Sandstone in The Meadows EarthCache
Hidden : 6/21/2019
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: other (other)

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Geocache Description:


An EarthCache in the Meadows? Yes!


If you have completed my multicache Mosey Through the Meadows you will have learnt a lot about the history of The Meadows and some of the influential people associated with it. Now it's time to find out a little bit more about the geological processes that took place right here millions of years ago.
Specifically, we shall learn something about the sandstone which was used to construct most of the buildings of Edinburgh. Your Task: is to visit 2 locations and to answer some questions. Please go ahead and log your visit, but send your answers to me via email or message centre, and I will let you know if there is an incorrect answer. Logs will be deleted if answers are not received within 4 weeks.

The Great Forest of Drumselch

Let me explain how this lovely park came into existence. The City of Edinburgh nestles between the Firth of Forth to the north and the Pentland Hills to the south, and built upon 7 Hills (some details of this can be found in 2 other caches: Seven Hills Outlook and 7 Hills of Edinburgh). A little knowledge of the underlying geology of the land can help to understand how the city developed, what industry it supported, and how the people lived.

Edinburgh lies in the Midland Valley of Scotland, bounded by 2 fault lines, the Southern Upland fault and the Highland fault. About 500 million years ago Scotland was part of a huge land mass called Laurentia , situated near the south pole. This land moved north through a tropical sea called the Lapetus Ocean, until around 460 million years ago it arrived just south of the equator. The sea was full of corals and shells which contributed to the formation of limestone and oil shale and this was the beginnings of the Midland Valley. From this information we can understand why the coal mining industry proliferated, and also why many of the buildings are made from sandstone.
During the Silurian period 440-410 million years ago the continent of Laurentia collided with Baltica so that Scotland joined England and Scandinavia to more closely resemble the modern day Europe, but still lying close to the equator.
During the late Devonian period, when the embryonic Scotland was still moving slowly northwards, the principal building stone, sandstone, was formed from sediment laid down in rivers, seas and deserts. This was called 'Old Red Sandstone' and later classified as the 'Kinesswood Formation: a geological formation in the Central Lowlands of Scotland consisting of sandstone with interbeds of limestone and siltstone. This sandstone has been exploited in modern times as a building material.

Sandstone

What is sandstone? Well, it began as loose grains of sand on the seabed, beaches, riverbeds, or deserts. The texture and shape of these grains is determined by how it travelled to its resting place, for example by water or wind; transport by desert winds produces the best 'sorted' sandstone with nice rounded grains. The composition depends on the source rocks and incorporated minerals; The colour is determined by local conditions, such as the climate and incorportation of fossils.There is a variety of colours from white to grey, pink and red, and even blues and greens from the many quarries in and around Edinburgh. Shades of red or pink is a clue to origins in very dry conditions and inclusion of iron oxide (haematite)
'Compositional maturity' of sandstone refers to a term used by builders to judge how suitable a sandstone would be for building. So, a 'mature' sandstone is rich in stable minerals such as quartz (silica); an 'immature' sandstone will have a wide range of constituents such as clay. For building purposes, the best sandstone is a mature one with strong particles of clear, buff or pale grey quartz or pale pink felspar.

Classification of sandstones

Sandstones are classified according to 3 features: 1:mineralogy 2:grain and cement composition and 3:colour We are going to visit 2 locations very close together to show you some examples of sandstone, not just from here, but from other parts of Scotland too; and you will apply your new knowledge to classify one type of sandstone.

LOCATION 1 The Prince Albert Sundial: A Celebration of Sandstone N 55° 56.510' W 3° 11.932'




The starting coordinates are at the Prince Albert Victor Sundial. In 1886 the Meadows housed Scotland's first International Exhibition of Industry, Science and Art. Remaining from the exhibition is this 120 ft high octagonal sundial in honour of Prince Albert Victor, a grandson of Queen Victoria, who opened the exhibition on 6th May 1886. The sundial was designed by Sir James Gowans and is composed of stone from several different quarries to show off the variety of colours and textures available. Originally the stone column had a life-size scuplture of a brass worker on the top; after the exhibition it was moved to Nicholson Square. The sundial on the top is set at Edinburgh time, 12' 45" after Greenwich time. On the ring is inscribed, "Let others tell of storms and showers, I'll only count the sunny hours". The pillar is made up of 11 layers of stone, from 8 different quarries, to show off the masons' wares. The names of these quarries are inscribed on the shaft, although some are very worn.

QUESTION 1

Q1 Using the photograph provided above: study the levels, and compare the 'actual' with the photo. One of the quarry names is missing: which one is it? Please give the name of the quarry AND the level in the photo.

LOCATION 2 Masonic Pillars N 55° 56.527' W 3° 12.018'

Here is another display of masonic prowess at the west end of Melville Drive, where you can admire the two Masons' Pillars, topped by unicorns, the national animal of Scotland. We shall concentrate on the northernmost one, the one nearest to the sundial. There is no need to cross the road unless you want to have a closer look at the other one.

QUESTION 2

Find the sandstone slab on the 2nd level up; it is just to the right of this masonic emblem.


Now please answer the following questions:
Q2a Describe this slab: you should mention as a minimum the colour, texture (smooth or rough) and the size of the grains
Q2b Do you think this is an example of a 'mature' or an 'immature' sandstone? give your reasons
Q2c Now look at the adjacent section, just to the right of this one: what is different about it, and why do you think this is?

ALTERNATIVE Q2: During the Edinburgh International Festival, the pillar will be hidden behind advertising hoardings. This is usually from late July till mid-September. If that is the case, you can answer Q2 by crossing the road to the other pillar at N 55° 56.515' W 3° 12.041'. It's OK to hop over the low railing briefly to look at the slab marked 'Leoch'.

THANK YOU FOR VISITING, I hope you enjoyed it. I look forward to reading your answers and admiring your photos, but please do not log photos that are spoilers. PLEASE also do not post your answers in your log, send them to me either by email or by the message centre. IMPORTANT: It is a requirement of logging this earthcache that you attempt to answer all the questions. Your log will be deleted if I don't receive your answers within one calendar month of your log. Please also use the date you were actually there, not the date you wrote up your logs or some other date. Thank you.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Ybbx nebhaq lbh! Nyy nafjref ner rnfl gb frr. Rawbl!

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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