Chester Keeler Wentworth was born in Aspen, Colorado, on May 7, 1891, one of five children of Frank Louis Wentworth and Anna Maria Keeler Wentworth. Chester graduated from the University of Chicago with an A.B. degree in geology in June 1918. Chester took his M.S. degree in 1921, and his Ph.D. in 1923, both at the University of Iowa. It was during his time as a student at Iowa that Chester’s unusual combination of aptitudes led to the achievement for which he is most widely known — the Wentworth scale for the classification of clastic sedimentary rocks.
Chester K. Wentworth, Fellow of The Geological Society of America since 1923, died in Hilo, Hawaii, on January 6, 1969, after several years of illness. He is survived by his widow, Juliette Oliveira Wentworth, and by two sons by a former marriage, Robert and Gordon. Another son, Thomas, was killed in France in 1944.
The original scale was devised in 1898 by the American sedimentary petrologist J.A. Udden was adapted (1922) by C.K. Wentworth, who expanded the definitions of the various grades to conform with actual usage by researchers; most sedimentologists have adopted the Udden scale with the Wentworth modifications.
Grain size
Grain size scale, in sedimentology, division of a continuous range of particle sizes into a series of discrete groups. Several such scales have been devised for the purpose of standardizing terms and providing a basis for statistical analysis. On most scales, the finest particles are designated clay, followed by silt, sand, granules, gravel, pebbles, cobbles, and boulders. The size limits for each grade vary from scale to scale.
In order to claim a find in this EarthCache you have to get yourself to the coordinates supplied. There, answer the following two (2) questions:1. Using the Wentworth Scale in the listing classify the beach sand (sediment) according to grain size.
2. Examine the sediment composition closely and tell me whether the sediment if mono (only one type of material) or multimineralic (more than one type of material)?
If you feel you have all the answers correct, please log your found but also send me the answers via e-mail/ geocaching messaging service so I can check them.
Gyllyngvase Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Cornwall, a Blue Flag status beach, with its wide arc of golden sand and inviting sea. Great amenities, with award-winning cafe, yet still only a 15 minute walk away from Falmouth town centre.
This beach boasts a RNLI Lifeguard cover between May – September.
Enjoy the Beach!
The most exciting way to learn about the Earth and its processes is to get into the outdoors and experience it first-hand. Visiting an Earthcache is a great outdoor activity the whole family can enjoy. An Earthcache is a special place that people can visit to learn about a unique geoscience feature or aspect of our Earth. Earthcaches include a set of educational notes and the details about where to find the location (latitude and longitude). Visitors to Earthcaches can see how our planet has been shaped by geological processes, how we manage the resources and how scientists gather evidence to learn about the Earth. To find out more click HERE.