Monitor and Merrimac Buttes EarthCache
Monitor and Merrimac Buttes
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The battle of the Monitor and the Merrimack took place on March 9, 1862 during the Civil War. The battle became famous because it was the first battle between two ironclad warships, the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia. The CSS Virginia was referred to as the Merrimack because it was rebuilt into an ironclad warship from the burned-out hull of the USS Merrimack. While the Merrimack looked larger in the water and had a metal ram attached to the front of the ship, the Monitor had a low profile in the water and had a rotating gun turret that housed two 11 inch cannons. All day the two ships shot cannon balls at each other at close range without inflicting much damage to either ship. The battle, though inconclusive, received worldwide attention and made it clear that ironclad ships were the future of naval warfare.
From the coordinates you can see the Monitor and Merrimac Buttes. If you look at the likeness of the old ships, their shapes bear a striking resemblance to the shapes of these two buttes. The Merrimac Butte (the large rock to your left) and the Monitor Butte (on the right) are composed of Entrada sandstone. This Entrada sandstone is composed of three “members” or components—Dewey Bridge, Slickrock and Moab Tongue. The different “members” of the Entrada layer erode at different rates. The Dewey Bridge “member” erodes more quickly, causing the Slickrock cliffs to collapse. The process has created the Monitor and Merrimac Buttes.
To get credit for this Earthcache, email me the answers to the following questions that can be found on the signs:
1. The Monitor and Merrimac Buttes tower how many feet above their sandstone base?
2. The prominent reds and yellows in the landscape are formed when _______ in the rocks is exposed to the atmosphere.
3. According to the sign, the black sheen is called _____ _____.
Bonus: Although not required, it is always fun to see a picture of geocachers visiting this earthcache.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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