Benbeoch
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Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Carboniferous - Permian Igneous | Unfavourable No Change | — | 2019-03-21 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Carboniferous
Landscape processes: Volcanic / Igneous
Description
BENBEOCH Benbeoch, lying 2.5 km north-east of Dalmellington, illustrates sills of alkali-enriched basaltic composition, which form an integral part of the Permo-Carboniferous igneous activity (formed around 260-250 million years ago) in central and southern Scotland and have long been a source of evidence relating to the different processes which effect magmatic evolution. At Benbeoch one such sill provides a clear indication that one of its constituent minerals – olivine (Mg,Fe)2SI 04), a magnesium-iron silicate – had crystallised and accumulated from the magma before intrusion and that another – augite, a complex calcium-magnesium-iron silicate – also crystallised early in the cooling process. The sill is the type locality for the rock, kylite, which shows enrichment in both alkali-bearing minerals and olivine; its departure from the presumed parental magma is the result of a long and varied experience of evolutionary processes.