Lafayette Spring EarthCache
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This is my 100th hide so I decided that I wanted to do something that I had never done before. Create an earthcache.
The posted coordinates will bring you to Lafayette Springs Park in rural Perry county. The park is owned and managed by the Laffayette Springs chapter of the DAR. The park is located adjacent to a state highway so be careful and keep a close eye on any little cachers. I would park on the opposite side of the highway from the cache. The DAR asks me to remind cachers that they can not be held responsible for injuries.
A spring, also called a rising or resurgence, is any situation in which water naturally flows to the surface from underground.
Springs are classified based on the source of the water as well as the rock structure that brings the water to the surface.
A. Springs Due to Deep Seeded Water
These springs may recieve some of their water from rainfall but most of the water comes from deep inside of the earth. The water of these springs is typically warm. The flow of these springs does not flucuate seasonally and they are typically associated with volacanic activity or fault lines.
B. Springs Due to Shallow Water
These types of springs recieve their water largely as a result of precipitation that percolates down into the ground and becomes what is known as ground water. Flow in these springs is due largely to gravity. The flow of shallow water springs typically flucuates seasonally. They are divided into four basic types.
1. Springs in porous rocks (Depression Springs)
Theses springs are formed in locatioins where the upper limit of the zone of saturation or water table reaches the surface. Usually flow is rather gentle and they are divided into 4 types based on location. Dimple springs form in small depression hillsides. Valley springs form at the base of valley walls at the edge of the floodplain. Channel springs form as a result of streams cutting in the water table the base of floodplains. Finally border springs form between slopes and desert basins.
2. Springs in porous rock overlyying impervious rock(contact springs)
These springs form where a layer of porous rock comes into contact with a layer of impervious rock underneath it. Water that accumulates in the porous rock is forced to the surface at the point of contact.
3. Springs in porous rock between layers of impervious rock(artersian springs)
These springs form where a layer of porus material is sandwiched between two layers of impervious material. Part of the porus layer must outcrop in order to absorb rain, and the rock strata must be tilted or inclined.
4. Springs in impervious rock These springs form in impervious rock. In some area they arise as a result of tubes formed by volcanic activity but more commonly they arise as the result of the solution of limestone by groundwater to form large underground tubes or caverns.
Laffayette Spring is a shallow water spring. The water originates from precipitation that falls on the nearby bluffs overlooking the Ohio River. The water then finds it way down through the bedrock. The spring formed at the base of the bluffs at point where the water table reached the surface. I have been to the spot several times and the water flow varies greatly depending on the amount of precipitation and time of year. After the water emerges from the spring it is divirted into a culvert where it flows under the highway and into the river. To claim this earthcache as a find you must email me the answers to following questions:
1.) Examine the bedrock around the spring. Describe the texture and think about how water might be able to travel through the rock.
2.) If you can, tell what kind of rock the bedrock is.
3.) Examine the area where the water seeps from the rock. Does all the water exit from the cave or can it be seen seeping from the rock face? Also is there any evidence of an impervious layer in the rock face?
4.) Is the water warm or cold?
5.) With your log include a photo of you at the spring site.(not required but appreciated).
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)