FULGURITE AND DOCTORS BATH
This cache is a 200ml Clip Lock container with logbook and pen.
Please ensure the cache is well covered as the winter tide can be extremely high and wash the cache away .
This cache originated from a conversation with John JF20938 when he informed me about Fulgurites, as I was totally unaware of their existence I decided to find one, while I was preparing a cache location I became aware of a group of people taking a great deal of interest in an area well away from the fulgurite. When I spoke to them they informed me of ‘The Doctors Bath.’ I now know two new thing about Arran due to Geocaching.
TIDE INFORMATION
Access to the Fulgurite is Tidal. Some GPSr’s have tide time functions. There are free tide time Apps for smart phones, or select TIDE TIMES then scroll down to and select 408 Brodick for tide chart. I think the minimum tide height which will allow access is 3m. Which is reasonably close to a high tide. Any updates on this information are welcome.
FULGURITES
Sedimentary rocks dominate the southern half of the island, especially Old and New Red Sandstone. Some of these sandstones contain Fulgurites - pitted marks that may have been created by Permian lightning strikes. Sand dunes are preserved in Permian sandstones near Brodick Fulgurites are formed when lightning with a temperature of at least 1,800 °C (3,270 °F) melts silica or other common conductive and semi conductive minerals and substrates, fusing, vitrifying, oxidizing and reducing mineral grains and organic compounds; the Fulgurite mass is the rapidly-quenched end-product. The temperature peak within a lightning channel, however, is known to exceed 30,000 K; in carbon-rich fulgurites, which clearly have achieved liquid phase, temperatures unquestionably have exceeded the first triple point of carbon (4600 K, at 10800 kPa), with sufficient pressure to produc Planar deformation features, or "shock lamellae" in SiO2 polymorphs. It is assumed that the process of fulguritisation occurs over a time span of the order of a single second.
THE DOCTOR’S BATH
Dr McCredy had this bath cut into the rocks on the shore at Corrie on the Isle of Arran, Scotland in 1835 to treat his patients with seawater therapy it measures 12ft long and 5ft wide and is 5ft deep.
