At GZ you will see a statue made of Granite and a plaque. The statue was crafted to last a long period of time, but the statue is currently under threat by Anthropogenic and Natural processes.
What Is Granite?
Granite is a relatively light coloured intrusive rock. It comprises some of the oldest known rocks on Earth, and is the most abundant basement rock underlying the relatively thin sedimentary rock cover of the continents. Granite, which is named for its "granular" or phaneritic texture, has crystals that tend to be easily seen, although they are generally small. It is a rock that has been used for centuries for many different purposes such as building material. Granite was used with Limestone as a building material for the pyramids of Egypt. Its durability, beauty and abundance make it a preferred choice of stone over most others
Natural and Anthropogenic threats to Granite:
Granite reacts with nitric acid, and with lots of different acids, and air pollution, there are plenty of different acidic compounds formed, and over the years, they will degrade the Granite, giving pits and cracks. A chemical reaction between granite is composed of silicate minerals (mostly silica and oxygen) and sulfuric acid (the primary acid component of acid rain) results in the dissolution of CaCO3 to give aqueous ions, which in turn are washed away in the water flow.
Acid rain erosion of granite can result in a loss of artwork (outdoor statues, monuments, plaques, etc) that cannot be recovered.Acid rain is formed when certain pollutants dissolve in rain creating stronger acids. Acid rain is one factor that can increase the rate of erosion, with effects that can be seen in just a few decades. Granite is primarily composed of quartz and feldspar and Limestone composed of calcium carbonate, the same material as chalk, and are commonly used for constructing buildings and statues. Rain that is too acidic will eroded these structures very quickly.
Granite, which makes up 80% of the Earth's Crust, is an igneous rock formed of interlocking crystals of quartz , feldspar , mica, and other minerals in lesser quantities. Large masses of granite are a major ingredient of mountain ranges. Granite is a plutonic rock, meaning that it forms deep underground. Slow cooling gives atoms time to migrate to the surfaces of growing crystals, resulting in a coarse or mottled crystalline structure easily visible to the naked eye.
To claim a smiley to your map, I ask for you to answer 4 questions. Please email your answers to bencon71@bigpond.com.au and not in your log, Please feel free to optionally post a photo of yourself at GZ with your log if you wish, and send the 4 answers to me, and if anything isn't correct I will message you via email.
Please no close up photos of the Plaque or statue posted with your log.
Q1)Describe the statue, What colours do you see in the statue, and what is the signifance of this?
Q2)If there are any areas differing in texture, what do you think is the cause?
Q3)Think, What is the biggest threat,That could shorten the life expectancy of this statue?
Q4)Is there evidence of Erosion visible on the Memorial? And if so, what are the main contributors?
OPTIONAL TASK – photos of your visit are welcomed. If you do take one or several please post and share them with your log.
You do not need to wait for a confirmation email to log your find.
Thank You.