Day at the Beaches EarthCache
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This earth cache should take you about a day to complete due to the distance and method of travel involved. Perfect way to pass a bit of time on the Polar Bear Express!
James Bay was much larger following the retreat of the last glacier approximately 10 000 years ago. This retreat left behind some remote and beautiful beaches.
These raised or relict beaches are located at the northern edge of the Precambrian shield and on the southern edge of the James Bay Lowlands, once covered by a continental ice sheet which reached depths of 1500 to 3000 metres (5000 to 9000 feet) thick. The weight of this ice was enough to actually compress the land. Following the final retreat of the glaciers, the ground began and continues to rise through a process known as isostatic rebound. The waters of James Bay once covered this entire area but as the land has risen, the water retreated northward to its present location. The sand on the beach ridges create suitable sites for jack pine to grow.
The formation of ice-sheets can cause the Earth's surface to sink. Conversely, isostatic post-glacial rebound is observed in areas once covered by ice-sheets which have now melted, such as around the Baltic Sea and Hudson Bay. As the ice retreats, the load on the lithosphere and asthenosphere is reduced and they rebound back towards their equilibrium levels. In this way, it is possible to find former sea-cliffs and associated wave-cut platforms hundreds of metres above present-day sea-level. The rebound movements are so slow that the uplift caused by the ending of the last Ice Age is still continuing.
James Bay represents the southern extent of the Arctic Archipelago Marine ecozone, while the coastal areas are primarily in the Hudson Plains, whereas the northeastern coast bordering Quebec is in the Taiga Shield ecozone. The eastern shores of the bay form the western edge of the Canadian Shield in Quebec. As such, the terrain here is rocky and hilly with boreal forest. The western shore is characterised by broad tundra lowlands that are an extension of the Hudson Bay Lowlands. Its vegetation is mostly muskeg. A large portion of this area is part of the Polar Bear Provincial Park.
Hundreds of rivers flow into James Bay. The geography of the area gives many of them similar characteristics. They tend to be wide and shallow near the Bay (in the James Bay Lowlands), whereas they are steeper and narrower further upstream (as they pour off the Canadian Shield)
To claim this cache, please answer the following in an email to me, not included in your cache log:
1. Which 2 mile stretch ( between 1 and 186) marks the extent of the original James Bay Beaches. Record the elevation from the train.
2. Did you see the sandy beaches during this stretch from the train, perhaps snapped a photo during this 2 mile span?
3. Be prepared to mark your waypoint en route and record the elevation from the train somewhere in the 2 mile span.
4. What is your elevation on the shores of the Moose River in the town of Moosonee? (and please record your coordinates). What is the difference from the elevation you recorded on the train? (noting the “rise and fall” from the Precambrian Shield to the James Bay Lowlands). You can take your coordinates anywhere in the Town of Moosonee along the shores of the Moose River. My favourite spot is McCauley’s Hill, there is a nice bench on the point, or by the playground, there is a fantastic picnic spot on that point just over the bridge of Store Creek, the same creek you cross on the train just as it pulls into Moosonee.
Happy earth caching and rail riding!
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)