Ancient Ripples: North Slope EarthCache
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Ancient Ripples: North Slope
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This Earthcache is located high above the rock quarry on the north slope of Rib Mountain. A brief history of how I found this particular feature.
4/28/2012 was day two for Samoset Council's Leave No Trace Trainer's Course. After having our lunch, I ventured off a short distance and came across this important feature. I hope you enjoy this feature as much as I did.
These ripples you will see are part and evidence of the ancient Precambrian Sea that covered the area millions of years ago.
Imagine this area over two billion years ago, covered by the waters of an ancient Precambrian sea. This ocean deposited sand on the sea floor and these ripple marks on the rocks in front of you formed by wave action in the sand.
Over time, the sand grains cemented and transformed into sandstone, and eventually, with more heat and pressure, into quartzite, a very hard rock. This process preserved these ripple marks.
For the next several hundred million years, extensive weathering and erosion reduced the surrounding region to a flat "peneplain." However, Rib Mountain, with its hard, resistant quartzite, projected high above the surface.
Then, about 600 million years ago, expanding oceans covered Wisconsin, depositing thousands of feet of sediment. Slowly, these layers of sediment wore away, once again revealing Rib Mountain and its ancient ripple marks.
Ripples in sedimentary Rocks
Ripples form as wind or water pass over sand and pick up the grains and deposit them further along. As grains pile on top of each other, ridges form perpendicular to direction of the current.
Ripples can indicate the direction of a current because its steep side points in the direction of the flow. When the ripple are all generally parallel, they are termed to be asymmetrical in shape. These are usually formed when the current is traveling in the same general direction. Symmetrical ripples are formed as waves rock back and forth in shallow water and will look like someone tossed a box of toothpicks in the air and they all landed in multiple directions.
To claim a find on this Earthcache, you must answer the following questions and email them to me:
1. What direction of the current here?
2. How many distinct pieces are here?
3. What organism is growing on these rocks?
BONUS..... Not required but highly appreciated..... pictures!
I hope you enjoy this location as much as I did!
Notification sent and approved by Mr. Burshaw, of WI DNR and by Mr. Meyer, Wisconsin State Conservationalist.
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