Writing 1 I begin my hike in comfortable clothes, a camelbak, flashlight and my ticket to view the caves. The first thing I see is the large rockslide above the visitor’s center. The rockslide is called talus slop. A talus slope describes a type of rockslide that is a loose debris piles. Talus slopes have mild to moderate rockslides as rocks slide down the pile. I was surprised when one such rock hit my head dead center. Facing the American Fork Canyon in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, USA I see another rockslide/rock chute in which the area of the chute is much tanner than its surroundings due to constant erosion. This chute leads to very little vegetation and heavily concentrated vegetation at is base. Vegetation competes with other vegetation by getting closer to the unclaimed water at the base of the rock chute. Rockslides can be set off by virtually the tiniest of movements. Rockslides become avalanche sites during the winter. These rockslide heavy areas are often gates to catch falling rocks but there is no guarantee rocks will not escape. Rockslides are often triggered by rain or snow causing the rocks to become loose and fall. As I progress I see many signs of physical organic weathering. The most harsh were that of the …show more content…
Humans can destroy, mutilate or trash the caves. Humans indirectly affect the cave by touching the walls, which results in discoloration and the prevention of cave formation growth. Humans tend to litter which is not allowed. The caves are locked during off hours so that no one vandalizes the caves. Efforts to restore the caves to the way they were before human impact include sealing off artificial entries with doors to restore moisture. The Payson outdoor club began in 1921. The Club is dedicated towards protecting and preserving the caves from vandalism. These efforts in union with laws will help prevent further human impact on the
1. 225 MY : Weathering and erosion of very old folded rocks on an area
...e morphed it into the quartzite that is seen surrounding the butte (4). Rocks that undergo this process are called metamorphic rock, which is the same as the rock seen years ago by dinosaurs and other extinct creatures. The quartzite rocks were formerly seafloor sediment that was forced upwards, and then surrounded by lava basalt flows. Once erupted through fissures and floods through out most of the area, lava flow eventually created enough basalt to form a thickness of about 1.8 kilometers (1). All of this basalt flow eventually led to the covering of most mountains, leaving the buttes uncovered. The igneous lava flows and loess is reasons that the Palouse consists of such sprawling hills, and rich soil for farming (2). In result of the lava flows, the Precambrian rock Quartzite was formed. And lastly covered by the glacial loess, which were carried by the wind.
The entire tour requires a lot of walking, so wearing tennis shoes is recommended. Dress prepared for a cool environment because while inside the cave you will experience temperatures from 50-60 degrees. As you walk along the tour of the Bristol Caverns, a tour guide will inform you about the history of the cave: such as the original entrance place to the caverns used by the Cherokee Indians and how an early pioneer would store his fruit in the cave for extended freshness (tour guide). While the guide leads you through the cave of the caverns, you can view many formations and scenes. The formations are called stalagmites and stalagtites, which are created by the moisture and minerals in the cave hardening. One inch of these formations lengths can take from 150-300 years to form (tour guide). During the tour you will venture through different levels of the cave.
Shown in the picture above is volcanic extrusive igneous rock known as andesite. They were imported here to Laguna Beach to help minimize erosion (Merton Hill, p. 10-11). Extrusive Igneous rocks are formed on Earths surface due to lava quickly cooling or mixing with different materials such as ash or cinders from an eruption. There are two different types of extrusive igneous rocks; Plutonic and Volcanic. Andesite is known for being gray in color and being made up of very coarse grainy textures, which make it much harder to break down than sedimentary rocks. Unlike loose gravel and other sediments igneous rocks are known for being able to slow down seismic waves from earthquakes which cause less damage to surface structures.
One of Texas’ most famous natural landmark is a giant pink rock. Enchanted Rock in Fredericksburg is a massive pink granite dome that is 1,825 feet above sea level at the summit, and the entire dome covers 640 acres.
