Canadian Geopub Quiz

[+Landsharkz]

Here is the next question...

 

Where is Wrangellia?

 

Wrangellia is a geological terrane that includes Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlotte Islands of the geomorphologic Insular Belt of the Canadian Cordillera.

 

The medal goes to shearzone! Nicely said, but we expect no less .

Wrangellia also includes parts of SE Alaska and SW Yukon. It kinda sounds like a place in a fantasy novel, but it's the piece of the crust that is home to our caches! It would be a good name for a new Earthcache here too

 

Over to you shearzone

[+shearzone]

The medal goes to shearzone! Nicely said, but we expect no less .

 

Let's bring it back to Ontario . What is the northernmost municipality in Ontario to have a set of traffic lights? Hint: it's not as far north as Calgary. Second hint: In 1936, more planes landed here than in New York City.

[+Landsharkz]

Kenora? I know there's a light there... I drove through there on my way to the west coast years ago... and I'm pretty sure there's a KFC too.

[+2happy2gether]

Moosonee.

[+Binrat]

Hmmmm......

 

My answer would be Dryden.

 

Binrat

Edited May 17, 2007 by Binrat

[Stroover]

Kapuskasing?

[+greywynd]

Well, IMO, Kenora, Dryden, Geraldton and Hearst are all about the same line, so what's farther North.....maybe Red Lake?

 

Greywynd

[+shearzone]

Well, IMO, Kenora, Dryden, Geraldton and Hearst are all about the same line, so what's farther North.....maybe Red Lake?

 

Greywynd

 

Bingo! Red Lake has the northernmost traffic lights in Ontario. The small community of 3500 people has one set next to the Shell gas bar. A gold rush in 1936 attracted lots of air traffic, all of which landed on the lake by float plane. When I was last there in 2001, the sister towns of Red Lake and Balmertown had two gold mines in operation, speculation about reopening a closed mine and lots of exploration for gold, platinum, palladium and other related metals. The rock that is currently being mined has a whopping 85 g/tonne! It is so rich in gold that the machines sometimes get jammed because the rock has too much gold in it (can't complain about that). The rock is so rich of gold, that the mine waste has more gold in it than gold mined in the Abitibi region of western Quebec and NE Ontario.

 

over to you Greywynd

Edited May 17, 2007 by shearzone

[+Juicepig]

mmmm.. palladium

[+greywynd]

I wondered why this had seemed quiet...didn't realize it was my turn......I'll think about a question today and post later on. I'm hoping that most of us are outdoors enjoying the weather anyway!!!!

[Stroover]

Ya, like I'm really enjoying the rain, rain, and more rain.

[+greywynd]

Ya, like I'm really enjoying the rain, rain, and more rain.

 

Well, sorry about your weather, but here in Ontario we had nothing but sun and nice temps all day.

 

Ok, question time. 10-15 years ago I was doing claim staking in the field, before GPS was really available. We used a compass of course, but for distance, what did we use for measuring distances? Remember, this was often 300-500 metres at a time, through woods, swamps etc, and it involved the use of cotton.

 

Greywynd

[+shearzone]

Ya, like I'm really enjoying the rain, rain, and more rain.

 

Well, sorry about your weather, but here in Ontario we had nothing but sun and nice temps all day.

 

Ok, question time. 10-15 years ago I was doing claim staking in the field, before GPS was really available. We used a compass of course, but for distance, what did we use for measuring distances? Remember, this was often 300-500 metres at a time, through woods, swamps etc, and it involved the use of cotton.

 

Greywynd

 

pacing and chains

[+greywynd]

We always called them 'hipchains' but close enough. For those that don't know what we're talking about, an example is here: http://www.bapequipment.com/cat_188.html

 

They work by using a thin cotton thread that you tie to a tree or whatever at teh start, and as it pays out the distance is displayed on a counter. (If there is more than one person, the LAST person in the group wears it, so the others are breaking or disrupting the string.) When you finish measuring, break the string and away you go...th string will deteriorate pretty quick, and is thin enough that it will break if an animal hits it.

 

Take it away shearzone

[+shearzone]

Take it away shearzone

 

The seven tallest peaks of the Canadian Rockies have something in common. What is it? Hint: it has something to do with the orientation of strata that compose them.

[QuigleyJones]

The rock layers are at a 45 degree-ish angle to level ground.

