This is an Earthcache – as such, there is no physical cache. Instead after examining the Granite Monument at the posted coordinates, you will answer 3 questions, message me the answers, and post a photo.
On Sunday, December 11, 1949, this eight-sided shaft of Vermont Granite was officially dedicated to the “honor and sacrifice of the men and women of Westminster who served in the armed forces.” The shaft is 14 feet tall, 8 feet wide at the base, and tapers to 3 feet wide at the top. The memorial stone weighs 26 tons, and it rests on about 30 tons of concrete.
The carvings were made by Jerome Veronesi, who hand carved the eagle and laurel frieze which symbolizes victory and achievement in the American armed Forces. The monument is surfaced throughout with a fine-tooled finish that required a year of continuous construction.
Igneous Rocks are rocks formed from cooled and solidified molten rock (magma or lava. There is a difference!). The Vermont granite that makes up the War Memorial was formed about 345 million years ago when slow cooling Magma under the earth’s crust hardened. Vermont’s stones were exposed by retreating glaciers 13,000 years ago at the end of the ice age.
Barre (pronounced “Barry”) is known as being the “The Granite Capitol of the World.” There the Rock of Ages is the world’s largest producing granite block quarry. It is about 475 feet deep, covers 50 acres, and it produces 3 million cubic feet a year. The granite deposit there is estimated to be 4 miles long, 2 miles wide, and 10 miles deep. Barre Granite is sold commercially as a "granite," but to a geologist it would be classified as a granodiorite. You see, igneous rocks are classified and how their composition and texture varies by temperature. Minerals melt at different temperatures, so the temperature must be high enough to melt at least some minerals in the rock.
A "true" Granite contains mostly potassium feldspars so it is pinker, and it has a much lower percentage of dark minerals in it like magnesium and iron. A Granodiorite forms at a higher temperature and contains much more plagioclase feldspar as well as a higher percentage of dark minerals. This makes it more of a black and white stone. When we talk about the texture of a granite rock, we are referring to the size of it's crystals. See, the slower the granite cools, the larger it’s mineral crystals will be. There three common textures of granite are:
* Pegmatitic - A pegmatitic texture is one in which the rocks crystals are about 1” long to larger.
* Phaneritic -A rock with phaneritic texture has crystal grains large enough to be distinguished with the eye.
* Aphanitic -Aphanitic texture consists of extremely small crystals.
LOGGING REQUIREMENTS:
To log this Earthcache: Read the geology lesson above. Answer all three questions below and take a photo at the site. Answers can be sent via e-mail or messenger contacts on my Geocaching profile within a reasonable time. Group answers are fine, but please include the members of the group you are with.
QUESTION 1. About what size do the crystals appear to be?(Example: The layers are the thickness of a Dime, the side of a driver’s license, the thickness of a pencil eraser, etc... Use what you have available, but your scale should be something that is consistent in size.)
QUESTION 2. Now look closely at the crystals that make up this Barre Granite. How would you classify the texture of this granite? (CHOOSE ONE)
A) Pegmatitic
B) Phaneritic
C) Aphanitic
QUESTION 3. Do you see any pink feldspar crystals in the stone?
POST PHOTO IN YOUR LOG: Posting a photo in your log readily indicates that you (and anyone else logging the find) are at the memorial. You do not have to show your face, but the photo should be personalized by you, your hand, or a personal item with the memorial. NOTE: Per newly published Earthcache guidelines, this requirement is REQUIRED to claim the find. I will also except photos sent to me in the message center for those of you who prefer privacy.
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REFERENCES:
1. Remembering Westminster’s World War 2 Veterans, J.A.Graybeal, Carroll County Times, December 14, 1997, D5, Newspaper, newspapers.com
2. "Westminster to Dedicated New War Memorial", The News, Fredreick, MD., December 03, 1949, Page 3, newspaper, https://www.newspapers.com/image/8915158/ newspapers.com
3. Westminster’s War Memorial Dedication, The Evening Sun, December 13, 1949, Page 1, Newspaper, newspapers.com
4. "BEDROCK GEOLOGIC MAP OF VERMONT, 2011", Barre History Collection, Collection, 1910-1979, vermonthistory.org