LEARNING ADVENTURE – SAND
EARTHCACHE REQUIREMENTS
Each cacher must send his/her own answers BEFORE logging a find. … “Geocachers must complete the tasks before they log the EarthCache as found.” (4.3. EarthCache logging tasks)
Enjoy the journey (learning adventure) as well as the destination (smiley earned). Remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints. To get credit for this Earthcache, complete the following tasks:
NOTE: Answers via message -and- 2 on-site signature pictures are required to post a find for this cache.
LAB
1. MESSAGE …. Observe the 7 sand samples. Based on the descriptions of their composition, identify the origin of each sample.
2. MESSAGE …. Group the 7 sand samples by color. a. Light colors / b. Dark colors / c. Why do some sands have both light and dark grains? / d. Name two factors that could change the color of sand.
LOG …. Post a picture of you or your signature item with a sample of the sand in your hand. This picture is your first log signature.
TRAVEL
Travel to the following beaches via observations of the sand samples and locations. All are from beaches on a spit.
Cranberry Beach / Moran Beach / Rocky Point Beach / Swantown Beach
3a. MESSAGE …. If you wanted to go to the lake and walk on the sand there, which beach would you choose? Why?
3b. MESSAGE …. Which beach would you most enjoy walking on? Why?
3c. MESSAGE …. If you were fossil hunting, which beach would you go to? Why?
3d. MESSAGE …. If you were a marine biologist, which beach would you go to? Why?
FIELD
4. MESSAGE …. Visit a beach of your choice. Describe the sand.
LOG …. Post a picture of you or your signature item at the beach. What beach did you visit? This picture is your second log signature.
The closest Beach is Red House Lake in Allegany State Park. N 42° 06.439′ W 78° 44.803′
OPTIONAL – Please respect the time and effort involved in finding and creating this earthcache by adding A and B to your log.
A. JOURNEY OF THE MIND … Science explains what we observe. Relate (in your own words) something you found interesting in the reading. This adds to your learning adventure and your log.
B. JOURNEY OF THE HEART … Art shares our personal experience of what we see. Share something special you found on site, and why it is special to you … prose / story / poem / picture. This is a memorable addition to your log and will make other hearts smile.
Journeys of Heart and Mind …
Stories to Touch the Heart and Puzzles to Challenge the Mind / Rainbow Tree Story
SAND AND THE PARENT ROCK
Sand is a mixture of mineral grains and rock fragments. Minerals are the components which make up rocks, and come in a multitude of colors. Nearly all rock forming minerals can be found in sand, but the most common is quartz. Granite is a common beach rock made up of the minerals quartz, mica, and feldspar.
HOW DOES SAND FORM
Sand is rock fragments and mineral grains ranging in size from .06 mm – 2 mm. Beach sand originates from the physical (breaking into pieces) and chemical (changing from dissolving or rusting) wearing down of shore rock. Smaller fragments are classified as clay or silt, larger ones as gravel. Most sand is composed of mineral grains and/or rock fragments. Biogenic sand is composed of animal skeletons, or coralline plant remains.
SAND MOVEMENT AND ANGULARITY
Some sand grains move with every wave. Many grains are brought to a beach by rivers. The constant movement of sand results in the corners of grains being worn down and rounded. The sharpness of corners is called angularity. Generally beach sand with rounded corners has undergone long periods of wave or river motion.
COMPOSITION OF SAND SAMPLES
A. GLACIAL OUTWASH MATERIAL FROM THE NORTHEAST UNITED STATES
Composed of quartz, mica, iron minerals, feldspar. Grains are subrounded, moderately sorted, and .25mm – 2mm in size.
B. CONTINENTAL VOLCANIC
Composed of andesite, magnetite, feldspar. Grains are subangular to angular, well sorted, and .25mm – 1mm in size.
C. CONTINENTAL-COASTAL PLAIN-DELTAIC
Composed of quartz and black iron minerals. Grains are well rounded, well sorted, and .25mm – .5 mm in size.
D. CONTINENTAL SUB-TROPICAL TO TROPICAL COAST
Composed of calcite, quartz. rock fragments, organics. Grains are angular to subrounded, poorly sorted, and .25mm – 5mm in size.
E. CONTINENTAL SANDSTONES
Composed of quartz, magnetite, feldspar, rock fragments. Grains aresubangular to subrounded, moderately sorted, and .25mm – 1mm in size.
F. NORTHWEST UNITED STATE STREAM RUNOFF FROM GLACIATED MOUNTAINS AND BLUFFS OF GLACIAL OUTWASH
Composed of quartz, feldspar, igneous and metamorphic volcanic rock fragments. Grains are angular to subangular, moderately sorted, and .25mm – 1 mm in size.
G. MOUNTAINOUS METAMORPHIC
Composed of mica, quartz, feldspar, iron ore minerals. Grains are very angular to subangular, poorly sorted, and .25mm – 2mm in size.
TYPES OF BEACHES
SALTWATER BEACHES – Roughly 72% of the earth’s surface is covered in water, and 70% of that is saltwater. Saltwater beaches are the most plentiful around the world, as beaches are commonly associated with coastal regions. Saltwater beaches can be found along oceans, seas, and estuaries.
FRESHWATER BEACHES – Found in the form of lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, and estuaries, freshwater bodies only cover about 2.5% of the world’s surface. Beaches on lakes are often quite narrow and sandy. Due to the smaller tides found on lakes, their beaches tend to be more static, and often require regular maintenance as inland vegetation creeps towards the shoreline. Riverside beaches tend to be wider, and beaches found along streams and ponds are more rare.
SANDY BEACHES – Sand is created from rock and minerals being broken down into tiny little particles by waves, tides, and erosion. Both the type of rock surrounding a beach and the local currents impact the type of sand that you see at a beach. Both quartz and feldspar create light brown sand. If iron oxide is present locally, the sand will be brown or red depending on the amount of iron oxide. White sand beaches are created from shells, coral and white quartz. Black sand beaches are created from lava stone being broken down into sand. Green sand beaches (rare) are created by olivine crystals, a silicate mineral containing iron and magnesium. Other sand colours include pink, orange, and purple, all influenced by different local minerals.
ROCKY BEACHES – These occur where coastal cliffs erode and crumble into large rock deposits along the the shoreline, blocking the build up of smaller, sandy sediment. Rocky beaches are areas of rich intertidal biodiversity and widely studied by marine biologists.
MUDDY BEACHES – Muddy beaches aka mudflats are formed when tides and rivers deposit mud, estuarine silts, and clay along the shoreline. The majority of mud is found within the intertidal zone. This means they are only exposed during low tide, making the mud quite wet and soft.
BEACH SPIT
A beach spit is a long, narrow piece of sand that juts out into the ocean from the shore, with one end attached to the shore and the other ending in open water. Spits are formed by longshore drift, which occurs along a beach due to the prevailing wind and wave direction. They often grow in length in the direction of the current and can form lagoons or salt marshes behind them.
RESOURCES
ROCKS and MINERALS … These links give the information for the rocks/minerals listed on the cache page.
Wards Sand Activity Kit / Beaches / Types