A Mammoth Task EarthCache
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in our disclaimer.
THIS IS AN EARTHCACHE, NO PHYSICAL LOG OR CONTAINER TO BE FOUND.
IN ORDER TO CLAIM A FIND PLEASE ANSWER THE QUESTIONS AND SUBMIT THE ANSWERS VIA MY PROFILE BEFORE POSTING A 'FOUND' LOG. IF YOU ALLOW ME TO SEE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS THEN I SHOULD BE ABLE TO ANSWER QUICKLY.
MOST OF THE QUESTIONS ARE EARTH SCIENCE BASED, THE ANSWERS TO 1 & 2 CAN BE FOUND AT HOME, 3 & 4 WILL REQUIRE A SITE VISIT.
INTRODUCTION
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule to boulder sized fragments.
Large gravel deposits are a common geological feature, being formed as a result of the weathering and erosion of rocks. The action of rivers and waves tends to pile up gravel in large sections.
Quarries where gravel is extracted are known as gravel pits. Southern England possesses particularly large concentrations of them due to the widespread deposition of gravel in the region during the Ice Ages.
BUT :
Nottinghamshire is the largest producer of sand and gravel in the East Midlands and one of the largest in Britain. The gravel component here is normally a quartzitic, high strength material often used to manufacture concrete. This factor can give Nottinghamshire's deposits a premium above those found elsewhere.
The richest and most extensive deposits occur along the River Trent, where yields can exceed 100,000 tonnes per hectare, although 60-80,000 tonnes is more typical.
TASKS
I AM LISTING THE TASKS HERE TO ENSURE THEY DON'T GET MISSED WHEN DOING PQ'S
1 AND 2 ARE RESEARCH AT HOME/FROM YOUR OWN KNOWLEDGE, 3 AND 4 ARE FIELD CHECKS TO ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE VISITED THE SITE :
Q1) THE WORK AT HOVERINGHAM GRAVEL PITS UNCOVERED A GREAT MANY ICE AGE REMAINS, ONE OF THE FINDS RESULTED IN THE COMPANY ADOPTING THE ANIMAL AS A MOTIF AND A STATUE COULD BE FOUND IN THE WORKS GROUNDS. A) WHAT WAS THE ANIMAL? B) WHERE IS THE STATUE NOW?
Q2) GRAVEL IS MEASURED BY WHAT SCALE? (TWO WORDS)
REMEMBER THE SIZES OF i) GRANULAR GRAVEL & ii) PEBBLE GRAVEL
Q3) AT WAYPOINT 1 THERE IS A STRUCTURE, WHAT IS IT AND WHAT IS IT MADE OF? NOW STAND ON IT AND LOOK DOWN, THIS MAY HELP YOU ANSWER THE MAIN GEO-SCIENCE QUESTION
Q4) AT WAYPOINT 2 YOU SHOULD BE STANDING ON A FOOTPATH. i) WHAT IS THE SIZE OF THE MAJORITY OF THE GRAVEL HERE? ii) SEE CLASSIFICATIONS ABOVE, HOW WOULD YOU CLASSIFY IT? iii) PLEASE DESCRIBE THE SHAPE OF THE GRAVEL AND EXPLAIN HOW IT BECAME LIKE THAT.
I WOULD APPRECIATE A PHOTOGRAPH OF YOU WITH THE GRAVEL OUTCROP BEHIND YOU, BUT IT IS NOT A CONDITION OF LOGGING.
HOW DID THE GRAVEL GET HERE?
In the Pliocene epoch (1.7 million years ago) the River Trent rose in the Welsh hills and flowed almost east from Nottingham through the present Vale of Belvoir to cut a gap through the limestone ridge at Ancaster and thence to the North Sea.
At the end of the Wolstonian Stage (c. 130,000 years ago) a mass of stagnant ice left in the Vale of Belvoir caused the river to divert north along the old Lincoln river, through the Lincoln gap.
In a following glaciation (Devensian, 70,000 BC) the ice held back vast areas of water – called Glacial Lake Humber – in the current lower Trent basin. When this retreated, the Trent adopted its current course into the Humber. So where you are standing today was once under icy water and the gravel was left behind as the water receded and ran back into the River Trent.
The River Trent follows the gentle eastern dip of the Triassic rocks to form a broad lowland, partly infilled with glacial sands, gravels and clays deposited during the Quaternary ‘Ice Ages‘ (the last 2 million years).
The soils derived from these glacial deposits are rich in clay and often impermeable so that the Trent occupies a wide and open floodplain over much of its course. The present day floodplain lies at the bottom of a staircase of river terraces deposited by the Trent over the Quaternary sediments. These terraces are composed of fluvial sands and gravels and are often fossiliferous, containing the remains of Quaternary mammals.
River sands and gravels take the form of extensive spreads that occur along the floors of major river valleys, generally beneath modern alluvium, and as river terraces flanking the valley sides. River terraces are the dissected, or eroded, remnants of earlier abandoned river floodplains.
River sands and gravels can be found, in varying quantities, accompanying every major river system in the United Kingdom as they are formed by the natural processes of flooding and sea-level change that have affected drainage basins throughout time.
Larger rivers tend to form thicker deposits, therefore important resources are associated with the Thames, Trent and Severn and their tributaries. In general the composition of the sand and gravel of a river basin reflects that of the rocks in the uplands drained by the river and its tributaries.
The River Trent sands and gravels, for example, contain a high proportion of well-sorted quartzite pebbles derived from the Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group of the north Midlands.
In contrast, the River Thames gravels are predominantly composed of flint derived from the chalk uplands of south-east England, except in the upper reaches of the Thames in Oxfordshire where the gravels are largely derived from the Jurassic limestones of the Cotswolds.
FUN STUFF
On your way to Waypoint 1 there is a small, fast flowing stream. Stand at WP3 (Tree1) and drop a stick into the stream, then try to race the stick some 221 yards away to WP4 (Tree2). I would be interested to know how long your stick took in completing the course.
Here is a great link to an educational site - Click HERE to learn more about the River Trent.
There is lots to do in this area - the 'lakes' are a rich habitat for birds and popular with local and visiting bird watchers, there are some nice pub/restaurants and also a Family Fun Farm. There are two excellent Geocache Circuits within close proximity, and others a short drive along the Trent.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
CYRNFR FGNL GB GUR SBBGCNGUF, VS LBH PUBBFR GB RKCYBER GUR BGURE 'YNXRF' GURA OR NJNER FBZR NERNF NER ABG SRAPRQ.