A note of caution:
As you embark or continue your journey to discover and explore beautiful and historic rocks, waterfalls, peaks, creeks and other wonders, please keep in mind that these places need to remain wild and protected so that they may be enjoyed by others for generations to come. Please be diligent in respecting these sites by doing the following:
1. Please keep trash with you at all times, do not leave it behind in these pristine places.
2. Bury human waste 6 inches deep, make certain you are at least 50 paces away from any water source and PLEASE bring your toilet paper and sanitary items back out with you.
3. Keep food and all scented items on your person at all times.
4. Support wildlife by allowing them to find their own food, do not feed them.
5. Allow plants to grow and water to stay clean by staying on trails, bike paths and roads.
Thank you, Yosemite Wilderness Management
The Basics:
The coordinates of this earthcache will take you to a very special place in Yosemite National Park. Here in Tuolumne Meadows is an incredible point of geological interest: naturally occurring carbonated soda springs. These springs have stumped geologists for years as to how they formed. Since there is no pclear answer to these exact springs, we will learn about the general cause of other natural soda springs.
Soda Springs:
Mainly, underground sources of carbon dioxide are of volcanic origin. The carbon dioxide gas continuously seeps through sediment of the ground into the bottom of the pools. The carbon dioxide can bubble up out of the water in two ways: over-saturation and different pressures. These pools, because of carbon dioxide's high solubility, can dissolve more than five times it's volume of carbon dioxide gas. With a constant supply of carbon dioxide that is independent from the amount of water in the lake/pool, the water can absorb too much carbon dioxide. This is known as the solution being over-saturated. When the water is over-saturated with carbon dioxide, the carbonation needs to escape. It does this by turning into gas bubbles and rising to the surface. The solubility (ability to be dissolved) of carbon dioxide is determined by the temperature.
Cold water holds a higher concentration of carbon dioxide. In hot springs, the carbon dioxide presence would be very low, or even non-existent because the carbon dioxide would not be able to dissolve in the water. Fluctuations in temperature can easily upset the stratification of the lake or pool. Stratification is the system of layers in a body of water. The top layer is the Epilimnion, the middle is the Metalimnion, and the bottom is called the Hypolimnion layer. The Epilimnion layer is the warmest layer of the three, with the Hypolimnion layer being the coldest. The different layers relate to the change in temperature at different depths in the water. So the Hypolimnion layer, being the coldest, allows more carbon dioxide gas to dissolve, making it more dense. As it rises, the carbon dioxide is less able to stay dissolved in the warmer water, therefore turning into bubbles and exiting the pool upwards. These are two ways carbon dioxide can bubble up from natural springs.
"Can I drink the water?"
"For thousands of years animals and people have visited these springs. Deer and birds obtain needed minerals. People enjoy the taste of spring water. Although the bubbling water comes out of the ground pure and clean, there is a possibility that people or animals have contaminated the water." I personally have taken a small sip of the water. It was quite good, and I am still fine.
Logging requirements:
First off, I hope you enjoy this place as much as I do. In order to "find" this cache, please send an e-mail note with the following:
1). Title of this earthcache at the top of the e-mail
2). The number of visitors in your group
3). Stick your hand barely in the water. Now submerge it basically to the bottom. Did you feel a change in temperature? (You may need to use both hands; one on the surface, one deeper underneath)
4). Measure the depth of the pool you stuck your hand into
Extra credit: taste some of the water (not too much!). What does it taste like?
Extra credit: post a picture of you at the springs or just the springs!
Thank you for visiting this small (often overlooked) gem in beautiful Yosemite National Park!
Sources:
--http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,21331,21385
--http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_stratification
--http://mhalb.pagesperso-orange.fr/nyos/disaster/phenomenon.htm
--Yosemite National Park interpretive signs