This book guides readers through the most iconic geologically significant scenery in the UK, points out features of interest, explains what they are, and describes how these features came to be. It illustrates numerous regions, explaining classic locations in the development of geology and paleontology in the United Kingdom, giving readers a tour through sites of special scientific interest. The author puts the geology of Britain in a plate tectonic context and discusses the history of sedimentary basins, mountain building, volcanism, and glacial features.
Features
- Clearly explains the geology of regions with emphasis on landscape formation
- Lavishly illustrated with numerous colorful maps and breathtaking geological landscapes and their various features
- Describes the major geologic features of the United Kingdom through the device of a geologic tour for those without any geology training as well as professionals
- Written in easy-to-understand language, the author brings his own experience to readers who want to explore and understand geologic sites firsthand
The United Kingdom’s Natural Wonders is an inviting text giving individuals with no background in geology the opportunity to understand key geologic aspects of local landscapes. It also serves as a guide to undergraduate- and graduate-level students taking courses in earth science programs, such as geology, geophysics, geochemistry, mining engineering, and petroleum engineering. Teachers of these courses can also use this book to better understand their local geologic environment and geography.
Author(s): Gary Prost
Series: Geologic Tours of the World
Publisher: CRC Press
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 482
City: Boca Raton
Cover
Half Title
Series Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Author
Introduction and a Few Words About Driving in the United Kingdom
Chapter 1 Scotland and Northern Ireland
Overview
Itinerary
A Brief History of Scotland
Scotland’s Outsized Role in Geology
Geology of Scotland
Geology of Whiskey
Highlands
Speyside
Lowlands
Campbeltown
Islay
Stop 1 Siccar Point, Unconformities, and Deep Time
Stop 2 Edinburgh and Holyrood Park
Stop 2.1 Ballagan Formation
Stop 2.2 Lion’s Haunch Agglomerate
Stop 2.3 Samson’s Ribs
Stop 2.4 Salisbury Crags and Hutton’s Section
Stop 2.5 Arthur’s Seat
Stop 3 Castle Rock
Stop 4 Dulnain Bridge Rôche Moutonnées
Stop 5 Loch Ness and the Great Glen Fault
Side Trip 1 Achanarras Quarry and Durness
ST1.1 Achanarras Fish Quarry
ST1.2 Smoo Cave
ST1.3 Durness and Sango Bay
North West Highlands Geopark
Stop 6 Lewisham Gneiss, Loch Na Facial
Stop 7 Loch Glencoe and the Concept of Thrust Faulting
Stop 8 Loch Assynt
Stop 8.1 Cambrian Burrows
Stop 8.2 Cambrian-Torridonian Unconformity
Stop 8.3 Torridonian-Lewisham Unconformity
Side Trip 2 Stac Fada and Torridonian, Store and Clachtoll
ST2.1 Stack Fade Impact Breccia
ST2.2 Clachtoll Beach Torridonian Section
ST2.3 Clachtoll Lewisham-Torridonian Unconformity
Stop 9 Ardvreck Castle and Deformed Cambrian
Stop 10 Knockan Crag and the Moine Thrust
Stop 11 Loch Broom
Stop 11.1 Corrieshalloch Gorge and the Falls of Measach
