Sequoia National Park - Moro Rock EarthCache
Sequoia National Park - Moro Rock
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The parking area for Moro Rock is 1.5 miles from Giant Forest Museum. A steep 1/4 mile staircase climbs to the summit of this granite dome.
From the top, you will have spectacular views of the western half of Sequoia National Park and the Great Western Divide. This chain of mountains runs north/south through the center of Sequoia National Park, "dividing" the watersheds of the Kaweah River to the west and the Kern River to the east. Also on the eastern side of the divide is Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states. The shape and appearance of the landforms in Sequoia and Kings Canyon are strongly influenced by weathering. Weathering is a natural process that alters or breaks down rock at or near the earth’s surface. Because many of the granites are massive and have few joints or fractures, weathering processes have shaped many of the exposed bedrock surfaces.
Weathering can be mainly physical (disintegration) or mainly chemical (decomposition).
The Physical weathering processes are:
1. Granular disintegration – Separation of coarse mineral grains due to temperature extremes
2. Frost wedging – Grains and particles forced apart by freezing water
3. Frost heaving – Rock fragments raised up by ice pressure
4. Exfoliation – Stripping of concentric rock slabs from the outer surface of resistant rock mass (principally in granite, sandstone and quartzite; usually large-scale)
5. Spheroidal weathering – Rounding by weathering (partly chemical) from an initial blocky shape; forms boulders
6. Organic weathering – Root pry, animal burrows, human activity, etc.
7. Fire – May cause rocks to crack or explode
The Chemical weathering processes are:
1. Oxidation – reaction of mineral grains with atmospheric oxygen
2. Carbonation – reaction of carbonic acid (from water and carbon dioxide) with mineral grains; frequently in combination with organic acids
3. Hydration – Minerals in rock combining with water
4. Solution – Soluble minerals go into solution; insoluble mineral grains transported as sediment
Logging requirements:
Send me a note with :
1. The text "GC2Z7NJ Sequoia NP – Moro Rock" on the first line
2. The number of people in your group.
3. At this location, which physical weathering process has occurred and why do you think it is that process?
4. Name another example of this process in Sequoia National Park.
5. How tall is Moro Rock?
6. The middle fork canyon is nearly as deep as another National Park canyon. Which one and how deep is it?
7. From the top of Moro Rock approximately how far is the Coast Range?
Additional Hints
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