Rock creep is a very slow type of mass wasting, the downslope movement of rock and soil under the direct influence of gravity. The rock visible in this road cut is slate with nearly vertical foliation (metamorphic alignment of mineral perpendicular to pressure). If you look at the top of the cut you will notice that the hill slopes to the right. Also notice that the layers of foliation also appear to fold to the right. That is rock creep and it is caused by repetitive freeze/thaw cycles. Every time water seeps into cracks and freezes, it expands perpendicular to the slope, taking rock pieces with it. When the thaw happens gravity pulls the rock pieces vertically down. Over time the rock near the top bends downslope. If clay minerals are present, wetting and drying cycles will have the same result, expanding and contracting of rock fragments, moving particles downslope. Rock creep effects more of Earth’s surface every year than all the other types of mass wasting combined.
I have a goal for 2014 of hiding caches on days when the month and date match. I hid one cache on 1/1, two caches on 2/2, and three caches on 3/3. This is one of my eleven November hides. Its getting late in the year and I have kept my goal so far but it is definitely getting more difficult, especially with my crazy work schedule. Let me just say, it’s more fun to create a cache page than a homework assignment or exam.