Quaternary rivers, tufas and mires of southern England: Description of Geological Conservation Review sites

IF 1.2 4区地球科学 Q2 Earth and Planetary Sciences

Proceedings of the Geologists Association Pub Date : 2025-02-01 DOI:10.1016/j.pgeola.2024.10.002

Rebecca M. Briant , Colin A. Whiteman , B. Andrew Haggart , David R. Bridgland , Ella Egberts , Michael J. Grant , Marcus Hatch , Peter G. Knowles , Danielle C. Schreve , Philip S. Toms , Francis F. Wenban-Smith , Mark J. White

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Abstract

Southern England contains a wealth of sites, reviewed here, that contain evidence for past deposition in freshwater environments over a period of over 0.5 million years and have been designated as Geological Conservation Review sites for their representativeness of a range of such environments. They include nine sites from two complete terrace sequences (the Solent in Hampshire [Solent Cliffs West, Calshot Cliffs, Hillhead Cliffs, Dunbridge Pit, Wood Green Gravel Pit] and Stour in Kent [Fordwich Pit, Sturry Gravel Pits, Wear Farm Pit, Chislet, Bishopstone to Reculver Cliffs]), alongside a further fluvial gravel site at Aylesford, in the valley of the Medway in Kent. Sites from the Thames catchment, although geographically nearby, are not included, having been previously described by Bridgland (1994). Many of these sites contain abundant Palaeolithic artefacts and some also fossils of multiple groups. A further four sites record fluvial landforms (Mole Gap, Surrey) and ancient ‘high-level gravels’ that may relate to very Early Pleistocene river activity (Upper Common, Mountain Wood, Upper Hale). Tufa and mire sites are relatively rare in this region, making those which are preserved more significant. The tufa sites at Blashenwell Farm and Wateringbury provide context for adjacent archaeological sites and record landscape development in the early and mid Holocene. The mire deposits at Cranes Moor, Mark Ash Wood, Cothill Fen and Rimsmoor together record vegetation history from key regional ecosystems for the entirety of the Holocene.

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来源期刊

Proceedings of the Geologists Association 地学-地质学

CiteScore

2.70

自引率

8.30%

发文量

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： The Proceedings of the Geologists'' Association is an international geoscience journal that was founded in 1859 and publishes research and review papers on all aspects of Earth Science. In particular, papers will focus on the geology of northwestern Europe and the Mediterranean, including both the onshore and offshore record. Following a long tradition, the PGA will focus on: i) a range of article types (see below) on topics of wide relevance to Earth Sciences ii) papers on aspects of Earth Science that have societal relevance including geoconservation and Earth management, iii) papers on palaeoenvironments and palaeontology of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic, iv) papers on aspects of Quaternary geology and climate change, and v) papers on the history of geology with particular reference to individuals that have shaped the subject. These topics will also steer the content of the themes of the Special Issues that are published in the PGA.