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Unlike traditional geocaches, EarthCaches have no physical container. Learning happens through on-site geological observation.
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EarthCache Logging Tasks
To earn credit for this EarthCache, please complete the tasks below during your visit and email your answers to the owner. Do not include answers in your online log.
âś… Required Tasks (All Finders)
Task 1 — Surface Evidence
Describe the surface of the basin floor you observed (for example: texture, sediment size, cracks, firmness, or layering). What clues suggest water has collected here in the past?
Task 2 — Drainage & Water Behavior
Based on what you see, explain why water in this basin does not flow away through a stream or river. What must happen to the water instead?
Task 3 — Landform Identification
Using your observations and the EarthCache lesson, explain why this feature can be classified as a
dry lake / playa.
âž• Optional: Go a Little Deeper (Not Required)
If you visited Stage 2 (Herman Lake), compare it to this basin. Which appears to retain water longer, and why?
How does the presence or absence of an outlet affect evaporation and sediment deposition?
Was there visible water during your visit? If not, what signs suggest this basin holds water at other times?
đź“· Optional Photo: Feel free to include a photo of yourself or a personal item at Stage 2. Faces are optional.
🥾 Safety reminder: Please stay on established trails and do not enter unstable or sensitive areas.
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âž• Optional: Go a Little Deeper
If you visited Stage 2 (Herman Lake), you’ve now seen two very different ways water behaves in the same mountain environment.
Herman Lake has a visible outlet that allows water to flow away through a stream. Because of this, water tends to remain concentrated and persistent. In contrast, the basin at this location has no outlet, so water spreads out and eventually disappears through evaporation or infiltration instead.
This single difference—the presence or absence of an outlet—helps explain why one place looks like a traditional lake while the other becomes a dry lake, or playa, over time.
This comparison is optional and included for those who enjoy connecting ideas across locations.
References
- ^ Twidale, C.R. & Campbell, E.M. (2005, revised edition): Australian landforms: understanding a low, flat, arid and old landscape. Rosenberg Publishing. Pp. 227, 235, 237, 239. ISBN 1 877058 32 7
- ^ "Uyuni Salt Flat" Encyclopædia Britannica
- ^ "Sliding Rocks on Racetrack Playa, Death Valley National Park: First Observation of Rocks in Motion". PLoS ONE. 2014-08-27. Retrieved 2016-06-23.
- ^ "Ice rafts not sails: Floating the rocks at Racetrack Playa" (PDF). Barnesos.net. Retrieved 2016-06-24.
- ^ Rogers, D. Christopher; Quinney, Weaver, Olesen (2006). "A New Giant Species of Predatory Fairy Shrimp from Idaho, USA (Branchiopoda: Anostraca)" (PDF). Journal of Crustacean Biology. 26 (1): 1–12. doi:10.1651/C-2509.1. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
- ^ Jump up to:a b Hagwood, Sheri. "Sensitive Plants of the JRA" (PDF). Idaho BLM. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 May 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
- ^ "CRS Report for Congress: Agriculture: A Glossary of Terms, Programs, and Laws, 2005 Edition - Order Code 97-905" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 10, 2011. Retrieved November 30, 2009. A temporary lake created in the lowest elevation of a basin in an arid area that has no surface drain into another water body, such as a perennial stream or river. Lake water is removed either by evaporation into the air or seepage into the ground.
- Briere, Peter R. (May 2002). "Playa, playa lake, sabkha: Proposed definitions for old terms". Journal of Arid Environments. Elsevier. 45 (1): 1–7. doi:10.1006/jare.2000.0633.
- John H. Wellington, Southern Africa: a geographical study, Chapter 16 LAKES AND PANS
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🤖 AI Use Disclosure
AI-assisted tools were used during the preparation of this EarthCache to support copy editing, formatting, readability and accessibility review, lesson-level calibration, comparison to nearby EarthCaches for uniqueness, image generation (if applicable), and preliminary identification of reference materials. All content has been independently reviewed, evaluated, and approved by the EarthCache owner. Responsibility for the accuracy, interpretation, and presentation of all content rests solely with the owner.
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