GLACIAL GRANITE BOULDER EarthCache EarthCache
GLACIAL GRANITE BOULDER EarthCache
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You are looking at a large granite boulder. It is obvious that this granite boulder is 'erratic' at this location, that is, it was brought here by man or nature, and does not naturally occur at this location - a beach in the Wilderness State Park, in northern Michigan.
This glacial granite boulder deviates from the type and size of rock native to the place it is now found. This granite boulder was brought here by glacial ice from its orgional location. When the ice melted it was left where it now rests.
Granite is an igneous rock that is composed primarly of four minerals. The term 'granite' is derived from the Latin word 'granum' meaning 'grain' because of its granular nature.
During Earth's childhood, magma cooling very slowly far under the planet's surface, allowed crystals of four minerals to grow large enough be be easily seen by the naked eye. These minerals are quartz, feldspar, mica, and usually hornblende. However granite is not a homogenous rock and its composition varies depending on its location. Other less common components give granite a wide variation in look and color.
Granite is light in color because it is composed largely of minerals that are rich in silica. These include quartz, feldspar (orthoclase and plagioclase), and muscovite (a mica). Quartz is milky white, felspars are pink, white or gray, and muscovite is silvery. The dark color of granite comes from dark colored minerals, including hornblende, augite, and biotite (another mica). These materials are green, brown and black in color. Granites actually come in many different colors. This variety in granites is caused by differences in mineral composition, especially in the feldspars. If feldspars are potassium-rich (orthoclase) the granites may be tan to reddish in color. If the feldspars are calcium-rich (plagiioclase) light to dark gray colored.
Graanite is used as a building matrerial in the form of graanite tiles and granite slabs for wall cladding, roofing and flooring and a variety of other interior and exterior applications and especially for counter tops, kitchen work tops and vanity units and is the most popular material for monuments and memorials.
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Logging requirements:
Send the answers to me through my geocaching profile.
1- What is the color/s of this large granite boulder?
2- Based on the color/s- is the feldspar calcium-rich (plagioclase) or potassium-rich (orthoclase)?
3- Describe the patterns that you see.
4- Granite has a mass/weight of 166.5 lbs per cubic foot. What is the approximate weight of this granite boulder? (Multiply lengthXwithXheight to get the number of cubic feet.)
5- Post a picture if you wish.
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* PathfinderMark is my son, who has 124 published Earthcaches of his own.
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