The rocks on this tiered lawn come from the Mud Creek that Elvis played in as a kid, That makes them just as much a part of the history here as any of the other displays. What we have here are different types of rock types. We will discuss several in the lesson below and you will be tasked to recognize the types at and near ground zero . Now onto that lesson.
Questions to answer for your smiley:
1) From the lesson what does the term FISSILITY mean?
2) What do all four types discussed in the lesson have in common?
3) After walking around this tiered park, which two types of rock do you find here?
4) Which type stands out and why?
5) As of June 2019, earthcaches now contain required photo logging tasks. Please provide a photo of yourself, your GPSr, or a personal item that proves that you have visited this site. You can use the mural adjacent to this area as your Backdrop. No Spoilers in that picture please.
EARTHCACHE REQUIREMENTS
Each cacher must send his/her own answers BEFORE logging a find. ... "Geocachers must complete the tasks before they log the EarthCache as found." (4.3. EarthCache logging tasks) if your answers are WAY off, I’ll contact you. Otherwise, please log your find after sending me your answers via email or messaging. Please indicate your geocaching name and include the names of other geocachers with you. Logging it as found without providing your answers AND not uploading a photo could result in the log being deleted without notice. According to the guidelines, sending the answers is a requirement, not a request.
The Lesson
Paleozoic (539-251 million years ago)
During the Ordovicia, the 650 foot thick Knox Dolomite, Stones River Group and Nashville Group sediments formed in the shallow marine platform environment of the Black Warrior Basin. Shale,limestone and undifferentiated sediments comprise the Wayne Group and Brownsport Formation from the Silurian, overlain by Devonian chert and the Chattanooga shale. Some Devonian rocks contain trilobite fossils. A number of different formations took shape during the Carboniferous, including the Floyd Shale, intermixed with several different sandstone layers and overlain by the Pottsville Formation.
Shallow seas dropped between the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian around 330 million years ago. During the formation of the supercontinent Pangea, sediments in the Black Warrior Basin were uplifted and faulted as the region experienced dry, continental conditions.
It was in the Mesozoic (251-66 million years ago) that Triassic gneous sills injected into shales in the Black Warrior Basin during the rifting process.
Salt deposition ended by 150 million years ago. Mantle upwelling thinned the crust in the Jurassic. In Mississippi, the Smackover Limestone covered over earlier evaporite deposits.
Lets now look at a few of those rock types here.
SHALE
Shale is a fine-grained, clasitib sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite, Shale is characterized by its tendency to split into thin layers less than one centimeter in thickness. This property is called fissility Shale is the most common sedimentary rock
MUDSTONE
Mudstone is a sedimentary rock that forms from the consolidation of mud, which is composed of a mixture of clay minerals , silt-sized particles, and other organic material. The particles in mudstone are typically too small to be individually seen with the naked eye, and the rock often has a smooth, dense appearance. Mudstone differs from shale in that it lacks the fissility (ability to split into thin layers) that is characteristic of shale.
FOSSILIFEROUS LIMESTONE
Fossiliferous limestone is a sedimentary rock rich in fossils, formed primarily from the accumulation of marine organisms' remains, providing valuable insights into ancient ecosystems and geological history.
Fossiliferous limestone forms in shallow, tropical, and subtropical marine environments, such as coral reefs, lagoons, and continental shelves. The fossils commonly found within fossiliferous limestone include brachiopods, bryozoans, corals, crinoids, mollusks, and trilobites. Over time, the remains of these organisms accumulate on the seafloor, along with other organic materials like shells, coral fragments, and algal debris.
SANDSTONE
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed of sand-size grains of mineral,rock , or organic material. It also contains a cementing material that binds the sand grains together and may contain a matrix of silt- or clay-size particles that occupy the spaces between the sand grains.
Sandstone is one of the most common types of sedimentary rock, and it is found in sedimentary basins throughout the world. Deposits of sand that eventually form sandstone are delivered to the basin by rivers, but may also be delivered by the action of waves or wind. Some sand grains might be organic particles, such as sand and shell debris produced within the basin.
Resources Used
A) Geology of Mississippi - Wikipedia
B) Shale | Properties, Composition, Formation, Uses » Geology Science
C) Fossiliferous Limestone: What is it, Properties, Formation – Geology In
D)Sandstone: Sedimentary Rock - Pictures, Definition & More
