The path may be rough and leads very close to the edge of cliff. Children must be supervised at all time.
The bedrock in place you are standing has ingenious origin and has been formed approximately 416 to 444 mya in Silurian Period this rocky coastline has been finally formed during last Ice Age 14 000 years ago. The pinkish granite you can see on eroded cliffs is called Peterhead Pluton. Last Ice Age brought also 1–3 meters thick cover of till covering 20-40 meters tall cliff made of blocks of granite.
At main coordinates you can see the Pot – impressive blowhole. This big hole used to be a cave developed from widening and deepening of notch(es) where there was weakness in the cliff. Erosive waves blasted their way vertically through the weakness in the roof of the cave until it roof collapsed creating what we can currently observe. When you look bit more carefully at the cliff, even inside the Pot, you may notice near-vertical and horizontal pattern and a secondary pattern that is inclined at about 45deg. Between blocks of granite there are many joints and cracks which penetrated by dynamic sea water continued erosion of the cliff.
There are four major erosion processes and all of them can be observed in the area you're visiting:
- Hydraulic action is the sheer force of waves crashing against the shore and cliffs. The power of the waves forces air into cracks, compresses it and blows the rock apart as the pressure is released.
- Attrition happens when rocks and pebbles carried by the waves or current smash into each other, wearing each other away and gradually becoming smaller, rounder and smoother.
- Abrasion (also called corrasion) is the process of rocks and pebbles carried by the waves wearing away rocks as they are thrown against cliffs.
- Solution (also called corrosion) is when chemicals in the seawater dissolve minerals in the rocks, causing them to break up.
Tasks
To count the Earthcache please answer following questions. Replies should be sent via the contact form. Please do not publish them in your log. You do not have to wait for my permission to log your visit; if your answers will be wrong I'll contact you.
1. How many meters is from information board to the arch?
2. Look down to the beach. What is it made off. Please explain shape and source on the "material". Can you tell what erosion processes played major role in its creation in this shape?
3. Look to the North. You can see a few outcrops. Please explain how did they occur in this particular place? Please, name the erosion which caused it.
4. Optional. Post photo of Puffin (there're many of them on the cliff) or a Dolphin (you can spot them from the cliff playing in open see). :)