EARTHCACHE REQUIREMENTS
Each cacher must send his/her own answers BEFORE logging a find. Enjoy the journey (learning adventure) as well as the destination (smiley earned). Remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints. To get credit for this Earthcache, complete the following tasks:
1. MESSAGE …. a. What is the agent of transport for the rocks at 302.4? ... b. Explain (scientific or creative) why there is a river of rock at this site.
2. MESSAGE ….Walk the trail under the viaduct. ... a. Compare the type, size, and amount of boulders you see here with those at 302.4 ... b. Use the sediment size chart to describe the rocks in these two areas.
3. LOG …. Post a picture of you or your signature item at or near the coordinates. This picture is your log signature.
OPTIONAL - Please respect the time and effort involved in finding and creating this earthcache by adding A and B to your log.
A. JOURNEY OF THE MIND ... Science explains what we observe. Relate (in your own words) something you found interesting in the reading. This adds to your learning adventure and your log.
B. JOURNEY OF THE HEART ... Art shares our personal experience of what we see. Share something special you found on site, and why it is special to you. This is a memorable addition to your log and will make other hearts smile.
Journeys of Heart and Mind ...
Stories to Touch the Heart and Puzzles to Challenge the Mind / Rainbow Tree Story
THANK YOU Mark W. Carter for permission to use your book for this earthcache.
THANK YOU Lillian for permission to place this earthcache along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
BOULDER TRANSPORT
Several process are able to transport huge boulders from one place to another both near and far,
Glaciers - The power of moving ice changes the landscape in a variety of ways. Glaciers break off huge chunks of rock and carry them along until they rest far from their original location. These boulders differ from the native rocks of the area, and are called glacial erratics.
Gravity - Cracks form in rocks through mechanical or chemical weathering. When the gravitational force exceeds the bonding of rock to rock, huge chunks cascade down the slope.
Humans - With heavy equipment and ingenuity, boulders are often transported from one place to another.
Wind - Tornado force winds are capable of moving tons of rock from one place to another.
SEDIMENT
Sediment is the word geologists use for loose pieces of minerals and rock. Size varies from microscopic to massive. http://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/rxmin/sediment.html
A rock is an aggregate of minerals. A boulder is a large detached rock. All boulders are rocks, but not all rocks are boulders.
302.4 BOULDER FIELD OVERLOOK - Posted
Here there is a large field of boulders "flowing" down the mountainside like a river of rock.
304.4 LINN COVE VIADUCT - Visitor Center
-This viaduct received the President's Design Award in 1984 for its innovative engineering design and harmony with the environment. The 1243 foot structure hugs the contours of Grandfather Mountain in a giant S-curve. The roadway is not in contact with the steeply sloping boulder field that the viaduct traverses.
-From the parking area, you can walk under and around the viaduct. The trail winds between huge metagraywacke boulders. Some boulders overhand each other creating shallow "caves".
RESOURCE
A Geologic Adventure Along The Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina by Carter/Merschat/Wilson ... 2001