Mars on Earth EarthCache
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In order to claim this Earth cahe as a find:
1) Knowing that a certain mineral (iron) gives the rocks in this area red, what other colors can you see attached to the red rocks?
2) Please Include a description of the colour AND an approximation of the percentage visible
Bonus points for magnetic properties of the mineral oxide.
3) Although not Manditory, Please post a picture of your GPS or yourself at GZ.
This is a patch of colourful soil (obviously) due to the content of a iron which also naturally occurs on planet Mars' soil.
The rocks are siltstones and shale which are (based on their location) about 500 million years old. The red color is from iron oxide, more commonly known as "rust". There is another mineral that binds itself to the rusty collored rock, it is a very different color and is also an oxide. This metal oxide is Manganese oxide, and will be your best friend in the completion of this Earthcache.
These rocks were formed after the rock was pushed up close to the surface millions of years ago. The rocks are part of a fault zone which is why they break across the bedding planes. The faults' movement over the millions of years is what has caused the rocks to come to the surface and be visible. The area is also filled with trilobite fossil beds. and there are many patches like this one all over the surrounding area.
I have included a website with more info should your interests be peeked.
The information above was kindly provided by an instructor specializing in geology and chemistry at the College of the Rockies, Cranbrook Campus as well as research with other knowledgeable individuals and maps.
Interesting Historical Fact: The royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011 created a reason for the Royal couple to visit Prince Edward Island, Canada. The decision to visit the vast red planes of PEI (much like the patch of dirt this cache shows) came to kate when she read the novel Anne of the Green Gables when she was a little girl. The novel was written by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. It was published in 1908 but was set in 1878.
Congrats to windjile on First to Find!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ivfvgvat gur cynpr jvyy znxr gur nafjref boivbhf.
Treasures
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