Granite Towers Earthcache EarthCache
Granite Towers Earthcache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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As an earthcache, there is no “box” or “container” to discover. Rather, with this cache, you discover something about the geology of the area. For more info, consult www.earthcache.org
These short stacks create a scenic foreground for Monteray Bay views. Roadside parking on Ocean View Blvd. is free, though the limit is 2 hrs, more than sufficient time to complete this earthcache.
You are looking northward over Monterey Bay. According to geologists, Monterey Bay is at the head of Monterey Canyon, a deep, under-sea valley that flows westward along the continental shelf. This type of underwater canyon is called a submarine canyon, and this one was one of the first ones discovered and explored. Geologists have discovered that there are streams “flowing” along the bottom of the submerged canyon. Originally, scientists thought that these submarine canyons were simply submerged AFTER they had been eroded by streams and rivers above the surface. However, further study has showed that the erosion process continues.
At the edges of Monterey Bay, portions of the Hobnail granite, existing here (yet NOT existing just 1 mile inland from this point) where the Monterey Formation begins, are eroded piles of Hobnail Granite like those in front of you. The hobnail granite is a distinctive rock full of blocky crystals of orthoclase feldspar that resist weathering better than the other minerals, and so tend to stand out in relief on weathered outcrops.
Concerning faults, the San Andreas Fault is over 18 miles to the inland east, while the minor Sur fault is running underwater several miles offshore.
In the nearby formation (both east and north of here), layers of shale and sandstone form a soft rock formation that is rich is phosphates, diatomite, and oil (but more about that in other area earthcaches).
Logging Requirements:
Send the answers to #1-#3 to me through my geocaching profile.
1. List the name “GC20AP5 Granite Towers Earthcache” in the first line of your email. Also, list the number of people in your group.
2. Choose 2-3 of the stacks and describe their average approximate height.
3. Examine the particles of sediment (“dirt”) under your feet. Is it composed of pieces of granite or of another sedimentary substance? If granite, do you see blocky (square) crystals of orthoclase feldspar? Based on your discovery, what reasons can you surmise for the formation of these stacks?
4. (Per current gc.com guidelines, photos are no longer allowed to be required. HOWEVER they are encouraged, since they can help clarify that you have visited the location if your other logging requirement answers are vague). Post a picture of yourself and/or your GPS with your log that shows The stacks behind you.
I will only respond if you have incomplete logging requirements. Go ahead and log your cache
Congrads to RoadHazard386 on FTF (First To Finish logging requirements)
Resources:
Roadside Geology of Northern and Central California. Davil Alt and Donald W. Hyndman.
Pt Lobos Preserve Geology. (visit link)
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)