GC14W66 When the Glacier Kame (Earthcache) in Ohio, United States created by Trail Jogger

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GC14W66 ▼

A cache by Trail Jogger Message this owner

Hidden : 8/3/2007

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Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

Spangler Hill, located just south of Columbus, is one of the most pronounced glacial kames in Ohio. Deposited by glacial melting approximately 10,000 years ago, this kame is a conical-shaped hill comprised largely of rounded gravel rocks of various sizes.

Spangler Hill
A Glacial Kame

What is remarkable about this hill is not its size but where it came from. Unlike regular hills formed by the movement of the surface of the Earth, Spangler Hill was literally dropped into its present location from 3,000 feet above! The peak is located at N39-51.239 W083-00.048 and can be seen on a topographic map at: http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lon=-83.0008&lat=39.8547

Ohio has felt the impact of three ice ages. The first ice age was the Kansan, which reached as far south as Cincinnati about 600 million years ago. Next came the Illinoian and finally the Wisconsinan, which reached as far south as Chillicothe before coming to rest against the mountains of southeastern Ohio about 11,000 years ago and left most of the glacial evidence that we see today. Large rocks were picked up by the ice sheet as it advanced through the mountains of Canada, tearing boulders off the sides of mountains that it scraped against and over. As the ice shifted and moved as the glacier advanced, these large rocks were tumbled and ground down into rounded boulders, cobblestones, pebbles, and sand that were trapped within the ice. When passing over the irregular surface topography of Canada and the Great Lakes basin, crevasses or cracks were formed within the ice sheet.

Glaciers move at a rate of about 1-2 feet/year when the weight of layers of accumulated snow cause the glacier to crush under its own weight and expand outward. They can also move by basal sliding if melting conditions are right. The Laurentide ice sheet, which started 70,000 years ago, moved from northeastern Canada down through northeastern Ohio and split into two lobes when it encountered bedrock around Bellfontaine. One lobe stretched through Dayton to Cincinnati and ultimately melted and formed the Miami River while the other lobe that was approximately 3,000 feet thick stretched through Columbus to Chillicothe and created the Scioto River. A lesser lobe in the northeast melted and formed the Muskingum River. The runoff through these three glacial rivers ultimately helped give birth to the Ohio River as we know it today.

How a Glacier Kame is Formed

As the temperature in the area increased and the surface ice began to melt, rivers and pools formed inside and on top of the ice sheet and all of the stone debris settled to the bottom of these waters. Water and stone debris ran off the melting glacier lobes at the ends and sides creating end and lateral moraines. Rarely and occasionally, the melting water and debris ran down through holes and cracks in the ice forming kames and eskers respectively. Spangler Hill is the largest of two kames in central Ohio. Located just south of I-270 on SR-23 and just north of the Scioto Downs racetrack, this kame rises approximately 120 feet above the surrounding countryside. (Baker’s Hill, located just 6.3 miles to the north near the intersection of Lockbourne and Groveport Pikes at N39-54.387 W082-58.161, is the second largest; it is nearly as tall but less obvious due to its surroundings.) If you continue your drive south along SR-23 you will notice rolling hills to your left and right. These hills were formed by dirt and rock-filled pools and mud puddles on the slowly-melting glacier pouring off the sides and end of the ice. The glacier reached as far south as Chillicothe so these rolling hills can be seen from Columbus to Chillicothe and are called "moraines". Most of these moraines are made up of dirt and water-rounded stones about the size of soccer balls and are called "boulders", the size of potatoes called "cobbles", and smaller cobbles called "pebbles". Once the final load of dirt was deposited, forming this kame, the glacier melted and created the Scioto River.

To claim successful completion of this earthcache, please complete Items 1 and Item 2 below. You may need a ruler, but an approximation should suffice.

(1) Take a picture of yourself on the side of the road beside the pillars located at N39-51.345 W083-00.181 clearly showing your GPSr, the pillar(s) nearby, and Spangler Hill in the background. Upload the picture with your posting.

(2) Answer the following questions and email your response to me:

(a) Glacial kame rocks are categorized by their size.
* Sand is 0.002 to 0.08 inch in diameter.
* Granules are 0.08 to 0.16 inches in diameter.
* Pebbles are 0.16 to 2.5 inches in diameter,
* Cobbles are 2.5 to 10 inches in diameter, and
* Boulders are greater than 10 inches in diameter.
Look at the pillars and tell me how most of the stones would be categorized.

(b) Just down the hill from the pillars at the intersection of SR-23 and Rathmell Road is one of Columbus’ major construction industries, a gravel mine. You can see this facility from the pillars.
Suggest one or more reasons why it is advantageous for this facility to be located here.

Because this earthcache could be completed without leaving the car, I would consider it to be handicapped accessible. Due to the close proximity to the highway, it is advised that children remain in the car.

For an additional glacial earthcache in this area, see "A Discarded Kettle", which is 17 miles south off SR-23.

THIS EARTHCACHE WAS PLACED BY A