Welcome to the New York Public Library system!
Did you know that every branch of the New York Public Library offers free Wi-Fi? That's great news for all geocachers visiting from out of town!
***WOW!!! Geocachers who have found at least 4 NYPL caches are eligible for a Level 1 bronze pathtag! Geocachers who find at least 8 NYPL caches are eligible for a Level 2 silver pathtag! And any geocachers that have found 12 or more NYPL caches are eligible for the Level 3 GOLD pathtag as well! If you think you qualify, please send me a note and I will get your tag(s) out to you.
In years past, there was a strong demand for Tennessee Marble, especially the marble with a unique pinkish-gray color that is only found in Tennessee. Tennessee Marble has been used in many famous buildings such as the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C., and the National Gallery of Art.
In Manhattan, Tennessee Marble can be found at the J.P. Morgan Building, the floor of Grand Central Station and right here at the main branch of the New York Public Library in the form of Patience and Fortitude, the two majestic lions that sit on either side of the steps leading into the library.
Marble is found in various locations around the world. Traditional Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Metamorphic means "change in form", where the original rock has been subjected to intense heat and pressure which then causes physical and/or chemical changes."
Tennessee Marble though is actually a sedimentary rock and is classified as a type of limestone. However, since Tennessee Marble has the coloration and will polish similar to marble, it is commonly referred to as marble. Both traditional and Tennessee marbles are composed of carbonate minerals, and Tennessee marble's crystalline nature lends it a strong resemblance to traditional marble, especially when polished.
Tennessee Marble was formed from the accumulation of primordal marine lifeforms at the bottom of a giant ocean 460 million years ago, during the Ordovician period. As their shells dissolved, those minerals became the building blocks for what would eventually become limestone and its many variations including marble.
When you closely examine Tennessee marble, you can frequently identify fossil-type inclusions, with bryozoan and crinoid fossils being some of the most commonly found. Over the millions of years that these remnants of marine life accumulated on the sea floor, they were compressed by intense pressure of other materials accumulating on top of them.
A noticeable feature of Tennessee marble is the frequent presence of jagged horizontal gray or black lines, or "stylolites." Known as "crowfeet" by quarrymen, these form from residual insoluble materials left over from the natural limestone dissolution processes.
Trace elements found in the limestone gave Tennessee marble many color variations, although the pinkish-gray color was the most sought-after because of its rarity. It was this rarity of this color that increased its popularity for national museums, courthouses and other facilities throughout the country.
To claim a find on this EarthCache, please email or message me the answers to the questions below:
1. Why do geologists say that Tennessee Marble is not actually marble?
2. Tennessee Marble comes in many colors. Which color was chosen for the lions here at the New York Public Library?
3. Look closely at one or both of the lions. What characteristics can you observe that would lead you to conclude that they are not made out of marble?
4. Take a picture of yourself (your face does not need to be in the picture), your GPS or any geo-related item in front of one of the lions and include it in your log.