Britain, Ireland and their surrounding areas have a remarkably varied geology for so small a fragment of continental crust.
This region contains a fine rock record from all the geological periods from Quaternary back to Cambrian, and a less continuous but still impressive catalogue of events back through nearly 2500 million years of Precambrian time. This protracted geological history would have been interesting enough to reconstruct if it had been played out on relatively stable continental crust. However, Britain and Ireland have developed instead at a tectonic crossroads, on crust traversed intermittently by subduction zones and volcanic arcs, continental rifts and mountain belts. The resulting complexity makes the geological history of this region at once fascinating and perplexing.
Geological History of Britain and Ireland tells the geological story of the region at a level accessible to undergraduate geologists, as well as to postgraduates, professionals or informed amateurs. The book takes a multi-disciplinary rather than a purely stratigraphical approach, and aims to bring to life the processes behind the catalogue of historical events. Full coverage is given to the rich Precambrian and Early Palaeozoic history, as well as to later events more relevant to hydrocarbon exploration. The book is profusely illustrated and contains guides to further reading and full references to data sources, making it an essential starting point for more detailed studies of the regional geology.
* All British Earth science undergraduates will be required to spend some time studying British Geological History, and this book will be the only one available to British undergraduates
* The book takes a process-based approach, rather than simply describing the regional stratigraphy
* Lavishly illustrated with high-quality diagrams
Table of Content
Part I: Introduction:.
1. Regional Geological History: Why And How:N. H. Woodcock &
R. A. Strachan.
2. Geological Framework Of Britain And Ireland: R. E.
Holdsworth, N. H. Woodcock & R. A. Strachan.
Part II: The Northern Margin Of The Iapetus Ocean:.
3. Early Earth History And Development Of The Archaean Crust: R.
A. Strachan.
4. Proterozoic Sedimentation, Orogenesis And Magmatism On The
Laurentian Craton: R. A. Strachan & R. E. Holdsworth.
5. Late Neoproterozoic To Early Ordovician Passive Margin
Sedimentation Along The Laurentian Margin: R. A. Strachan & R.
E. Holdsworth.
6. The Grampian Orogeny: Mid-Ordovician Arc-Continent Collision
Along The Laurentian Margin: R. A. Strachan.
7. Mid-Ordovician To Silurian Sedimentation And Tectonics On The
Northern Active Margin Of Iapetus: R. A. Strachan.
Part III: The Southern Margin Of The Iapetus Ocean:.
8. Neoproterozoic To Cambrian Accretionary History Of Eastern
Avalonia And Armorica: R. A. Strachan.
9. The Cambrian And Earliest Ordovician Quiescent Margin Of
Gondwana: N. H. Woodcock.
10. Ordovician Volcanism And Sedimentation On Eastern Avalonia:
N. H. Woodcock.
11. Late Ordovician To Silurian Evolution Of Eastern Avalonia
During Convergence With Laurentia: N. H. Woodcock.
Part IV: The End Of The Iapetus Ocean:.
12. The Caledonian Orogeny: A Multiple Plate Collision: N. H.
Woodcock & R. A. Strachan.
13. Devonian Sedimentation And Volcanism On The Old Red
Sandstone Continent: N. H. Woodcock.
Part V: The Variscan Cycle: Consolidation Of
Pangaea:.
14. Carboniferous Sedimentation And Volcanism On The Laurussian
Margin: P. D. Guion, P. Gutteridge & S. J. Davies.
15. The Variscan Orogeny: The Welding Of Pangaea: L. N.
Warr.
Part VI: Post-Variscan Intraplate Setting:.
16. Permian To Late Triassic Post-Orogenic Collapse And Early
Atlantic Rifting: A. H. Ruffell & R. G. Shelton.
17. Late Triassic To Jurassic: The Beginning Of The End For
Pangaea: S. P. Hesselbo.
18. Early Cretaceous: Rifting And Sedimentation Before The
Flood: A. S. Gale.
19. Late Cretaceous To Early Tertiary Deposition Through The
Global Highstand: A. S. Gale.
20. Tertiary Events: The North Atlantic Plume And Alpine Pulses:
R. Anderton.
21. The Quaternary: The History Of An Ice Age: N. H.
Woodcock
About the author
Nigel H. Woodcock and R. A. Strachan are the authors of Geological History of Britain and Ireland, published by Wiley.
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