Geological wonders

Saturday, April 4, 2009 - 03:35 in Earth & Climate

The British Geological Survey reveals the most incredible forgotten rock formationsCresswell Crags, DerbyshireCresswell Crags is a limestone gorge, honeycombed with a network of caves that have formed as water has slowly dissolved away the limestone. It is famously the home of hunters during the last ice age 50,000 to 10,000 years ago and the only known site of palaeolithic (ice age) cave paintings in England, which were discovered in 2003. The story of the Crags is told in a museum at the site.• OS map ref: NGR 453374creswell-crags.org.ukPortrush Sill, Co Antrim, Northern IrelandWithin walking distance of the promenade the rocky skerries and headland at Portrush are geologically infamous. During the 18th century these features were central to the debate about how molten rocks were formed. The "Neptunists" thought that they crystallised from sea water while the "Plutonists" believed it was the result of volcanic activity. The Plutonists showed that fossils...

Read the whole article on The Guardian - Science

More from The Guardian - Science

Related

Latest Science Newsletter

Get the latest and most popular science news articles of the week in your Inbox!