This earth cache is created in celebration of International Earth Cache day, October 9, 2016. Geocacher's/player's who log an earth cache find on that day will receive a souvenir
Geocacher's/player's are to observe the large piles of what may or may not be cooled and hardened lava rock located in Sioux City, Iowa's Sunken Gardens Park and determine what it is.
The solid ground or earth we walk and build on today was once very active with volcanic activity millions of years ago. After the volcanoes were done spewing lava and ash into the air, the lava cooled and the ash fell to earth. Along with and after the volcanic activity the earth went through strong tectonic plate movement and sever earth quakes. Both of these geological events helped create the earth we live on today. Even after both the volcanic activity and the earth quakes subsided the ice age's came and went. This activity continued to help carved and shaped the earth as we know it today.
Some of this activity continues even today. The big island of Hawaii is a great example of continued volcanic activity and the state of California, where the San Andreas fault line is located is a prime example of tectonic plate movement. The earth continues to be formed, created and shaped even today.
Whether over the course of millions of years or more recent, volcanic activity leaves behind formations of lava rock on the earths surface. Some of these lava fields can be partially to almost completely buried under the soil with parts of it appearing above the ground. In some communities there may be very small "pockets" of lava rock sticking above the ground in only one place within the community and no where else.
Another type of activity in the earth's geological cycle is the formation of natural resources in the form of what are known as fossil fuels. Coal is one of these fossil fuels. It is formed over millions of years when decaying plant matter being under pressure and heat through a process called coalification. Today the coal is mined out of the ground and burned. One use for the heat burning coal generates is to boil water to produce steam to spin a turbine, known as a steam engine. Steam engines have been used for hundreds of years for a variety of applications. The process of burning coal leaves behind a waste by product called slag. over the decades the process of burning coal has been refined and the purity of the coal has improved to reduce the amount of slag produced. This slag can easily be confused for cooled lava rock.
Sources: How is Coal Formed? from University of Kentucky, What Causes Clinkers in Coal Fired Boilers? from africoal web site, Volcanoes Genera from USGS web site.
Sunken Gardens Park is one of Sioux City, Iowa's smallest parks and is located on the city's north side. It is a bowl shape park with public access open on the north end of the park. City residents and visitors can walk down the small hill and view a unique feature under the tree cover near the bottom.
This feature may or may not be cooled and hardened volcanic lava. It is the only known place in the greater Sioux City area where this feature exists.
The tasks required by the geocacher's/player's is to determine if this is cooled and hardened lava or something else. If it is not lava what is it?
Instructions for this earth cache:
1. Geocacher's/player's must submit their answers to the tasks below to the CO via email or message through the geocaching web site, or you may submit via the option in the geocaching app on your smart hand held device..
2. DO NOT submit answers in the online log. Any that are will be deleted and the find will not count.
3. Geocacher's/player's must visit the set of coordinates posted for the physical locations
4. DO NOT take or collect any samples from any of the GPS coordinates posted, whether it is at the, parking or physical location.
5. The parking and physical GPS coordinate locations are all on public property and are legally accessible by the general public.
6. Obey and respect all federal, state, county, and city laws and ordinances as to the use of and access of the various public properties and right of way's.
7. As geocacher's/player's approach and enter the areas required to complete these tasks please do so safely. In areas where there is the piles of material you are asked to identify please be careful as to not get caught and snagged on them as they may have sharp edges. Use due care when walking up and down the small hill or embankment to enter and exit the park.
8. You may conduct additional research if you wish, but it is not required. If you do please cite your source with your answer and do not plagiarize someone else's work. Your answers must be in your own word as to what this large feature is in Sunken Gardens Park.
9. OPTIONAL: There are other geocache's near the GPS coordinates for this earth cache placed by other CO's. If geocacher's/player's have not found and logged them they may want to do so while in the area.
10. OPTIONAL: Post a photo with you in front of these piles of material.
11. HAVE FUN!!!
Geocacher's/player's please complete the following tasks as instructed above:
1. At the this physical stage locate and walk around the large piles of material. Touch and feel the material. Observe whether or not there is any difference at the ground level compared to at the top. Compare the various piles of the material. Are there any noticeable differences between them? Include in your answer any differences as to color and texture.
2. Do you think this material is cooled and hardened lava rock left from volcanic activity?
3. If you think this material is not cooled and hardened lava rock what do you think it is?
4. If this material is not lava rock, how was it produced? Do you think it was produced from a natural resource that come from the earth? If so what resource did it originally start out as?