Geology Scavenger Hunt

Check Out Central Park... Again!

If you have ever seen the movie Elf, you may have noticed some unusual rocks as Buddy is running around in Central Park (New York). Most of the rock formations at Central Park were caused by glaciers that moved through this area, pushing large rocks along as they went and depositing them along the way.

Watch this clip, but this time take special notice of the rock formations you see. What do you notice about the rock formations? Would you see the same kinds of rock formations in the parks in Dublin? Why or why not?

Evidence of Glaciers

Some of the bedrock in Central Park, like Umpire Rock, may be ancient metamorphic rock that hasn't eroded away as quickly as some of the other rock in the area.

Perhaps the oddest phenomenon in Central Park has to be the erratics. These are large boulders that were moved by glaciers, and were deposited in precarious positions. They look like they'll tip over or roll away at any moment, but they've been standing in the same position for years!

Scavenger Hunt – Let's look for Erratics!

Your challenge is to take a virtual walk in Central Park, and try to find an erratic. There are lots around Umpire Rock, so that's a good place to start.

Click on this link to take you to Umpire Rock.
In the toolbar at the lower right-hand corner of Google Earth, you'll see Pegman.
Grab Pegman by the top of his head, drag him over a small LINE in the park, then drop him. Don't drop him on a road. Make sure to drop him on the small lines that indicate walking paths within the park.
Use the arrows to virtually walk through the park. Don't forget to look around as you go!
When you find an erratic, take a screen shot and brag to your friends that you found one.

Extension

Learn more about erratics.
Learn more about rock formations in Central Park.
Explore - What other places have erratics? Use Google Earth to find an example of an erratic in a different area.
Create – Make an animation to demonstrate how erratics happen.

Report abuse