Stanner Rocks is a rounded hill, steep in parts, which lies close to the Wales border with England between Walton and Kington. A superb collection of wild plants can be found here. Where it faces south, warm sunshine and drying winds create an ideal environment for plants which are more likely to be seen around the Mediterranean. The most famous of Stanner Rocks’ specialties is the pretty and elusive Radnor Lily, having small, starry yellow flowers.
The Stanner-Hanter Complex refers to the set of rocks which outcrop at Stanner Hill and the nearby Hanter Hill and Worsel Wood and which have long been considered to be the oldest in Wales, having been dated to around 700 million years BP using the rubidium-strontium dating method. They comprise gabbro, diorite and granite. [1] Little modern research has been undertaken on the Complex. The rocks have been variously described as a hypersthene trap (Murchison 1867); an Archean ridge (Calloway1879); a Carboniferous laccolith (Raw 1904); a Tertiary igneous complex (Watts 1906); and a Carboniferous intrusion (Pocock & Whitehead 1935).
Holgate & Knight-Hallowes (1941) suggested a Precambrian origin based on the occurrence of dolerite clasts associated with Longmyndian sediments in a nearby quarry. Much of the confusion must relate to the fault-bounded nature of the Complex which gives no direct stratigraphic control of its age of formation. In the late 1970s the general acceptance of the theory of plate tectonics resulted in a re-investigation of the Precambrian and Paleozoic igneous rocks of southern Britain. Thorpe et al. (1984) made the earliest developments by identifying the calc-alkaline nature of many of these exposures and interpreting this evidence as the product of Precambrian subduction. The Stanner - Hanter Complex was not part of this study, perhaps because of its considerable alteration or possibly owing to the limited range of rock types. In 1980 the publication of a Rb/Sr isotopic age of 702 ± 4 Ma by Pachett et al. confirmed the Neoproterozoic age of the Complex whilst establishing it as the oldest dated rock sequence in southern Britain. More extensive dating of Avalonian rocks both in southern Britain and Maritime Canada has allowed Avalonian subduction to be refined into several stages. Gibbons & Hõrak (1996) grouped the Stanner-Hanter Complex with the Malverns Complex placing both within Avalonian Event 1, the early arc-construction phase, which has been dated at 677Ma. Implicit in this interpretation, however, is the assumption that the Stanner-Hanter rocks have a calc-alkaline composition. Slightly older dolerites and gabbros in the Avalonian of Newfoundland have a more primitive oceanic affinity related to the rifting and formation of primitive oceanic crust.
An ophiolite is a section of Earth's oceanic crust and the underlying upper mantle that has been uplifted and exposed above sea level and often emplaced onto continental crustal rocks.
Avalonia was a microcontinent in the Paleozoic era. Crustal fragments of this former microcontinent underlie south-west Great Britain, southern Ireland, and the eastern coast of North America. It is the source of many of the older rocks of Western Europe, Atlantic Canada, and parts of the coastal United States. Avalonia is named for the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland.
The Royal Society Range is a mountain range in Victoria Land, Antarctica. With its summit at 4,025 metres (13,205 ft), the massive Mount Lister forms the highest point in this range. Mount Lister is located along the western shore of McMurdo Sound between the Koettlitz, Skelton and Ferrar glaciers. Other notable local terrain features include Allison Glacier, which descends from the west slopes of the Royal Society Range into Skelton Glacier.
The geology of Australia includes virtually all known rock types, spanning a geological time period of over 3.8 billion years, including some of the oldest rocks on earth. Australia is a continent situated on the Indo-Australian Plate.
The calc-alkaline magma series is one of two main subdivisions of the subalkaline magma series, the other subalkaline magma series being the tholeiitic series. A magma series is a series of compositions that describes the evolution of a mafic magma, which is high in magnesium and iron and produces basalt or gabbro, as it fractionally crystallizes to become a felsic magma, which is low in magnesium and iron and produces rhyolite or granite. Calc-alkaline rocks are rich in alkaline earths and alkali metals and make up a major part of the crust of the continents.
