Marsalforn Salt Pans EarthCache

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RoystNRob: Thanks for all the visits! Cache goes into the ether now.

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Hidden : 6/15/2010
Difficulty:
4 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

Earthcache at the Marsalforn (Qbajjar bay) salt pans

Welcome to Qbajjar bay salt pans.

GEOGRAPHY OF THE PANS
The pans are formed from the rocks they occupy, having been carved out by locals many years ago. The stone in which they are carved is made up of calcium carbonate, which is provided in many instances by the nearby marine environment (evidence of which can be seen in the stone if you look carefully - you will notice seashells), and it also contains silica, clay, silt and sand to varying degrees.

USAGE OF THE PANS
Salt production is still ongoing at these pans, but takes place in the spring and summer months. The pans are passed from generation to generation of workers on the island, and have been for the last 150 years.

THE METHOD OF WORKING
Salt water is pumped from the sea to what are known as "warming pans". From these warming pans, canals run through the rocks to each individual salt pan, to allow either any one, or all of the pans to be filled simultaneously. The process of forming salt crystals then begins, with the salt water warming in the sun, and evaporation taking place. As the water evaporates, the salinity of the remaining water in the pans increases until salt crystals begin to form. The whole process takes between 5 and 7 days to complete, after which time, the pans are cleared by hand, and the process starts again.

WARNING
If you venture down to the salt pans, please remember not to step into the pans themselves, as they are kept as clean as possible to maintain salt purity.

HOW TO CLAIM A FIND
In order to claim a find at the salt pans, you need to answer three questions on them. At the time of placing the cache, signboards were in place providing some of the answers. However, recent logs have indicated that these boards are not always available. All of the information can also be found online. Questions will be reviewed and amended shortly after my next visit to Gozo.

Question 1
From what year have the pans been in existence?

Question 2
What type of stone are the salt pans made from?

Question 3
What is the salt content of the Mediterranean in parts per thousand? (round to the nearest whole number)

HOW TO LOG THIS CACHE..... (please read carefully)

Once you have the answers, and you must be correct.... visit our webpage (visit link)

On the cache bonus certificate page, select Marsalforn Earthcache from the dropdown box and enter your details and answers.
If you are correct, a codeword will be displayed - email us with this word, and log your find immediately.

If you are not correct, please do not email us. We will not respond. If you simply log this cache without emailing us the codeword.... (with or without photos), we WILL delete the log.

Why do all this? Simply because we have too many emails with bizarre or completely incorrect answers! If you are really having trouble, of course, feel free to email us what you have.

Good luck.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)

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