Constructive Quartzite EarthCache
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In order to count this Earthcache as a find, you must complete the following tasks and email the answers to me.
STAGE ONE
1. What is the name of the building just north of the posted coordinates that is made out of Sioux Quartzite?
2. Describe how quartzite was used in the construction of this building and explain what effect the building material had on its appearance.
3. The nearby fountain is also constructed of quartzite. Describe the appearance of this building-material quartzite. Be sure to include information such as color and texture.
4. What does the plaque at this overlook area commemorate?
STAGE TWO: N43º 33.444, W096º 43.413
5. The quartzite in this area is in its natural state. Compare and contrast this natural quartzite to the building material quartzite observed at stage one.
6. Describe the quartzite in terms of redness with 1 being a very light pink and 10 being red. How does this compare to the quartzite used for building?
7. What effect has water had on the natural quartzite? How can you tell?
8. Using the information on the nearby sign, who quarried quartzite from this area to construct the building you saw at stage one?
9. What else did these people construct using the quartzite from this area?
This is a two-stage Earthcache. The posted coordinates will lead you to the first stage--an overlook area that provides a view of the Big Sioux River and buildings of the local industry. Even more spectacular, this overlook area puts you in close distance to a building which showcases the beautiful Sioux Quartzite. Enjoy!
Quartzite is a metamorphic rock that originated from sand deposited during the Precambrian era about 1.6 billion years ago when an inland sea covered the center of North America. The quartzite began as grains of sand and rock that water moved and sifted for long periods of time before finally allowing it to settle at the bottom of the ancient inland sea. This process occurred for millions of years, piling layer upon layer of sand and rock on the bottom of this sea that would eventually turn into quartzite once the inland sea retreated. Over time (after the sea dried up), and due to the plates of the earth’s crust colliding against each other, the sands and rocks deposited at the bottom of this inland sea eventually metamorphosed into quartzite.
In the South Dakota region, the newly metamorphosed quartzite looked more like a mountain range that stretched from just west of the Missouri River in central South Dakota to the bend in the Minnesota River in Minnesota. Unfortunately, later inland seas buried the quartzite range under deposits of chalk, limestone, and sandstone. The advancing of the glaciers during the Pleistocene Era (or the Ice Age) further buried the quartzite range under tons and tons of glacial debris. Fortunately, a tiny fraction of the quartzite became exposed with the retreat of glaciers from the area.
Quartzite, known more commonly in the this area as Sioux quartzite, is an extremely hard rock (second only to diamonds!) that is very resistant to erosion. Because of its resistance, it makes for an excellent building material and is also used as a material for constructing roads. The building at stage one is one example showing the construction uses of Sioux quartzite. Other buildings in the downtown Sioux Falls area, such as the Old Court House Museum, the Federal Building, and the former Washington High School (now the Washington Pavilion), are also constructed as quartzite.
NOT A LOGGING REQUIREMENT: Feel free to post pictures of your group at the area or the area itself - I love looking at the pictures.
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