CM/5189
Length of text: 400 words
June 1st 2007
Huntley celebrates 500 million-year-old event
The Forest of Dean now has a unique geological reserve site at Huntley. Between 430 and 570 million years ago a distinctive set of rocks, the Huntley Quarry Beds, was formed from an unusual combination of volcanic and sedimentary rocks at a continental plate boundary. This was a time when the Forest of Dean was a land of tropical seas, volcanoes and frequent earthquakes with a huge San Andreas type fault close by. The rocks in the quarry at Huntley bear witness to this primeval landscape and are a valuable resource for Britain’s geologists.
So unusual is the geology that the whole of the two-acre location has become the first geological conservation reserve in Gloucestershire. The Gloucestershire Geology Trust is buying the site with the help of a grant from the Ibstock Quarry Environmental Trust. For the last three months volunteers have been working to provide public access and make the beds visible and Mark Harper MP officially opened the reserve on 1st June.
“This is undoubtedly one of the nation’s key geological assets,” said David Owen, Head of Geology for the Gloucestershire Geology Trust. “Our volunteers have really helped us here, and we expect work at Huntley to continue for several years as we move towards understanding these unique deposits.” Call David Owen or Hellen O'Connor on 01452 864438 if you would like to volunteer your help or visit the site.
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Notes
Major geological questions
The Huntley Quarry Beds pose major geological questions. The beds are apparently a mixture of sedimentary and volcanic material with no sign of fossils. The age of the beds could be anywhere between Precambrian and Silurian. Since the beds contain volcanic material.. Where was the volcano? In the Welsh(?) sea, as it was 500 million years ago, to the west. Under what is now the Cotswolds to the east ? Up to 2km below present surface levels?. The site provides a valuable resource for geological research and education as it also exposes a major fault system which extends from East Malvern all the way to Bath with it’s still active hot springs.
See more at http://www.glosgeotrust.org.uk/huntleyquarry.htm
Part of a international resource
Huntley Quarry forms part of the Abberley and Malvern Hills European Geopark. The Geopark covers 1250 square kilometres and takes in parts of the four counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire. The Abberley and Malvern Hills is one of 30 partners in the European Geopark Network, globally there are 50 Geoparks - all endorsed by UNESCO.
See more at http://www.geopark.org.uk/
Huntley celebrates 500 million-year-old event
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1st June 2007
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