Petrified Forest? EarthCache
Hidden : 8/22/2008
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

The Petrified Forest is located at Cape Bridgewater in Victoria’s South West. A walk of about 100 to 200 metres is required from the closest car park to an information board describing the formation of the structures here.

This Earthcache has been published with the kind permission of Parks Victoria. Visitors to the location are entering a Coastal Park and must abide by the National Park (Park) Regulations 2003 which include no disturbance to the site, rubbish must be removed, and visitors must keep to walking tracks.

It is a misconception that the structures here are the petrified remains of a coastal forest, although from looking at them it would be fair to make that assumption. They are in fact called 'solution pipes' and are formed when dissolved limestone in the surface water seeps through the sand and cements it together.

To begin with, acidic water gathers on the surface in shallow depressions. This water seeps into the ground and dissolves the limestone as it passes, forming a mineral rich solution. Over time, the solution spreads horizontally through the sand and cements it together forming a hard pipe. With the combined effects of water and air erosion, loose sand is removed from around the pipes leaving them exposed in this spectacular display.

For more information about the solution pipes please refer to the following article:
Grimes, K.G., Solution Pipes or Petrified Forest? Drifting Sands and Drifting Opinions!, The Victorian Naturalist, 121(1), p.14-22.

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To log this Earth Cache you must email me the answers to the following questions. Please do not post your answers in your log, that would ruin the sense of discovery for others!

1. The pipes at this location range in height from 1 – 3 metres, but what height can similar pipes in the region reach?

2. What common characteristic of the soil at this location, southern Africa, the Caribbean and Bermuda enable solution pipes to form?

3. What physical characteristic of the solution pipes make it obvious that they are not petrified trees?

4. As a final requirement, post a photograph of yourself with your GPS showing the solution pipes in the background.

I encourage you to comment on what you enjoyed or found interesting at the location when logging your visit.

Logs that do not meet these requirements will be deleted at the owner’s discretion.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)



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