Traveling north on an Indian trail, the first sign of the area’s cataclysmic past would have appeared out of place from the rolling hills typical of the Western Pennsylvanian landscape. Peering down into a valley over 400 feet deep, the mighty gorge was littered with enormous boulders, framing the Slippery Rock Creek. These relict boulders of rock types foreign to the area are known as “glacial erratics” and are indicative of the strength of the encroaching glacier. As defined by the National Snow and Ice Data Center, “Glacial erratics are stones and rocks that were transported by a glacier, and then left behind after the glacier melted. Erratics can be carried for hundreds of kilometers, and can range in size from pebbles to large boulders.
Another major task for the conservationists and the preservers was that of protecting the site from vandalism by the public, increased humidity in the site due to body heat and erosion/decay of the site because of increased human presence and traffic. Regrettably since the opening of the site for the public in 2007 after being closed for 85 years there has been severe damage by human intervention.
Before entering the cave, our guide pointed out the rules. The cenotes are sacred to the Mayans, so there are strict rules on what not to touch for that reason and for environmental and safety reasons. We first walked to the Shaman’s hut where we gathered around for Shaman’s blessing. Carolina told us that there are a few entrances to the cave. As we descended, our guide began unveiling the awe-inspiring facts about the secret river, and the mystical tales of the Mayan underworld. We started walking on dry uneven surface with our guide literally highlighting the beautiful rock formations with her flashlight, and explaining the difference between the stalactites and stalagmites and other natural formations that walled the cave. A few yards later we were tramping along the pool of crystal clear water. The water was knee-deep. We continued to wade through the pool with uneven surface. As we went farther, the water rose thigh deep with rocks rising from the sand, rubbing the surface to give us a false impression of shallowness. We navigated through tight area or narrow passage way with low hanging stalactites, and tried to avoid stepping into a rock or 12-inch
All naturally occurring stone arches are formed by the selective erosion of rock, but the terms by which this can occur are massive. Among the most frequent types of formation are wave action and lava flow. During wave action, water crashes constantly upon the rock, effectively accelerating erosion while sediment carried by the water is extremely abrasive, removing bits of rock. When lava flow occurs, the outermost la...
Hydraulic Action, when waves hit the cliff, air is forced into cracks, and then as the wave retreats this air expands explosively. Over time the cracks enlarge, weakening the base of the cliff causing erosion.
When people think of geology, they usually think of rocks and fossils. However, geology is actually a very large field of study. The knowledge of geologists ranges from rocks and fossils to the moon and other planets (Hammonds 7-8). Geologists use a variety of subjects in their work, but the sciences and math are the most important. Some of the sciences geologists study are physics and chemistry (12). English is also a subject that geologists use when communicating with other scientists, the media, and the public (12) . Because of these tasks, it is important for geologists to have a wide knowledge of these different subjects.
Igneous rocks are formed from the ejection of earth’s volcanoes. Deep down inside earth’s mantle there lies hot magma. Magma is molten rock that is kept below the surface. This mixture is usually made up of four parts: a hot liquid substance which is called the melt; minerals that have been crystallized by the melt; solid rocks that have made themselves tangled in the melt because of loose materials, and finally gases that have become liquid. Magma is created by an increase in temperatures, pressure change, and a alter in composition. When this magma is ejected from earth’s crust it earns a new name called lava. The lava hardens and becomes an Igneous rock.
There are many different glacial landforms created by glacial erosion, one of these landforms is U-shaped valleys or glacial troughs. This glacial landform has many distinct characteristics. One of these characteristics is that it has very steep valley sides caused by the glacier as it moves down the valley eroding the sides of the valley by the processes of abrasion and plucking. Abrasion is when the boulders and moraine carried by the glacier rubs and erodes the valley side as it physically moves down the valley. Plucking happens when the water in the glacier freezes inside of the cracks in the individual rocks on the valley side then the water freezes and as the glacier moves the rock is plucked or torn from the valley side producing the steep side to the valley.
U.S. Geological Survey. Worldwide Overview of Large Landslides of the 20th and 21st Centuries. 6 December 2010. 3 February 2011 .
Granite is a readily-available, durable material. That makes it an outstanding choice for kitchen countertops, since they take a lot of daily abuse in most homes.