The Redwall Fault EarthCache
Hidden : 9/26/2007
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

The Redwall Fault is the source of the hot water at the nearby Radium Hot Springs Pools.

The Redwall Fault - visible as towering cliffs of iron-rich rock - is the best example of fault breccia (shattered and reconsolidated rock) in the Rocky Mountain parks.

The Redwall Fault is not well described in the literature, however it is a significant structural boundary between
the Porcupine Creek fan structure and the Purcell Anticlinorium. The fault is described by Foo (1979) as an east-verging, back-rotated thrust fault. Leech (1954) indicates that it has a component of late-stage, nearvertical normal motion that is characterized by zones of brecciated carbonate. The springs that occur between the Redwall Fault and the Rocky Mountain Trench are related to small scale normal faults, thrust faults, and bedding contacts (van Everdingen 1972). However, the fact that the distribution of springs is restricted to the zone between the RMT and Redwall faults suggests that these features are the primary controls on the occurrence of springs in this area.

Surface water which seeps deep into the earth’s crust can be heated to as high as 1000 degrees centigrade when it meets hot or molten rock as deep as 5 kilometres from the surface. The steam rises then condenses before re-emerging as water. Two million litres of water a day rush from Redwall Fault (Radium Hot Springs) to the delight of the thousands of visitors who flock there.

To learn more about the different types of faults please visit: (visit link)

To log this Earth Cache please email the answers to the follow question:

Please estimate the current height of the fault (at it's highest point).

Do not post your answer in your log as it will be deleted. Please post a photo of you or your GPS with the fault.

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