GZ for this Earthcache is located in the Observation Area at the Vancouver International Airport. The coordinates are for the airport. Once inside the building, you will proceed past the Canada Check-In to the Public Observation Area on the second level. There are Distant Viewing Telescopes available to help you learn more about this incredible landscape.
THE MOUNTAINS…
On a clear day, you can see two mountain ranges from the Observation Area. While they appear very close, they are actually quite far away. The winds associated with mountains would not be good for an airport so being this far away, is a good thing. The Coast Mountains, to your right, are the backbone of coastal British Columbia. To your left, you may see the Vancouver Island ranges. They make up the centre of Vancouver Island. The island also helps to protect this area of the mainland.
THE LAND…
As you can see, the land around the airport is really flat - just as you would expect for a river delta, which makes it perfect for an airport. The airport actually sits on an island, called Sea Island located at the mouth of the Fraser River. Thousands of years ago, glaciers scraped through the region flattening hills and scouring smooth the earth in their path. Later, the Fraser River carried layer upon layer of sand and fine soils to this area, dropping it here before joining the ocean.
WHAT IS A RIVER DELTA?
Sea Island, and the surrounding area is an excellent example of a river delta. A river delta is a flat landform that occurs at the mouth of a river. In this case it is where the Fraser River meets the Pacific Ocean. It is largely the result of sediment, sand and silt brought to the mouth by the river system. One of the key factors in the formation of a river delta is the fact that the water slows down as it enters another water body. When water slows down, it is not able to carry as much sediment therefore it drops its sediment load. The Fraser River flows down from the mountains carving a path along the way. This water is obviously fast running with the help of gravity. As it reaches sea level it slows down considerably and all the sediment it picked up as it carved its way through the mountains is deposited here to form the delta. The river spreads out in a fan shape as many smaller rivers or channels of water called distributaries are created to allow the water to reach the ocean. This creates many small outlets and islands. Deltas are formed when rivers deposit sand and silt as the water leaves the mouth of the river.
This area is very special because it was formed from both glacial and alluvial deposits laid down more than 10 000 years ago at the mouth of the Fraser River.
Please send your answers to the CO for the following task. Please do not post your responses in your log. Task:
1. Describe three Fraser River delta features that are visible using the Distant Viewing Telescopes located at the Observation Area.
2. Name two manmade structures that are visible using the telescopes that help to protect and maintain this specific river delta.
3. What is it about this area that would cause such a large delta to form here?
4. What makes this location perfect for an airport?
SOURCES: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/fraser-river-lowland/ https://www.reference.com/science/delta-geography-a35491c5c243bced https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_delta