Stop 11.2 Loch Broom Glacial Valley
Stop 12 Loch Maree
Stop 13 Benin Eighe Visitor Centre
Stop 14 Valley of 100 Hills (Coire a’ Cheud-Chnoic)
Stop 15 Glen Torridon
Side Trip 3 Isle of Skye
ST3.1 Skye Marble Quarry
ST3.2 Old Man of Storr
ST3.3 Mealt Falls and Kilt Rock
ST3.4 Fairy Pools (Glumagan Na Sithichean)
Stop 16 Great Glen Fault, Loch Lochy
Stop 17 Ben Nevis Volcano and Visitor Centre
Stop 18 Lochaber Geopard Visitor Centre
Visit
Side Trip 4 Ardnamurchan Volcanic Complex
ST4.1 Ardnamurchan Volcano
ST4.2 Sanna Bay
ST4.3 Mingary Pier
ST4.4 Kilnchoan Community Centre
Stop 19 Ballachulish Slate Quarry
Stop 20 Glen Coe and Surrounding Area
Stop 20.1 Aonach Dubh
Stop 20.2 Loch Achtriochtan Car Park
Stop 20.3 Three Sisters
Stop 20.4 Meeting of the Three Waters
Stop 21 Rannoch Moor
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park
Stop 22 Falls of Falloch
Stop 23 Firkin Point, Loch Lomond
Stop 24 Highland Boundary Fault at Conic Hill, Balmaha
Stop 25 Glasgow
Stop 25.1 Dumbarton Rock
Stop 25.2 Fossil Grove
Stop 26 Balantrae Area
Stop 26.1 Balcreuchan Port Ophiolite and Ailsa Craig Viewpoint
Stop 26.2 Bennane Lea Pillow Lavas and Raised Beach Terrace
Stop 27 Southern Uplands Fault and Southern Uplands
Stop 27.1 Southern Uplands Fault View, Downthrown Side
Stop 27.2 Deformed Kirkcolm Formation at A77 Curve and Quarry
Side Trip 5 Northern Ireland
ST5.1 Triassic– Jurassic Transition, Larne
ST5.2 Whitepark Bay
ST5.3 Giant’s Causeway World Heritage Site, Northern Ireland
ST5.4 White Rocks
ST5.5 Ramore Head, Portrush
Stop 28 Monreith Folded Turbidites
Stop 29 Port Castle Bay and Saint Ninian’s Cave
Stop 30 Isle Head, Isle of Whithorn
Stop 31 Carrick Beach Turbidites, Wigton Bay
Stop 32 Brighouse Bay Turbidites
Stop 33 Southerness Area
Stop 33.1 Deformation at Powillimount and Thirlstane Arch
Stop 33.2 Powillimount Formation, Southerners Lighthouse
References
Chapter 2 Lake District and Yorkshire Dales
Overview
Itinerary
Penrith and Lake District, Lake District National Park and World Heritage Site
Penrith History
Geology
Stop 1 Thrilled Mining Museum and Quarry
Stop 2 Hoister Slate Mine
Stop 3 British Gypsum Mine, Long Matron
Yorkshire Dales National Park
Rocks and Structure
Glaciation
Resources
Stop 4 Ingleton Area Sinkholes, Caves, and Unconformities
Stop 4.1 Waterfalls Trail
Stop 4.2 White Scar Cave
Stop 4.3 Gaping Gill
Stop 4.4 Ingleborough Cave
Stop 5 Combs Quarry Unconformity, Horton in Ribblesdale
Stop 6 Malham Area Limestone Terrain
Stop 6.1 Malham Cove and Pavement
Stop 6.2 Janet’s Foss
Stop 6.3 Gordale Scar
Stop 7 Bolton Abbey Folded Carboniferous
Stop 7.1 Folded Boland Shale, South Flank Skipton Anticline
Stop 7.2 Subsidiary Folds, Bowland Shale
Stop 7.3 Folded Bowland Shale, North Flank Skipton Anticline
References
Chapter 3 Wales and West Midlands
Overview
Itinerary
The West Midlands and Wales
Geology of Wales
Geology of the West Midlands
Manchester
History
Geology
Stop 1 Rhualt, Llandudno, and Great Orme
Stop 1.1 Rhualt Roadcut
Stop 1.2 Great Orme from Llandudno Pier
Stop 1.3 Great Orme Mines
Side Trip 1 Anglesey and Geodon Global Geopark
