Welcome to Oak Hill Cemetery. This Earthcache will take you to three different spots of the Hill, to see the effects of the wind and soil.
What is Loess?
Loess is a sediment formed by the accumulation of wind-blown silt, typically twenty percent or less clay and the balance equal parts sand and silt that are loosely cemented by calcium carbonate. It is usually homogeneous and highly porous and is traversed by vertical capillaries that permit the sediment to fracture and form vertical bluffs. The loess in this area is believed to have been dust left after ice age glaciers ground retreated. The prevailing winds blew the dust eastward and deposited it north of the Ohio River.
This cohesiveness appears to be a result of two factors, namely it’s composition of exceptionally fine particles, resulting in a molecular attraction acts as a bond as well as the fact that the particles tend to be angular and prone to interlock. A third possible factor may be plant and tree roots, acting as reinforcing rods.
One of the disadvantages of loess, however, is that it loses its cohesiveness once it’s reworked. It crumbles easily; in fact, the word “loess” comes from the German word for “loose.” A chunk of loess can be easily crushed by hand, reducing it to its component fine dust.
Loess in the Midwest is a result of outwash deposited approximately 100,000 years ago during the Pleistocene Period, a time in which meltwater from glaciers filled river valleys so quickly that plant life did not have time to get started in them and thus anchor it. Another factor in its formation was that near the glacier’s edge, temperatures were cold enough to inhibit plant growth. Strong winds picked up this silt and deposited it in the dunes in the downwind side of the valleys.
To complete this Earthcache, please email me the answers to these questions.
1. At the posted coords under the tree, Tell me what color the soil is and how it feels (sandy, hard, gritty, etc.)
2. Go up the hill to N 37 59.026 W 087 32.188 and with your gps or phone, tell me the elevation
3. Look around, Do you see any other hills from the top of the hill?
4. Go down the hill to N 37 59.001 W 087 32.160 and with your gps or phone tell me the elevation.
5. Optional, Take a picture of yourself at one of the reference points.
THIS IS A CEMETERY, SO NO NIGHT CACHING.