STOP ONE: THE ASHEVILLE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE N 35° 35.682 W 082° 33.204
Though you are welcome to tour the entire AMOS facility, your main aim will be the Colburn Hall of Minerals. The hall is the legacy of Burnham Standish Colburn, engineer, bank president, and rockhound. His collection of rocks, gems, and minerals has been on display at various locations around Asheville since 1960. The collection has grown and expanded over the decades, and now includes exhibits on astronomy, gemology, geology, meteorology, mineralogy, oceanography and paleontology. It was located at the Pack Place Education, Arts & Science Center from 1992-2015, and has recently relocated to AMOS.
AMOS is open to the public from 10am-5pm on Monday-Saturday, 1pm-5pm on Sunday, and closed on Tuesday. A nominal admission fee may be required, though there are times/dates when this is waived. Take your time and check things out. [The fee is currently $10 for everyone 3 and up. But if you explain that you are a geocacher and just need to pop in for a few minutes, they will likely let you in for free.]
Required task at this stop: Stroll around the Colburn Hall of Minerals. Email to me the names of any four gems/minerals/rocks displayed in the large perspex boxes in the hall.
STOP TWO: THE CITY BUILDING OF ASHEVILLE N 35° 35.724 W 082° 32.923
Designed by internationally known architect Douglas Ellington, and constructed in 1926-1928, the City Building of Asheville (aka "City Hall") is a great example of Art Deco architecture. As you approach the building make sure you check out the many different colored marbles used on the exterior of the building.
Entering the elevator lobby you will see grey marble along the walls. Pay close attention to these York Fossil slabs as they are examples of stylolytic limestone. This occurs when a large section of limestone dissolves leaving much of the non-limestone material in place. You are looking for lines that look like they were produced by a seismograph during an earthquake. [Click here to see an example.] (You should also be able to see examples of fossilized clam shells -- dark, curved shapes -- and crinoids -- dark, circular shapes.) The elevator lobby is only accessible during normal business hours.
Required task at this stop: Take a photo of yourself including your GPSr and the stylolytic limestone. Load this photo to your online log for this EarthCache.
STOP THREE: THE CENTRAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH N 35° 35.632 W 082° 33.199
Built in 1902, this imposing limestone church presents Romanesque Revival style massing and forms, but the detailing more closely reflects the Gothic Revival style. As you look at the main entrance, make sure you check out the limestone block (parallel to the ground) just to the left of the left steps (in between the walkway and the garden).
If you scrutinize that limestone block carefully you will see a great example of bryozoans -- tiny colonial animals that generally build stony skeletons of calcium carbonate, superficially similar to coral. There are about 5,000 living species, with several times that number of fossil forms known. It is only a few square inches in size and looks like a small piece of lace. [Click here to see an example.]
Required task at this stop: Take a photo of your GPSr and the bryozoans. The bryozoans need to be recognizable. Load this photo to your online log for this EarthCache.
I hope you enjoy your short walking tour of some of the geological phenomena found in downtown Asheville! If this EarthCache gets popular I may be able to come up with a few more stops for a second Geological Potpourri tour...
For more information on EarthCaches please click here.
I would like to thank Phil Potter, Curator of the Colburn Earth Science Museum, for his help in developing this EarthCache.
Online logs that do not fulfill all three requirements -- email answer to question and two uploaded photos -- will be deleted.
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