[QuigleyJones]

Heres a visulization (in Colorado).

[+shearzone]

Heres a visulization (in Colorado).

 

if someone stacked a pile of books at an angle of 45 degrees, would it be stable for long?

[+2happy2gether]

Take it away shearzone

 

The seven tallest peaks of the Canadian Rockies have something in common. What is it? Hint: it has something to do with the orientation of strata that compose them.

 

It looks to me like one continental plate has moved over top of another causing the rock to lift up at a really odd angle. The Himalayas were formed like this if I'm not mistaken. If I could remember the geologic term I would look brilliant, but I'll opt for this answer.

[+shearzone]

I'm leaving for a weeklong roadtrip to Yellowknife. The answer to the question has been left with CA in case I can't follow up on this question.

Edited May 21, 2007 by shearzone

[Ingy]

I believe these 7 peaks continue to grow as the strata continues to tilt (ongoing tectonic collision I believe). Although I know Mount Logan is still growing, I'm guessing the rest of the Rockies peaks are too.

[+Couparangus]

I have to admit that what Shearzone sent me sounds a lot like your answer, Ingy! We can get confirmation when Shearzone returns. In meantime I'd say the floor is yours to ask another question. (Hint: I'm good at the natural science ones)

[Stroover]

I have to admit that what Shearzone sent me sounds a lot like your answer, Ingy! We can get confirmation when Shearzone returns. In meantime I'd say the floor is yours to ask another question. (Hint: I'm good at the natural science ones)

 

I was going to say that the tectonic plate those mountains are on is moving to the north-east, and the tectonic plate Atlantic Canada is on is moving west, colliding with the tectonic plate the mountains are one, thus causing those mountains. What they have in common is they are moving North-East.

[Ingy]

This is the first time for me on this forum. So I am going to start with a basic navigational question. Although GPS have rendered some of the more basic rules and concepts of navigation obsolete, sometimes they can save the day.

 

Keeping navigation in mind, what is the "1 in 60" rule?

Cheers

Ingy

[+ve1bvd]

If you alter your course by one degree, after having traveled 60 miles, you will be one mile away from your original destination.

 

ve1bvd

[+ve1bvd]

If you alter your course by one degree, after having traveled 60 miles, you will be one mile away from your original destination.

 

ve1bvd

[+ve1bvd]

If you alter your course by one degree, after having traveled 60 miles, you will be one mile away from your original destination. In other words, 60 x sin(1°) = 1 mi. [Actually, it's 1.04 and change, but close enough for government work ]

 

ve1bvd

Edited May 23, 2007 by ve1bvd

[Ingy]

Bang on, all 3 times

[danoshimano]

Bang on, all 3 times

 

[+shearzone]

I believe these 7 peaks continue to grow as the strata continues to tilt (ongoing tectonic collision I believe). Although I know Mount Logan is still growing...

 

This is the first time I've been able to check the forum since arriving in Yellowknife. The answer given is not exactly what I was looking for, but it will do for the sake of keeping the quiz going. The answer to what the seven tallest peaks in the Canadian Rockies are that the strata that compose them are all horizontally bedded, the most stable orientation of bedding. Intuitively, it makes sense. Think of how you would stack a pile of books. On the side with the largest surface area, of course. If you arrange them vertically, you would need bookends to keep them from falling over. If you piled them at any other angle, they would slide off the pile.

 

I'm guessing the rest of the Rockies peaks are too.

 

To answer this, plate collision in the rockies has ended, thus the mountains are no longer rising due to plate convergence.

 

Nonetheless, thanks CA for taking over for me to keep the geopub quiz going in my absence

Edited May 24, 2007 by shearzone

[+ve1bvd]

OK, here goes for another navigation-oriented question...

 

What is a loxodrome [sometimes called a loxodromic curve]?

[QuigleyJones]

I knew I had heard of a loxodrome but for the life of me I couldn't remember anything about it. So I googled it and find out its also called a rhumb line which I'm fully aware of

[+ve1bvd]

(1) you googled, and i believe that's agin the Rules, and

 

(2) you still haven't told us what it is...

Edited May 24, 2007 by ve1bvd

[danoshimano]

A Rhumb line is what you call the Rum line after you've been through the rum line a few times too many.

