The Quaternary Geology of the Solway Geology and Landscape (Scotland) Programme Research Report RR/11/04 HOW TO NAVIGATE THIS DOCUMENT Bookmarks The main elements of the table of contents are book- marked enabling direct links to be followed to the principal section headings and sub- headings, figures, plates and tables irrespective of which part of the document the user is viewing. In addition, the report contains links: from the principal section and subsection headings back to the contents page, from each reference to a figure, plate or table directly to the corresponding figure, plate or table, from each page number back to the contents page. RETURN TO CONTENTS PAGE BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY The National Grid and other Ordnance Survey data are used with the permission of the GEOLOGY AND LANDSCAPE (SCOTLAND) PROGRAMME Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. RESEARCH REPORT RR/11/04 Licence No: 100017897/2011. Keywords Quaternary, Solway. National Grid Reference SW corner 290000, 550000 Centre point 515000, 570000 The Quaternary Geology NE corner 340000, 590000. Map of the Solway Sheet Solway East and Solway West, 1:50 000 scale, Special Quaternary sheets. A A McMillan, J W Merritt, C A Auton, and N R Golledge Front cover Ice-wedge casts in glaciofluvial sand and gravel sheet deposits of the Kilblane Sand and Gravel Contributors Formation at Halleaths Gravel D C Entwisle, B Humphreys, C J Jordan, B É Ó Dochartaigh, E R Phillips, Pit [NY 0868 8344], Lochmaben. Photo A A McMillan (P774196). and C L Vye Bibliographical reference MCMILLAN, A A, MERRITT, J W, AUTON, C A, and GOLLEDGE, N R. 2011. The Quaternary Geology of the Solway. British Geological Survey Research Report, RR/11/04. 69pp. 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. Your use of any information provided by the British Geological Survey (BGS) is at your own risk. Neither BGS nor the Natural Environment Research Council gives any warranty, condition or representation as to the quality, accuracy or completeness of the information or its suitability for any use or purpose. All implied conditions relating to the quality or suitability of the information, and all liabilities arising from the supply of the information (including any liability arising in negligence) are excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law. ISBN 978 0 85272 692 1 © NERC 2011. All rights reserved Keyworth, Nottingham British Geological Survey 2011 BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY British Geological Survey offices The full range of our publications is available from BGS BGS Central Enquiries Desk shops at Nottingham, Edinburgh, London and Cardiff (Welsh Tel 0115 936 3143 Fax 0115 936 3276 publications only) see contact details below or shop online at e-mail [email protected] www.geologyshop.com Kingsley Dunham Centre, The London Information Office also maintains a reference Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG collection of BGS publications, including maps, for consultation. Tel 0115 936 3100 Fax 0115 936 3200 We publish an annual catalogue of our maps and other e-mail [email protected] publications; this catalogue is available online or from any of the BGS shops. Murchison House, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3LA The British Geological Survey carries out the geological survey Tel 0131 667 1000 Fax 0131 668 2683 of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the latter as an agency e-mail [email protected] service for the government of Northern Ireland), and of the surrounding continental shelf, as well as basic research projects. BGS London, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, It also undertakes programmes of technical aid in geology in London SW7 5BD developing countries. Tel 020 7589 4090 Fax 020 7584 8270 The British Geological Survey is a component body of the Tel 020 7942 5344/45 e-mail [email protected] Natural Environment Research Council. Columbus House, Greenmeadow Springs, Tongwynlais, Cardiff CF15 7NE Tel 029 2052 1962 Fax 029 2052 1963 Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8BB Tel 01491 838800 Fax 01491 692345 Geological Survey of Northern Ireland, Colby House, Stranmillis Court, Belfast BT9 5BF Tel 028 9038 8462 Fax 028 9038 8461 www.bgs.ac.uk/gsni/ Parent Body Natural Environment Research Council, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1EU Tel 01793 411500 Fax 01793 411501 www.nerc.ac.uk Website www.bgs.ac.uk Shop online at www.geologyshop.com Foreword This report publishes the results of research undertaken C A Auton and N R Golledge. Solway East was surveyed