WEKIWA SPRINGS EARTHCACHE EarthCache
WEKIWA SPRINGS EARTHCACHE
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(other)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
" THIS IS A EARTHCACHE " THERE IS NO CONTAINER TO FIND, YOU NEED TO READ THE INFORMATION BOAD AND THE INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE TO GET THE ANSWERS FOR THIS EARTHCACHE.
Wekiwa Springs is a second-magnitude spring that is joined within a half-mile by the smaller run from Rock Springs to form the headwaters of the 17-mile long Wekiva River , a tributary of the St. Jonh River.
The spring pool is kidney -shaped and walled, and it measures 105 feet in diameter. the main vent , a 35 - foot - long fissure in exposed limestone at a depth of 14 feet, prodoces an impressive boil. A secondary vent is about 2 feet high and 15 feet wide. The combined average discharge from these 2 boils is approximately 45 million gallons per day. The main vent has had little exploration due to its high velocity, however , the second vent has less flow , and approximately 600 feet of passage were surveyed.
The spring bottom is sandy and flat, averaging 5 feet deep, making it popular for family outings. From the spring pool , the clear water flows in a 60-foot - wide spring run through a floodplain swamp, and is ideal for canoeing and kayaking. The average Temp of the water is 72 degrees year around.
This earthcache is located with permission from Wekiwa Springs State Park. There is an entry fee to access the park , they have on-site camping.
Florida has more first magnitude springs than any other state or nation in the whole world. Florida has 33 first-magnitude springs.
What is a first magnitude spring?
One of the ways springs are classified is the amount of water they discharge. The largest springs are "first-magnitude", meaning they discharge at least 100 cubic of water per second, or about 64.6 million gallons per day.
This spring were formed in layers of thick Florida limestone. The limestone was made from compressed coral reefs and shells but we rarely see it now due to the sand and clay on top of the limestone. As acidic rain dissolved cracks and tunnels into the porous limestone, caves and underground channels were formed over time. This dissolving gave the limestone a swiss cheese appearance. As a result the limestone became like a huge rock sponge filled with fresh water. This store of underground water is know as an aquifer. Wekiwa springs is a tubular spring.
The Floridan aquifer has been called Florida's rain barrel and is one of the most productive aquifers in the world. Each day Floridians use about 2.5 billion gallons of water from the Floridan aquifer. It underlies 250,000 square kilometers in southern Alabama,Southeastern Georgia , southern South Carolina and all of Florida.
TYPES OF SPRING OUTLETS:
SEEPAGE OR FILTRATION SPRING: The term seep refers to springs with small flow rates in which the source water has filtered into the permeable earth.
FRACTURE SPRINGS: Discharge from faults , joints , or fissures in the earth, in which springs have followed a natural course of voids or weaknesses in the bedrock.
TUBULAR SPRINGS: essentially water dissolved and created underground channels, basically cave systems.
All information to the questions below can be found at the information board in the park and on this page.
1. What type of spring is Wekiwa springs?
2. What is the temp of the water ?
a. ________ degrees
3. As a result of the swiss cheese appearance of the limestone it became like a huge_______ __________ filled with fresh water. This store of underground water is know as an _______________ .
4. Wekiwa Springs is a ___________ magnitude spring.
5. The Floridan aquifer has been called Florida's rain barrel, it underlies 100,000 squares miles . How many states does Floridan Aquifer underlies and what are the states names?
a. ____ states and the names are ______________________.
All information can be found on the information board or on this published page.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
GURER VF AB PBAGNVARE SBE GUVF PNPUR, LBH UNIR GB ERNQ GUR NOBIR VASBEZNGVBA NAQ ERNQ GUR VASBEZNGVBA OBNEQ VA GUR FGNGR CNEX.