[QuigleyJones]

I knew I had heard of a loxodrome but for the life of me I couldn't remember anything about it. So I googled it and find out its also called a rhumb line which I'm fully aware of

(1) you googled, and i believe that's agin the Rules, and

 

(2) you still haven't told us what it is...

#1 is the reason for #2 :

[Stroover]

Oh, I want to Google it sooo bad! Ok, here it goes: From what I remember (back in the '80s), you got the meridians and the parellels that cross each-other and make right angles. But, the closer you get to the poles, they kind of make a curve, which is called the loxodromic curve, or a loxodrome.

Edited May 25, 2007 by Stroover

[+ve1bvd]

Nice try Stroover. close, but no cigar! Anyone else want a go?

[+Couparangus]

This is a good question. I looked in the dictionary and found the answer, but in the interest of fairness I'll leave it for someone who really knows to come forward.

[Stroover]

Aw man! now I remember! Oh well, I had my chance. Somebody PLEASE answer this so we can keep it goin.

[+ve1bvd]

CA,

 

I need some guidance here. As the OP, I guess you are also the Chief Arbitrator by acclamation. How long do I wait for a correct answer? If none is received, do I ask another, or pass it on to the closest answerer, in this case Stroover?

 

ve1bvd

[+greywynd]

In case CA is away, I'll state what I've seen. Sometimes, particularly on weekends, the visits to the forums change, due to people being (hopefully) out caching. You can wait longer, or give a hint (if you see fit). Sometimes it may be a quiet weekend, just depends who's around.

 

Greywynd

[+ve1bvd]

Thanks, Greywynd. I'll give 'em a couple more days. BTW, Stroover, if you haven't used any kind of a reference to confirm your answer, you can give it another try...

 

cheers,

 

ve1bvd

[+greywynd]

Thanks, Greywynd. I'll give 'em a couple more days. BTW, Stroover, if you haven't used any kind of a reference to confirm your answer, you can give it another try...

 

cheers,

 

ve1bvd

 

Chances are you'll find that things pick up Monday once folks are back to work. Also, GeoWoodstock is on in the States this weekend, and I knw there are lots of folks from Ontario at least that headed south, guessing they aren't the only ones. Next Saturday there's an large event again near Barrie, so I'd think it would be safe to say there will be lots of cachers away then too.

[Stroover]

Thanks, Greywynd. I'll give 'em a couple more days. BTW, Stroover, if you haven't used any kind of a reference to confirm your answer, you can give it another try...

 

cheers,

 

ve1bvd

 

Naw, I looked it up in my sailing dictionary to refresh my memory, and when I did, I said "Doe! I knew that!". So, anyway, I'm now disqualified for this question.

[+Couparangus]

I'd say give it two days and if there's no response start dropping hints. I have no problem with people using references at all. Its just that Google and Wikipedia make things just a little too easy.

 

As far as I'm concerned, if you find the answer in any book you own that's totally valid.

[Stroover]

I'd say give it two days and if there's no response start dropping hints. I have no problem with people using references at all. Its just that Google and Wikipedia make things just a little too easy.

 

As far as I'm concerned, if you find the answer in any book you own that's totally valid.

 

So let's keep it going, then! This is what I dug-up from my pile of stoof: Say you're sailing along, following your compass, (whether it's north, south, east, west, north-east, west-by-north-west, or what have you), as long as you are continuously going along that compass bearing, making a straight line, that line you are theoretically making is the rhumb line, or otherwise known as the loxodromic curve. On a map it would look like you are crossing the meridians at the same angle every time.

Can we keep it going now? This is fun!

[+ve1bvd]

OK Stroover...I'll give you the go. However, if your course is either East (090°T) or West (270°T), by your definition, it can't be a loxodrome, as you'll NEVER reach the pole!

 

BTW, thanks for the clarification, CA!

 

cheers,

 

ve1bvd

[Stroover]

All rightey, then! How can you find out your coordinates (longitude and latitude) with only a watch, a stick, and a protractor?

[+TOMTEC]

All rightey, then! How can you find out your coordinates (longitude and latitude) with only a watch, a stick, and a protractor?

Just give them to MacGyver and he'll jury rig a GPS!

 

TOMTEC

[+Couparangus]

Although I'm sure this is not the answer you're looking for, you'll need one of these types of watches.

 

The stick will be handy for whacking away bears and the protractor for doing geometric exercises in the sand.