This geocache is a part of the Shenandoah 250 project, a community celebration of the 250th anniversary of Shenandoah County in 2022. This cache was designed and placed by students at Massanutten Regional Governor's School for Integrated Environmental Science and Technology
Shenandoah Family Campground which is a great location for having fun outside with family and friends but is also near many attractions, one being the Shenandoah Caverns. The Shenandoah Campground was originally built in 2012 and went into business in 2013. Shenandoah Caverns was discovered in 1884, when the Southern Railway was being constructed through the Shenandoah Valley. The Neff family owned the land and allowed the railroad to quarry rock from it” (Stay VA). Also, you may find animals like crickets or even scary bats! For 100 years the Shenandoah Caverns has served various people by educating them on “geology and extraordinary crystalline formations found 200 feet below ground level” (Shenandoah Caverns). These great caverns are located in Mount Jackson, Virginia which is a great tourist attraction as it is about 5 minutes off interstate 81. To learn more about the geology, monumental figures that played an important role in shaping what is there today, or enjoying a cold tour to experience the caverns yourself, Shenandoah Caverns is the location you want to see. Visit the Shenandoah Caverns website https://shenandoahcaverns.com/history/.
Figure 1
Rainbow Lake Reflecting Pool
Note. Sourced from https://shenandoahcaverns.com/shenandoah-caverns/
Figure 2
Shenandoah Caverns Layout
Note. Sourced from https://shenandoahcaverns.com/shenandoah-caverns/
Figure 3
Campground Map in Mount Jackson
Geological Makeup/ Environmental:
Shenandoah Caverns is a solution cave. Solution caves are typically formed in sulfate and carbonate rocks. The most common types of rocks in the Shenandoah Valley bottom are limestone and dolomite. Within the caverns, gypsum is also present as a secondary mineral formation, because it is formed after the original rocks were deposited when the groundwater concentrated sulfate minerals. (U.S. Department of the Interior / U.S. Geological Survey, n.d.) Through millions of years of groundwater moving through these rocks, the caves were formed while still underwater, within the saturated zone of the aquifer. Within the cave, you will be able to see “stalagmites” and other speleothems, which are pictured in Figure 1. A stalagmite is a mound that rises from the bottom of a cave which takes calcium salt and deposits it by dripping water (US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2011). These form from the drippings of stalactites, which hang from the cavern roof. Speleothems like these form in caverns after the water table has fallen. Rainwater mixes with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and in the soil, lowering its pH. As the water infiltrates downward, it dissolves the bedrock, dissociating calcium ions from bicarbonate. These recombine within the caverns as the carbon dioxide is able to leave the solution and the result are the beautiful speleothems you see as you walk through the cave. The process of dissolution is called carbonation and the process of speleothem formation is called speleogenesis.
There is a difference between a cave and a cavern. A cavern is a specific room in the cave. When going to the Shenandoah Caverns you will be able to tour the different caverns within the cave system that have transformed over millions of years.
Figure 4
Stalagmites in the Shenandoah Caverns
Note. Sourced from https://shenandoahcaverns.com/shenandoah-caverns/
References
Introduction to Virginia’s Karst. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/document/introvakarst.pdf
Shenandoah Caverns - Shenandoah Caverns. (2021, May 26). Retrieved March 3, 2022, from https://shenandoahcaverns.com/shenandoah-caverns/
Shenandoah Caverns - Virginia’s only Cavern with an Elevator - StayVA. (n.d.). Retrieved March 10, 2022, from stayva.org website: https://stayva.org/blog/2018/12/24/shenandoah-caverns-virginia#:~:text=The%20cave%20was%20discovered%20in
US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2011). What is the difference between a stalactite and a stalagmite?: Ocean Exploration Facts: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. Retrieved from Noaa.gov website: https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/facts/stalactite.html
U.S. Department of the Interior / U.S. Geological Survey. (n.d.). Geology of Caves. Retrieved from https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/7000072/report.pdf