Trovanti - Costesti EarthCache
Hidden : 5/31/2010
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:




[En] The “Trovants” are stones or sandstone concretions that secrete cement and appear to grow by themselves. They consist of a stone core with an outer shell of sand believed to be the result of cementation that occurred millions of years ago.After heavy rain small forms appear on the rocks leading them to be dubbed “growing stones” by locals

The term “Trovant” is usual in Romanian terminology for geology. The trovants (cemented sand) represent local cementation in the reservoir of sand that contains them and the cementation various shapes, some of the very strange. 6 million years ago ther was a sedimentation basin here. The sand reservoir was formed as a consequence of the succesiv sedimentation of detritic material, transported by rivers from the continent.

The two essential conditions for the trovants formation are: - existence of sand sediments and conservation of a vast porosity, despite the normal compression caused by the pressure - presence of local concentrations - “segregation” of specific minerals from secondary components dispersed in the host rock

(more details from a scientific paper of Mircea Ticleanu. The entire articole can be found here)
The diameter of the trovants vary from 1-2 cm to 2-3 m. Complex aggregates of two ore more trovants can often be found. There is no mineralogical difference between these pseudoconcretions and the surrounding sands. Their cement is often carbonate-type and no distinct nucleus can be found inside them. Many hypotheses have been produced on their origin, some of them fantastical. Anyway the epigenetic origin (a building of the trovants under the action of external agents or subsequent chemical solutions) is out of discussion. In our opinion the trovants represent diagenetic textures reflecting paleodynamic (paleoseismic) conditions and correspond to specific compactions of the sandy sediments containing locally solutions (especially carbonate) accumulated in the sand, which during important seismic shocks and under the influence of the internal cohesion forces tended to spherical forms. In the process are involved: gravitation force, seismic shocks, solution cohesion forces (particularly surface tension) and the adhesion strength between the sand grains and the liquid. The great trovants found in the thick sand beds reflect great initial amounts of solutions in the bulk of the sandy sediment. The perfect spherical shapes which sometimes can be found suggest great magnitudes and durations of the paleoearthquakes. A hypothesis on the seismic origin of the trovants is very well sustained by many laboratory experiments of which the most relevant are those in which sand spheres are obtained out of wet sand on fine sieves under mechanical shocks.

To log this Earth Cache, send me the answers to the following questions:
1. Tell be the size of the biggest stone in the reservation?
2. What is the area of the reservation? (you can measure it with your gps or read it on the info panel on site :) )
Also take a photo of your GPS and one of the stones



[Ro] Trovanti sau concretiuni mai sunt cunoscuti si sub numele de "pietre care cresc". Sunt microforme de relief caracteristice acumularilor de nisipuri si unor stratificatii de gresii bogate în carbonat de calciu. Trovantii (concretiunile) cresc spontan- din centru catre periferie- cu o rata de depunere care poate atinge 4-5 cm în 1200 ani. Ei apar sub forma unor agregate minerale nodulare, sferoidale, elipsoidale, discoidale, cilindrice sau dendritice cu structura masiva, concentrica sau plana (stratificata), având dimensiuni de la câtiva milimetri la câtiva metri.

In apropiere de drumul care leaga Ramnicu Valcea de Targu Jiu, in comuna valceana Costesti, natura a creat unele dintre cele mai surprinzatoare sculpturi de piatra. Forme bizare, milimetrice sau de dimensiunea unui om, continua sa iasa la iveala pe masura ce oamenii exploateaza nisipul din cariera. In jurul balatrucilor sau dorobantilor, cum ii mai numesc localnicii, s-a tesut un adevarat folclor: unii spun ca bolovanii ar avea origini supranaturale, altii ca ar fi marturii ale existentei unor civilizatii extraterestre superioare. Cert e ca nici oamenii de stiinta nu au reusit, pana acum, sa desluseasca in totalitate misterul formarii trovantilor, si tot ce pot face, deocamdata, este sa emita ipoteze pe care sa incerce sa le verifice in laborator. Ei sustin ca formatiunile, numite in literatura de specialitate si concretiuni grezoase, ar avea peste 6 milioane de ani vechime si ar fi aparut datorita unor cimentari locale ale nisipului, posibil pe fondul unei activitati seismice.
Trimite-mi raspunsurile la intrebarile de mai jos pentru a putea loga Earth Cache
1. Care este marimea aproximativa a celei mai mari pietre din rezervatie?
2. Cat este suprafata rezervatiei? (o puteti masura folosind GPSul sau citinf panoul informativ :) )
De asemenea, postati si o poza in care sa apara GPSul si una din pietre

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