Don't Fall In The Lake! EarthCache
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This is a nice walk on the way to another earthcache in the area. The trail is an unimproved dirt trail along the edge of the lake.
Weathering and erosion change the face of planet Earth. They go hand in hand and can slowly or raplidly change the landscape.
Weathering is the breaking down of rocks and minerals by chemical or by physical activity such as ice or roots growing in rock to break it apart. Water and acids cause the chemicals to change in the rock, making new substances, that is chemical weathering.
Erosion is when the weathered rocks and minerals and soils moves. It can be caused by wind, glaciers, water and gravity. We are looking at one way gravity causes erosion.
Slump is a form of erosion by gravity. It happens on steep slopes where fine weathered material like clay, ash and silt move rapidly downslope. It leaves a curved scar at the top and spreads out in a fan shape at the bottom. Often it occurs where water comes in contact with these steep slopes. The fine material gets fully saturated, and when gravity wins, it pulls the weathered material down. The material that moves is called tallus.
At the posted coordinates, you will find several areas of slump. When the lake level rises, it soaks the shoreline soil, increasing the density and weight. When the lake level falls, the wet soil is too heavy to be supported and it slumps. The curved scar is very evident in several places.
To log this earthcache, please do the following.
1. Send an email with the first line "Don't Fall In The Lake earthcache".
2. Measure the widest spot of the curved scar.
3. Directly to your south is another slump. If the slum is happening about 1 inch per year, how long before the two slumps meet?
4. How long before the trail is going to have to be moved?
5. Although optional, a picture of your group at the earthcache is appreciated or even a picture of your GPS at the slump.
Special thanks to MarkCase for helping me with this earthcache. This is my first one.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)