Durham E-Theses The stratigraphy and structure of the syncline of stainmore Reading, H. G. How to cite: Reading, H. G. (1954) The stratigraphy and structure of the syncline of stainmore, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/9349/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk Tim STRATIGRAPHY OTHtJCTOKK OP IBS 8B?OLII'JS 0P flffAXHNORB BY The Btoinmoro ATOR 1® a topographical ma geological Sepreocion lying betueen the tm upstanding bloeSs CIFGRG of the northern Ponnineo. Tho succeealon includes boas of Yoredale f solos of the 01 We end Bpper X»imooto&e Groups, overlain by "Millotone Grit", the total time renco extending from let© Pg ego. probnbly to Into 20g, Detailed raeppinc of ©©Fine horlzono has enabled the establishment of correlations between the successions of the Me ton Block to the north end the Aslsrlgg Block to the couth. They show that roarlne conditions wore more persistent to the south and east of the ©tain&ore Aree# Hillstone 6rit feoles en to root a lower h®vXmn In the east and met of the Btiaisraore Area thsss it does in tho centre* Tho grits on the flafflto correspond to the Tsnhill GPltc of R* r;# Swele&ale ma ere considered to pees laterally into the Coaleleugh franegression 3©de In the centre* Sale Is demonstrated by equating the Upper Fell top Limestone of Alston with the tiesrne Bec!t Limestone of Upper @c7Sledsle« m upper horizon of grit fades is subjacent to the Botany Limestone and le considered to be the equivalent of the First Uilletone Grit of Sarhesn tm& the Hater Crag Grit of Upper Sffaledale* tho Botany Liraooton© corresponding to the g&uimor Pall Limestone, The &t:ro@ture CQsoieto of oa aejuracietrieol eyncXiae, pitching gently to tho east, ?;ith tuo em oil elongated, fiomee to the south. Tho fault pattern on the ©east in oiiailnr to thet of the /astosi Bloe&j o» tho woct Q oemi-rofiieal pottoro io opporeat* Joint airootlone aro voriad. ©10 BPS© hae been Qff@oto& by both tho Stciinmor© pad Toosdlole glcolors, the fonaor being Aominoat only et first* sad cfoovjing evidoaeo of a minor roodveace sad second retreat* THESIS presented in candidature for the degree of BQGT01 OP PgHi08QPHY Of the University of Barbara THE STRATKSIAPHY AND STRUOTUSS OP THE SYHGLINB 07 8TAINM0EE By H«0« READING, B.A., P.G.S. 31 MAY 1954 SEOTIOH Being an account of the work carried ©mt at the Geology Department, Durham University (Durham Division) daring the period 1951-1954 under the direction of Professor Bgrahon, D. Sc., Ph.D., S.D., M. Inst. H»M« ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. The author acknowledges gratefully the grant of a Shell Studentship which enabled him to carry out research at Durham University. He is also indebted to the staff and fellow research workers at Durham for advice and criticism both in the field and in the laboratory; to Mr. 0. O'Neill and the technical staff for the preparation of rock slices and photographs; to Mr. A*A. Wilson for taking the photographs shown in Figures IV and V. The Tees Valley Water Board readily gave access both to their reservoir sites and to their geological records. Br. W.H.C. Hamsbottom of the Geological Survey assisted in the identification of the foBsils. In particular the author wishes to thank Professor Dunham for suggesting the subject of research and for his supervision at all stages of the work. CONTENTS. Page INTRODUCTION (a) Geography 1 (i) Situation 1 Relief 1 Climate 3 Vegetation 5 5 Seolo 8 General 8 Symbols, abbreviations and colours 11 Grit 13 (d) History of Research 15 (1} Stratigraphy 15 (11) Structure 20 II STRATIGRAPHY 22 (a) Four Fathom and Iron Post Cyclethems 22 (1) General 82 (11) Underlying Beds 22 ^ (ii,i) Four Fo&hora and Undersett Limestones 25 (iv) Shale 26 (vl Unlersett Ohert 28 (vlj Quarry Hazle 29 (vii; Iron Post Limestone 30 (villi Shale ' 31 (ixj Tuft Sandstone 51 (x) Discussion 33 (b) Great Limestone and Coal Sills Group 37 (i) General 37 (ii) Great and Main Limestones 40 (ill Main Chert 44 - Goal Sills Grou.p an. d Marine Bands 46 (v) Discussion 55 (c) Little Limestone and Ten Fathom Grit 55 (1) General 55 (ii) Little Limestone 57 (ill) Ten Fathom Grit and Faraday House Marine Band 60 (iv} Pattinson and Firestone Sills 63 (v) Discussion 64 (d) Crow Oyclothem 67 (1) General 67 (ii) Crow and Crag Limestones 68 (lift) Shale 70 Crow Cyclothem ( contd.) (iv) Knucton Shell Beds 70 (v) Grit Sills 70 (vi) Discussion 72 (e) Lower Stonesdale Cyclothem and Bookhope Shell Beds 75 General 73 (ii Lower Stonesdale Limestone and BoOkhope Shell Beds 74 (ill) Shale, Sandstone and Rookhope Ironstone 76 (iv) Discussion 78 (f) Upper Stonesdale Oyclothera and Ooalcleugh Transgression Beds 79 (i) General 79 (ii) Upper Stonesdale and Lower Felltop Limestones 83 (iiii) Mirk Fell Ironstones, Shale and Sandstone 86 Coaleleugh Transgression Beds 87 Transgression Beds Grits 92 Coaleleugh Marine Beds 97 (vii Shale and Sandstone 99 Discussion 102 (1x5 Summary 106 (g) Upper Fell top Cyclothem 109 (i) General 109 (ii) Upper Pelltop Limestone 110 (iiij Shale and Sandstone 115 (iv) Discussion 116 Fossil Sandstone Oyclothera and Botany Limestone 119 (i) General 119 Fossil Sandstone 120 Shale and Sandstone 121 Botany Grit 122 Shale 125 Botany Limestone and Overlying 125 Discussion 128 (i) Correlations 152 145 (3) Four Fathom Cyclothem 145 Great Oy do them 145 Little Oyelothem 145 Crow Cyclothem 144? _Fjgge Summary (Oontd.) (v} Lower Stone sdale Oyclothem 144 (vij Upper Stonesdale Oyclothem 144 (viii Upper Pell top Cycle them 145 (viii) Fossil Sandstone Oyclothem 145 III STRUCTURE 147 (» General 147 (b) Major Folds 150 (c) Faults and Minor Folds 154 (1) General 154 (ii) Eastern Faults 154 (iii) Dent Line Faults 160 (iv) Lunedale Fault 167 (d) Mineralized Veins 170 (e) Jointing 171 (f) Die cue si on 173 IV TERTIARY, PLEISTOCENE AND REGENT 179 (a) Pre-Glacial 179 i (D) Glacial 183 (i) General 183 (ii) Lunedale 183 (iii) Baldersdale 184 • (ivi Deepdale 186 t (v) Greta Valley 186 I (vi) Teesdale 187 ' V CONDITIONS OF DEPOSITION 188 /(a) Cyclic Deposition 188 (b) Conditions of Sedimentation 192 (c) Breaks in Deposition 196 APPENDIX I REFERENCES 198 APPENDIX II PETROGRAPHICAL NOTES - 204 APPENDIX III FAUNAL LISTS 211 ILLUSTRATIONS. Plate I. Geological Map of the Stainraore Syncline. In Pocket. II. Structure Map of the- Stainmore Syneline. In Pocket. III. Suggested Structure Map of the Stainmore Syneline in early Tertiary Times. In Pocket. IV. A. False-bedded, lenticular sandstones of - the Ooalcleugh Transgression Beds in Hunder Beck. 89 1. Compact, lenticular sandstone and ganister of the Ooalcleugh Transgression Beds in Mawraon Sike. The Coalcleugh Marine Beds appear as a nodular band in the shale bank and are thrown up to the right by a fault. 89 V. A. The Botany Grit lying with a trans- . gressive base on a sandstone (? Grindstone Sill) above Hillgill Bridge. 124 B. Ditto, closer view. 134 Figure 1. Comparative Sections of the Four Fathom Oyclothem 22 2. « n n n it n w 3. Comparative Sections of the Great Cyclothem. 37 4. w M ii t« n * « « 5. Map showing extent and outcrop of the Main Chert. 44 6. Comparative Sections of the Little Oyclothem. 55 w 7. M w w « » Crow 67 8 M M « « » Lower Stonesdale Cyclothem. 75 9. Map showing the Upper Stone s&ale Oyclothem. 79 10. Comparative Sections of the Upper Stonesdale Cy clo them. 79 11. Comparative Sections of the Upper Stonesdale Oyclothem. 79 Page. Figure 12. Comparative Sections of the' Upper Stonesdale Oyclothem. 79 13. M n H * tt tt tt tt 79 14. tt tt <i M rt Upper Felltop 109 15. tt n M ti u Fossil Sandstone 119 16. Suggested Correlations of Upper Yoredales and Millstone Grit across Stainmore. 132 17. Statistical Analysis of Structural Trends. 154 18. Map of the Glacial Features of the . Stainmore Area. 179 1. I INTRODUCTION (a) Geography. (I) Situation. Physio graphically the Northern Pennines extend from the Tyae Gap in the north to the Aire Gap in the south though geologically the southern boundary is usually taken to be the Craven District. They consist of high moorland Intersected by narrow dales. West of the northern half is the Lake District which is separated from the Pennines in the north by the Vale of Eden but which is connected further south by Shap Fell. The steep scarp of the western Pennines contrasts with a more gentle slope on the east, the dales running down in the latter direction towards the Durham Coal• field and Vale of York. Across the middle of the Northern Pennines lies the Stainmore Pass. Strictly speaking this is the narrow shoulder at the head of the river Greta through which the main road and railway now run from Bowes but in geological literature, particularly on glaciology, the Stainmore gap is taken to be that area of relatively low lying ground between Lune Forest and Stainmore Forest.