Geology Picture of the Week, November 9-15, 2003: A tough WhereIsIt? challenge

[cogitator]

I had to hunt around a bit to find this small picture of this particular place, and hunt some more to make sure it was the place I wanted. If this isn't a stumper, I don't know what is.

Question 1: Where is it?

Question 2: Why is it geologically significant?

Good luck!

[cogitator]

I've put some hints in the keywords.

[cogitator]

[cogitator]

** ping **

I messed up something in the link to the picture in the main posting, so the picture appears in reply #2 to myself.

If anybody guesses correctly without looking peeking at the source code, I'll be quite impressed.

[steve8714]

shouldn't that be "geography"?

[Miss Marple]

Is that Alexander von Humboldt's Castle in Berlin? (I lived in Berlin for a couple of years back in the sixties and visited it.) I didn't realize at the time who Humboldt was until I went back to college and started working on my degree.

[cogitator]

Nope, not in Berlin. It's in Germany, though.

[cogitator]

shouldn't that be "geography"?

Not when you find out the answer! (Thread in News/Activism has informative responses.)

[capitan_refugio]

Reminds me of Scotland.

[capitan_refugio]

Germany. Okay. Lemme think about this.

[aShepard]

Is that the cathedral in Ulm?

[Bigg Red]

I have no clue, but my curiosity is aroused regarding the geology angle. Some unusual quarry or quarry technique was involved perhaps?

[cogitator]

Unusual quarry -- yes. Unusual mining technique -- probably not. But the characteristics of the stone may have made it nicely workable; a problem now, as the some of the blocks have to be replaced because they're eroding rather fast.

The thread on News/Activism (which is attracting more discussion than I anticipated) has some informative responses -- and I learned something, too.

News/Activism Geology Picture of the Week Nov. 9-15, 2003 thread

[cogitator]

Nope, but this location is not far from Ulm.

[Deguello]

Soap Stone just wasn't worth a crap, was it?.

Kind of like the Northern People who moved into Texas in the early 80's (1980's) and wanted to build their houses out of adobe brick. It sucked when it rained, as yes they did do this. Silly people.

[dfwgator]

Is that the Cathedral in Ulm?

You mean the home of Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern- schplenden- schlitter- crasscrenbon- fried- digger- dingle- dangle- dongle- dungle- burstein- von- knacker- thrasher- apple- banger- horowitz- ticolensic- grander- knotty- spelltinkle- grandlich- grumblemeyer- spelterwasser- kurstlich- himbleeisen- bahnwagen- gutenabend- bitte- ein- nürnburger- bratwustle- gerspurten- mitz- weimache- luber- hundsfut- gumberaber- shönedanker- kalbsfleisch- mittler- aucher von Hautkopft of Ulm?

[steve8714]

known as Fritz to his friends?

[cogitator]

Soap Stone just wasn't worth a crap, was it?

I'm not sure if it's the same reason, but I expect that suevite, which is the impact-formed mineral that the church is made of, is shot through with cracks and inclusions that allow water seepage and frost/ice cracking.

[kcar]

Is this the cathedral that was built with the rock created by the meteor crash, e.g., the whole region sorrunding it is an impact zone?

[cpdiii]

Is the stone pumice which is easily cut and worked??

[cogitator]

Yes. See post 12 in this thread and take the link to the other thread, where I described it a bit more after there was a correct answer.