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Help developing an Earthcache?


EggSilent4

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We are avid geocachers and have a recent addiction to earthcaches. We have developed two in our area and are trying to get a third to complete our platinum masters degree. We found this neat rock formation at the top of a mountain in our area in the foothills of the Appalachian Mtns and were wondering if it might qualify. We are in no way geologists and are learning as we go. We have tried a bit of research but can't find what to call a formation like this. Could you help point us in the right direction? Thanks for any and all help! a25fbe54-345e-4186-9c5f-b2a418ba682d.jpg

Edited by EggSilent4
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Without knowing the geology of the area it's hard to help...at least for me as I'm no geologist. It could be all kinds up things from a meteor strike and resulting upthrust to it's being the edge of a much larger escarpment...My recommendation is to look at the larger picture and get an idea what is going on in the area than try to make sense of the formation you are seeing. For me the Niagara Escarpment is responsible for much of the cool stuff in Wisconsin...that and Glacial Lake Wisconsin. Knowing about those two events here in Wisconsin goes a long way towards helping me to understand much more about the formation of the structures around me.

 

Geology books are a great help as are Google searches. Googling vague terms such as "geology of (INSERT COUNTY NAME HERE)" may return surprising results.

Edited by Lostby7
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After some further study about upthrust and mountain formation in general in this area of NE Alabama, I think this could be an example of subduction tectonic movement. Does this look like it could be a result of that? The resulting almost flat underside of this formation gives the appearance of a subduction along this mountain ridge. I could be way off here and lookin for suggestions. Thanks for any and all!!

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I'm no geologist either, and I'm not sure that you can ever really know why that rock formation is thrust upwards like that. It could be simply that the rock around it has eroded away. The orange coloring might be a sign of iron deposits or metamorphosis, which could possibly have made it more resistant to erosion than the rock around it. If you can't determine why that formation is shaped like that, I still wouldn't let it stop you from doing an Earthcache there. If you can explain the geology of the area and identify the type of rock and the reason for the coloring, that ought to be good enough, IMO.

 

P.S. It actually looks a lot like many eroded sandstone formations we have here in Ohio.

Edited by Arby Gee
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