by the British Geological Survey (BGS) as part of the by J W Merritt and N R Golledge with the assistance of resurvey of the Quaternary deposits and landforms of the C L Vye. The offshore account in this report was prepared Solway area (Eastern Dumfries and Galloway and Northern by B Humphreys. Satellite image data were processed and Cumbria). A preliminary assessment of the sea-bed geology interpreted by C Jordan. Sediment micromorphological of the Inner Solway Firth is included. The area covered studies were undertaken by E R Phillips. The section includes parts of the following 1:50 000 geological sheets: on hydrogeological Quaternary domains was prepared Kirkbean 6W (Scotland), Annan 6E (Scotland), Thornhill by B É Ó Dochartaigh, and the engineering geological 9E (Scotland), Lochmaben 10W (Scotland), Ecclefechan interpretation of the Quaternary sequences encountered in 10E (Scotland), Langholm 11 (Scotland), Longtown 11 site investigations for construction of the A74M and M6 (England) and Carlisle 17 (England). motorways was provided by D C Entwisle. The resurvey was undertaken during the period 1998–2002 Radiocarbon (14C) ages are given as ‘ka BP’ (1000 as part of the Solway Project and later under the Quaternary radiocarbon years before the present) or ‘BP’ (years before of Southern Scotland Project. The ground was divided into the present). Calibrated (calendar) radiocarbon ages are two mapping areas, Solway West and Solway East which quoted in the form of ‘26 cal ka BP’ or ‘11 550 cal. BP’. form the basis of the recently published 1:50 000 Quaternary Descriptions from field note cards are referred to in the Geology Special Sheets. Field mapping used 1:10 000 scale form CA123 (C A Auton), NRG123 (N R Golledge), and Ordnance Survey bases supplemented by air photo and ME123 (J W Merritt). satellite image interpretation. Clean copies (standards) were prepared at 1:25 000 scale. Solway West was surveyed by iii British Geological Survey Research Report RR/11/04 Acknowledgments The authors acknowledge the helpful discussions in the field with Dr M E Brookfield (University of Guelph, Ontario) who also supplied field notes. The ready co-operation of many landowners is also acknowledged. British Geological Survey iv Research Report RR/11/04 Contents Foreword iii 8 Detailed Holocene relative sea-level curve for the inner Solway Firth 46 Acknowledgements iv 9 General pattern of ice flow around the Solway Firth Summary vi during the last glaciation 47 10 Winter Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper satellite image of 1 Introduction 1 the Solway district 48 1.1 Outline of the current survey 1 11 Evidence for the pattern of deglaciation following 1.2 Solway West 1 the Scottish Re-advance and localities revealing a 1.3 Solway East 1 ‘tripartite’ sequence 49 2 Topography and drainage 3 12 Distribution of glacigenic subgroups 49 13 Glacial striae on limestone breccia exposed in Kelhead 3 Bedrock geology 4 Quarry 50 3.1 Silurian turbidites 4 14 Section at Plumpe Farm 51 3.2 Criffel–Dalbeattie Granodiorite Pluton 4 15 Schematic cross-sections of ‘tripartite sequences’ in 3.3 Carboniferous succession 4 Langholm and Canonbie 52 3.4 Permian to Jurassic strata 4 16 River cliff section of the Logan Burn exposing a 4 Quaternary geology 6 ‘tripartite sequence’ 53 4.1 Previous research 6 17 River cliff section of the Closses Burn exposing the 4.2 Summary of Quaternary history 6 Loganhouse Gravel Member 54 18 Exposures of glaciofluvial ice contact deposits at 5 Lithostratigraphy and distribution of the Powfoot 55 Quaternary deposits (onshore) 14 19 Section in terraced glaciofluvial deposits at 5.1 Classification of deposits 14 Powfoot 56 5.2 Lithostratigraphy 14 20 Sections of the Hoghill Burn including the Hoghill 5.3 Caledonia Glacigenic Group 14 Gravel Bed 57 5.4 Britannia Catchments Group 21 21 River cliff of the Logan Water exposing the base of the 5.5 British Coastal Deposits Group 23 Langholm Till Formation 58 6 A reinterpretation of the sequence of glacial 22 Bigholms Burn Site of Special Scientific Interest 59 events 25 23 Commercial peat extraction at Nutberry Moss 60 6.1 Nextmap DSM analysis of the Vale of Eden 24 Slope deposits exposed at Shaw 61 and Solway lowlands 25 25 Head gravel exposed in a river cliff of the Logan Water 62 7 Offshore sea-bed sediments and landforms 28 26 Possible late Devensian raised beach deposits at 7.1 Background information on sedimentation Dornockbrow 63 in the Solway Firth 28 27 Speculative reconstruction of the last ice-sheet at about 8 Applied Quaternary geology 30 the Last Glacial Maximum 64 8.1 Aquifers 30 28 Speculative reconstruction