A Kensington Spring EarthCache

All springs start out as groundwater that runs through an aquifer before meeting the earth surface. An aquifer is basically is layers of rock in which water runs through porous rock and the cracks that from, the rock acts as a filter as the water runs through it. As the water flows out of the earth’s surface, it can take many forms. Because of this there are categories for the type of spring that is there. Springs are identified by how that ground water is accumulated, how the water flows from the surface, the magnitude of the flow and the formation that the spring causes after flowing out. This cache will look at classifying this spring here.

The land features of Kensington Park are the direct result of the most recent glacier melt-away (approximately ten to twelve thousand years ago). We can walk through this park and observe hills, lakes, land depressions, and the ground gradually rising up before us. Prior to that glacier melt-away, the bedrock below had been built up slowly as successive layers of sedimentation deposited in a bowl-shaped depression called the Michigan Basin. Salt, dolomite, and lime are types of sediment that layered in during the pre glacial period. On your way to the spring you will observe large rocks and rolling hills all of which are reminisce of the glaciers as they desended from this part of Michigan.

Groundwater that runs as a spring is gathered a couple of ways. One being from rain or snow melts which is called an ephemeral. The other would be water flowing from a higher point under the ground surface, many know as wells, this is known as perennial.

When the groundwater flows to the surface it can appear in different ways. The magnitude of the flow will dictate how much water and how it surfaces. The magnitude is measured in several ways; common ways would be by pints per minute or gallons per minute. A “0” magnitude is no current flow; this may have had flow in the past or is a ephemeral type spring. Now a 1 magnitude is the highest flow, a little confusing right? Well the chart is from 1 through 8 and then 0. As water break through the surface it may be from a spout, several sprouts or it may just seep. With spouts, the water may bubble up from a flat surface and create a pond. Or they may pour out of exposed rock surface including exposed rock due to erosion. Eroded areas can have the water seep, pour and even come from the rock as we see as waterfalls. So a seeping aquifer would normally be a low magnitude spring, tough some seeping springs can produce a large amount of water flow over a wide area. The “waterfalls” types of springs can flow at a very high volume making it very high magnitude.

Springs once flowing from the earth can form ponds, brooks, streams, become a marsh and even rivers or lakes. This all depends on once again the type and flow of the spring.

The posted co-ords for this cache will take you to where the spring flows out of the aquifer. You will also have to visit a formation in this spring forms. Be sure to read and understand the types of springs as you will need to answer some questions directly about this spring here. All answers should not be posted but instead e-mailed to me for verification.

1. Go to N42 32.216 W083 39.866 (the posted co-ords). Here you will have to identify how the water is flowing from the aquifer, send results. Please use terms that you have learned from this page.

2. Go to N42 32.107 W083 39.799. Here you will see what the spring has created as it flows from the surface. Name what the formation is using terms learned from this page.

3. Near the trail head (N42 32.215 W083 39.881) post a photo of you or your team with anything you find interesting in this area.