Writing 1

Timpanogos Cave
Emily McRae
U13454467

The Timpanogos Cave system is situated in the Wasatch

Mountain Range and the American Fork Canyon. In order to
understand the formation of the cave you must understand the
formation of the landscape around it. The trail leading to the
cave offers a view of many different geological features that you
can put together to get an idea of the history of the landscape
and the many different processes acting on it now that are
continuing to shape it.
Weathering and erosion are main factors in any changing
landscape. Examples of mass wasting can be seen along the trail,
or places where loose rocks tumble down the mountainsides due
to gravity. This causes large barren slopes called talus slopes
where the frequently falling rocks have made it impossible for
trees to grow, while also providing a clear path for running water.
These slopes also provide path for avalanches during the colder,
snowier months. The shape of the valley is like a V, which

indicates that it was cut by streams and not by glaciers. The

presence of flowing water is a powerful factor in cave formation
because when it seeps through cracks or faults in can carve out
the inside of rocks. Breccia faults run along the rocks, which grind
the rock layers into sand. This also facilitates the passage of
water into the rocks. There is also the large Wasatch fault, which
created the mountain range and the valley. Faults play a large
part in cave formation because earthquakes can break rocks to
create an open cavity for water and chemicals to pass through
and dissolve the inside of rocks, forming the caves. You can see
several examples of chemical weathering along the trail as well,
such as iron oxidation, which can be seen in the reddish rocks.
There also dark smooth black rocks which are the result of
manganese oxidation. This kind of weathering is slow, but it still
is a factor in the formation and deterioration of the rocks and
thus the caves, because the wearing away of the rocks allows for
water and other chemicals to enter. The history of the canyon can
also be seen in the orientation of the rock layers. You can see
tilted and folded rocks and different layers of bedding all along
the trail. Many of the rock layers are made of sedimentary rocks,
which would indicate that they were deposited by water. Fossils

can even be found in some of the rocks, as well as little winding

cracks that were formed from running water, as the canyon used
to be a shallow sea. The tilting and folding of the layers came
after their deposition, and are the result of the moving faults and
tectonics, namely from the Wasatch fault.
When humans came in contact with the cave, it is hard to
think that that the natural order of things remains untouched. In
the past, people were allowed to touch a formation at the end of
their tour known as the salt and pepper shakers. This is a good
example of the damage that humans can do simply by touching
the features of a cave, because the salt and pepper shakers can
no longer deposit calcium at the rate they could before, and their
growth has been stunted. Even the oils in our fingertips are
capable of wearing them away and causing discoloration. Before
the cave was protected, people were able to enter and vandalize
or break off formations, but since the caves are now national
landmarks and the people running them take good measure to
take care of them and enforce some simple rules, the caves and
speleothems, or cave formations, can be taken care of. There is
no eating or drinking inside the cave, and no one is allowed to
touch any of the formations. This is important because the

formations are very delicate and certain chemicals can damage

or alter them. Caves are also strange environment cut off from
most outside environmental factors. Even slight changes in their
temperature or moisture levels can cause the cave to dry out and
for formation to stop. This cave was originally three separate
caves when it first started being toured, but humans created
openings between them to join them and make touring easier.
This altered the environment in the cave enough to increase
airflow and prematurely dry it out. Since caves are formed by
moisture, something had to be done to reverse or stop the
damage from continuing. Thankfully, doors were installed when
this was noticed to restore the caves to their natural moisture
levels. Since the cave is still very wet and thus actively forming,
during certain seasons to allow for tours, water levels are
modified. While this is not harmful to the cave it does affect its
natural growth rate. Ideally the cave would be allowed to form
untouched by human intervention, but if humans did not
intervene to some extent none of us would be able to enjoy them.
Mainly, cave formations are made of calcite, which is
deposited after carbonic acid seeps into the chambers of the
cave. The water in the carbonic acid evaporates leaving behind a

deposit of calcite. Depending on the way it is deposited, you will

get different looking formations. Timpanogos cave is home to at
least 43 different types of speleothems! Stalactites, which look
like long pointed horns coming out of the ceiling, can be seen
throughout these caves, as well as stalagmites, which are the
same structures but they come out of the floor. Often times
stalagmites are caused by water and calcite dripping off of a
stalactite. Over time, if these two structures meet, they will join
and become a column. One of the caves greatest features is
called The Great Heart of Timpanogos, which is a very large
stalactite 5.5ft in length and estimated to weigh more then 4
thousand pounds. The Great Heart is surrounded by tiny features
called beaded helictites and quill anthodite, which look like tiny
spines or points of crystal. Helictite, which is a somewhat rare
type of cave formation, is formed when water is pressurized and
pulled through porous rock. The calcite forms around the hole,
providing a passageway for more water and calcite to deposit.
These formations look different in their appearance depending on
the path of the calcite and the pressure on the holes. Some of
them look like foam or shaving cream while others are more
pointed and growing straight out like crystals. These helictites

can be seen in different parts of the cave and some of the most
striking ones to me were thin and squid like. You can also see
formations called draperies, which are deposits that look very
wide and thin, sort of like a pigs ear. Frostwork, very small
crystals of aragonite, are also visible in the caves. These are very
delicate because they are so thin and can be broken off easily.
Shelf stone is present in the cave as well, and is a useful addition
to understanding the past conditions of the cave because it only
forms in pools of water. So, if you see any exposed shelf stone
you know there was once water there. There are formations of
anthodite called sea urchins, which also amazed me because
they are so tiny, but they have such an intricate pattern of crystal
formation coming off of them.
Since most of the formations in the Timpanogos cave are
made of calcite, most of the structures are white. Some of the
structures looked more pristine then others, but mostly they were
white. To see other colors in the cave indicates that there are
other chemicals present. You can see some structures that are
red or brownish; this means that there is iron present. Some of
the aragonite crystal formations appear to be a light yellow color,
which means that the chemical nickel is present. This same

chemical will cause the structures to look green when you shine
light through them. Some of the structures will look black or a
bluish grey color, or some of the white calcite will look less pure
and dirtied if the chemical manganese is present, the same
chemical seen on the trail that caused the rocks to look a dark
polished black. Some of the draperies that I earlier compared to
pig ears can be said to resemble them even more so when they
contain iron, because theyll have a pinkish orange color to them.
Timpanogos cave is a beautiful and striking place, as is the
trail leading up to it. The scenery and vastness of the mountains
and canyons, as well as the extensive history behind it amazes
me. The thought of the time it took to form these things is, well,
unthinkable. I only wish I could take more then a virtual tour!
Sources
Timpanogos Cave National Monument virtual tour
http://www2.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/tica/tica_virtual_fieldtrip/Ind
ex.htm