Seymour's Lumberyard EarthCache
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This cache is an Earthcache placed on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi. This cache is only available after 5 p.m. during weekdays. It is also available at all times on weekends and holidays. Congrats to Captain Agrippa on yet another FTF!
This Earthcache is a large piece of petrified wood that was placed on campus over 20 years ago. The “log” was unearthed on a farm about 20 miles away in the community of Ovett. Once it was discovered it was researched and then moved to the campus.
Petrified wood starts out as a live tree. The tree is then blown down, cut down, or dies and then it falls into a muddy bog. As the log sinks into the mud, it becomes encapsulated in it. The mud serves as an agent that prevents air from causing the log to naturally decay. Over time, minerals in the water that make up the mud begin to leech into the cells of the tree. As the minerals build up in the cell wall, they support the cell walls. The organic material in the log does eventually decay and the minerals continue to fill in the gaps where the decayed matter was. Over a time period of about 100 years, a tree goes from a live tree to a petrified log. Once the material in the “log” is deposited, the log can stay petrified forever.
To get the smiley for this cache you will need to do three things:
1. Take a photo of yourself in front of the log with your GPS. Add this photo to your online log.
2. This log is large and has a weight to length ratio of almost 1000 pounds per foot. Using your best estimate, email me what you think the weight is in tons. (1 ton = 2,000 pounds)
3. The log itself consists of an array of colors. Each of these colors means a different mineral. Of the ones listed below, tell me which mineral(s) are most common in this log:
Black-Carbon
Greenish/Blue- Cobalt, Chromium, or Copper
Red/Light Brown/or Yellow- Iron
Pink/Orange- Manganese
White- Aluminum silicates
Dark Brown- Quartz
If you have no other options and you try this one during the school day, try going by the information booth and telling them that you want to take a picture at the petrified log next to the chapel. They should be flexible enough to allow you to go there.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)