Welcome to the Cleveland Metroparks bridle trail!
As I was walking down the trails here, I noticed an incredibly interesting feature along the trail that I thought would make a fun lesson for everyone, so I figured I'd share it with everyone!
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At this location, you will see evidence of two different types of science at work. Hydrology (the branch of science concerned with the properties of the earth's water, and especially its movement in relation to land) and Geology (the science that deals with the earth's physical structure and substance, its history, and the processes that act on it). For the sake of this earth cache, we'll focus primarily on the geology of this location.
The trail here is a manmade "structure" which has an impact on the earth around it. As you'll notice on this hill, water will always seek out the path of least resistance on its way to its drainage basin. As the water seeks out the path of least resistance down the hill, you'll notice how the earth and the landscape has been changed as a result.
The earth is constantly being changed by the flow of the water (as well as other natural forces) through a process called "erosion". The ground here is no different.
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What is erosion?
Erosion is a geological process that occurs when natural substances and materials are worn down and broken away, then transported by a natural force such as wind or water. Here, we will explore the process of WATER erosion and how it impacts the creek (and the surrounding environment).
Erosion by water:
A major agent of erosion is water. Water from many sources, including rainwater runoff, rivers, floods, lakes, and ocean water, can carry soil and sediment away.
Rainfall can produce four different types of erosion on the soil.
There are many different types of erosion including:
- Splash Erosion: The impact of a falling raindrop can scatter tiny soil particles.
- Sheet Erosion: The impact of rain runoff causing erosion.
- Rill Erosion: The impact of erosion that happens when runoff develops into descrete streams (rills).
- Gully Erosion: Erosion stage where soil particles are transported through large channels. These gullies form and carry water during periods of rainfall or snowmelt, but during dry time appear as small valleys or crevasses.
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Various materials erode differently. At this location, you have a great opportunity to observe how the landscape has changed as a result of erosion, and how the various materials that make up the hillside, including manmade materials, have changed the impact.
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To complete this earthcache, you'll need to complete a few small tasks putting together everything you've learned and observed.
LOGGING REQUIREMENTS -
PLEASE MESSAGE OR EMAIL ME THE INFORMATION BELOW. DO NOT POST IN YOUR LOG. (REQUIRED)
1 – Using the types of erosion above, what type of soil erosion do you see here? What evidence of this do you see?
2 - Describe the features of the landscape you believe lead to the formation of what you're observing. (rocks, soil, elevation, etc)
3 - Describe what you feel the impact of the man made trail is on this formation of erosion. Did it accelerate or mitigate the erosion?
PHOTO TO ADD TO YOUR LOG (REQUIRED)
4 - Take a photo of yourself (or a personal item) at the posted coordinates with the trail in the background.
Failure to provide the necessary information along with your "found it" log may result in the deletion of your log.