GC1WYJ8 Rock City (Earthcache) in Kansas, United States created by Nicooole and Debbie

GC1WYJ8 ▼

A cache by Nicooole and Debbie Message this owner

Hidden : 8/7/2009

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: other (other)

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Geocache Description:

Rock City
Rock City is located just south of Minneapolis, Kansas. It is a National Natural Landmark. What is unusual about Rock City are the rocks located within it.

A concretion is a hard mass of compact mineral material formed when minerals in water are deposited around a center forming a mass whose make up is different from others in the area. The concretions at Rock City consist of sandstone held together by calcite.

Geologists believe that these concretions were formed millions of years ago from Dakota Sandstone when an inland sea covered the area. Water from the ground contained calcium that seeped through the sandstone cementing the grains together. The concretions grew in size as more and more layers were cemented. Eventually erosion of the softer sandstone lowering the ground surface leaving the more harder cemented sandstone exposed. When the water receded the rocks were cemented together with calcium carbonate.

The concretions at Rock City are situated in 3 different clusters. There are about 200 of these boulders in the area. The concretions range in size from anywhere from 10 to 20 feet in diameter and are about 15 feet tall. The unique shapes of these rocks make a great place to explore. There are other examples of these concretions on Earth but Rock City has one of the largest collections of these unique rocks anywhere.

There is a small fee to get in the park. There is also a small visitor center with a gift shop and picnic tables nearby, so stay awhile and enjoy the area. The park is open dawn till dusk. Be sure to pick up a brochure of Rock City and learn more about the history of the area.

Also check out EarthCache Mushroom Rock State Park (GC1TEXJ), for examples of similar concretions.

To claim this EarthCache you must do 3 things.

1. Measure the circumference of the "lips" rock at the coordinates at the top of the page.

2. Measure the elevation of the area at the listed coordinates.

3. Optional. Post picture of yourself with your GPS at your favorite concretion.

Click on the link with my geocaching name at the top of this page and email me the answers to the questions above. Do not post your answers with your log entry.

This EarthCache was approved by the Geological Society of America

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Rock City EarthCache

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