Cliffe Hill Quarry
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SK474107 | — | Favourable | 19.21 | 2023-01-11 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Precambrian
Landscape processes: Volcanic / Igneous
Description
Area, 37.9 hectares 93.7 ac Description This site provides excellent exposures of the contact between the southern type dirorite markfieldite and the volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Precambrian Charnian Maplewell Series. The markfieldite shows signs of having been intruded by magma stoping and is considered to be the plutonic expression of the igneous episode which produced the Charnian volcanic rocks. Recent geochemical studies have shown that both groups of rocks carry a similar geochemical signature being relatively depleted in elements such as niobium, titanium and zirconium. This is consistent with their generation in a volcanic island arc setting.