Earth Science Conservation Review
| Newtownsaville - site of local interest | Tyrone |
| Site Type: | Inland exposure, Pit |
| Site Status: | local interest |
| Council area: | Omagh District Council |
| Grid Reference: | H500586,H539611 |
| Google maps: | 54.47386,-7.22873 |
| Rocks | |
|---|---|
| Rock Age: | Quaternary |
| Rock Type: | Gravel, Sand |
| Interest | |
| Other interest: | Glacial feature, esker, glacial |
Description:
This area extends for 5km from Corkhill [H500 586] to a point north of Newtownsaville [H539 611] and is characterised by sinuous bifurcating ridges which are generally aligned northeast-southwest and terminate in hummocky moraines around Brackagh. Ridges are long (600-800m), have flat to slightly undulatory long profiles and are undissected, except for dissection at Eskragh by the Eskragh Water. In several places these ridges have been removed by sand and gravel extraction, notably at Dunbiggan [H519 591] and Eskragh [H511 593] where a ridge has been dug out for about 800m.
The Eskragh exposure [H509 598] provides a cross-section of the ridge axis. The exposure is 6m high and 15m wide and shows concentrically-bedded gravel beds (30cm-50cm thick) with discontinuous sandy interbeds. Gravel units are composed of clast- and matrix-supported granule to pebble-sized clasts. Beds are separated by transitional and erosional contacts. One side of the exposure shows discontinuous boulder layers while the core of the ridge shows tabular bedded units dipping 25° to 50°. The flanks of the ridge show more homogenous gravels in slumped beds that dip outwards at 45°. Interbeds are composed of sorted medium- to coarse-grained sand and decrease in frequency upwards.
The Eskragh exposure [H509 598] provides a cross-section of the ridge axis. The exposure is 6m high and 15m wide and shows concentrically-bedded gravel beds (30cm-50cm thick) with discontinuous sandy interbeds. Gravel units are composed of clast- and matrix-supported granule to pebble-sized clasts. Beds are separated by transitional and erosional contacts. One side of the exposure shows discontinuous boulder layers while the core of the ridge shows tabular bedded units dipping 25° to 50°. The flanks of the ridge show more homogenous gravels in slumped beds that dip outwards at 45°. Interbeds are composed of sorted medium- to coarse-grained sand and decrease in frequency upwards.
| Enlander, I., Dempster, M. & Doughty, P., 2024. Newtownsaville - site of local interest, County Tyrone, site summary. [In] Earth Science Conservation Review. https://www.habitas.org.uk/escr/summary.php?item=746. Accessed on 2024-12-26 |
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