St1.1 Claim Beach
St1.2 South Stack
Stop 2 Snowdonia National Park
2.1 Cwm Idwal
2.2 Dinorwic Slate Quarry
2.3 National Slate Museum
Stop 3 Ceredigion
3.1 Broth Beach and Submerged Forest
3.2 Aberystwyth
Stop 4 Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
4.1 Cemaes Head
4.2 Ceibwr Bay
Side Trip 2 Corn Geodog Bluestones
Stop 5 South Pembrokeshire Coast
5.1 Blue Lagoon and Abereiddy Bay
5.2 Whitesands Bay
5.3 Caerfai Bay
Stop 6 Broad Haven
Stop 7 Marloes Sands
Stop 8 Castlemartin Peninsula
8.1 Stackpole Quay
8.2 Barafundle Bay
Side Trip 3 Dan-Yr-Ogof Caves and Brecon Beacons National Park
Stop 9 Glamorgan Heritage Coast
9.1 Ogmore-By-Sea
9.2 Dunraven Bay and Heritage Coast Centre
9.3 Llantwit Major Beach
Stop 10 Severn Coast South of Cardiff
10.1 Bendricks Rock Dinosaur Tracks
10.2 Lavernock Point
10.3 Penarth Dinosaur Tracks
10.4 Penarth Pier to Cardiff Barrage
Stop 11 Aust Cliff
Stop 12 Abberly and Malvern Hills UNESCO Geopark
12.1 Gardiners Quarry
12.2 Malvern Hills GeoCentre and Geopark Way
Stop 13 Wren’s Nest and Black Country Geopark
Stop 14 Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site
Stop 15 The Wrekin
Stop 16 Ramshaw Rocks
Stop 17 Peak District National Park
17.1 Clement Lane Quarry
17.2 Teak Cliff Cavern
17.3 Blue John Cavern
17.4 Mam Tor and the Landslide
References
Chapter 4 Southern England
Overview
Itinerary
Stop 1 Geology of the London Area
Stop 1.1 Natural History Museum
Stop 1.2 Erith Submerged Forest
Stop 1.3 Gilbert’s Pit
Stop 1.4 Park Hill Chalk Pit
Stop 2 Stonehenge
Age and Construction
Source of the Stones
Unravelling the Past
Stop 3 Bath Area and the Somerset Coal Canal
Geology of Bath and the Somerset Coalfield
Stop 3.1 Somerset Coal Canal
Stop 3.2 Roman Baths
Stop 3.3 Radstock Museum
Stop 4 Cheddar Gorge
Stop 4.1 Horseshoe Bend
Stop 4.2 Landslip Quarry
Stop 4.3 Show Caves
Stop 5 Kilve Beach
Stop 6 Watchet Beach
Stop 7 Crooklets Beach
Stop 8 Million Haven
Stop 9 Delabole Quarry
Stop 10 Cigga Mine
Geology
Mineralization
Mineral Collecting
Stop 11 Penzance Peninsula
Stop 11.1 Porthmeor Cove
Stop 11.2 Geevor Mine and Cornish Miners
Stop 12 Penwith and Lizard Heritage Coasts
12.1 Land’s End
12.2 Kynance Cove
12.3 Lizard Point
Stop 13 Corryton Cove
Stop 14 Jurassic Coast
Visit – Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre
Visit – Lyme Regis Museum
Mary Anning, an Original Geologist
Stop 14.1 Orcombe Point and Geoneedle
Stop 14.2 Lyme Regis and Monmouth Beach
Stop 14.3 Charmouth Beach
Stop 15 Lulworth Area and Wessex Basin
Stop 15.1 Durdle Door
Stop 15.2 Lulworth Cove, Stair Hole, Lulworth Crumple, and Fossil Forest
Stop 16 Kimmeridge Bay
Visit – Etches Collection, Museum of Jurassic Marine Life, Kimmeridge
Stop 17 Winspit Quarry
Stop 18 Isle of Wight
Stop 18.1 Compton Beach
Stop 18.2 Yaverland Beach
Stop 19 Bracklesham Bay
Stop 20 Chalk Cliffs of East Sussex and South Downs National Park
South Downs National Park
Stop 20.1 Birling Gap
Stop 20.2 Beachy Head
Stop 21 White Cliffs of Dover
Stop 22 Beltinge/Herne Bay
Stop 23 Warden Point, Sheppey Shore, and Thames Estuary
Thames Estuary
References
Index
