Sinks Geology EarthCache
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Traveling through Sinks Canyon you can see Billions of years of geologic history.
The earliest and longest of Wyoming's complex geological history is in the igneous and metamorphic rocks of the Precambrian Era. These "basement" rocks were formed by heat and pressure. From the top of the Loop Road you can see the Continental Divide and Wind River Peak made up of Precambrian granite some of which is over 4 billion years old.
For much of its geologic historic what is now Wyoming was covered by sea water. For millions of years, through the Paleozoic and most of the Mesazoic Eras, this area was on the western edge of a continental platform near the equator. The seas came in and went out depositing an ever thickening sequence of marine and non marine sediments over the Precambrian rocks. Many of these sedimentary layers are visible in Sinks Canyon.
During the late Cretaceous and Tertiary periods there occured uplift and erosion of the Rocky Mountains caused by Plate Tectonics. The long buried Precambrian rocks and overlaying sedimentaary rocks were exposed by erosion to create the basic mauntain and basin topography we see today.
The most recent major geologic event was the carving and shaping of the Wind River Mountains and the creation of Sinks Canyon by massive glaciers, associated meltwater and recent stream activity.
To log this cache you need to:
1. Tell how many are in your group.
2. Tell me how the granite boulder was eroded and shaped and how long ago.
3. Tell me what period the Banded Iron Formation rock came from and what is it's Geologic age.
4. Which of the rocks in the exhibit is the oldest?
5. Which of the rocks in the exhibit is your favorite and why.
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Treasures
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