The Geology of NY76NW (S), Cawfields, Northumberland
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The geology of NY76NW (S), Cawfields, Northumberland Geology & Landscape Northern Britain Programme Open Report OR/07/034 BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GEOLOGY & LANDSCAPE NORTHERN BRITAIN PROGRAMME OPEN REPORT OR/07/034 The geology of NY76NW (S), Cawfields, Northumberland S. M. Clarke The National Grid and other Ordnance Survey data are used with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. Licence No: 100017897/2005. Keywords Cawfields; Hadrian's Wall; Northumberland. Bibliographical reference CLARKE, S. M.. 2007. The geology of NY76NW (S), Cawfields, Northumberland. British Geological Survey Open Report, OR/07/034. 28pp. Copyright in materials derived from the British Geological Survey’s work is owned by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and/or the authority that commissioned the work. You may not copy or adapt this publication without first obtaining permission. Contact the BGS Intellectual Property Rights Section, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, e-mail [email protected]. You may quote extracts of a reasonable length without prior permission, provided a full acknowledgement is given of the source of the extract. Maps and diagrams in this book use topography based on Ordnance Survey mapping. © NERC 2007. All rights reserved Keyworth, Nottingham British Geological Survey 2007 BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY The full range of Survey publications is available from the BGS British Geological Survey offices Sales Desks at Nottingham, Edinburgh and London; see contact details below or shop online at www.geologyshop.com Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG The London Information Office also maintains a reference 0115-936 3241 Fax 0115-936 3488 collection of BGS publications including maps for consultation. e-mail: [email protected] The Survey publishes an annual catalogue of its maps and other www.bgs.ac.uk publications; this catalogue is available from any of the BGS Sales Shop online at: www.geologyshop.com Desks. The British Geological Survey carries out the geological survey of Murchison House, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3LA Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the latter as an agency 0131-667 1000 Fax 0131-668 2683 service for the government of Northern Ireland), and of the e-mail: [email protected] surrounding continental shelf, as well as its basic research projects. It also undertakes programmes of British technical aid in geology in developing countries as arranged by the Department London Information Office at the Natural History Museum for International Development and other agencies. (Earth Galleries), Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2DE The British Geological Survey is a component body of the Natural Environment Research Council. 020-7589 4090 Fax 020-7584 8270 020-7942 5344/45 email: [email protected] Forde House, Park Five Business Centre, Harrier Way, Sowton, Exeter, Devon EX2 7HU 01392-445271 Fax 01392-445371 Geological Survey of Northern Ireland, Colby House, Stranmillis Court, Belfast BT9 5BF 028-9038 8462 Fax 028-9038 8461 Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB 01491-838800 Fax 01491-692345 Columbus House, Greenmeadow Springs, Tongwynlais, Cardiff, CF15 7NE 029–2052 1962 Fax 029–2052 1963 Parent Body Natural Environment Research Council, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, Wiltshire SN2 1EU 01793-411500 Fax 01793-411501 www.nerc.ac.uk OR/07/034; Version 1 Last modified: 2007/12/17 14:04 Foreword 1:10 000-scale geological sheet NY76NW (S) was surveyed by S. M. Clarke in 2005 and constitutes part of the resurvey of BGS 1:50 000-scale geological map of Hexham (England and Wales Series Sheet 19). This report summarises the geology of NY76NW (S) and includes a synopsis of field notes by the author. This work is an output of the Northern England – Alston Block Project (E2007S71). Grid references The area covered by this report lies within Ordnance Survey British National Grid square NY. References given to specific exposures and locations are quoted to six or eight figures as appropriate. In all cases, the prefix NY is omitted from the reference and should be assumed. Acknowledgements The author gratefully acknowledges the co-operation of all landowners within the area. i OR/07/034; Version 1 Last modified: 2007/12/17 14:04 Contents Foreword....................................................................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements....................................................................................................................................................... i Contents ....................................................................................................................................................................... ii Summary.....................................................................................................................................................................iii 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Geography................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Previous work............................................................................................................................................ 1 2 Geological summary........................................................................................................................................... 2 3 Carboniferous bedrock ...................................................................................................................................... 3 3.1 Cyclothems and Sequence Stratigraphy .................................................................................................... 3 3.2 Carboniferous nomenclature ..................................................................................................................... 3 3.3 Visean (Mississippian) rocks: Alston Formation ...................................................................................... 4 3.4 Serpukhovian to Bashkirian (Namurian) rocks: Stainmore Formation ................................................... 10 4 Igneous rocks .................................................................................................................................................... 13 5 Structure............................................................................................................................................................ 14 5.1 Regional dip and folding ......................................................................................................................... 14 5.2 Faulting ................................................................................................................................................... 14 6 Superficial deposits........................................................................................................................................... 16 6.1 Glacial Till .............................................................................................................................................. 16 6.2 Alluvium and alluvial terraces................................................................................................................. 16 6.3 Peat.......................................................................................................................................................... 16 6.4 Erosional features and melt-water channels ............................................................................................ 17 7 Mass-movement and Artificial deposits.......................................................................................................... 17 7.1 Landslide................................................................................................................................................. 17 7.2 Artificial ground...................................................................................................................................... 17 8 Economic geology ............................................................................................................................................. 19 8.1 Dolerite (‘Whinstone’) ............................................................................................................................ 19 8.2 Coal ......................................................................................................................................................... 19 8.3 Ironstone.................................................................................................................................................. 19 8.4 Limestone and sandstone......................................................................................................................... 19 8.5 Peat.......................................................................................................................................................... 20 9 Environmental issues........................................................................................................................................ 20 9.1 Coal mining............................................................................................................................................. 20 9.2 Conservation...........................................................................................................................................