Welcome to my Earthcache! An Earthcache is a special type of geocache where there is no container to find - instead you are looking for a unique geological feature of the area and need to answer questions, as well as posting a picture, in order to claim the find. The goal of this Earth Cache is to educate visitors about the use of aluminium alloys in public art scupltures, annd how they might be affected by weathering with years of exposure to the harsh Canadian elements.
This earthcache is located in Simcoe Park on Front Street West in Toronto, at the statue called "Mountains". At first glance, I thought the sculpture was made of fabric, not aluminium, because it appears to be draped and have an overall uniform appearance, however after examining the sculpture closely, you can see the aluminium compounds and indications of weathering all around the statue.
This is one of the featured pieces of art (#8) in The City of Toronto's Art Walk - Toronto's Outdoor Art Gallery.
The following description about the artwork is provided by the City of Toronto:
"untitled (mountain)
Anish Kapoor, 1995
untitled (mountain) is a water-jet cut aluminium sculpture created by internationally renowned British artist Anish Kapoor. He has intended the work to be open and rich with potential metaphoric and symbolic meanings, as an actual mountain might be.
One immediate reading, and consistent with much of this artist’s work, is an embedded “dialogue” between nature and human beings. Although the work resembles a natural geographic feature, it has been fabricated from synthetic materials, which were extracted from nature to begin with. While in earlier eras people may have looked upon mountains as symbols of strength and spiritual inspiration, here the mountain is dwarfed by the human achievement of architecture. untitled (mountain) was not necessarly created to pose any specific question or to seek a finite resolution to any particular issue. It exists as a potent symbol for pondering notions that may be ephemeral, yet essential in coming to terms with the human condition and our place in the world."
The park is open year round, 7 days per week, between the hours of 5:30am and midnight, however due to the visual nature of Earthcaches and the observations you are required to make, please limit your visit to daylight hours only.
EARTHCACHE REQUIREMENTS
As with all of my ECs, I am not looking for PhD thesis level responses, but I am hoping that you take some time to enjoy the area and learn something new. Please include a list of all cachers with your answer, if answering for more than one caching name. There is no need to send individual answers. Each cacher should include their own photo on their log.
To claim a 'find' for this Earthcache you must answer the following questions and send your answers in a message or email to the owner using the link at the top of the page. You can log your find with a photo at GZ. Send your answers to the tasks. I will be in contact if there is a problem, no need to wait for a response as long as the required photo is included in your log.
Observational Task
At GZ, you find the above pictured statue within the park. Right away, you will notice a few unique things about this sculptue, including the amount of weathering noticable (especially on the lower levels of the design). Take a careful look at the statue and answer the following questions based on your observations and the reading below:
Questions to be Answered:
1) Based on the descriptions below, what type of weathering do you think is most prevalent on the scupture and why?
2) Provide a hypothesis as to why the weathering appears to be more severe or noticable at the bottom of the statue, as opposed to the top of the statue?
3) Is there more than one type of weathering present at GZ? Describe any other forms of weathering you see on the statue.
4) Based on your observations, do you think this statue will withstand the test of time for many years to come, or do you feel it will eventually erode and need to be removed?
5) MANDATORY - Post a photo of yourself, your signature item, your GPS, at or near the posted coordinates. Bonus Points if you can include both the statue and CN tower in the Background. You do not need to show your face if you are shy. You may include this photo in your log, or send it with your answers but it must be provided as proof that you visited the area.
Earthcache Lesson
Aluminum is an important engineering material due to its low density and high corrosion resistance. Unlike other light metals, including magnesium and beryllium, it passivates in oxygen environments and is not toxic, making it an ideal structural metal when weight savings is a concern. Pure aluminum is highly abundant, making up 8% of the Earth’s crust, and can be found in over 270 naturally occurring minerals.
Statues made of cast aluminum are as strong as bronze, but aluminum is typically is more affordable than bronze. It is an exceptionally strong material and can also be cast thick for extra integrity. This durability along with the fact that it is rust-resistant will ensure that the statue will last a long time.The disadvantage of aluminum is that its appearance is not as rich as that of bronze, and it cannot form a colorful luster with the help of external forces. If it is exposed to the outdoors for a long time, it will also become oxidized.
To combat some of the disadvantages, aluminum is often turned into an aluminum alloy, a composition consisting mainly of aluminum to which other elements have been added. The alloy is made by mixing together the elements when aluminum is molten (liquid), which cools to form a homogeneous solid solution. The other elements may make up as much as 15 percent of the alloy by mass. Added elements include iron, copper, magnesium, silicon, and zinc. The addition of elements to the aluminum gives the alloy improved strength, workability, corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity, and/or density, compared with the pure metallic element. Aluminum alloys tend to be lightweight and corrosion resistant. This makes them ideal for casting and use in art.
CHEMICAL WEATHERING OF METALS
Metals and alloys, such as the ones used to form the statue at GZ, are predominantly changed by chemical weathering. This changes the composition of the metal. Examples of chemical weathering types include:
CORROSION - The gradual destruction by chemical and/or electrochemical reaction with the environment. "Metals corrode because we use them in environments where they are chemically unstable. Only copper and the precious metals (gold, silver, platinum, etc.) are found in nature in their metallic state. All other metals, to include iron-the metal most commonly used-are processed from minerals or ores into metals which are inherently unstable in their environments."
HYDROLYSIS - The reaction of water in the form of a weak acid to dissolve metals.
OXIDATION - The reaction of oxygen with metals to form oxides.
PATINA - Tarnish on copper-based metals giving them a greenish hue.
RUST - Oxidation of iron that turns it into iron oxide giving it an orange-red hue.
TARNISH - Discoloration of a metal when only the outermost layer undergoes a chemical reaction. This layer of tarnish seals and protects the underlying layers from reacting.
MECHANICAL WEATHERING OF METALS
Metals may also be changed by mechanical weathering. This alters the appearance, but does not change the composition.
FROST WEDGING - Cracks due to repeated cycles of freeze-thaw.
PITTING - Small depressions due to wind abrasion.
SALT WEATHERING - Formation of salt crystals within the alloy, causing a breakdown of the alloy
BIOLOGICAL WEATHERING - Cracking from plant roots and exposure by burrowing animals
All forms of metal are subject to some forms of weathering, through chemical reactions or mechanical weathering from outside forces. While it is resistant to most forms of weathering, aluminum and aluminum alloys are particularly at risk of biological weathering due to the porous surface of the metal, prividing a unique environment for lichen and moss to grow, as well as pitting in areas of intense wind or sandstorms to the the flexibility of the metal, and oxidation based on the composition of the alloy.
This earthcache has been placed by a Proud Platinum Earthcache Master.
