Cloudland Canyon EarthCache
This cache has been locked, but it is available for viewing.
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This Earthcache is located at Cloudland Canyon State Park. It is a wonderful park with many views to see. This view is of the canyon. There are many hiking trails here to go visit the waterfalls and gorges. Since this is a Georgia State Park, expect to pay the $3 dollar entrance fee.
Here is some information about the site:
The rocks in these canyons are sedimentary. This means they were deposited at the bottom of ancient seas that covered this area during the Carboniferous Period, some 250 to 310 million years ago. During this same geologic time period, swamp forests, which gave rise to coal, were thriving on land. As minute particles sifted down through the water, they gradually became compacted and cemented together until they turned into solid rock. There are several kinds of rock in the canyons; each one formed from particular kinds of sediments and cemented materials. Fossils that are the remains of animals that once roamed the seas may be found in some of the rocks.
This area is on the edge of the Cumberland Plateau that extends to the Northeast and parallels the Appalachians or Blue Ridge Mountains to the east. The strata (rock layers) here are nearly horizontal. The strata of the Appalachians are folded and faulted (compressed) due to great earth movements that occurred in ancient geological time.
The streams have carved away at these rocks thus forming the canyons, and leaving the rock strata exposed to our view. The rocks at the top of the canyons are the youngest, and as your eyes move downward you see older and older rocks. The oldest rock is exposed in the stream where Cloudland Canyon enters the wide open spaces called Lookout Valley some two miles away.
The two sharp vertical cliffs most clearly visible on the sides of the canyon walls are sandstone. These two distinct exposed rock layers are relatively hard rock, which does not erode as easily as the other rocks above and below them. Shale is formed in flaky layers, which crumble away more readily under the forces of erosion. The shale layers lie beneath the sloping sections of the canyon walls, which are usually covered, with vegetation. The trail down to the falls in Daniel Creek's Canyon passes through sandstone (deeply undercut in a few places) and into some exposed layers of shale near the bottom. Further down in Cloudland Canyon is an older deposition of limestone. This deposit cannot be seen from the top of the canyon. If you were looking from the other end of the canyon, you would see the limestone, and a layer of unsorted rock debris called alluvium. This alluvium has been washed down from the canyon walls through the ages.
Geologically speaking, these canyons are young and streams have a lot of carving yet to do. This is evident because there are still large portions of steep rock cliffs exposed and because waterfalls are present in the stream courses. The falls began millions of years ago at the forward end of the canyon where Lookout Valley is today. Since that time they have been working back upstream to their present position. Eventually they will erode themselves away. Trees, shrubs, mosses and green crusty or leafy plans called lichens which are found on most of these rocks, are all included in the forces of erosion. Scrub pines (seen in front of the Overlook) are trees well adapted for clinging to rock ledges. Their roots go deep into crevices where there seems to be very little soil, and in the process they exert rock-splitting pressure. As plants gradually crumble the rocks away, places for new vegetation are created. In the canyon floor a rich variety of plant growth thrives on the rock particles washed down from above. The autumn leaves and dead plants mix with these large and small particles to give rise to soil. The tops of large hemlocks and tulip-poplars can be seen from the overlook. From the perspective of our own lifetime, the formation and erosion of these canyons may seem to occur at an unimaginably slow rate; however, over long periods of time, any force as continuous and powerful as moving water, growing roots or gravity will have a tremendous effect. What do we expect to happen to these canyons in the future? The waterfalls will continue to move upstream as they wear the rocks down and gradually disappear. The steep cliffs on the canyon walls will ultimately disappear as they are undercut by water and as gravity wears them away, the canyons will become broader and more gently sloping. Plant life will continue to take over any available space. The streams will one day meander slowly through wide flood plains instead of canyons and through sediment instead of large rocks. You are witness to a unique and beautiful landscape and before your eyes; the forces of nature continue to carve a complex story through geologic time.
Educational requirements:
In order to log the cache you must take a picture with you and your GPS in hand, infront of the canyon. Once you have the picture, look down in the valley between the canyons. What do you see down there that shaped the valley? It is easier to see in the winter, but is still visible in the summer. Binoculars would help. E-mail me the answer. Any log without the picture and anwser will be deleted.
Thanks and enjoy this wonderful view!
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