Argyle Fall Into the Ocean....Someday EarthCache
paulfindsplastic: Sadly, this one has met it's end. Thanks to all who have visited!
Argyle Fall Into the Ocean....Someday
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Coastal erosion is a fact of life, regardless of which coast you're talking about. But nowhere in my travels have I seen the amount of obvious and stunning erosion as on the beautiful Prince Edward Island.
While travelling in the area, I came to this stunning little provincial park (they're all stunning on the Red DIrt Island) and had a discussion about the effects and beauty of the red cliffs. The erosion is so dramatic, that I actually had a discussion with a friend as to whether or not the edges were natural or done by some kind of machinery. "Machinery!", says my friend. "Nauture!", says I. After all, who in their right mind would drive heavy machinery to a location with a sudden and sharp drop off a cliff edge?
The actual reason the edges of the cliffs are so severe is from the "tunnelling out" effect of the tide. As the ocean erodes away the lower level, the weight of the earth above it eventually causes a collapse, which leads to a straight drop off from above. The chances of seeing this in a coastal area are slim, as the timing would have to be perfect, but these events are often witnessed during flash floods, etc when the entire process is sped up exponentially.
The coordinates of this earthcache take you to a tree near to the edge of the cliff in Argyle provincial park.At least, they do for now! To log this earthcache, you must answer the following questions; 1 - Given that rate of erosion on PEI's soutern shore is approximately 0.5 metres per year (http://www.gov.pe.ca/environment/shoreline-erosion), how much longer do you feel that this tree will be here? and 2 - Accessing the beach from the parking area, walk towards the base of the cliff below the tree in question. Estimate the depth of erosion at the base, if any currently.
This location is perfect for photo ops, so any pics you take here, please upload - it would be much appreciated!!
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