This magnificent Granite sculpture was originally installed at this location as part of the Woorim open air sculpture synopsim
Granite is a common type of coarse-grained igneous rock. Igneous rock, by definition, is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava.
Granite is composed mainly of quartz and feldspar with minor amounts of mica, amphiboles, and other minerals.
The various combinations of minerals present are what gives the different granites their characteristic red, pink, gray, or white colours. The separate minerals are visible throughout the rock, especially under magnification.
The plagioclase feldspars are generally white with a porcelaneous lustre.
The potassium feldspars are the ones that can give granite its colour variations from pink to orange, green, blue and even black.
Hornblende and biotite provide granite with the black specks throughout and is the pepper in classic granite’s salt and pepper appearance.
Quartz is usually the last mineral to crystallise, when the lava is cooling, and makes up the bulk of the matrix between the other minerals. This is one of the significant factors in what makes Granite so durable. Quartz, being colourless, might appear grey, however it is simply reflecting the colours of the various minerals that surround it.
Rough-cut and polished granite is used for many monuments and sculptures due to its relative inertness and resistance to weathering.
To log this earthcache, please answer the following questions / observations by e-mailing or messaging me. You are fine to log the find as soon as you send the answers, you do not need to wait for a response, however logs submitted without the answers may be queried or deleted.
- Q1 Feel the stone on the northern and southern sides and compare this to the section that has been carved out from the western side, describe the differences in texture.
- Q2 In the carved section, have a close look and describe the colours you see?
- Q3 Using the information above, what minerals do you think are you looking at?
- Q4 Where did the stone originate from? Why is this quarry significant?
- Q5 Using the visual clues from the stone, how do you think it may have been mined before being transformed into it’s current form.
Thanks for stopping by and checking out this Earthcache. Hope you learnt something and I encourage you to get out and explore the rest of Bribie Island!
Congratulations to Orange Crew on the FTF