The Elements of Ni-les'tun EarthCache
Hidden : 1/10/2015
Difficulty:
2.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size: other (other)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

Watch

How Geocaching Works
Looking for a different adventure?

Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

Geocache Description:


For more information about visiting this area check out the Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge website. Thank you to the National Wildlife Refuge for allowing this Earthcache.

The Geologic Carbon Cycle and the Biologic Carbon Cycle are Related

The Geologic Carbon Cycle: Volcanoes release carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas), which can raise the Earth’s surface temperature. Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and water vapor absorb and trap heat that is radiated from Earth’s surface thus maintaining a stable temperature for life on Earth to survive. What happens when the carbon dioxide level is too high? Carbonic acid rain, only one type of acid rain, is a helpful acid rain that is essential for our carbon cycle to continue. With carbonic acid rain rocks are slowly dissolved in a process called weathering and dissolved bicarbonate is released. The dissolved materials including carbon and calcium will be carried by streams and rivers and eventually deposited into the oceans. Sea creatures like coral and clam take the carbon out of the water to build their bodies/shells. When these sea creatures die their bodies sink to the bottom of the ocean and their bodies and skeletons may be preserved to form limestone. That is not the end of the carbon cycle. The denser oceanic crust (that has limestone formations on top of it) goes under the continental plate. This is called subduction. As the limestone approaches the interior of the Earth it will get hot and the carbon from the limestone will eventually be released again as carbon dioxide, one of the volcanic gases. This starts the cycle again.



What would happen if the carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere from the geologic carbon cycle increased? The Earth's surface temperatures would increase. If temperatures increased too much, humans (and other forms of life) might not be able to survive.


Tidal Salt Marsh – A Great Place to Store Carbon

The story of the Ni-les’tun Marsh land you see here is directly related to being in the Cascadian subduction zone and experiencing an earthquake shake-up. The eastward moving Juan de Fuca continental plate is sliding under the North American plate. The intersection of the two plates forms a long sloping fault that stretches from northern California to northern Vancouver Island. When the edge of the plate buckles and drops, massive earthquakes result. Buried under the marsh soils and in the tree rings of the nearby cedars that were covered by the immense resulting tsunami flood is the story of how the coast dropped at the mouth of the Coquille River which runs next to this marsh after a massive earthquake. With one swift gesture earthquakes can dramatically shift the intricate ecology of the intertidal marsh. But slowly over decades and centuries rivers deposit silts to rebuild the land again and the tides go to work to reweave the marsh – until the next earthquake. Tidal salt marshes are terrific at capturing and storing carbon. The marsh takes carbon out of the atmosphere, helping us address one of the core causes of climate change.

The Biologic Carbon Cycle: The Ni-les’tun marsh plays a part in maintaining our climate through the biological carbon cycle. Plants slow down the force of incoming tides so that sediments suspended in the water drop to the bottom. Decomposing plants add more soil too. Salt marsh plants get their fuel from the sun, capturing an abundance of carbon. Look at the view in front of you to see how these plants thrive in spite of frequent flooding, high salt levels, and low soil oxygen. To cope with difficult growing conditions plants put extra energy into root growth. That way they can take up more nutrients. Most of their biomass is underground. Soils are so wet that oxygen moves very slowly through them and is used up rapidly by tiny organisms. Without much oxygen dead roots (full of carbon) decompose gradually. Some carbon from dead plants is temporarily removed from the carbon cycle as fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas.


To claim credit for this Earthcache use your observation skills to study this area. Send me the answers to these questions through my Geocaching profile. All reasonable attempts will be accepted.

1. According to the signage at the viewing platform how far did the mouth of the Coquille River drop at the last massive earthquake in the Cascadian subduction zone and what is the elevation of the marsh in front of you?
2. According to your observations at the Ni-les’tun Unit at the time of your visit is the marsh vegetation currently slowing down the force of tidal waters? Explain how the process of slowing tidal waters addresses the concern of the geologic carbon cycle.
3. According to your observations at the time of your visit can you see tidal channels in the marsh? If so what direction are they flowing and what shape do they form?


Sources:
The Carbon Cycle


SCGeocachers

Additional Hints (No hints available.)



Advertising with Us

Inventory

There are no Trackables in this cache.

View past Trackables

What are Trackable Items?

Bookmark Lists

View all 6 bookmark lists...