Kapuskasing Clay Belt EarthCache
Hidden : 4/2/2019
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: other (other)

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Geocache Description:


What Is The Clay Belt?

The Clay Belt is a vast tract of fertile soil stretching between the Cochrane District in Ontario, and Abitibi County in Quebec, covering 180,000 square kilometres (69,000 square miles) in total with 120,000 square kilometres (46,000 square miles) of that in Ontario. The clay belt divides into the "Great Clay Belt" from Kapuskasing to Amos. There is another smaller V-Shaped part of the clay belt located further south, running from Engleheart down to the Wabi River, to the northern part of Lake Timiskaming, and along the east end of Timiskaming, and back up towards Rouyn-Noranda.

(visit link)

How Was The Clay Belt Formed?

When the last ice age ended about 10,000 years ago, melting waters filled the immense hollows left by the receding glaciers. The lake coered much of northeastern Ontario and northwestern Quebec. When it finally split into two, the portion south of Timmins became Lake Barlow, named for the 19th-century mapmaker who surveyed the region. Although the lake remained static for centuries, it eventually spilled over the glacial moraine near the present-day site of North Bay, emptying itself except for the long narrow rift valley, becoming Lake Temiskaming. The receding waters laid down vast deposits of clay. One deposit, running east from Kapuskasing towards Quebec, became known as the Great Clay Belt. Another deposit to the south, extended from Englehart down to the Wabi River on the northern tip of Lake Temiskaming. The Clay Belt is the result of the draining of the Glacial Lake Ojibway around 8,200 BP, whose lakebed sediment forms the modern landform. The Clay Belt is surrounded by Canadian Shield, forming an island of "southern flatlands" in the midst of the hilly and rocky surroundings. Similar "glaciolacustrine deposits" dot the northern areas of Ontario, Quebec and Labrador. This region became known as the Little or Lesser Clay Belt.

What Did Dr. Robert Bell Have To Do With The Claybelt?

The area was first mapped by Dr. Robert Bell and his assistant Arthur Barlow in 1887, as part of a wider series of surveys in northern Ontario. In 1899, Barlow wrote a report on the geology and natural resources of the area, which suggested that the rich belt of clay that lay north of Lake Temiskaming was ideal for agricultural settlement. The area has a rich clay soil, in contrast to the low fertility of the muskeg and exposed bedrock shield surrounding it. Moreover, the combination of its general fertility, flat topography, high water table and relative accessibility to an extensive network of roads for logging and mining make it suitable for some types of farming. The following year, the Ontario government announced plans to develop the area by tapping its natural resources.

So What?

The Clay Belt is important, because the soil found in the area is very good for use in agriculture. The soil is very rich in nutrients and is ideal for farming.

Why Kapuskasing?

Kapuskasing is a very important sector inside of the clay belt! It is one of the most Northern points in the Clay belt, and also intercepts with the Boreal Forest. The nutrients from the clay in the belt, would be useful for the Boreal Forest and both topics go hand in hand.

Sources:

-Wikipedia
-Google Images
-GC4K7RW

Questions:

Q1. What Does The Topography Look Like In The Area?
a) Hilly and full of drumlins
b) very flat
c) steep ridges
d) swampy and marshy

Q2. How Does The Clay In The Clay Belt help with agriculture and farming initiatives in the area?

Q3. How does this location represent the image of the clay belt

Q4. Do you see any agriculture practices occurring nearby that are using the clay belt?

Q5. What is the elevation here? Does that fit the description of the clay belt?

Another Highway 11 Clay Belt Cache:

-GC4K7RW- Little Clay Belt by: Loonwatcher
located approximately 3 hours and 14 minutes (294.2km) from Kapuskasing, Engleheart is home to the smaller of the two clay belts. If you are headed that way, stop in for the "sister" earthcache.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)



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