Maui's Sweet N' Sea-salty Honeycomb Crunch đđŻ EarthCache
Maui's Sweet N' Sea-salty Honeycomb Crunch 🐝🍯
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
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Please exercise caution when going near ocean waves. Keep current weather and surf conditions in mind. It is not recommended you attempt this earthcache at night, both due to danger, and so not to disturb the local residents.
Honeycomb weathering, also known as fretting, or cavernous weathering, is a form of salt weathering common on coastal and semi-arid granites, sandstones and limestones. Honeycomb weathering is not limited to natural settings and can be seen to develop on buildings where a rate of development can be established. This rate can be as fast as several centimeters in 100 years. Honeycomb weathering occurs throughout the world from the polar regions to the equator. It produces pits in the weathered material, resembling a honeycombed structure. There are two distinct types of coastal honeycomb weathering: intertidal and supratidal.
For honeycomb weathering to occur, a source of salt is needed because the basic mechanism for this kind of weathering is salt heaving. Salt is deposited on the surface of the rock by saltwater spray or by wind. Moisture must be present to allow for the salt to settle on the rocks so that as the salt solution evaporates the salt begins to crystallize within the pore-spaces of the rock. Permeable rock is also needed so that there are pore-spaces for the salt to crystallize within. These salt crystals pry apart the mineral grains, leaving them vulnerable to other forms of weathering. It takes prolonged periods for this weathering to become visible, as the rock goes through cycles of wetting and drying. However, in some arid and hyper-arid environments, it has been found that the differential weathering that produces tafoni initiation and development may also be linked to freeze-thaw and wetting-drying cycles, in addition to lithologic and micro-climatic variations affecting moisture availability, residency, and source as the primary influence, as compared to salt factors.
To log this Earthcache, send me an email with the following information. Please do not post the answers in your log.
1. Sweet n' Sea-salty Honey Comb weathering - GC7E474.
2. Which rocks show signs of honeycomb weathering, the lighter (sandstone) or darker (lavarock)? Why do you think this is?
3. There are several rocks of various sizes around the posted coordinates with visible honeycomb weathering. Choose at least one for this earthcache. Describe the shape and size of the rock you've chosen.
4. How big on average would you say the honeycombed holes are in size? What's something that could fit inside of them?
5. Based on the image in the description above, is the honeycomb weathering you see within the intertidal or supratidal layer?
6. (Optional) Pictures are never required but always encouraged.
Those who complete this optional step get a gold star, a happy face, a green check mark, and 250,000 participation points! Redeemable at the participation shack near GZ. (Shack currently closed indefinitely...)
Description/Weathering information found on Wikipedia (see related webpage). Schematic of tidal zones image Illustrated by Soren Henrich. Image found on wordpress.com
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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