Wil McCutcheon presents - Munson Mtn. 'Volcano' EarthCache
Wil McCutcheon presents - Munson Mtn. 'Volcano'
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Munson Mountain was once your typically big, adolescent, active volcano, spewing lava and belching hot poisonous vapours on a regular basis. But, that was the big picture well over 20 million years ago.
Today, it is slightly more than a hill, worn down by epochs of repeated glaciations and weathering.
*** Lets talk a bit about 'Time'. ***
Earth's Geologic Scale (a time-line summary of evolutionary process involving landform spatial distribution, points of origin, and classification sequencing), is a summarization model based on radiometric dating, fossil records, and superposition principles. The geologic time scale breaks down the past 4500+ million years into time parts called Eons, Eras, Periods, and Epochs.
Munson Mountain, according to our geological time scale, was formed during the Eocene Epoch (Tertiary Period of the early Cenozoic Era, late Phanerozoic Eon) between 36.6 & 57.8 million years ago)... "now theres a mouth full eh!"
A cooling trend ensued, bringing a time of mass glaciation during the Pleistocene Epoch (early Quaternary Period, beginning 1.6 million years ago).
Advancing south and retreating north, continental glaciers carved out new valleys and wore down mountains like Munson.
{Read the picture request and post with your log – to keep your smiley}
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Take a picture from the gazebo (include your GPS if you can) and the trail heading up to the Munson peak in the background. It’s not far from the lot and geocachers in wheelchairs will be able to get to the lower look-out quite easily.
{To log a find on this EarthCache, you must also email answers to the following questions from the information provided at GZ.}
1) -
- Before entering the park, you would have seen the cement sign ‘Munson Mountain – Scenic Lookout’ at the roadside. Immediately south of the sign there is a fire hydrant on the same side of the road (not a bad place to pull over). Looking west & a bit more south, high up to the highest point at the Munson hillside from here, what are 2 primary colours and 1 texture of the exposed lava-rock?
2) -- Referring to the lava-rock in question 1, what type of rock is it (choose from the 3 types; Sedimentary, Metamorphic, or Igneous)?
3) -- There is a stone information plaque along the paved trail to the first look-out. What 3 primary types (tree type, bush, and grass type) of vegetation grow naturally upon this rich volcanic soil?
***Log this as a find when you send your emailed answers & pic.***
FUN NOTE: Rent 'My American Cousin' (an older movie) and you'll hear the characters mentioning "going up to Munson Mountain". The movie was filmed along the Naramata Bench, Penticton, and Skaha Lakeside backdrops. - you'll recognise the 'Big Peach' on the beach in Penticton as well as many other images now that you've been here geocaching!
*** 3 cheers for this EarthCache's First To Find Geocacher(s) - (February 25) 'thefamousthree' - "FTF this afternoon. Have emailed answers to cache owner and will post photo with this log. TFTC." ***
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)