Welcome to Patton Prairie.
At 45 acres Patton Prairie is one of the largest natural prairies in Iowa.
This is a simple little Earthcache to show the difference in the soil.
Iowa’s bedrock, glacial deposits and soils are the rich legacy of a billion years of earth history. They contain valuable minerals, energy resources, and ample supplies of groundwater. They also host areas of unstable ground, unforeseen risks for construction and development, and regions vulnerable to groundwater and ecosystem degradation. These buried treasures and hazards are not uniformly distributed across the state, and significant information of the states geology is needed to develop resources and avoid hazards.
To log this cache successfully, please e-mail me the answers to these three questions:
1: Compare the top soil at the posted coordinates (N42° 33.033 W91° 46.000), Point 1 (N42° 32.972 W91° 46.300) and Point 2 (N 42° 33.150 W 91° 45.800), what major differences do you see?
2: If you're able post a picture of you or your crew enjoying the prairie.
Please do not post the answers with your log, just email them to me.
Hope you have learned more about prairie geology and enjoyed your visit.
Permisson for cache obtained from Dan Cohen, Executive Director, Buchanan County Conservation Board.