Loess EarthCache
Hidden : 6/10/2011
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

A car can definitely make this drive, but do not get in too much of a hurry!!

I was cutting through this area to access the Mississippi River State Park when I noticed these "rock carvings" in the walls of the roadway.

I wondered if this was a very soft sandstone or very well packed sand. Upon calling the Ranger Station, I was told that it was actually "loess" and is a material unique in Arkansas to Crowley's Ridge. It is my pleasure to bring YOU to this natural anomaly within Arkansas geology! Although the Ridge is the smallest, it is one of the most unusual geographic regions of the state.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines loess as, "a fine usually yellowish brown soil found in North America, Europe, and Asia and believed to be chiefly deposited by the wind."

Crowley's Ridge is the smallest geographical region in the lowlands. It is in the eastern part of Arkansas and completely surrounded by the Delta, but it differs from the Delta in many ways. It is rises up to 200 feet higher than the Delta and can be seen for miles around in the flat fields of eastern Arkansas. During the Pleistocene Era, the rivers did not remove all of the ocean-bottom material left behind when the Gulf of Mexico withdrew. Afterwards, the ridge was covered with a dust called loess (pronounced "luss"). This made the ridge taller and more rugged. Through the years, water has cut through the ridge which now maintains an upland character like that found in the Ozarks.

1) Approximate the depth of the material at this spot.

You will notice a lot of carvings along the walls on either side of the roadway. These carvings are considered VANDALISM by the Forest Service, so please do NOT add any of your own etchings!! The greatest concern facing citizens living on Crowley's Ridge is erosion. Loess erodes and gullies can quickly form and give way to landslides.

Loess tends to develop into highly rich soils. Under appropriate climatic conditions it is some of the most agriculturally productive terrain in the world. Hardwood forests with oaks, hickories and the tulip tree are found.

2) What evidence can you see on top of this pile that the soil is incredibly fertile? Measure or estimate the diameter of the trees rooted above you.

Many families live on the ridge, but rely on the local farming economy of the adjacent Delta for their livelihood. On the ridge, peach orchards, gravel mines and the St. Francis National Forest can be found.

3) If this type of soil that makes up so much of Crowley's Ridge is so fertile, why do you think there is so little farming done up here?

THANK YOU for visiting this area and for participating in this EarthCache. I hope your visit in this area is relaxing, enjoyable, and educational. Safe travels!!!

National Forest Permit Number 0810-07-001.

SOURCES
Getis, Arthur; Judith Getis and Jerome D. Fellmann (2000). Introduction to Geography, Seventh Edition. McGraw Hill. pp. 99. ISBN 0-697-38506-X)

Arkansas Department of Heritage. Regions - Crowley's Ridge. (visit link)

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