Earth Science Conservation Review
| Northeast Mournes Complex - Overview | Down |
| Site Type: | Inland exposure |
| Site Status: | |
| Grid Reference: | J345170,J370305,J330215,J383236 |
| Google maps: | 54.08505,-5.94466 |
| Rocks | |
|---|---|
| Rock Age: | Quaternary (Late Midlandian) |
| Interest | |
| Other interest: | raised beach, recessional moraine |
Description:
Most of the southern section is underlain by Silurian greywacke. The lower mountain slopes are underlain by Tertiary G2 quartzose granite intruded into the Silurian country rock (Wilson, 1972). Bedrock is rarely revealed at lower altitudes, due to the cover of glacigenic deposits. Ballymartin Hill contains a minimum depth of 60m of these sediments. Moraine ridges to the north of Ballymartin are generally less massive, drift depths are thinner, and bedrock outcrops are occasional. Deposits also thin towards the lower slopes of the mountains, and bedrock exposures are more frequent. The northern section is entirely underlain by Silurian greywacke, which frequently crops out in valley bottoms and on mountain and hill slopes.
Moraines are described from southwest to northeast in the southern section, and from east to west in the northern section, the general direction of ice retreat. Late glacial raised beaches are described, followed by postglacial raised beaches. Exposures of raised beach deposits (J383236) and moraine ridge deposits (J378237) will be described to illustrate the processes involved in landform construction.
For site specific information on the Northeast Mournes Complex see the following sites:
Key Site 459 - Northeast Mournes Moraines Key Site 460 - Northeast Mournes Raised Beaches
Moraines are described from southwest to northeast in the southern section, and from east to west in the northern section, the general direction of ice retreat. Late glacial raised beaches are described, followed by postglacial raised beaches. Exposures of raised beach deposits (J383236) and moraine ridge deposits (J378237) will be described to illustrate the processes involved in landform construction.
For site specific information on the Northeast Mournes Complex see the following sites:
Key Site 459 - Northeast Mournes Moraines Key Site 460 - Northeast Mournes Raised Beaches
| Enlander, I., Dempster, M. & Doughty, P., 2024. Northeast Mournes Complex - Overview, County Down, site summary. [In] Earth Science Conservation Review. https://www.habitas.org.uk/escr/summary.php?item=449. Accessed on 2024-12-26 |
| Previous Site | Next Site |