Let's Get Down To The Nitty Gritty! EarthCache
DustySandStorm: Due to fires and floods, the waypoints of this geocache are not open to the public and can not be accessed, therefore with sadness I am archiving it. It was fun while it lasted.
Let's Get Down To The Nitty Gritty!
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(other)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
Well it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty of the geology of Bastrop, Texas.
But first I want to THANK all of the 12th Annual Texas Challenge Participation and Attending Geocachers, who during the March 22 -23, 2014 weekend, who came and took on the challenge of this earthcache. All of you are Awesome in my book. Because of your tenacity and persistence I raised the terrain level up. Normally the trail would not have been that rough of going, but with the after fire rebuilding, well you were there. I am so proud of all of you and for the support you gave to the Bastrop State Park.
Although road cut exposures are not common on this vegetated stretch of road, if you look close you will see strikingly bright red sandstone a few miles west of the junction of U.S. 290 and Texas 21 and at Bastrop State Park where there are outcrops and exposures of this sandstone called "Eocene Carrizo sandstone."
The calcite- and pyrite-cemented Eocene Carrizo Sandstone beds flank what geologist call the Butler salt dome in East Texas which was formed when a thick bed of evaporated minerals (mainly salt, or halite) from below the ground pushes upward into surrounding rock level, forming a diapir or a mushroom-shaped rock. Evidence indicates that the bacterial bugs eating on the hydrocarbons combined with the venting of deep sour gas resulted in the anhydrite (a precipitation of calcium sulfate from evaporation of seawater) resulted in creation of these two cement type rocks.
The Carrizo sandstone is known as a quartzarenite or type of sand feeling rock made up of 42-50% concretionary calcite and pyrite cements. The calcite cement is bound to the northwest by a pyrite-cemented normal fault radial to the dome while the pyrite is found on both sides of the fault. Calcium-bearing fluids from the dome moved into the Carrizo, and calcite began to precipitate. However, pyrite cement along the fault prevented northwestern migration of the fluids, confining calcite precipitation to the southeast. Thus this red band of iron-rich sandstone is distinctive for many miles across southeast and southwest part of Texas. Did you notice the pine trees that are localized on the sand ridges along Texas 21? The Eocene Carrizo Sandstone supports the growth of Loblolly pines, also known as the Lost Pines, an ecosystem which prefers the water holding ground properties of the sandy soils present in an area.
To claim this EarthCache you will be required to pay the park entrance fee. Ask for a info map of the park, Be respectful and park your vehicle in the designated parking and use gps to walk/hike to the waypoints to fulfill the requirements requested.
Please feel free to take and post pictures of your adventure to your log but email me the answers and do not include them in any form into your log posting.
CCC Pioneer Village (N 30 06.994 W 97 16.705)
Q1. What type of rock was used to build the structures by the CCC in the “NPS Nature Blending Rustic” style?
Q2. What gives it the reddish color?
Rock Outcrop (Lost Pines Trail) (N 30 06.161 W 97 15.965) Aug. 1, 2016 - Closed due to fire and flood damage due to heavy rains not expected to reopen this year, answers can be found in free brochure at the park office entrance to park and here on the cache page.
Q1. What type of rock outcrop is exposed at this coordinate?
Q2. What inspiration did this rock outcrop provide for the CCC
Congratulations to 112DOC ( a Seran wrap tester out of Austin, TX) for the FTF. Awesome job on finding, claiming and your occupation which got a big smile. Thumbs up to you.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ab Uvag, vg'f na nqiragher naq n jbexbhg, ohg lbh pna qb vg! V unir snvgu va trbpnpuref!