Frogden Quarry

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 50.9632, -2.5013

Also within

Dorset County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
ST648183 Favourable 0.19 2015-03-11

Geology & landscape

Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Jurassic

Description

Area, 0.2 hectares 0.5 ac Description Frogden Quarry is an internationally important geological locality demonstrating features of very considerable stratigraphical significance. This is the only site in Southern England where rocks of the humphriesianum and subfurcatum zones of the Bajocian Middle Jurassic are exposed in any thickness as a complete succession. The site has produced most of the type fossils in this case ammonites from which the humphriesianum and subfurcatum zones were defined. Elsewhere the time intervals represented by these zones are normally missing or occur in attenuated form. The Frogden section is therefore of particular importance as an international reference site and as a source of type fossils. The study of stratigraphy is fundamental to the exploration and appraisal of the world's mineral resources.