Welcome to Turkey Creek Sanctuary! Turkey Creek is a 4.1-mile-long stream in Malabar and Palm Bay and it is a tributary of the Indian River. View some of the highest bluffs to be seen along a Florida stream in this nature sanctuary. These sandy bluffs are remnants of an ancient coastal ridge – leftovers from the Pleistocene Era of mastodons, giant tree sloths and saber-toothed cats!
There is no need to leave the designated boardwalk/path to obtain the information required for this earthcache. Follow the trail and boardwalk to the posted coordinates. Take a seat at the overlook and enjoy the view while learning this earthcache lesson and gathering your logging requirements.
Since this is an earthcache, there is no physical container to find. To claim your smiley for the cache, e-mail your answers for the questions at the end of this page to the cache owner BEFORE you log a found it.
EROSION comes from the latin term erosio which means “a gnawing away”. It is a general term used to describe the wearing away and movement of earth materials.
There are 3 main forces that cause erosion:
WATER EROSION – Water is the primary cause of erosion on Earth. Various types of water erosion can be identified:
(1) Rainfall – causes erosion both when it hits the surface of the Earth, called splash erosion, and also when raindrops accumulate and flow like small streams. Rainfall and surface runoff produce soil erosion.
(2) Rivers & Streams – create a significant amount of erosion over time by breaking up particles along the bottom and carrying them downstream.
A stream is a flow of water, driven by gravity, in a natural channel, on land. A stream running down a slope will seldom follow a straight path for long. One side of the channel may erode more easily than the other. The stream will migrate toward the area undergoing erosion, developing a curve in that direction. Once the stream channel begins to curve, the energy of the water is concentrated on the outside of the curve. The diagram below demonstrates how erosive energy (the blue line) is concentrated along the outside of each bend in the stream. As erosion occurs on the outside bank, deposits occur on the inside bank where the water slows and drops sediment it gathers.
(3) Waves – ocean waves can cause the coastline to erode. Sea level (tidal) changes also play a role in erosion. Sediment is transported along the coast in the direction of the prevailing current. When the upcurrent amount of sediment is less than the amount being carried away, erosion occurs.
(4) Floods – large floods can cause erosion to happen very quickly, acting like powerful rivers.
WIND EROSION – Wind, especially in dry areas, is a major type of erosion. It can pick up loose particles and dust and carry them away. Those flying particles can also strike the land and break off more particles, called abrasion.
EROSION by GLACIERS - Glaciers are giant rivers of ice that slowly move carving out valleys and shaping mountains. The erosion caused by glaciers worldwide erodes mountains so effectively that the term glacial buzz-saw has become widely used, which describes the limiting effect of glaciers on the height of mountain ranges.
Other forces that cause erosion:
Living Organisms – small animals, insects and worms can add to erosion by breaking up the soil so it is easier for the wind and water to carry it away.
Gravity – The force of gravity can cause erosion by pulling rocks and sediment down the side of a mountain or sloped surface. It moves material from higher elevations to lower elevations where other eroding agents such as streams and glaciers can pick it up and move it to even lower elevations. Mass-movement processes occur continuously on all slopes. Some processes are very slow, while others occur suddenly, often with disastrous results such as landslides.
Climate & Temperature – Changes in temperature caused by the sun heating up rock can cause the rock to expand and crack. Pieces can break off over time and lead to erosion.
Human Activity - Our own activity has increased the rate of erosion in many areas, including this area. This happens through farming, ranching, cutting down forests, and building roads and cities. Agriculture and construction are just two ways in which humans cause erosion. As development increases so does the rate of erosion.
What can be done to limit erosion?
The most effective known method for erosion prevention is to increase vegetative cover on the land, which helps prevent both wind and water erosion. Vegetation acts as an interface between the atmosphere and the soil. It shelters the soil from winds and the roots of plants bind the soil together, forming a more solid mass that is less susceptible to both water and wind erosion.
Planting trees to replace ones cut down and adding windbreaks, which are rows of trees and shrubs planted along edges of agricultural fields shield against winds area specific methods to control erosion. Riprap is a method of erosion control that uses rock or other material to line streambeds and shores to control water or ice erosion.
QUESTIONS
To get credit for the cache, please answer the questions below. When answering the questions do your best. It is more important that you learn a new concept about our earth and can apply your knowledge, rather than have a precise answer.
1. Using your GPS unit, record and report the elevation reading where you are standing on the overlook platform.
2. Estimate the drop off – how far from the base of the overlook to the water?
3. Based on what you’ve learned in this lesson and observed at this location, what type(s) of erosion do you think is present along the bank that you are standing?
4. What do you think could prevent further erosion here?
5. Post a picture of you/your group or your GPSr unit at the overlook. (Optional)
FIELD NOTES:
►Turkey Creek Sanctuary trails are open daily from 7 a.m. to sunset.
►Permission for this cache placement was granted by Oli Johnson, land manager for Turkey Creek Sanctuary.
►In fairness to everyone please send your answers to the cache owner BEFORE you log a "found it". In your log feel free to write about your experience, but don't include the earthcache answers.
References:
Congrats & great job to amerstarcat & dakotasage for being the first to visit, answer & log their find!