Sugarloaf Arkose EarthCache

Earthcache is located at a Memorial in Sunderland, MA.  It is within feet of GC6131N Rachel's Honor Cache. The purpose of this earthcache (and EVERY earthcache I’ve authored) is to provide children (and adults like me who know very little about the environment) with an opportunity to increase their knowledge-base and, like me, to develop a deeper appreciation for the world we live in.

Congrats to Capt. Bob for earning the FTF in the rain!

As you enter the area of the Memorial, you will be greeted by a huge boulder embedded in the ground.  The boulder is made of a sedimentary rock consisting of sandstone that contains at least 25% feldspar.  (Feldspar is the most abundant group of minerals in the earth’s crust, and forms about 60% of the rocks found on the earth.  Most of the products that we use today on a daily basis are made with feldspar: drinking glasses, fiberglass, floor tiles, shower basins and tableware from which we eat, to name a few.) 

North of the Mount Holyoke Range and on Mount Sugarloaf, this stone is called Sugarloaf Arkose and is only found in this area of the United States, and more specifically, in this area of Massachusetts. (Interestingly, south of that Range, the same stone is called New Haven Arkose. ) The stone is often reddish and contains scrappy skeletal material, teaming with fossils. 

More of these rocks can be found on the summit of Mount Sugarloaf which is visible from the memorial.  If you have time, and if the observatory on top of the mountain is open, you should take some time to go up there.  The scenery is breathtaking, and you will see many more examples of Sugarloaf Arkose.

View from Mount Sugarloaf: Bearded Beast, Groopsoop and Bubba1966

To earn the smiley, please answer the following:

Approximately how old is the boulder?

How are sedimentary rocks formed?

What is the circumference of the boulder at ground level?

What is the circumference of the boulder about a foot off the ground at its largest measurement?