Permission has been granted by the Buffalo Waterfront.
Welcome to the Buffalo Outer Harbor. Explore the natural beauty of the surrounding area. Buffalo Outer Harbor features more than 200 acres of green space, including a health and wellness trail, Wilkenson Pointe, the Lakeside Bike Park, along with many other features.
The following coordinates will take you to a marble and limestone boulders. This earthcache will require visiting the location and recording observations of the boulders while learning about the geologic process of chemical weathering and acidic deposition.
The marble pieces seen scattered around the Buffalo Outer Harbor were excavated from the remants of the original Manufacturers and Traders National Bank Building. Once called "The Marble Temple" which was demolished in 1959.
LIMESTONE
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed primarily of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It is an organic sedimentary rock that is composed from the accumulation of compacted shells, coral, and other debris.
MARBLE
Marble is a metamorphic rock formed when limestone is exposed to high temperatures and pressures. Limestone metamorphosis occurs between 125-180 degrees Celsius. Marble forms under these conditions because the calcite in the limestone recrystallises forming a denser rock consisting of more uniform granulated crystals than in its previous form.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF LIMESTONE & MARBLE
Calcite is a rock-forming mineral with a chemical formula of CaCO3. It is extremely common and found throughout the world in sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks.
WHAT IS ACIDIC DEPOSITION?
Acid rain, or acid deposition, is a broad term that includes any form of precipitation with acidic components, such as sulfuric or nitric acid that fall to the ground from the atmosphere in wet or dry forms. This can include rain, snow, fog, hail or even dust that is acidic
WHAT IS CHEMICAL WEATHERING?
The erosion or disintegration of rocks caused by chemical reactions with water and substances dissolved in it.
CHEMICAL WEATHERING OF LIMESTONE & MARBLE
Limestone and Marble are chemically weathered by a process of carbonation. As rainwater absorbs carbon dioxide as it passes through the atmosphere it becomes a weak carbonic acid. The water and carbon dioxide combine to form a weak carbonic acid. This weak carbonic acid makes contact with the limestone or marble and causes a chemical reaction to which carbon dioxide is released. The sedimentary stone then begins to weather and disintegrate in the areas where contact between the acidic rainwater and stone took place.
SOURCES:
https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/ks3/gsl/education/resources/rockcycle/page3564.html
https://www.esa.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/aciddeposition.pdf
https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/local/unknown-stories/m-ts-marble-temple-dots-waterfront-attraction/71-91ac21fa-da2e-4234-968c-c044e934ae04
https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/acidrain/4.html
EARTHCACHE REQUIREMENTS:
1. Observe the marble pieces. Describe the location and texture on the marble where you see evidence of chemical weathering.
2. Observe the limestone pieces. Describe the location and texture on the limestone where you see evidence of chemical weathering.
3. Measure and observe the size of the pits on both the marble and limestone. Which stone has the largest chemical weathering pits?
4. Based on your observations which stone do you think is weathering more rapidly limestone or marble?
5. Post a picture of yourself or a personalized item at GZ.
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