Italian Carrara Marble EarthCache

1. How many humans are in the sculpture?
2. What is the name of the book held by one of the humans?
3. How many birds are in the sculpture?
4. Describe what the carrara marble feels like behind the sculpture.
5. How many sides of the carrara marble are natural (not sculpted)?

Depending on the direction you approach this EarthCache, you will likely ask, what? who? where? why? how? One side displays a magnificent work of art from the famed sculptor John Fisher. The other surfaces display the qualities of this rare marble rock from Italy. The word "marble" derives from Greek as "crystalline rock" or "shining stone." Metamorphic rocks composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite make up marble. Recrystallization refers to the metamorphic process that occurs under situations of intense temperature and pressure where grains, atoms or molecules of a rock or mineral are packed closer together, creating a new crystal structure. The basic composition remains the same. Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone. Metamorphism causes variable recrystallization of the original carbonate mineral grains. The resulting marble rock is typically composed of an interlocking mosaic of carbonate crystals. Primary sedimentary textures and structures of the original carbonate rock (protolith) have typically been modified or destroyed. Pure white marble is the result of metamorphism of a very pure (silicate-poor) limestone or dolomite protolith. The characteristic swirls and veins of many colored marble varieties are usually due to various mineral impurities such as clay, silt, sand, iron oxides, or chert which were originally present as grains or layers in the limestone. Green coloration is often due to serpentine resulting from originally high magnesium limestone or dolostone with silica impurities. These various impurities have been mobilized and recrystallized by the intense pressure and heat of the metamorphism.

Believe it or not, colorless or light-colored marbles are a very pure source of calcium carbonate, which is used in a wide variety of industries. Finely ground marble or calcium carbonate powder is a component in paper, toothpaste, plastics, and paints. Ground calcium carbonate can be made from limestone, chalk, and marble and is used as a coating pigment for paper because of its high brightness. It is used as a paper filler because it strengthens the sheet. It is used in plastics because it imparts stiffness, impact strength, dimensional stability, and thermal conductivity. It is used in paints because it is a good filler, extender, has high brightness, and is weather resistant. Calcium carbonate can also be reduced under high heat to calcium oxide (also known as "lime"), which is a primary component of cement.

Marble has been prized for its use in sculptures since classical times. This preference has to do with its softness, relative isotropy and homogeneity, and a relative resistance to shattering. Also, the low index of refraction of calcite allows light to penetrate several millimeters into the stone before being scattered out, resulting in the characteristic waxy look which gives "life" to marble sculptures of the human body.

The carrara marble you see here is found only in the Alpian Alps of Italy. The rock you are looking at now underwent a journey no other has traveled before. Mr. Fisher quarried this piece of marble himself in Italy and the City of Claremont helped him ship it here. It is estimated to weigh 10-12 tons! Carrara marble has been used since the time of Ancient Rome. The Pantheon and Trajan's Column in Rome are constructed of carrara marble. Michelangelo's David was carved from carrara marble. Fisher shaped the marble across the park over the course of several weeks and after completing the sculpture, cranes moved it to the current location. A combination of chisels similar to Michelangelo's allow this beautiful rock to shine the way it does today.

Pantheon in Rome Michelangelo's David Sculpture

Trajan's Column in Rome

"When you can't invent, use reference material or go out on location and do a study, which will resolve the missing element. If you choose a vision that gives you 80% of the information, there should be no problem finding the missing 20%." -John Fisher.