Potamology: The scientific study of rivers. The purpose of this Earthcache is to make a few scientific observations about the American River.
The American River:
The American River is a 150 mile long river that begins in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and ends as a tributary of the larger Sacramento River. It was named "Kum Mayo" ("roundhouse") by the Nisenan Tribe of Native Americans. The first European to rename the river was Spanish explorer Gabriel Moraga, who named it "Río de las Llagas" ("River of the Stripes of Christ", incorrectly translated in some sources as "River of Christ's Sorrows" or simply "River of Sorrows"), and incorrectly recorded during the same expedition as "Río de los Lagos ("River of the Lakes"). It was later renamed by Spanish settlers and Native Americans as "Río de los Americanos" (Americans' River), after a Jedediah Smith expedition; and colloquially shortened to "American River" over time.
The American River's water flow acts as a giant natural radiator and is responsible in part for the temperate weather in the region. It helps raise ambient temperatures a few degrees over Fall and Winter and helps lower ambient temperatures during Spring and Summer by a few degrees. It also provides irrigation, drinking water and hydroelectric power to the region. This Earthcache will focus on the physical properties of the flow of the American River's water.
The Physics of Water Flow:
A river is created by a myriad of forces at work. Precipitation is the most common initial source or a river and is sometimes assisted by a spring or aquifer. Gravity, friction, viscosity, drainage and the permeability of the surrounding soil helps to determine the direction of the river. These forces also help determine the speed at which a river will flow. Changes in those forces can alter a river's direction and speed. But eventually a river will settle where it naturally finds the least resistance, creating a stream bed. Erosion on each side creates the river banks. Obstacles, such as river islands, will impact the depth of the river and the speed at which it travels (Bernoulli's Principle). Think of a funnel effect and how it would increase the velocity of the water. At the GZ, you will be standing at the south bank of the American River. This bank has been formed by the river over millennia. This is where you'll be making a few observations in order to claim the find on this Earthcache.
How to Log This Earthcache
Send me your answers BEFORE logging the find.
You must visit the area in order to get credit for this Earthcache. Armchair finds will be deleted without explanation (see Earthcache Guidelines). In order to claim the find, send me an email using the link just below the Earthcache title with the answers to the following questions:
1) Describe the soil at the GZ. Is it soft like flour or coarse like gravel? Would you call it sand or silt (Remember the farmer's way of identifying these two types of soil: if it feels soft like flour, it's silt; if it feels rough then it's sand)?
2) Look at the river as it is divided by the island nearby. Which side of the river will flow faster? Which side of the river will be deeper? Why?
3) Guesstimate the width of the river at this location.
4) (Optional) This is not required for logging this Earthcache, but it makes for a fun memory of your find. Post a picture of yourself or your entourage at the GZ.
Send me the answers to these questions along with the GC code and the number of people in your party (with their geo nicknames) BEFORE you claim the find. I reserve the right to delete your log if you log the find first even if your answers are correct when I get them. I'm pretty lenient with every other requirement except this one.
Sources: Dictionary.com; Wikipedia; Encyclopaedia Britannica; personal knowledge of Earth sciences.
