Cinquoteck Confluence EarthCache
Hidden : 5/23/2008
Difficulty:
2.5 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

The confluence of the Pamunkey and Mattaponi rivers occurs in West Point, VA.

What is a Confluence?

In geography, a confluence is where two or more bodies of water converge. It can be referred to as the point where a tributary joins a major river.



What is an Estuary?

An estuary is a semi-enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries are often associated with high rates of biological productivity.

An estuary is typically the tidal mouth of a river. Estuaries are often characterized by sedimentation or silt carried in from terrestrial runoff and, frequently, from offshore. Estuaries are more likely to occur on submerged coasts, where the sea level has risen in relation to the land; this process floods valleys to form rias (landforms) and fjords (long narrow bay with steep sides created in a valley carved by glacial activity). Rias and fjords can become estuaries if there is a stream or river flowing into them. This location could be classified as a Ria.

As ecosystems, the estuaries are under great threat from human activities. They are small, in demand, impacted by events far upstream or out at sea, and concentrate materials such as pollutants and sediment.

Description of the Rivers

Mattaponi River

This river is one of the most pristine of the waterways making up the Chesapeake Bay river system. The river was named for the Mattaponi Tribe of Native Americans that lived along its banks when the English settled the Jamestown colony in 1607. The people of the Mattaponi Tribe consider the river sacred, believing that the stream gives rise to life itself. The river and its freshwater tidal wetlands are home to many species of plants and a variety of birds and fish, including ducks, geese, herons, osprey, bald eagles, blueback herring, striped bass, shad, and shellfish.



Pamunkey River

This river is another pristine waterway making up the Chesapeake Bay river system. Development along the Pamunkey River is almost nonexistent, tidal marshes and forestation remains intact, and the river is clean. The Pamunkey River, for the most part, flows southeastwardly past the Pamunkey Indian Reservation to the town of West Point, where it meets the Mattaponi River. The Pamunkey River takes its name from the Native American tribe to which Chief Powhatan belonged. The Pamunkey Indian Tribe has depended on the banks of this river for over 4,000 years for pottery making. The lower fifty miles of the Pamunkey are navigational.



Classification Estuaries by Geology

Estuaries are classified by how they are formed. The five major types of estuaries classified by their geology are coastal plain, bar-built, deltas, tectonic, and fjords.

Coastal plain estuaries (drowned river valleys) are formed when rising sea levels flood existing river valleys.



Bar-built estuaries are characterized by barrier beaches or islands that form parallel to the coastline and separate the estuary from the ocean.



A delta occurs when sediments accumulate more rapidly than ocean currents can carry them away. They can be characterized by large flat fan-shaped deposits of sediment at the mouth of a river.



Tectonic estuaries are formed when the Earth’s tectonic plates run into, or fold up underneath each other, thus creating depressions.



Fjords are steep-walled river valleys created by advancing glaciers that later were flooded with seawater as the glaciers retreated.



Directions for Logging this Earthcache

Upload a picture of yourself at the above coordinates with the water in the background (preferred, but no longer required).

To demonstrate the educational value of this Earthcache, please email the answers to the questions below to our profile.

1. What is the result of this confluence?
Hint: Mattaponi River + Pamunkey River = _______________

2. What type of water is found at this location?
a. Salt Water
b. Fresh Water
c. Brackish Water

3. What type of estuary are you viewing at this location?
a. Coastal Plain
b. Bar-Built
c. Delta
d. Tectonic
e. Fjord

4. Who is West Point’s Own?
Hint: Check out the sign near the listed coordinates.

Resources

Pritchard, D. W. (1967) What is an estuary: physical viewpoint. G. H. Lauf (ed.) Estuaries, A.A.A.S. Publ. No. 83, Washington, D.C.

DeLorme (2005). Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. ISBN 0- 89933-326-5.

www.oceanservice.noaa.gov

www.wikipedia.gov

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Qba'g Snyy Va!

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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