Harwood Dale Moor
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SE961990 | — | Favourable | 0.45 | 2016-01-28 |
Climate exposure
This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.
Coastal habitats are exposed to sea-level rise and storm erosion. Where hard sea defences sit behind them, there's nowhere landward to retreat to — a squeeze that keeps compressing the habitat no matter how well it's managed.
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Jurassic, Quaternary
Landscape processes: Coastal, Glacial
Description
Description Harwood Dale Moor lies in conifer forest to the east of the A171 about ten kilometres north north west of Scarborough. The site underlies a forest ride and extends a short distance into the forest. A single excavation in the ride provides exposure of the interest. Harwood Dale Moor is an important Quaternary site exhibiting an interglacial soil horizon. The site shows the development of peaty gleys in weathered clays of the Middle Jurassic Estuarine Beds. Gley soils develop under waterlogged conditions where the anaerobic reduction of iron compounds produce a mottled patchwork of grey and rust colours. These occur in the middle part of the soil horizon at Harwood Dale Moor. The morphology and mineralogy of the red mottled clay is such that it resembles plinthite a clay characteristic of tropical regions with a marked wet and dry season. This site lies in an area that remained unglaciated during the period of the maximum extent of the last glaciation and must therefore pre date the last interglacial. The evidence of the clays indicates that this palaeosol developed during a period of tropical to sub tropical conditions between glaciations. Harwood Dale Moor provides important evidence for the study of palaeosol development and Quaternary environmental change in northern England.