To get credit for this Earth Cache visit, you must message me the answers to three questions about what you see at the location. The three questions are found at the end of the description below. Answer the questions in a message to me (GeoKey57). DO NOT PUT THE ANSWERS IN YOUR LOG COMMENT AS THAT WILL SPOIL IT FOR OTHERS AND YOUR LOG WILL BE DELETED!!!
Evidence of volcanic activity in southeastern Cochise County, southeastern Arizona, is on display here. At this EarthCache location, you see inside one of many small cinder (or sometimes called scoria) volcanoes dotting the San Bernardino Volcanic Field. Cinder cone volcanoes are the most common type of volcano within this region. Cinder is molten magma containing many small entrapped gas bubbles formed as it explodes into the air during the eruption. As the gas laden magma hits the air, it cools rapidly leaving many small holes where the gas had been trapped. As it falls back to the ground, it forms the cone shaped mound of cinder you see at this location. The cinder composing this Earth Cache was dark gray to black when ejected. Due to a very high iron content the cinder has oxidized to the reddish brown color you see today. The cinder cone you are looking at probably formed over a period of days or at most a year. Geologist have even surmised that during the eruption and formation of this cone, there was a prevailing southwest wind direction that skewed the shape of the cone to the northeast. In addition to the hail of cinder exploding into the air, cinder volcanoes often produce flows or air borne eruptions of molten basaltic lava that travels up a tubular vent to the surface. The composition of the reddish, crumbly cinder is significantly different than that of the darker basaltic lava and provides a noticeable visual contrast.
As you look across the valley approaching and departing the EarthCache location you see a landscape covered in porous lava rock, tuff (volcanic ash) and cinder. There are dozens of cinder cones and several maar volcanoes from where the ash and cinder originated.
Further to the northeast of this location is the crater of Paramore maar volcano. Maar volcanoes are usually characterized by a low profile crater formed when ground water contacts hot lava or magma below the Earth's surface causing steam that produces an explosive eruption. The cinder cone you see here, Paramore volcano and other volcanic activity in the San Bernardino Volcanic Field occurred an estimated 275,000 to 3 million years ago.
Volcanic activity has shaped the geology of southeastern Arizona from the violent eruptions helping sculpt the Chiricahuas 20 million years ago to more recent times when Paramore crater and the San Bernardino Volcanic Field were formed.
So as you drive around Cochise county and you see small, cone shaped mountains that look somewhat like a volcano, they are! But hear at this Earth Cache location, you can actually drive through one.
EarthCache logging requirements/questions: (NOTE: Do not include the answers in your Log entry. Message me with the correct answers or your log will be deleted)
All questions pertain to the area at ground zero to a hundred feet or so along the roadway either side of ground zero location.
1) What is the terrain like on both sides of the roadway at the EarthCache location?
2) The features on both sides of the roadway are relatively uniform except for one location on the East side. What do you see that is different? (Hint: colors and shapes)
3) There are numerous interesting little areas on the West side of the EarthCache. What are they and what do you think caused them? (Hint: bits and pieces. Furs or feathers?)