Stump Cross caverns EarthCache
Hidden : 9/19/2008
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: other (other)

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Geocache Description:

Stump cross caverns

The superb range of stalactites and stalagmites, unusual rock formations and spectacular lighting with level pathways all go to make a descent into the caves an unforgettable experience for people of all ages. Sparkling stalactites and stalagmites add an extra ingredient to the water sculpted rock walls of the cave, and scientists have found a way to tell how old they are. Some of the stalagmites at Stump Cross Caverns are known to be at least 170,000 years old and, therefore, the actual passages themselves must be very much older. Exploration since 1858 has extended the system to over 4 miles in length and yielded animal bones over 90,000 years old from a time when the Dales were a wild, and frozen wasteland.



How the Caves Were Formed
The formation of Stump Cross Caverns began millions of years ago, when the area which is now the Yorkshire Dales was covered by oceans. Sediment from the ocean floor would eventually form limestone, the basic material from which the caves are made. The caves themselves began to form as the limestone was eroded by weak acid rain, created when carbon dioxide from the atmosphere mixed with the precipitation to form carbonic acid.

Many years ago, underground streams found their way into the cracks and began to expand the cave system as more rock was worn away. Once the streams had gone from the upper levels of the valley the cave system was left behind, and the mineral structures that are present today slowly began to form as water dripped through the caverns.
To claim this cache.
1,Please provide a photo of your self at the caverns,
and E-Mail
2,Name of the main formation in the caverns.
3,The Modern name of the precipitation that formed the caves

Additional Hints (No hints available.)

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