The geology and palaeontology of the Jurassic rocks of Eathie (Cromarty)

1. The Jurassic rocks at Eathie Haven have been downfaulted against the pre-Mesozoic rocks with which they are in contact to the west. 2. With the exception of the rocks at Bow Buoy Skerry, which are of Upper Oxford Clay age, the Jurassic rocks exposed at Eathie are Lower Kimmeridgian. Three success...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Waterston, Charles D.
Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
Language:unknown
Published: The University of Edinburgh 1949
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1842/14640
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Summary:1. The Jurassic rocks at Eathie Haven have been downfaulted against the pre-Mesozoic rocks with which they are in contact to the west. 2. With the exception of the rocks at Bow Buoy Skerry, which are of Upper Oxford Clay age, the Jurassic rocks exposed at Eathie are Lower Kimmeridgian. Three successive ammonite zones have been identified in the Kimmeridgian deposits: the zones of Rasenia cymodoce and Amoeboceras kitchini, Rasenia uralensis, and Rasenia pseadomutabilis. 3. The presence of 'marker beds' in the Kimmeridge shales enables them to be mapped and their stratigraphical succession determined. 4. Lines of weakness were developed in the Kimmeridgian strata by earth-movements during late Kimmeridgian times. Sand was injected along these lines of weakness, probably under pressure from below. The loose sand was consolidated after injection by the growth of calcite cement to form 'sandstone dykes' and 'sandstone sills'. 5. A rich microfauna is present in the Kimmeridgian rocks, ten genera of foraminifera and two of Radiolaria having been found. 6. Eight lamellibranch species were identified in the Kimmerig gian rocks, three new species being described. J. Weir's suggestion that Lima concentrica (J. de C. Sow) might be a synonym for Buchia concentrica (Rouillier) is confirmed. 7. One horizon of the Kimmeridgian yielded three species of gastropoda. 8. Ten ammonite species were obtained from the Kimmeridgian rocks, five Cardioceratids and five Perisphinctids. Prorasenia spp. were found in association with species of the 1 asenia uralensis group. 9. The Kimmeridgian yielded three Belemnite species including Pachyteuthis abbreviatus. 10. The Kimmeridgian rocks appear to have been deposited in a tranquil sea of moderate depth which cannot have been far from land. 11. The presence of a mixed Boreal and Mediterranean faunal assemblage at Eathie in north -east Scotland suggests that a sea connection existed between the Boreal and Mediterranean provinces, the gradual change of aspect of the ammonite assemblage between southern England and Greenland being due to the influence of climatic zones.