Stonebarrow
Encyclopedia
Stonebarrow is a clifface in the county of Dorset
, England
. It is a well known fossil hunting location close to the famous fossil hunting town of Charmouth
.
Stonebarrow is located between Charmouth and Seatown
, usually closer to Charmouth. Stonebarrow hill scales to 140 metres, 50 metres shorter than Golden Cap
, the highest peak on the South Coast of England. Rock falls
on Stonebarrow are a daily basis, and recently there has been lots of media
over a large rock fall that has attracted lots of fossil hunters. There are a couple of examples of biological weathering, especially on the sandy-soils on lower-lying cliffs.
, getting younger the further East you go. You will eventually get to Golden Cap, with its early Cretaceous
rocks. The bottom of Stonebarrow is home to the Black Ven Marls, a layer of rocks similar to those of Black Ven
, hence the name. Slightly higher are the Belemnite Marls, where, as the name suggests, a number of Belemnites can be found. Slightly higher up is the Green Ammonite beds, where a species of Ammonite
exists Golden Cap is famous for. Higher is Eype Clay and Upper Greensand
and younger Cretaceous rocks. But there is no need (and a hazard
) to scale the heights of Stonebarrow, as a number of processes (such as rockfalls) bring material to the base of the cliff, so specific fossils found in the upper layers can also be found at the base.
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is a well known fossil hunting location close to the famous fossil hunting town of Charmouth
Charmouth
Charmouth is a village at the mouth of the River Char in West Dorset, England, with a population of 1,687 according to the 2001 census.-The village:...
.
Geography
Seatown
Seatown is a coastal hamlet in Dorset, England. It lies just over a kilometre from Chideock beneath Golden Cap, the highest point on the south coast of England. Seatown beach is popular with fossil collectors, with rock of Late Jurassic/Early Cretaceous....
, usually closer to Charmouth. Stonebarrow hill scales to 140 metres, 50 metres shorter than Golden Cap
Golden Cap
Golden Cap is a hill and cliff situated between Bridport and Charmouth in Dorset, England. The cliffs are the highest point on the south coast of Great Britain. The name derives from the distinctive outcropping of golden Greensand rock present at the very top of the cliff.The hill is owned by the...
, the highest peak on the South Coast of England. Rock falls
Rock Falls
Rock Falls may refer to a place in the United States:* Rock Falls, Illinois* Rock Falls, Iowa* Rock Falls, Wisconsin, a town in Lincoln County* Rock Falls, Dunn County, Wisconsin, an unincorporated community in Dunn County...
on Stonebarrow are a daily basis, and recently there has been lots of media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
over a large rock fall that has attracted lots of fossil hunters. There are a couple of examples of biological weathering, especially on the sandy-soils on lower-lying cliffs.
Geology
The Stonebarrow cliffs are an interest to geologists because of the life forms found in the cliffs. The cliffs are JurassicJurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
, getting younger the further East you go. You will eventually get to Golden Cap, with its early Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
rocks. The bottom of Stonebarrow is home to the Black Ven Marls, a layer of rocks similar to those of Black Ven
Black Ven
Black Ven is a cliff in Dorset, England. It is part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage site. The cliff is famous for its mudslides, in fact, it has the largest mudslides in Europe. The area is popular with tourists because a number of fossils are found in the area.- History :The Black Ven has...
, hence the name. Slightly higher are the Belemnite Marls, where, as the name suggests, a number of Belemnites can be found. Slightly higher up is the Green Ammonite beds, where a species of Ammonite
Ammonite
Ammonite, as a zoological or paleontological term, refers to any member of the Ammonoidea an extinct subclass within the Molluscan class Cephalopoda which are more closely related to living coleoids Ammonite, as a zoological or paleontological term, refers to any member of the Ammonoidea an extinct...
exists Golden Cap is famous for. Higher is Eype Clay and Upper Greensand
Greensand
Greensand or Green sand is either a sand or sandstone, which has a greenish color. This term is specifically applied to shallow marine sediment, that contains noticeable quantities of rounded greenish grains. These grains are called glauconies and consist of a mixture of mixed-layer clay...
and younger Cretaceous rocks. But there is no need (and a hazard
Hazard
A hazard is a situation that poses a level of threat to life, health, property, or environment. Most hazards are dormant or potential, with only a theoretical risk of harm; however, once a hazard becomes "active", it can create an emergency situation. A hazard does not exist when it is not...
) to scale the heights of Stonebarrow, as a number of processes (such as rockfalls) bring material to the base of the cliff, so specific fossils found in the upper layers can also be found at the base.
External links
- Geology of Dorset: wikipediaGeology of DorsetDorset, England, rests on a variety of different rock types which give the county its interesting landscapes and habitats. Dorset is particularly noted for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which in 2001 was designated a World Heritage Site because of the variety of landforms and fossils...
- Lyme Regis: wikipediaLyme RegisLyme Regis is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 miles west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. The town lies in Lyme Bay, on the English Channel coast at the Dorset-Devon border...
- Charmouth's tourist industry
- Landslide at Stonebarrow Hill British Geological Survey