ALLEGHENY NATIONAL FOREST
Elk - Forest - McKean - Warren
EARTHCACHE REQUIREMENTS
Each cacher must send his/her own answers BEFORE logging a find. ... "Geocachers must complete the tasks before they log the EarthCache as found." (4.3. EarthCache logging tasks)
Enjoy the journey (learning adventure) as well as the destination (smiley earned). Remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints. To get credit for this Earthcache, complete the following tasks:
ANSWERS ... SEND ALL ANSWERS VIA MESSAGE
LOG ... INCLUDE THREE ON-SITE VERIFICATION PICTURES ... Elijah Run / Jakes Rocks / Discovery
ELIJAH RUN
1a. MESSAGE …. a. Identify the type of rocks. / b. Facing the water, look to your right and to your left. Give two differences between the rocks.
1b. LOG ... Post a picture of you or your signature item at or near the coordinates.
JAKES ROCKS
There are a plethora of interesting rocks here. You will be focusing on one that has a unique undulating appearance.
2a. MESSAGE …. a. Identify the type of rock. / b. What process is causing this rock to have an undulating appearance? Perhaps ripples when the sand was laid down by flowing water or current erosion forces ... / c. Observe the water trough. How deep is it? What direction is the water flowing? Why is it only located in the one spot?
2b. LOG ... Post a picture of you or your signature item at or near the coordinates.
COMPARISON
Elijah Run vs Jakes Rocks
3a. MESSAGE …. Give two ways the sites are different.
3b. MESSAGE …. Why do you think they are so different even though they are less than 3 miles apart?
Your answer can be scientific or creative.
DISCOVERY ROCK
You are welcome to visit one of the sites listed under rock types in each county -or- discover one of your own.
4. LOG ... As you travel the roads and hike the trails, discover a rock you think is amazing. Post a picture of you or your signature item -and- give the location of the rock you discovered.
OPTIONAL - Please respect the time and effort involved in finding and creating this earthcache by adding A and B to your log.
A. JOURNEY OF THE MIND ... Science explains what we observe. Relate (in your own words) something you found interesting in the reading. This adds to your learning adventure and your log.
B. JOURNEY OF THE HEART ... Art shares our personal experience of what we see. Share something special you found on site, and why it is special to you ... prose / story / poem / picture. This is a memorable addition to your log and will make other hearts smile.
Journeys of Heart and Mind ...
Stories to Touch the Heart and Puzzles to Challenge the Mind / Rainbow Tree Story
THE ALLEGHENY NATIONAL FOREST
"Some 445 million years ago, what is now the Allegheny National Forest was submerged beneath a shallow, inland sea. Over time, weathered material eroded from ancient mountains in eastern Pennsylvania and filled in the sea floor. These deposits left large rocky outcrops, known as Olean conglomerates, which are seen throughout the Allegheny National Forest today. Mud and sand was also deposited, burying microscopic marine life and creating the rich oil deposits by which Pennsylvania would later become so well known." ANF
ROCK TYPES IN ELK COUNTY
The predominant rocks in Elk County are sandstone and conglomerate. The link gives the map, key, and additional information.
Boulderdash (GC91JMW)
ROCK TYPES IN FOREST COUNTY
The predominant rocks in Forest County are sandstone, shale, and conglomerate. The link gives the map, key, and additional information.
Forest Road (GC8KK8K)
ROCK TYPES IN McKEAN COUNTY
The predominant rocks in McKean County are sandstone, shale, and conglomerate. The link gives the map, key, and additional information.
Marilla Rocks (GC2ANX6)
ROCK TYPES IN WARREN COUNTY
The predominant rocks in Warren County are sandstone, shale, and conglomerate. The link gives the map, key, and additional information.
Boulder Trail (GC7CGAZ) / Gardners Rock (GC5D0C6) / Minister Creek (GC8M1GZ) / RimRock (GC7P35T)
CONGLOMERATE (Pieces of other rocks)
What Does It Look Like? Conglomerate looks like a mixture of sand and different sizes of rounded pebbles. The pebbles are the important observation.
SHALE-PEBBLE - composed largely of rounded mud chips / FLAT PEBBLE - consist of relatively flat mud chips
What Minerals Make Up the Rock? mostly quartz
How Was It Formed? Sand and pebbles collect along sea shores, lake shores, or river banks. They are compacted by the weight of sediments that collect above them and cemented by material dissolved in the water that seeps through them.
LIMESTONE (Biochemical origin)
What Does It Look Like? Limestone is usually white, gray, tan, or yellow. It may contain impurities to make it red or black. Fossils are often found in limestone. It may be very smooth or even sugary, fine grained, or medium grained. The powdered rock will usually fizz in white vinegar. Unlike marble, limestone is not composed of visible crystals.
What Minerals Make Up the Rock? mostly calcite
How Was It Formed? Most limestone is formed by a chemical reaction in sea water. The reaction makes a lime mud which sinks to the bottom to for the limestone. Some limestones are formed from buried coral reefs.
SANDSTONE (Cemented sand)
What Does It Look Like? Sandstone is often red to brown, light gray to nearly white. Sometimes it is yellow or green. It usually is composed of rounded grains that are all of the same size; and it is usually medium grained. Some sandstones show slight color variations in layering.
What Minerals Make Up the Rock? Quartz; Sometimes contains: feldspars, mica, glauconite (in green colored sandstone), magnetite, garnet, rutile, ilmenite. FEELS GRITTY.
How Was It Formed? Quartz sand that is produced by the weathering of other rocks (such as granite, gneiss, and other sandstones) is deposited by rivers, waves, or wind. The sediment may have been a sand bar, an ocean beach, or desert sand dunes. The sand is buried under other sediments, compacted by the weight of those sediments, and cemented by material dissolved in water that seeps through it.
SHALE (Compacted mud)
What Does It Look Like? Shale may be black, gray, red, brown, dark green, or blue. It is fine grained, so particles usually can not be seen. When moistened, shale usually smells like wet mud.
BLACK - lots of organics / GRAY - low organics / RED - fully oxidized iron / GREEN - partially reduced iron / MCCREADY - salt and gypsum
What Minerals Make Up the Rock? Clay minerals; Sometimes with some quartz sand, pyrite, gypsum
How Was It Formed? Clay sediments settle in quiet lakes, lagoons, bays, or off-shore areas. When buried and compacted the clays become shale. Iron oxides often help to cement the particles together.
RESOURCES ... County Rock Maps ... Rocks and Minerals of Pennsylvania ... Rock Identification Key ... You Tube