A Little Bit Of Geology At Your Feet

In the hustle and bustle of a City, there are no doubt countless people who hurry along, paying little attention to their surroundings and miss the wonderful limestone pavement beneath their feet here which is full of fossils.

Since this cache is an EarthCache, there is no physical container to search for. The posted co-ordinates bring you to a limestone pavement where you will learn something about the geology of same and answer few simple questions set out below.

SEDIMENTARY ROCK

Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the deposition and subsequent cementation of that material at the Earth's surface and within bodies of water. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause mineral and/or organic particles (detritus) to settle in place.

 BRACHIOPOD FOSSILS

LIMESTONE

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed primarily of calcium carbonate in the form of the mineral calcite. It most commonly forms in clear, warm, shallow marine waters. It is usually an organic sedimentary rock that forms from the accumulation of shell, coral, algal and fecal debris.

Pure limestones are white or almost white. Because of impurities, such as clay, sand, organic remains, iron oxide and other materials, many limestones exhibit different colors, especially on weathered surfaces. Limestone may be crystalline, clastic, granular, or dense, depending on the method of formation. Crystals of calcite, quartz, dolomite or barite may line small cavities in the rock. 

CORAL FOSSIL

CARBONIFEROUS LIMESTONE

Carboniferous Limestone is a collective term for the succession of limestones occurring widely throughout Great Britian and Ireland that were deposited during the Dinantian Epoch of the Carboniferous Period . 

The rock is made up of the shells and hard parts of millions of sea creatures, some up to 30 cm in length, encased in carbonate mud. Fossil corals, brachiopods and  Crinoidea are very much in evidence as components of Carboniferous Limestone; indeed the rock is full of fossils.

TO LOG THIS EARTHCACHE

1. Examine the limestone pavement at the top of the steps and describe the type of fossil that is the most prevalent here. Please describe its colour, shape and size.  Touch the fossil and describe what it feels like to touch.

2. Do you think the most prevalent fossils you have found are mostly coral or brachiopods?

3. How old do you think the rocks from which this paving was formed are?

4. Can you see any other types of fossils here apart from the one you have described?

5. How many silver handrails are there at the four steps leading to where you are now standing?

6. Upload a photo of either yourself or a personal item at GZ. 

Please log your find and upload your photo after sending your e-mail / message containing the answers to Q1 - 5.  Please do not post the answers in your log.

Have fun, good luck and enjoy!