Many thanks to Juicepig for your help!
This Earthcache will take you to a natural spring located in
Scout Valley near the town of Orillia.
To complete this cache you will need to bring with you (1) a
watch or something that can measure seconds and (2) a container
that you can use to hold water. You should know the given volume of
this container beforehand. A container in the 2 to 5 liter range
should work.
A spring is formed by the flow of water from underneath the
ground or from surrounding rocks through a natural outlet.
Sometimes the water falls as rain and then is forced downward by
gravity through the natural cavities and fissures, the groundwater,
eventually emerging as a spring. Springs are classified in several
ways.
The two most common types are Artesian and Gravity.
Artesian Springs
Artesian springs occour when the groundwater finds its way to
the surface. The pressure in the acquifer containing the
groundwater becomes higher than the atmospheric pressure at the
surface forcing the water through the fractures in the land. These
types of springs usually occur along fault lines or in cliffs or
valleys.
Gravity Springs
Gravity springs occur when the groundwater encounters some sort
of blockage in the soil layers that won't let the water seep any
further into the soil/rock. The water then travels across this
blockage until it reaches the surface. These types of springs are
often encountered on hillsides or cliffs,/p>
Classification of Springs
The class or magnitude of a spring is determined by the amount
of water it disharges.
The scale is as follows:
| Magnitude |
Flow (ft³/s, gal/min, pint/min) |
Flow (L/s) |
| 1st Magnitude |
> 100 ft³/s |
2800 L/s |
| 2nd Magnitude |
10 to 100 ft³/s |
280 to 2800 L/s |
| 3rd Magnitude |
1 to 10 ft³/s |
28 to 280 L/s |
| 4th Magnitude |
100 US gal/min to 1 ft³/s (448 US gal/min) |
6.3 to 28 L/s |
| 5th Magnitude |
10 to 100 gal/min |
0.63 to 6.3 L/s |
| 6th Magnitude |
1 to 10 gal/min |
63 to 630 mL/s |
| 7th Magnitude |
1 pint to 1 gal/min |
8 to 63 mL/s |
| 8th Magnitude |
Less than 1 pint/min |
8 mL/s |
| 0 Magnitude |
no flow (sites of past/historic flow) |
Logging Requirements
In order to log this Earthcache you must e-mail me the answers
to the following questions:
1. Do you think this is an artesian spring or a gravity spring?
2. What was the flow rate of the spring when you visited in
liters/second (L/s). To determine this measure the time it takes to
fill your container. Divide the volume of your container (in
liters) by the time it took to fill the container (in seconds). You
might need to try this several times and average your results. 3.
Based upon the flow rate that you determined, what is the magnitude
of this spring?
You may include a photo of your party with your log as well but
it is not necessary or required in order to log this cache.
PLEASE NOTE: The quality of this water is not tested so
consumption is NOT recommended.