St George's Quay was traditionally a maritime offloading point for ships sailing up the Lune bringing goods into and out of Lancaster, many of the buildings here date back to the 1800s and before and still retain some of the history - look up and you may still see some pulleys and hoists used to unload and load the ships.
The fine building you are looking at now holds the Lancaster Maritime museum, housing the history of some of that past. Parking is available on the Quay, although please be careful to park in some of the three-hour free parking spots rather than residents only spots.
1) Choose one of the patterened stones and describe it - how does it feel, what does it look like, what colours are there, can you see grains?
2) What element causes these colours.
3) Look at the pillars at the front of the building (it may be easier on the steps across the road) - two of the four seem to have a higher concentration of the element you may have named in your answer to question (2).
As you look at the building call the column on the left hand side 1, with the final column on the right hand side being 4. Which two columns do you think have the higher concentration of this element and what can you see that makes you think that?
4) Take a photo of yourself at GZ, or an identifying item, being careful not to reveal any of the answers to the questions.
Please submit your answers via message though the Geocaching website - there is no need to wait for a response before logging your find.
Sandstone, a sedimentary rock, begins its formation with the gradual accumulation of sand grains. These grains, typically composed of quartz, feldspar, or other minerals, are often carried by wind or water and deposited in layers over time. As subsequent layers accumulate above, the weight and pressure from the overlying sediments compress the lower layers, causing the grains to compact tightly together. Through the process of lithification, minerals such as quartz, calcite, or clay precipitate from pore waters, binding the grains together and solidifying the sediment into rock. Over millions of years, this compaction and cementation process transforms loose sand into the durable and often strikingly patterned rock known as sandstone.
In some instances, iron becomes involved in the formation of sandstone, manifesting as distinct bands within the rock. These iron-rich layers are the result of fluctuations in the concentration of iron minerals during the sedimentary deposition process. Variations in environmental conditions, such as changes in water chemistry or oxygen levels, can influence the precipitation of iron minerals, leading to the formation of banded patterns within the sandstone. These iron bands not only add visual interest to the rock but also serve as valuable indicators of past environmental conditions, offering insights into the geological processes that have shaped Earth's surface over geological time scales.
The stones on the left have no banding - the stones on the right exhibit banding caused by iron being present in the formation of the sandstone.