Ruggesteinen (the rocking stone) EarthCache
Hidden : 11/23/2008
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: other (other)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

Watch

How Geocaching Works
Looking for a different adventure?

Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

Geocache Description:

The “Ruggesteinen” (rocking stone) is Europas largest rocking stone, a boulder weighing about 70 metric tonns.

This boulder is a product of erosion from the hillside above. It is not proven where the boulder originally was placed, but the boulder is of the same rock type as the mountains in Sokndal. The balance of the stone is perfect with the point that touches the ground, and even children are able to give the stone a visible movement. This stone was the first geological phenomena that was protected in Norway, as early as in 1923, and it’s today a very popular tourist attraction.

Sokndal's geology is special with rocks which are about 930 million years. These rock types are Norite and Anorthosite. The Rogaland Anorthsite Complex is a late mesoproterozoic intrusion that dates to about 929-932 million years. Anorthosite is very oligotrophic, and the landscape is barren. This is in big contrast to the vigorous Jæren landscape 40 km NW from this site.

Anorthosite consist of more than 90 % of the mineral plagioklas (consist amongst others calcium (Ca) and sodium (Na). Anorthosite has a gradual transition to leuconorite (Norite) which in addition to plagioclase consist of 10-35 % orthopyroxene. Sokndal is Norway's largest mining municipality with the illmenite company Titania A/S and the stone quarry of Fjordstein, Rekefjord. This part of the Rogaland Anorthsite Complex is called Åna-Sira Anorthosite massif.


The geology of the Rogaland Anorthosite Province draped on the topography. The Bjerkreim-Sokndal Intrusion is shown in red and greenish colours while anorthosites are shown in blue. The cache is at the red circle. (source: www.ngu.no)

To prove that you have been there, please email me and tell me what device that is in the river next to the nearest parking space (Park1). (Logs that reveal the answer, will be deleted without further notice.)

Sources:
- www.ngu.no
- www.nhm.uio.no

Do also visit the NWG#3 Blåfjell Ilmenite Mine - Sokndal cache, that is approx 2.5 km further up the road. This cache is placed near the abandoned Blåfjell mine.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

gur fgbar jvgu gur fvta vf gur evtug bar

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


Attributes

No attributes available

Advertising with Us

Inventory

There are no Trackables in this cache.

View past Trackables

What are Trackable Items?

Bookmark Lists

View all 5 bookmark lists...