Top of Iowa EarthCache EarthCache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(other)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
Northern Iowa landforms resulted from the movement of glacial ice sheets. After the ice sheets melted in this area, many of the first settlers, Pioneers, would have traveled through prairies.
"Glaciers and ice sheets are perennial accumulations of ice and snow that flow downslope, slowly, due to their own weight. These terrestrial (land-based) ice masses often are classified by size as either glaciers, ice caps, or ice sheets. At the present time, perennial ice covers about 10 percent of Earth's land surface." Water Encyclopedia: Science and Issues
"As the glacial ice-sheets retreated from Iowa 12,000 to 10,000 years ago, the climate gradually changed. As the spruce and pine forests retreated with the colder glacial climate, prairie became established in the warmer, drier climate. Forests have made advances into the prairie at different times in the past 8,000 years as the climate has changed. Fires kept most of the forest at bay. Certain trees could survive some of the fires and grew wide-spaced intermingling with the prairie, creating savannas.
As prairie plants grow, most of the initial growth is below ground into very deep root systems. Two-thirds of the living portion of the prairie is below ground in the roots. As fire burns across the land, it burns the dead material from the top of the plants, returning its' nutrients to the earth. Fire eliminates most plants that have shallow roots and can't survive fire. Prairie plants then re-sprout from its deep roots. Over thousands of years, the continuous cycle of life and death on the prairie built the rich, black soils of Iowa and the Midwest." The Iowa Prairie Network, link updated 4/2/2019
To claim this find, please e-mail the answers to the following questions to Reed2ME. If answers are not sent, the find will not count and the log will be deleted.
1. How may glacial ice sheets formed this area?
2. What two landforms did these glacial ice sheets form?
3. Describe the ocean that the Pioneers took their voyage through.
4. Look at the view of the landforms from where you are standing. Reed2ME is from Maine so the landforms here are very different from where we live. Tell us where you are from and in what direction the view of the landforms strikes you the most and why.
5. Optional - Post a photo. Be careful not to include any answers in your photo.
6. Optional - Not all GPS read the same. If your coordinates for GZ are different, please e-mail your coordinates with your answers. Thank you!
Happy EarthCaching! Thank you for visiting the Top of Iowa EarthCache!
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)