Remember there is no container to find here! Think of this Earthcache as more of a geology field trip. To claim credit for this cache you will observe some rocks near the posted coordinates and then answer some questions. Observing the rocks will enable you to answer the questions listed in the “Logging Requirements” section below.
Cautions:
- Some of the cliffs are cordoned off for safety and to prevent accelerated erosion caused by foot traffic. Do not cross into the areas which are cordoned off.
- Some of the nearby conglomerate is undercut and weakly adhered. There is no need to walk on the conglomerates. For safety you should stay away from steep portions of the conglomerate layers.
- Some portions of the sandstone are steep. The sandstone is decomposing which means loose sand and poor footing. For safety you should stay away from the steep sandstone faces.
- Some combinations of high tides or high surf may create hazardous conditions at or near the concretions. Use good judgment and do not proceed if there is any danger of being caught by a wave!
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve:
- All features are protected – do not collect rocks, plants, sea life, etc.
- Stay on designated trails
- Bicycles allowed on paved roadways only
- Do not disturb wildlife
- No dogs allowed – not even if confined to your motor vehicle
- Fee area - $10 per motor vehicle, senior discount for age 62 and up - $9 per motor vehicle.
Logging Requirements:
- Locate some of the concretions – the photo above should help you if you’re not sure about the features for which you are searching.
- Compare the concretions and determine which you think are further along in the process of “weathering out.”
- In your own words describe the progression through the stages of “weathering out” which you have observed near the Earthcache coordinates.
- Use the “Send Message” feature in my profile to send your findings. Be sure to mention that the message is about “GC4P5QK – Weston Beach Concretions Earthcache.”
- Go ahead and post your found log online – please do not post your answers to the logging requirement in your online log. I will contact you only if your answers are not clear.
- Feel free to post any snapshots of your activities at the Earthcache site, so long as the posted snapshots do not reveal the answers to the logging requirement questions.
Concretions
“Concretions” take on a variety of forms and appearances. The precise details of the processes which create them are as varied as the resulting forms and appearances. However we may generalize the process. Very generally the process involves dissolving minerals from one place, transporting them in solution, and then depositing them in another. The transport is typically water. The process may involve change in the pressure, temperature, or chemistry of the water which either enhance or reduce the water’s ability to hold minerals in solution at different stages of the process. In places where minerals are deposited they tend to fill voids and weld particles together more firmly. This makes the resulting concretion denser and more resistant to erosion than the surrounding rock. Many concretions grow from a central “nucleus” which may be a seashell or other fossil. Rocks from which minerals have been leached are more vulnerable to erosion. Evidence of this is visible here in the form of depressions in the sandstone faces near the Earthcache coordinates. Some of the depressions still retain the central rock which is the actual concretion. In other examples wave action during storms may have washed the concretion away – leaving only the depression where softer rock has eroded away.