Hayes Cave EarthCache
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Just down Old Rock Road in the community of Latties Brook lies a small set of white gypsum cliffs along the Five Mile River. Therein lies Hayes Cave, a solutional cave sporting a 20 meters high and 40 meters wide underground space that's home to a subterranean pond and many bats. DO NOT VENTURE INSIDE TO EXPLORE without proper speleological equipment and training. You do NOT have to enter the cave to fulfill the requirements of this Earthcache.
eventually a cave will be formed. The main chamber of Hayes Cave is estimated to be 20 meters high and 40 meters wide. Sink holes at the surface above the cave are part of the system and, with streams, are the main routes by which water, soil and organic material enter the cave.
Fracture caves are formed when the layers of more soluble minerals like the gypsum dissolve out from between layers of less soluble rocks. Eventually, these rocks fracture and collapse in blocks, creating a cavernous void.
Within this cave, the water has a high pH (7.8 in Unit 511), a 100% relative humidity, and a usually consistent temperature of 5 to 9 C.
Successional Sequence
Types of Caves
Caves are natural underground voids large enough for a human to enter. They are formed by geologic processes which may include a combination of chemical processes, erosion from water, tectonic forces, and atmospheric influences.
Primary caves are those formed at the same time as the surrounding rock. The most common primary caves are lava tubes formed through volcanic activity.
Secondary caves are those formed inside the rock after the rock itself has formed by processes such as solution and erosion. Examples include sea caves found along coasts (formed by wave action in zones of weakness in sea cliffs); glacier caves found in ice and under glaciers (formed by melting); and solutional caves, which form anywhere with rock which is soluble, such as limestone (most prevalent), chalk, dolomite, marble, granite, salt, sandstone and, in the case of Hayes Cave, gypsum.
Hayes Cave Formation
The most common process of cave formation is karstification, which is the dissolution of rocks by rainwater.
Carbonic acid in solution in rainwater dissolves calcareous sedimentary rocks (gypsum, limestone), and over long periods of time, percolating water will cause the formation of cavities along paths of weakness in the rock. As these cavities increase in size, the erosional effect of flowing water becomes more important, and
Small cavities that develop into passages and caves eventually open up to the land surface. This allows for entry of soil, organic material and animals. With further solution and erosion, the cave system will eventually collapse, and the habitat will be destroyed.
Flora & Fauna
The lack of light prohibits the growth of green plants, but fungi are present on the soil and animal droppings. Hayes Cave's grotto has two species of fish, the Threespine Stickleback and the Northern Redbelly Dace. This cave is Nova Scotia's largest known hibernaculum, with approximately 9000 Little Brown Bats, with sightings of Keen's Bat and Eastern Pipistrelle. Porcupines also make the cave home.
To claim this Earthcache:
1) Take a picture of you and your GPSr at the cave entrance (optional) and e-mail me the answers to the following:
2) Estimate the height of the cliff above the cave entrance.
3) What are the unique features called on the cliff tops?
Do NOT post your answers on your log, encrypted or otherwise.
Failure to answer required questions through e-mail will result in a log deletion without notice. Exceptions will be considered if you contact me first.
Additional Hints
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Treasures
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