Photos and logs showing anything giving away the answers to the questions below will be deleted.
We were fortunate to be given permission for this cache from the building manager and building security. Please be respectful around this building. It is a courthouse and there are likely security cameras all around it. If there is ANY behavior that causes a concern, this cache will be archived.
This cache is accessible via bicycle, scooter, and walking along the Battelle Riverfront Park. If you are driving to this cache, there are parking spaces outside the building on the street (across from the Columbus Police Department). It might be easiest to find a parking spot on weekends.
***Congratulations to hankpixie and LEGO for Co-FTF!***
CACHE INFORMATION:
The coordinates should place you in front of a memorial to Spanish War Veterans and is a good starting point for observing the rock on this building.
There are three main types of rock: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic. All three types are represented in this building.
SEDIMENTARY rocks are made from layers of sand or grain-sized particles of minerals or other rocks that settled either in water (lake or sea) or in a desert. The settling typically occured in layers over time. As the layers accumulate, the lower layers become compacted by the pressure of the above layers that build up on top of them. The layers then becomes cemented together by the precipitation of minerals in between the grains or particles. Common cementing materials include silica and calcium carbonate that came from alterrations of the grains after they are deposited. The grains in sandstone tend to be uniform in size and shape. It is highly porous, making it more vulnerable to the effects of water and weathering. Most of this building is covered in a facade of Berea Sandstone.
BEREA SANDSTONE: During the late Devonian period, when fine-grained, angular, quartz sediments were carred from the Canadian area down a river delta into Ohio and other nearby states. It occurs between two layers of shale, which make it a good “storage” layer for oil and gas. Earlier settlers used Berea sandstone for grindstones and buildings. Many buildings throughout Ohio and the Eastern U.S. have been built from Berea sandstone or have a Berea standsone facade. This sandstone is name after the town of Berea, around which were numerous quarries of this layer of sandstone.
IGNEOUS rocks are formed through the cooling and solidification of magma (lava). Igneous rocks are usually solid all the way through and are very hard. Granite is a type of igneous rock and is usually composed of quartz, feldspar, and mica. The different minerals in igneous rock tend to be diferent sizes and colors. It is less resistant to weathering because it is less porous. The base areas of the Kinneary building, or the areas below the sandstone, are made from granite. I found some reference to this granite coming from Vermont, but I was not able to find any other specific information about it.
QUARTZ is probably the most common mineral on the earth’s surface. It is made from silicon dioxide. It appears in a variety of colors, including white, clear, pink, red, gray, black, purple, and green. Quartz is often used in glass, crystal oscillators (for radios or watches), and as abrasives (sand paper).
FELDSPAR is made from various silicate minerals, including potassium, calcium, and sodium. They often have a pearly or milky appearance. Feldspars also occur in a variety of colors including pink, red, white, or gray. Feldspar is often used in glass, tile, insulation, and paint.
MICA, like feldspar, is made from silicate minerals. They are light, soft, and form in layers or sheets. The layers are easily separated and bent. They tend to be black, brown, gray, or clear in color. Mica is often used in wallboard and electrical insulators. Mica is also used in car paint and cosmetics for the shimmer that they provide to color.
METAMORPHIC ROCKS were formed from rocks that already existed and were exposed to hot heat, high pressure, or chemical changes.
VIRGINIA GREENSTONE is found between the windows at the third and fourth floors. Greenstone is a metamorphosed basalt. Basalt is a type of granite made mostly of feldspar and silica. It is found throughout the Blue Ridge Mountain area and was likely formed from the high heat and pressure as the Blue Ridge and Shanendoah Mountain ranges were formed. Unfortunately, this portion of the building is too high to be seen, but it is interesting to note that all three major rock types are found on this building.
TO LOG A SMILEY, EMAIL THE ANSWERS TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS TO ME WITHIN ONE WEEK OF LOGGING THIS CACHE. LOGS WITHOUT EMAILED ANSWERS WILL BE DELETED.
QUESTIONS
-
From the location of the coordinates, note the weathering of the sandstone and the areas where chunks of the facade have fallen. Why do you think that the sandstone has so obviously weathered, while the granite does not show the same signs of weathering?
-
From this location go toward the closest set of steps leading to a door. Do not go inside, just look at the building outside the door. Describe the differences in the texture of the grains between the sandstone and granite.
-
List three colors found in the granite on this building.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Camp, M.J. (2006). Roadside Geology of Ohio. Mountain Press.
https://www.radford.edu/jtso/GeologyofVirginia/Rocks/GeologyOfVARocks2.html