The Geology of Capitol Reef
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Please read the entire cache description before going out to collect your answers. I do not want to delete anybody’s log.
Please stay on existing trails and avoid stepping on cryptobiotic soil.
The above coordinates will take you to an NPS Informational Panel at Panorama Point in Capitol Reef National Park. There is no entrance fee for the park. There is a second informational panel at the parking lot, which you must also visit. It is a 300 foot walk to the first informational panel.
This earthcache is meant to teach you about the waterpocket fold, differential erosion, past climatic environments, and the cause of various colors in rocks exposed at Capitol Reef.
The Waterpocket Fold
Capitol Reef National Park encompasses most of what is known as the ‘Waterpocket Fold’, a huge fold in the Earth’s crust. The Waterpocket Fold is a monocline, a fold in the Earth’s crust where one side is steeply inclined and the other is nearly flat. It began forming 70 million years ago in response to North America’s westward movement over the Pacific Plate. The stress from this movement moved far inland from the actual collision zone, resulting in the Waterpocket Fold. Precambrian granite and schist thousands of feet beneath the surface faulted, and, on the west side of the fault, were shoved upward 7,000 feet. Overlying sedimentary rock responded by covering the subterranean irregularity.
Differential Erosion in Capitol Reef National Park
The many layers of sedimentary rock in Capitol Reef National Park undergo constant erosion from the wind, the sun, and water. The different way each layer responds to this constant erosion is known as differential erosion. For example, quartz is more resistant to erosion than clay, and, therefore, sedimentary rock with a high amount of quartz usually forms sheer cliffs, while sedimentary rock with high amounts of clay usually forms gently-sloping hills.
Past Climates Exposed at Capitol Reef
The two main types of past environments found in currently exposed sedimentary rock are deserts and swamps/floodplains. Sandstone that has cross-bedding was formed in an extensive desert covered by dunes. Sandstone that has ripple marks and mudstone were formed in floodplains and deltas.
The Color of Rocks Exposed at Capitol Reef
Color variation in sedimentary rocks is usually related to the oxidation state of iron. Oxidation is the addition of oxygen atom(s) to a different atom/molecule, in this case, iron. Red rocks reflect high oxygen environments, usually the air. Gray and green rocks reflect low oxygen environments, usually underwater. White rocks contain little or no iron, due to either there being no iron deposited within them, or the iron previously within them being leached out by groundwater or oil/natural gas.
Logging requirements:
Send me an email with answers to these questions:
1. Find the sign at the first coordinates that talks about differential erosion. Name one of the formations at the bottom of the sign and how it weathers. Do you think it contains mostly quartz, mostly clay, or equal amounts of both? EDIT: Please use the photo attached to the cache listing combined with the formations exposed on the cliff to the north to answer this question.
2. Find a rock with ripples in it and measure the distance between two of the ripples(the visitor center is a good place to find some).
3. What type of environment was the rock with the ripples in it formed in?
4. Find a formation on the sign at the second coordinates (N 38° 18.433 W 111° 17.726) and give me the name, color, and why it’s that color (it was formed in a high oxygen or low oxygen environment or it has no iron in it). EDIT: Please use the photo attached to the cache listing to answer this question.
Please Note:
1. You must answer all the questions in your email to me.
2. Your logging this cache and sending me the email should happen at around the same time.
3. Begin your email with the name and geocaching code of this Earthcache, your name(s), and the number of people in your group.
Failure to comply with the above will result in your log being deleted!
The above information was compiled from the following sources:
• Morris, Thomas H.; Ritter, Scott M.; Laycock, Dallin P.; Geology Unfolded: An Illustrated Guide to the Geology of Utah’s National Parks, BYU Press, 2010.
• NPS Informational Panels
• Chronic, Halka. Roadside Geology of Utah, Mountain Press, August 2010.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)