ProvidencePosse-Stop3

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=Stop 3 - Canyon Three =

1. A physical geography: The presence of deep pockets of erosion and the formation of new gullies at the base of this canyon shows that there is an active and aggressive erosion/transportation activity at this location. There are also fragments of big rocks in the valley, signifying the beginning of regolith exposure. The mass movement associated with this location, as with the case of the whole canyon formation, includes debris flow as the valley at the bottom is filled up with a mixture of rocks, boulders and trees. On the day when we visited the canyon it had been raining and we could clearly see the fresh deposition of sediments, which were the most dramatic in this canyon. Here there was an active stream running through the bed of the canyon and we could literally watch the runoff transport sediment from the canyon floor.

2. Soil Characteristics:


 * Color:Very pale brown (10YR, 8/2)
 * Texture: Clay loam


 * Soil moisture content: 3.8%


 * Organic content: less than 1.4%


 * pH: 6.5

3. GPS points: 32*04'11.92"N 84*54'36.34"W

media type="youtube" key="fGR_2M214dA" height="344" width="425" media type="youtube" key="wnrxv47mCww" height="344" width="425"

Above you can see sidewall erosion in action and properties of the sand particles that make up soil profile of the Providence Canyon region. The particles are highly compacted, but have not gone though enough heat and pressure to evolve to Sandstone. Because the particls are only bonded though a weak physical contact, the bonds are easily broken, allowing erosion to occur.

The gullies are quite visible above. ||
 * [[image:stop3-1.jpg]]

In the picture below you can visibly see the O and A horizon very clearly. It is very small and gets eroded down the canyon; you can see some of the newly deposited under where the group is standing. .


 * [[image:stop3-2.jpg]] ||
 * [[image:stop3-3.jpg]] ||

Also, after carfully examining the pictures, what type of mass-wasting process may have taken place other than the erosion?
 * //QUESTION//**//: "After watching the videos, how has your understanding of the soil composition of the canyon been changed or enhanced? What does this tell you about the speed of geological change in this particular area? Also, as seen in the video, minor stress can cause a significant amount of destruction of the geological formations; how do you think the graffiti seen here in the pictures has affected this area and how do you think it will continue to effect it in the future?//

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