We will meet at Wake Stone's Triangle Quarry, located at 222 Star Lane, Cary, NC 27513. Take the N. Harrison Avenue exit off of I-40. Turn north (away from SAS).
Here's a link to the quarry: https://goo.gl/maps/oi90o
We will visit an operating 400 foot deep quarry in Wake Co., NC, where we will be looking at the geologic history near the boundary between the Carolina Terrane and the Crabtree Terrane. These rocks record a time in North Carolina's past characterized by mega-earthquakes, catastrophic eruptions of pyroclastic flows and the emplacement of mineralized veins rich in metallic ores and unique minerals.
The Umstead area is bounded on both sides by major fault systems. Just to the east of the quarry, a major plate tectonic boundary formed when ancient Africa collided with ancient North America to create the super-continent called Pangaea. An event very similar to what happened when the Indian subcontinent collided with the Asian continent to push up the modern Himalayas. Just as today we see major earthquakes happening all along that collision zone, in ancient times our area was a setting of cataclysmic earthquakes.
Here's a link to the quarry: https://goo.gl/maps/oi90o
We will visit an operating 400 foot deep quarry in Wake Co., NC, where we will be looking at the geologic history near the boundary between the Carolina Terrane and the Crabtree Terrane. These rocks record a time in North Carolina's past characterized by mega-earthquakes, catastrophic eruptions of pyroclastic flows and the emplacement of mineralized veins rich in metallic ores and unique minerals.
The Umstead area is bounded on both sides by major fault systems. Just to the east of the quarry, a major plate tectonic boundary formed when ancient Africa collided with ancient North America to create the super-continent called Pangaea. An event very similar to what happened when the Indian subcontinent collided with the Asian continent to push up the modern Himalayas. Just as today we see major earthquakes happening all along that collision zone, in ancient times our area was a setting of cataclysmic earthquakes.
The rocks at the quarry tell us this history by their texture and we will see examples on our trip. Textures of the rocks also reveal that a transform boundary (strike-slip fault system) similar to the San Andreas fault also existed in this area hundreds of millions of years ago. So Raleigh, tectonically quiet now was once a mountainous area rocked by massive, high-magnitude earthquakes!
On the trip we will enjoy a special opportunity for rock and mineral collection and learn about the economic importance of these rocks. Rock and mineral specimens we can expect to see include: orthoclase, plagioclase, calcite epidote, and titanite.We may see some blue quartz. The intrusive igneous rocks, dacites, are similar in composition to the Sierra Nevada and have a similar geologic history.
On the trip we will enjoy a special opportunity for rock and mineral collection and learn about the economic importance of these rocks. Rock and mineral specimens we can expect to see include: orthoclase, plagioclase, calcite epidote, and titanite.We may see some blue quartz. The intrusive igneous rocks, dacites, are similar in composition to the Sierra Nevada and have a similar geologic history.
Following the quarry visit, we will hike and explore the geology of nearby Umstead Park. This will be a chance to burn off some steam. Bring a lunch to enjoy! We will provide a few snacks and drinks for the group.
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| Sunset at Umstead Park - Umstead Coalition |
The cost of the Geology Field Trip is $25.00 per student. There is no charge to parents/drivers. Contact us if you would like details about a multiple sibling or scout group discount.
Because, the quarry will need an accurate 'head count', please let us know as soon as you can, if you will be attending and how many will be in your party : )
You can pay in two ways:
1) Send your payment to Pay Pal - rgreen08@gmail.com. - or -
2) Mail a check to
Rob Greenberg
2218 Esther Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Here are some things to know about visiting a quarry.
The quarry will supply hard hats, if needed. Please be prepared to follow any safety guidelines that the chief geologist requests of you. Footwear is required in the quarry as a safety measure; sturdy shoes are always a wise precaution when 'geologizing'.
We encourage participants to carpool together to the quarry if you can! Within the quarry, we will ask participants to carpool in order to minimize the amount of cars inside the quarry. Be prepared when asked to do that.
Please feel free to forward this email to others who you think will be interested. We would love to grow our list of geology enthusiasts!
We look forward to seeing everyone!
Mary Watson & Rob Greenberg
- Wear sturdy shoes (for safety sake open-toed foot wear is not allowed in a quarry)
- Bring water, sunscreen and bug spray (yes, ticks can be out even in the winter and early spring!)
- Bring plastic or cloth bags to take home your rock and mineral specimens.
- Bring rock hammers (if you have them), and protective eye cover. We will supply some for the group.
The quarry will supply hard hats, if needed. Please be prepared to follow any safety guidelines that the chief geologist requests of you. Footwear is required in the quarry as a safety measure; sturdy shoes are always a wise precaution when 'geologizing'.
We encourage participants to carpool together to the quarry if you can! Within the quarry, we will ask participants to carpool in order to minimize the amount of cars inside the quarry. Be prepared when asked to do that.
Please feel free to forward this email to others who you think will be interested. We would love to grow our list of geology enthusiasts!
We look forward to seeing everyone!
Mary Watson & Rob Greenberg
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