Geological Terms - Regolith - Van Maren Park
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This is an EarthCache which means there's no cache container hidden here.
Parking can be found near the posted coordinates.
Parks close at sundown, please do not attempt this cache at night. Observe all of the parks rules and regulations.
Please be respectful of the area and it's residents, big or small!
For this EarthCache, we will be learning about regolith, what regolith is, where it can be found, and what it can be made of.
Regolith
Regolith is a layer of loose, heterogeneous superficial deposits covering solid rock. It includes dust, soil, broken rock, and other related materials and is present on Earth. Regolith is also a term used to describe similar material on the Moon, Mars, as well as other terrestrial planets and moons.
Earth's regolith includes the following subdivisions and components:
A) Soil
B) Alluvium and other transported cover, including that transported by aeolian, glacial, marine, and gravity flow processes
C) Groundwater- and other water-deposited salts
D) Volcanic ash and lavas
E) Biota and organic components derived from it
Regolith can vary from being essentially absent to hundreds of metres in thickness. Its age can vary from instantaneous (for an ash fall or alluvium just deposited) to hundreds of millions of years old (regolith of Precambrian age occurs in parts of Australia). Regolith on Earth originates from weathering and biological processes; if it contains a significant proportion of biological compounds it is more conventionally referred to as soil. People also call various types of earthly regolith by such names as dirt, dust, gravel, sand, and (when wet) mud. Regolith is also important to engineers constructing buildings, roads and other civil works. The mechanical properties of regolith vary considerably and need to be documented if the construction is to withstand the rigors of use.
Regolith on the Moon
Our Moon (and other celestial bodies) also has regolith on its surface. One difference between the regolith here and on the Moon, is weathering. The shapes of the microscopic dust particles are drastically different. On the Moon, because there’s no wind or rain, there’s nothing to break the sharp edges of the particles. Because of this, the particles are jagged and tend to sit on top of each other, sort of like a stack of cards. This differs from regolith particles on Earth in that the edges of the particles are rounded from weathering and erosion, causing them to slip past each other, like a stack of golf balls. Because of this unique difference, the regolith on the Moon can keep the shape of say, an astronauts moon boot, for centuries.
LOGGING REQUIREMENTS:
Please answer the following questions, to your best ability, using the information above. When you feel you have them answered correctly, send me your answers via the Geocaching websites messaging feature, or through email. Any "Found It" logs without the requirements being sent in, will be deleted.
Please include the GC code of this cache and the number of people in your party in your message.
Observe the patch of regolith that surrounds the Van Maren Park sign.
1) What types of materials make up the regolith you see?
2) How big or small are the regolith particles?
3) Are the materials loose or tightly compacted?
4) How thick of a layer of regolith do you see?
5) Aside from any structures or paths already present, would you say this regolith is stable enough to build upon?
OPTIONAL Logging Requirements:
Pictures are no longer allowed to be used as a logging requirement for EarthCaches, however, I highly encourage them! If you feel like it, snap a few! (No spoilers! Pictures containing spoilers WILL be deleted!)
I hope you enjoyed this EarthCache, and most of all, I hope you learned something new!
Sources: Wiki, geology.com, britannica.com, NationalGeographic.org, Personal Knowledge of Earth Science and Geology
Congrats to NYWanderer for the FTF!
CAA4JN
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
[Read the entire cache page for the best chances at completing the logging requirements correctly. Once you feel you have them all correct, send me your answers via the geocaching website's messaging feature or through email. If you need any help.]