Boulby Quarry and the sea cliffs beneath (making use of the tracks down to the shore) are where several 19th century and, more recently, geologists such as Chowns made measured sections. That by Lewis Hunton (1836) is the most notable as he independently recognized the importance of collecting fossils in-situ, and relating the fossils found to the beds in which they occur bolstering the emerging concept of biostratigraphy.
This page provides a glossary of geological terms to be found on the TVRIGS website and elsewhere. It is an evolving document and will grow as the site expands.
L
Liquor Channel (or Conduit)
Wood or stone-lined channel along which alum liquor was transferred between the quarry and the [...]
Evaporites are non-clastic, or chemical sediments, created through the precipitation of dissolved salts from water. They most frequently occur at the site of a former large water body such as a lake or landlocked sea, on coastal plains (sabkha zones), or where rivers feed very arid desert areas. As the water involved slowly evaporates the [...]
Sylvite, also called sylvinite when impure, is potassium chloride (KCl) in natural mineral form. It is colorless to white with shades of yellow and red due to inclusions, has a hardness of around 2.5 on Mohs’ Scale and has a distinctively bitter salty taste. Sylvite is a chemical sedimentary rock, laid down through the evaporation [...]
GEOLOGICAL TIMESCALE
Shown below is a representation of the rocks underlying the Tees Valley and Darlington districts in Northeast England. The diagram depicts the relative thickness of the different systems. Absolute ages are given alongside. Click on the different areas to view more details about a particular time period.
Geological column showing the relative thickness and absolute [...]
Welcome to the Tees Valley RIGS Group Website.
The place for you to find out more about the geology and industrial heritage of Redcar & Cleveland, Middlesbrough,
Stockton, Hartlepool and Darlington.
Alum, Alchemy and Ammonites Page
Future Events Page
Past Events Page
Why not check out our new site description pages and geo-trails
Boulby – Cowbar Hummersea Loftus [...]
Summary
Column showing the Permian rocks of the Tees Valley.
The addition of a Permian System of rocks to the history of the Earth was proposed in 1841 by eminent geologist Roderick Impey Murchison (1792-1871) after performing geological surveys in the Perm region of Russia where beds of this age are well represented.
Earth movements during [...]
The word Geology comes from the ancient Greek, Ge (γη) meaning Earth (not to be confused with Gaia (Γαια) the Greek Earth goddess) and Logos (λογος) meaning word or study of, amongst other things. So Geology literally means Study of the Earth.
The the addition of the letter ‘o’ to spell geo was simply to [...]
Grid Reference NZ 471 371
BGS Sheet 27
OS Sheet 93
Forwarded as RIGS 30/09/2003
Site Description
Site Status SNCI
Description of Geodiversity Deep gorge environment revealing exposures of Magnesian limestone. The gorge forms steep sides consisting of face of Magnesian limestone in a fluvial environment. Glacial erratics can be found in the stream bed.
Literature References The Geology [...]
Grid Reference NZ 524 344
BGS Sheet 27
OS Sheet 93
Forwarded as RIGS 30/09/2003
Site Description
Site Status SNCI
Description of Geodiversity Wave washed platform of Magnesian limestone. The exposure reveals examples of stack an pillar coastal features.
Literature References The Geology of the Country Between Durham and West Hartlepool – Denis Smith 1967
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