Brent Tor

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 50.6031, -4.1620

Open in the interactive map →

Also within

Devon County DARTMOOR National Park

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SX471803 — Favourable 6.96 2011-09-28

Geology & landscape

Geological Feature: Rock Outcrop · Geological Period: Carboniferous

Landscape processes: Volcanic / Igneous

Description

Brent Tor SSSI Description In Dartmoor National Park. Listed as of national importance in the Geological Conservation Review. The knoll of Brent Tor is one of the few well-exposed examples of Lower Carboniferous basaltic hyaloclastites in Devon. From the limited outcrop pattern submarine volcanism probably built a small localised high-level hyaloclastite mound on the seafloor. The stratigraphically upper portion of the sequence is poorly bedded and demonstrates the effect of water current reworking, carrying volcanic debris down slope for a considerable distance. As Hercynian submarine volcanism is generally represented by the development of pillow lavas, this locality is a rare example of a Carboniferous eruption event that produced basaltic volcaniclastites.