GC85R3A Cochrane Clay Belt (Earthcache) in Ontario, Canada created by spygirl42

GC85R3A ▼

A cache by spygirl42 Message this owner

Hidden : 4/3/2019

Difficulty:

Terrain:

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 Cochrane? Cochrane is a very important sector inside of the clay belt! It is one of the most central points in the Clay belt. This Earthcache will give you an idea of what the topography looks like in the central part of the Clay Belt.
Sources:
-Wikipedia
-Google Images
-GC4K7RW
-GC85PE7
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 1 hour and 54 minutes (176km) from Cochrane, Engleheart is home to the smaller of the two clay belts. If you are headed that way, stop in for the "sister" earthcache.
-GC85PE7- Kapuskasing Clay Belt by:Spygirl42 Located approximately 1 hour and 23 minutes (118.9km) from Cochrane, is home to the upper part of the clay belt in the city of Kapuskasing. Home to both the Boreal Forest and The Great Clay Belt, it is a very unique location to visit.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Abar fubhyq or arrqrq. Cnexvat pbbeqf ner ng gur cnexvat ybg arne tebhaq mreb gb bofreir gur gbcbtencul bs gur nern.

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)