I came across this boulder field as I was out hiding a nearby series of caches one day. To earn your smiley send me the answers to the questions based on the information given and your observation of the boulders.
You will be exploring in State Game Lands. Please wear orange when hunting is in season.
There are a variety of processes that form different boulder fields. some of them are listed below.
Periglaciation: Ice catalyzes heaving and sliding which transports boulders downslope, or they fall from a bedrock outcrop at a higher altitude that the field.
Corestone Exhumation: Underground boulders are formed as corestones and over time isolated boulders are exposed when erosion removes the surrounding disintegrated rock.
Freeze-thaw: Water that has made its way to the interior of the rock expands when freezing causing an enlarged crack.
Frost-heave: Water saturated soil expands when it freezes lifting boulders to the surface.
Gelifluction: The seasonal freezing and thawing of water saturated topsoil moves the boulders down slopes as low as 1 degree.
Other processes that can alter boulder fields over time are: weathering, erosion, accumulation of unconsolidated soil and rock fragments (regolith), Glacier movement.
geosociety
sciencedirect
Please send me the answers to the following questions:
1. Which process do you think formed this boulder field?
2. What is the average sized of the rocks in this field in feet?
3. What processes do you think continue to change this boulder field?