SKYLINE DRIVE
There are countless wonders to behold along your journey.
Terrain 1.0-1.5 ..... All are at overlooks. ..... Most are handicap accessible.
Bring BINOCULARS if you are handicapped and wish to remain in your vehicle.
MAP https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/upload/whole_park.pdf
EARTHCACHE REQUIREMENTS
Each cacher must send his/her own answers BEFORE logging a find. Enjoy the journey (learning adventure) as well as the destination (smiley earned). Remember to follow Leave No Trace principles. To get credit for this Earthcache, complete the following tasks:
1. MESSAGE …. What is the difference between a sill and a dike?
2. MESSAGE …. a. How many intrusions are there? ... b. Are these instrusions sills or dikes?
3. LOG …. Post a picture of you or your signature item at or near the posted coords. This picture is your log signature verifying that you were at the earthcache.
OPTIONAL - Please respect the time and effort involved in creating this earthcache by adding A and B to your log.
A. JOURNEY OF THE MIND ... Science explains what we observe. Relate (in your own words) something you found interesting in the reading. This adds to your learning adventure and your log.
B. JOURNEY OF THE HEART ... Art shares our personal experience of what we see. Share something special you found on site, and why it is special to you. This is a memorable addition to your log and will make other hearts smile.
Journeys of Heart and Mind ...
Stories to Touch the Heart and Puzzles to Challenge the Mind / Rainbow Tree Story
THANK YOU Robert L. Badger for permission to use your book for this earthcache.
THANK YOU Tim Taglauer for permission to place this earthcache along Skyline Drive.
IGNEOUS SILLS AND DIKES
Hot magma squeezes through cracks in rocks and then cools. The intrusion is always younger than the surrounding rock. If the intrusion moves sideways along weaknesses between rock layers, it is called a sill. If the intrusion moves upwards and cuts across rock layers, it is called a dike.
OUTCROP
At this rock cut, you will see several dark basaltic intrusions cutting through light gray gneiss of the Basement Complex. "At this location, the magma flows are now completely eroded: all that remains are the magmas which crystallized in the fractures that cut the Basement Complex."
BASEMENT COMPLEX
"The term formation refers to a mappable unit of rock that can be distinguished by its rock type from surrounding rock units." Of the six formations present along Skyline Drive, the Basement Complex and Old Rag Formations are the oldest and consist of granite and gneiss.
http://www.tclauset.org/20_ESbk/ch10.pdf
RESOURCES
Geology Along Skyline Drive by Robert L. Badger 2012 edition
Graphics via Internet Public Domain since no contact info available