cypress Park a provincial ‘Class A’ park in 1975.
What is Geomorphology?
Geomorphology is a scientific study of landforms and the various processes that shape them all over the Earth. Scientists become geomorphologists because they seek to understand why landforms look the way they do and how it affects human civilization development. In Metro Vancouver many scientists become a geomorphologists because this in an incredibly diverse region for the types of land formations that can be found here. This lookout point (aka Cypress Park) has an excellent vantage point that will give you a great overview look of the city of Vancouver as well as the Burrard Inlet when it comes to highlighting the various geomorphological processes that have helped to shape this region over a span of hundreds of thousands of years.
A landform, or land formation, is any natural feature, which can be found on the earth's surface such as a delta, mountain or river. The shape of the Earth’s surface, and how Human’s live on Earth, is defined by the various different types of land formations and the processes that go into the creation of those formations. The incredible variety of land formations that are found throughout the Metro Vancouver region have most certainly shaped how the 2.3+ million people live. It is also one, though not the only reason, as to why the cost of living is becoming more and more expensive.
During the last ice age most of Metro Vancouver was covered in ice. In fact quite a bit of the land that makes the region today didn't even exist yet. Locations such as Burnaby Mountain, Point Grey and Tsawwassen were detached islands.
The surface of Earth is constantly being altered, changed and even destroyed by a combination of surface processes that sculpt landscapes such as water, wind, and fire. Geological processes include the uplifting of mountain chains and the growth of volcanoes as the result of Plate Tectonics. The Earth surface and its topography therefore are an intersection of atmospheric, biological, climatic, geological hydraulic (water movement) action with geologic processes that shape the topography of the land.
Another factor that cannot be ignored when it comes to the geomorphic process and it is the human alteration of the landscape. Humans change the landscape to make it “fit better” with their needs. As a result of this many of these factors are strongly connected to the on going debate with climate change.
What are the Signs of the Glacial Processes that can be seen from the Lookout?
Glacial Process: while geographically and time period restricted, has been an incredibly affective process of landscape change. The gradual movement of ice down a valley causes abrasion and plucking of the underlying rock for an incredibly long period of time. Abrasion produces fine sediment, which is called glacial flour. The debris transported down by the glacier, and also when the glacier recedes, is termed a moraine. Glacial erosion is responsible for U-shaped valleys, as well as V-shaped valleys of fluvial origin. The way glacial processes interact with other landscape elements, particularly hillslope and fluvial processes. Environments that have been relatively recently glaciated, but are no longer, may still show elevated landscape change rates compared to those that have never been glaciated. An example of this would be Howe Sound.
To get credit for this Earthcache
Please email me the answers for questions #1 – 8. Please don’t include your answers on your log. Entries that have been logged, but have not emailed me (click on my name at the top of the page) will be deleted after a reasonable period of time.
Questions with the Answers to be Emailed to Me:
1. From GZ please identify at least three different land formations that can be seen that have been shaped by the glacial process.
2. Which one of these land formations that you have identified do you think is the oldest in the region?
3. Name at least two of the four mountain ranges seen from this view point.
4. Do you think each and every one land formations has always been in Vancouver or do you think some formations are older than others? Why?
5. What the name of the plaque that commendmorates Dave Barret’s work for the park?
6. With a program label each one of the processes and email me your picture and include it in your log. This can be done with programs such as paint, photoshop, skitch etc. it should be noted that currently you can't up load an image when you email me through the site. One way you could get around this tricky part is to include your image in the log, but use some sort of a coding system for your answer. The when you email me your answers you can then tell me what each number/code is suppose to be.
Optional: Include in Your Log:
7. Take a picture of you and or your GPS at the cords and include it in your log.
8. Take a picture of the amazing view in front of you and include it in your log.
BONUS: Can you identify any other geomorphology processes that are evident from this look out?
Congrats Roman! for getting the FTF.
Additional Hints
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