Welcome to Middle Cove, one of Newfoundland and Labrador's iconic beaches to visit, especially given its proximity to St.John's.
At the point which we had hid over 300 geocaches, we had yet to hide an Earthcache. As a science teacher, I was very pleased to finally do so. :)
To get a smile on your geocaching map for this Earthcache, first come to the given coordinates. You will find a spur of hard rock here, which varies between greenish-grey and red coloured silica-based stone. This stone is a clastic sedimentary rock. This rock ranges from here to Mistaken Point on the south tip Avalon Peninsula, and varies from 100m to 400m deep. In places it contains "vitric tuff", a glassy rock formed from volcanic action.
Clastic sedimentary rocks are classified based on grain size, with the grains being broken pieces or clasts of older weathered and eroded rocks. Rains fall in higher elevations, forming streams, then rivers. Rivers and streams carve out tiny bits of solid rock from the landscape and carry them downstream.
If the rock bits are fairly coarse (about the size of salt grains, or larger), they are called sand. If they are a little finer, they are called silt. If the rock bits are really fine (like flour) they may be called mud or clay. Remember, sand, silt, and mud/clay refer to the size of the grains, not what they are made of. The graphic below can help determine how the sedimentary rock is considered to be mudstone, shale, siltstone, sandstone, breccia, or conglomerate.
To get the smile for your geocaching map, come to the posted coordinates. The clastic rock here is either siltstone, sandstone or conglomerate. From the descriptions and the chart above, as well as the pictures below, decide on your choice of stone.
Send your response to the geocache owner, Cache the Bayman! Should your answer be incorrect, we will let you know, and you can try again. Once you have the correct answer and log the geocache as found, should you wish to include a picture with your log entry feel free to do so. At the same time, we would prefer that you do not include a close-up picture of the rock, as this could allow someone to log the geocache without actually coming to the posted coordinates.
We hope you've enjoyed this little geology lesson, as well as your visit to Middle Cove beach!
Cache the Bayman!