Springs of Orange at Glen Helen Preserve EarthCache
Hidden : 8/15/2008
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

Watch

How Geocaching Works
Looking for a different adventure?

Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

Geocache Description:

The trails at Glen Helen Nature Preserve are closed at dark.

Congratulations on 35 years of marriage to OHSilky and MommaCakers today, 19 May 2009! That's really beautiful. That's just what it is.

Thank you for honoring this cache.

At Glen Helen Nature Preserve, visitors can see the geological namesake for the quaint town of Yellow Springs.


So that would be a spring that is yellow, right? Yes. Well almost. The name of the formation that you will visit is Yellow Springs. But is it really yellow?

No, it is not. According to modern geologists, it is actually orange. There is a little yellow in there. A bit of red. Even some shades of gray.

Yes, all colors are represented in nature. But here, orange dominates the landscape. Maybe back a long time ago, when the dude who founded the town of Yellow Springs discovered this spot, the color yellow was a lot darker. Today, yellows are generally much brighter than this. And maybe the thought was that Yellow Springs sounded better than Orange Springs.

Why does this color exist in this stream feature? This is just a stream. Why is it so orange?

Well, as is frequently the case with colors on the surface of rock, it is the result of an extended exposure of the rock to some external influence - which could be air, water, other rock, lava, temperature, plant material, aliens, etc. Here, as it is frequently, the influence is water. However, water is not orange-colored, is it? There must be some weirdo component that is contained in the water that makes the exposed surfaces turn orange.

That weirdo component is iron. The water in this spring precipitates iron from the rock that it flows through. Yellow Springs is geologically considered an "iron spring".

This Yellow Springs geological feature is contained in the Euphemia dolomite, which has been present since at least the last glacial retreat. The water is calcium-charged, and flows from the rock layers of the nearby gorge, forming a large mass of travertine and tufa, a porous rock encrusted with plant debris. Through these rock layers and formations, the water precipitates a relatively large amount of iron. The flow rate of the spring is usually 68 to 80 gallons per minute.


Millions of years of geologic history are on hand at Glen Helen Nature Preserve. The oldest exposed rocks at the Glen, at Yellow Springs Creek, were formed around 430 million years ago. Dramatic landscapes are formed by the exposed bedrock throughout the Glen.

In "recent" times, the Glen Helen landscape was shaped by the Wisconsonian glacier, which receded about 15,000 years ago. Even today, geological processes are at work in the Glen as streams and waterfalls erode the bedrock, as whirlpools carve potholes into the creek bed, and as large sections of rock creep almost imperceptibly downslope, away from the cliffs from which they separated.

Human history in the Glen dates back to the prehistoric Moundbuilder and Woodland Native Americans. More recently, 19th-century tourists came to the Glen to partake of "water cures" at the Yellow Springs, and to relax at the resorts and parks of the area. Today's Glen Helen Nature Preserve got its start in 1929, when Hugh Taylor Birch donated a large parcel of land to Antioch College in Yellow Springs. The 1000-acre Glen is home to the Outdoor Education Center, Raptor Center, Trailside Museum, and Visitor Center. Over twenty miles of trails are open to the public from dawn to dusk.

While at Glen Helen, please respect the rules of use of the preserve and follow the "Leave No Trace" outdoor ethic. Please stay on-trail at all times. No specimen-collecting is permitted, and no swimming or wading is allowed. Well behaved, leashed geodogs (and cats!) are welcome with their responsible human friends.


There are several forms in which iron is combined with water. Four different forms are described in the following paragraphs.

"Clear Water Iron" - Clear water iron is a common form. It is a soluble form of iron. It is frequently termed dissolved ferrous iron. With this kind of water, if it is allowed to stand in a jar for a period of time, reddish brown particles will appear in the jar and eventually settle to the bottom.

"Red Water Iron" - Red water iron appears rusty or has a red or yellow color. It is insoluble iron. It is frequently termed insoluble ferric iron. If allowed to stand in a jar for a period of time, particles will settle to the bottom.

"Organic Iron" - When iron combines with naturally occurring acids, it may also exist as an organic complex. It is a combination of acid and iron, and is termed organic iron. It is considered to be insoluble iron. This kind of water is usually yellow or brown, but can be clear.

"Iron Bacteria" - When iron exists along with certain kinds of bacteria, the bacteria consumes the iron to survive and leaves a reddish brown or yellow slime. An offensiive odor may or may not accompany the presence of this type of iron. This is usually categorized as insoluble iron.


LOGGING REQUIREMENTS:
According to Earthcache rules, in order to claim the find, you must perform an educational task. So, I ask that you do the following:

Requirement 1: Inspect The Water
When you visit the site of the formation, carry with you a clean glass jar with a cover. Fill the jar with water from the spring, being careful not to let any loose soil or vegetation enter the jar. Attach the cover and take the water sample home with you.
Place the water-filled jar somewhere in your home where it will not be moved or exposed to temperature extremes, and let it sit undisturbed for a full day. Be careful to ensure that nothing foreign intrudes the water sample.
After a day passes, inspect the jar of water for the presence of sediment at the bottom of the jar. Is there a sediment present? Is it a form of iron? How can you tell whether it is iron - a magnet perhaps?

Requirement 2: Form A Conclusion
Using the knowledge you have gained from your observations at the formation site, your inspection of the water, and the information contained on this webpage, form a conclusion about what type of water/iron combination is present at Yellow Springs. Is is clear water iron, red water iron, organic iron, or iron bacteria? Whichever one you think, why do you think that?

Requirement 3: Email
Send me an email through gc.com that provides your findings and conclusion. The email should include your findings from Requirement 1 and your conclusion from Requirement 2.

Requirement 4: Photo
Post a photo of yourself with the Yellow Springs formation appearing in the background. Post your photo on the cache page with your find log. The photo should clearly show that you were present at the formation. I do not care about your GPSr appearing in the photo.


Post your photos with your online log, and email me with your answers. Logs not accompanied by email and photo within a reasonable amount of time will be deleted per Earthcache rules. Please don't make me have to do that!

References:
Camp, Mark J. 2006 Roadside Geology of Ohio. Missoula, Montana: Mountain Press Publishing Company
Ohio Geology, Spring 1998. Ohio DNR, Division of Geological Survey. Available online at
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Portals/10/pdf/newsletter/Spring98.pdf
Glen Helen website at Antioch College: http://www.glenhelen.org (Thanks to Nick Boutis and the Glen Helen Nature Preserve for allowing this earthcache!)
Thanks also to bandita boatchick for some quality plagiarizing-worthy writing.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)



Advertising with Us

Inventory

There are no Trackables in this cache.

View past Trackables

What are Trackable Items?

Bookmark Lists

View all 11 bookmark lists...