Quit Slumping! - CARL3 EarthCache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(other)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This cache has been placed for the CARL3 event. This cache was released to the public on Thursday June 9th. The cache should not be located prior to 6 p.m. Friday June 10. The caches for the CARL3 event are released early so that the geocaching community has an opportunity to plan their routes prior to the event start.
Erosion of many types helped create the feature around you that we commonly know as a coulee. One of the more unusual forms of erosion is coulee slumping.
Coulee slumping is the downward and outward sliding of a large mass of earthen material along a curved, usually concave upward, shearing plane. A slump block, which is evident as the main block that has slidden often breaks into mini slump blocks. Steep north, west and east-facing coulee slopes are most vulnerable to slumping (slope failure). Snow collects here and the increased moisture content of the soil promotes instability.
Research at the University of Lethbridge shows a strong relationship between residential development and the impact of lawn watering, and the rate of slumping in the coulees. Researchers say that waste water may percolate through the rocky unconsolidated till, and cause increased soil movements in the coulees. In turn, this leads to increased slumping. In 1996, Stafford Coulee in north Lethbridge was partially filled in an attempt to stabilize the north-facing slope and protect houses and utility lines.
Coulee slumps can be both a benefit and problem for local wildlife. They provide good habitat for some species, such as rock wrens and yellow-bellied marmots. Coulee slumping and underground piping channels may also be important in providing suitable winter denning sites for rattlesnakes. Alternatively, coulee slumping may also destroy hibernacula (sites where many snakes hibermate together). A visit during the spring of 1997 to a site that had been occupied by snakes during the summer of 1996 revealed that slumping had buried the entrance. It is not known how many snakes, if any, were destroyed or if the slumping was a natural process or caused by agricultural (ie: irrigation) activities on the fields above.
The difficulty of this cache is due to the newly roughened terrain that must be crossed to get to the cache site. It is not recommended to try this cache if it's been wet or raining!
To claim this Earthcache, you must email me answers to the following questions. Please do not post them in your log, or it will be deleted!
1. Facing east, how many slumps can you see on both sides of the coulee?
2. Giving it your best guess, how old does the oldest slump appear to be? How old is the newest slump?
3. How many earth 'dams' do you see east of you across the north-facing coulee to help prevent additional slumping and soil erosion?
4. Post a photo of yourself or your GPS with the most recent slump in the background. (This request is optional and is not required to log the cache.)
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)