BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY OVERLOOKS GEOLOGY TOUR
There are countless wonders to behold along your journey.
Posted coordinates are for parking. - Outcrops are within 100 feet.
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 …. Observing Stone Mountain, describe the sheet joints - qualitative (smooth, etc.) and quantitative (length and width).
2. MESSAGE …. Observing Stone Mountain, describe the inclined joints - qualitative (smooth, etc.) and quantitative (length and width).
You will need binoculars for this task.
3. MESSAGE …. During exfoliation, the rocks will tumble down the mountainside and collect at the base. Using binoculars, do you see evidence of this rock rubble? Describe.
4. LOG …. Post a picture 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.
As weathering and erosion remove overlying rock, pressure on the underlying rock is relieved, and the rock mass expands. Joints (cracks in the rock) form both parallel (sheet joints) and perpendicular (inclined joints) to the surface of the rock. This creates thin plates at the top. These plates then spall off during continued weathering and erosion, creating a rounded dome.
Stone Mountain is a massive gray rock formed 350 million years ago from intense heat and pressure deep within the earth. Centuries of erosion uncovered the rock and sculpted it into the shape you see. This is an excellent example of an exfoliation dome.
RESOURCE
A Geologic Adventure Along The Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina by Carter/Merschat/Wilson ... 2001