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Cause of plumber's crack (in Red Rock)
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Hey y'all, Wasn't sure where to post this. Seems pretty general to me. I'm an Earth Science teacher soon to start a unit on weathering. Got to thinking of this route and what caused the feature. My first thought was frost action. Is that a thing here? (I would think so.) Cheers, Sean PS. While we're talking about weathering, what is your favorite weathered climbing feature? I might pick Looking Glass eyebrows for their novelty or chickenheads for their awesomeness. |
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Did you see this? ( not related to your question) |
Sean Sullivan wrote: Ancient Art |
Sean Sullivan wrote: Frost cracking does occur, but I doubt that it's responsible for Plumber's Crack. Frost cracking helps propagate hairline fractures in rock, it does not widen large cracks. Here's my hypothesis: the boulder fractured when it fell down from the mountain above. Once the boulder stopped rolling, soil erosion around the base and thermal expansion/contraction caused the boulder to gradually split apart at the fracture as it settled into the sand. I could also envision that the boulder fractured and settled in almost the exact configuration we see it in now. In other words, I hypothesize that most of the weathering (i.e. fracturing) responsible for Plumber's Crack occurred during when the boulder fell down the mountain, not in situ. I see you're from Idyllwild, where are you teaching? I used to teach science and math at Idyllwild Arts, and before that at Astrocamp. I in a geology PhD program now, but I still miss Idyllwild. |
amarius wrote: WOAH!? Rad!!!! Ty for sharing :-) |
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I don't think Quinn has made his way out to Red Rocks yet so slightly OT, but his The Rock Behind the Climb podcast has very interesting discussions of the geology behind a number of crags. Definitely worth a listen. Soundcloud Link: https://soundcloud.com/quinn-todzo |
Looking at a pic of the route I'd be inclined to agree. Incipient crack allows water to seep in. Freeze / thaw causes the crack to grow and propagate downward Eventually the stone is sufficiently split that gravity take over and the boulder opens up like pac man. That's my guess. |
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Thanks for the responses! I have seen that exfoliation video...or at least that live footage, though not with the narration. Love the air quotes! (Reminds me of a George Carlin joke) Ryan, thanks for the alternate theory. Definitely something to consider. Could be a good CER activity for students, even. I'm currently teaching in San Bernardino (little bit of a commute but it gives me time to think and listen to podcasts (including the geology one mentioned by aaron). Ancient Art is definitely a great example of weathering. One that just came to mind is Cannon cliff in NH. Before I got on Moby Grape for the first time, I was in constant fear that some of its notable features would fall off before I could experience them. Luckily, they're still there. I think. |
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In my experience plumbers crack is caused by poor diet, genetics and sloppy dressing habits... |
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Of course, it's frostbite. Water enters the cavities, and the ground freezes, which causes it to burst. I have been working as a plumber for several years, and there are various problems that cause customers to call us. In summer, it will be a replacement for old installations or some abandoned part of the installation should be cleaned and released. However, in winter, we are often called because of the freezing of pipes. Pipes burst because the water that stays in the pipes during the night freezes, and it expands, leading to pipe damage. Repairing this costs a lot of money, which is why some plumbers make $50k/year. |
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how about the hairy zits? |
