NOTE: This is an earthcache, there is no physical container to find at the coordinates. To get your smiley for the cache, e-mail your answers for the questions below to the cache owner.
1-Describe the wall of fort in terms of color and composition.
2-What is measurement in feet from ground to first rounded outcropping?
3-Look from the lowest outcropping to the ground. Describe the change in the wall as it goes down. What is your explanation for the difference?
This earthcache is located with permission from Antiques Monuments and Museums Corporation. Fort Fincastle is open year-round. The coordinates of this earthcache take you to the outside of The Fort where the questions can be answered. If you would like to go inside The Fort for fun, there is a small fee.
Fort Fincastle Construction:
Fort Fincastle was built in 1793 on a limestone ridge called Bennet's Hill. It is the highest point on the island and has a great view to watch out for pirates. Lord Dunmore, the governor of the island during that time, built the fort with the help of 600 slaves. Lord Dunmore named The Fort after his second title, Viscount Fincastle. The unique shape of this fort resembles a paddle wheel steamer ship. As far as cannons, it had two 24 pounders, two 32 pounders, two 12 pounders and one howitzer. Many of the original cannons can still be seen along with most of the original limestone walls of the Fort!
Smooshed Marine Sediments = Limestone Rock:
The land of the Bahamas has a foundation made from marine sediments. Marine sediments are the waste products and remains of sea creatures, shells, and marine plants. Animal shells are mostly made of calcium carbonate. Since calcium carbonate does not breakdown easily, when a sea animal dies, the calcium carbonate sinks to the bottom of the ocean and starts to make layers of sediment. Over millions of years, billions and billions of marine sediments accumulated in the Bahamas and stacked on top of each other over and over again. New layers caused old layers to be smooshed down. Eventually, under the weight of the higher layers, the lower layers became hard limestone rock. The limestone rock of the Bahamas is one of the oldest in the world!
Why the Water in The Bahamas is so Blue:
Due to the many layers of marine sediment stacking in The Bahamas, the water is very shallow. This combined with the light color of calcium carbonate limestone floor and that the waters are completely free of plankton creates the breathtaking Bahama turquoise water.
The Walls of Fort Fincastle were Once Alive!
The walls of Fort Fincastle are made from quarried limestone (smooshed marine sediment) and cut from the same rock found in the nearby Queens Staircase. This limestone comes in several grades of hardness and is a great protection against cannon balls. Once cut, the softer stone was waterproofed by painting it with linseed oil, which turned it yellow at first but as it dried, it turned white.
Since limestone is made of smooshed marine sediments, it is susceptible to erosion and dissolves in water. As water washes it away, it leaves holes of various sizes and sharp-edged fragments between the holes. It is common to see loose rocks in limestone. Sometimes if you look closely at the walls here you can actually see marine sediment animal evidence!
Questions:
Now it is time for the questions. To get credit for the cache, please answer the questions below. When answering the questions, do your best. It is more important that you learn a new concept about our earth and can apply your knowledge, rather than have a precise answer.
1-Describe the wall of fort in terms of color and composition.
2-What is measurement in feet from ground to first rounded outcropping?
3-Look from the lowest outcropping to the ground. Describe the change in the wall as it goes down. What is your explanation for the difference?
Thank you for visiting this earthcache. Please send your answers to the above questions to the cache owner. In your "found it" log feel free to write about your experience, but don't include the earthcache answers. Thanks and we hope you enjoy beautiful Nassau, Bahamas!
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Fincastle_(The_Bahamas)
https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/portal/public/bahamas40thindependencecelebrations/historicalsitesmonuments/
https://abandonedin360.com/abandoned-government-properties/fort-fincastle/
https://www.citizensofearthco.com/blog/2017/7/6/fortfincastle-nassau-bahamas
https://www.royalgazette.com/archive/lifestyle/article/20130706/the-later-fortifications-of-nassau/
https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-americas/fort-fincastle-0012285
https://bahamianology.com/limestone-rock-bahamas/#google_vignette
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_the_Bahamas
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/geology/grocha/rocks/sedimentary.html