Mount Chudalup EarthCache
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Mount Chudalup is a large granite outcrop in the D'Entrecasteaux National Park, south of Northcliffe, WA.
The 1.5km trail to the summit passes through Karri forest with many wildflowers and orchids in the Spring.
Lesson: To learn about the the past and present processes responsible for the formation of Mount Chudalup.
Toilets and BBQ/Picnic facilities are available at the car park.
Logistics:
- The Summit Trail: 1.5km return
- Allow 1 hour.
- Moderate to steep walk (Class 3 AS 2156.1-2001)
- Suitable for people with a moderate level of fitness.
- Surfaces may be loose and uneven, and very slippery when wet.
- Park Entrance fees apply to D'Entrecasteaux National Park ($11 per vehicle (up to 8 legally seated people)). Please check local notices for up to date information.
The following photo demonstrates the terrain to be expected at the ascent:
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE!
GPS may be poor due to tree cover, so for your safety, do NOT assume the waypoints provided are exact. Please remain on the clearly marked trail provided and follow any instructions that are provided at the site. The answers to all questions can be determined from information boards along the The Summit Trail. However, I do welcome your GPS locations of the various information boards, which may be added as separate waypoints in the future.
EarthCache Details:
The Listed Coordinates for this EarthCache are at the summit. Much of the information presented here is heavily plagiarised from the information board present near the Trailhead waypoint near the car park, where the answers for Questions 1-3 can be found.
To answer Questions 4-6 you will need to follow the trail to the summit of Mount Chudalup, although the answer and optional photo can be obtained from information boards before reaching the summit. However, you are encouraged to continue the relatively easy walk to the top to admire the 360 degree views!
Mount Chudalup consists of rocks that formed around 1345 million years ago when two continents collided, creating a mountain-building event known as the Albany-Fraser Orogeny. This orogeny extended along the south coast into central Australia and into Antarctica, which was joined at the time. Deep below the surface, molten rock (magma), formed due to the immense temperatures and pressures, was squeezed into the crust where it slowly cooled. This eventually was uplifted and exposed through weathering and erosion, resulting in the landscape present today.
From the summit you can see the surrounding 'sea of wetlands' known as the Chudalup Plains. During the Eocene Era (approximately 40 million years ago), the sea level was about 300m higher than present. The coastline would have been 65km further inland resulting in Mount Chudalup being fully submerged. As the sea level dropped and the coastline receded, Mount Chudalup would have been a real island for a time, while continued sea regression deposited beds of silt and sand, leaving in the wetlands seen today. In the northwest the Meerup Dunes can be seen, which have formed over older dunes that solidified into limestone during the last 1 million years.
Please e-mail me the answers to the following questions:
- Mount Chudalup is part of the Burnside Batholith. According to the information board, what is a 'batholith'?
- a) What nine-letter word beginning with 'm' is Mount Chudalup known as?
b) What does this word mean?
- According to the information board, how did this shape probably form?
The remaining questions can be answered on the ascent to the summit. Please remain on the trail.
- According to the information board 'Changing Vegetation', why do you think the vegetation changes sharply from mostly karri and marri below to peppermint, grass trees, snottygobble, sheoak, karri hazel and banksias above?
- According to the information board 'Weathering In Progress', what are these "large slabs of granite scattered around the side of Mount Chudalup" a type of?
Please take a photo (optional) of an example you can see along the trail (preferably with you GPS for scale) and submit it with your log. It would be useful to build a collection of images that show the different scales and stages of this type of weathering.
- According to the information board 'Weathering In Progress', apart from temperature, identify three other factors that may aid or undermine the formation of the features identified in Question 5. Other suggestions you believe are appropriate may also be acceptable.
Sources: Information boards along trail. All photographs © Geology Boy.
Please use the following link to submit answers to this Earthcache: GeologyBoy.Earthcache@gmail.com
(This link pre-formats a subject line with the EarthCache reference so I can easily distinguish it from my other EarthCaches.)
Please remember to include you geocaching name so I can identify your log!
In accordance with the guidelines, the procedure for logging an Earthcache is:
- Send me the answers.
- Log your visit. "People do not need to wait for permission to log your EarthCache."
- If I identify a problem with your answers, I will be in touch!
Any problems or assistance required, please let me know.
I hope you enjoy your visit to Mount Chudalup!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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