Glen Echo Ravine, Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio, USAi

Regional Level Types
Glen Echo Ravine	Ravine
Columbus	- not defined -
Franklin County	County
Ohio	State
USA	Country

Glen Echo Ravine is one of a series of ravines that drain into the Olentangy River in the City of Columbus. All of these ravines cut into the Ohio Shale, found in the Devonian bedrock exposed in a strip in the center of Ohio, running from Adams/Scioto counties in the south, up through the heavily populated counties along the shore of Lake Erie.

Sources describing minerals in the Ohio Shale in the northern part of the state can be applied to the Ohio Shale in general: it is a similar geology. Thus a similar pattern of mineralized concretions (containing ferroan dolomite, calcite, quartz, barite, and aragonite), pyrite disks, and mineral efflorescences (alunogen, botryogen, copiapite, epsomite, gypsum, hexahydrite, melanterite, ferroan pickeringite, and rozenite) can be found in central Ohio exposures of the Ohio shale. In addition, chert nodules weathered out of limestone can be found in the stream beds.

Glen Echo ravine runs about 2.5 miles from I-71 west to the Olentangy River. It is easily accessible at Glen Echo Park (the lat/long below). Bridges and tunnels make exploration of the Ravine a bit difficult, but it is possible to walk most of the ravine down to the Olentangy River.

Efflorescences, cone-in-cone calcite, and pyrite are found in the upper part of the Ravine, near Glen Echo Park. Between Indianola Ave. and High St. mineralized concretions can be seen, some as large as 6 feet across. Pyrite disks or "suns" can also be found between plates of the shale in the middle and lower part of the Ravine.

This is an urban site, so be prepared for a bit of graffiti, ne'er-do-well teenagers, junk, and the occasional homeless person living in a tent.

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References