Carlisle Beach EarthCache

Carlisle Beach

Carlisle Bay and Beach

Carlisle Bay is a small natural harbour located in the southwest region of Barbados, where the nation's capital, Bridgetown, is situated. The area has been turned into a marine park and is a famous spot for snorkeling or scuba diving. Many relics, such as anchors and cannonballs from ships, can be found on the ocean floor in Carlisle Bay. The beach offers great opportunities for bathing and only a few meters from the beach you can observe sea turtles, colourful fish and starfish when snorkeling in the clear water.
The site Carlisle Beach on Barbados shows also an exceptional spot for clear explanations on the grain size and mono - or polyminerality of sand that makes it unique, so it was chosen for this Earthcache.

Grain size and Wentworth scale

Grain size or particle size is the diameter of individual grains of sediment, like sand on a beach, or the lithified particles in clastic rocks. The term may also be applied to other granular materials. Granular material can range from very small colloidal particles, through clay, silt, sand, gravel, and cobbles, to boulders.



Monomineralic or polymineralic sand

The definition is simple:

Monomineralic sand: a sand that is made of one type of mineral (only one type of grains)
Polymineralic sand: a sand that is made of two or more types of minerals (more than two types of grains)

Your task to log the Earthcache:

Answer the following questions via message in English or German via my geocaching profile:

1.) How would you define the grain size of the sand on site according to Wentworth?
2.) Is the sand monomineralic or polymineralic?
3.) What ist the main colour of the sand?
4.) What other colours can you observe at the grains in the sand? What do you think what the most colourful particles are?
5.) Is there a difference in colour between dry sand and wet sand?
6.) Optional: Post a photo with your log, showing you and/or your GPS/or something identifying you near the location!


After you've sent me the message with your answers, feel free to log! If there's something wrong, I'll contact you via message!

The most exciting way to learn about the Earth and its processes is to get into the outdoors and experience it first-hand. Visiting an Earthcache is a great outdoor activity the whole family can enjoy. An Earthcache is a special place that people can visit to learn about a unique geoscience feature or aspect of our Earth. Earthcaches include a set of educational notes and the details about where to find the location (latitude and longitude). Visitors to Earthcaches can see how our planet has been shaped by geological processes, how we manage the resources and how scientists gather evidence to learn about the Earth. To find out more click HERE.