Guernsey has a geological history stretching further back into the past than most of Europe. The majority of rock exposures on the Island may be found along the coastlines, with inland exposures scarce and usually highly weathered. There is a broad geological division between the north and south of the Island. The Southern Metamorphic Complex is elevated above the geologically younger, lower lying Northern Igneous Complex. Guernsey has experienced a complex geological evolution with multiple phases of intrusion and deformation recognisable.
Igneous rock, or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava.
Uriconian rocks are volcanic rocks found in parts of Shropshire, United Kingdom. The name relates to Uriconio, the Latin name for an Iron Age hillfort on the summit of the Wrekin, a hill formed of Uriconian rock.
The Wrekin Terrane is one of five inferred fault bounded terranes that make up the basement rocks of the southern United Kingdom. The other notable geological terranes in the region are the Charnwood Terrane, Fenland Terrane, Cymru Terrane and the Monian Composite Terrane. The Wrekin Terrane is bounded to the west by the Welsh Borderland Fault System and to the east by the Malvern Lineament. The geological terrane to the west is the Cymru Terrane and to the east is Charnwood Terrane. The majority of rocks in the area are associated with the outcrops that are evident at the faulted boundaries.
The Cymru Terrane is one of five inferred fault bounded terranes that make up the basement rocks of the southern United Kingdom. The other notable geological terranes are the Charnwood Terrane, Fenland Terrane, Wrekin Terrane and the Monian Composite Terrane. In this article the definition of terrane is that implying rocks associated with the composition of the Precambrian basement. The Cymru Terrane is bounded to the northwest by the Menai Strait Fault System and to the southeast by the Pontesford Lineament. The geological terrane to the west is the Monian Composite Terrane and to the east is Wrekin Terrane. The majority of rocks in the area are associated with the outcrops that are evident at the faulted boundaries.
The Sarn Complex is a group of closely related igneous rocks that intrude and cut through other rock lithologies in the Cymru Terrane in Wales. The complex outcrops on the Llyn Peninsula in a variety of places including Mynydd Cefnamlwch and the flanks of Pen y Gopa.
The Rhinns complex is a deformed Palaeoproterozoic igneous complex that is considered to form the basement to the Colonsay Group of metasedimentary rocks. The largest outcrop of the complex is on the Rhinns of Islay, from where the complex gets its name. It has also been recognised in three other inliers extending to the southwest as far as Inishtrahull, off the north coast of Donegal.
The geology of Niger comprises very ancient igneous and metamorphic crystalline basement rocks in the west, more than 2.2 billion years old formed in the late Archean and Proterozoic eons of the Precambrian. The Volta Basin, Air Massif and the Iullemeden Basin began to form in the Neoproterozoic and Paleozoic, along with numerous ring complexes, as the region experienced events such as glaciation and the Pan-African orogeny. Today, Niger has extensive mineral resources due to complex mineralization and laterite weathering including uranium, molybdenum, iron, coal, silver, nickel, cobalt and other resources.
The geological history of Zambia begins in the Proterozoic eon of the Precambrian. The igneous and metamorphic basement rocks tend to be highly metamorphosed and may have formed earlier in the Archean, but heat and pressure has destroyed evidence of earlier conditions. Major sedimentary and metamorphic groups formed in the mid-Proterozoic, followed by a series of glaciations in the Neoproterozoic and much of the Paleozoic which deposited glacial conglomerate as well as other sediments to form the Katanga Supergroup and rift-related Karoo Supergroup. Basalt eruptions blanketed the Karoo Supergroup in the Mesozoic and Zambia shifted to coal and sandstone formation. Geologically recent windblown sands from the Kalahari Desert and alluvial deposits near rivers play an important role in the modern surficial geology of Zambia. The country has extensive natural resources, particularly copper, but also cobalt, emeralds, other gemstones, uranium and coal.
The geology of Morocco formed beginning up to two billion years ago, in the Paleoproterozoic and potentially even earlier. It was affected by the Pan-African orogeny, although the later Hercynian orogeny produced fewer changes and left the Maseta Domain, a large area of remnant Paleozoic massifs. During the Paleozoic, extensive sedimentary deposits preserved marine fossils. Throughout the Mesozoic, the rifting apart of Pangaea to form the Atlantic Ocean created basins and fault blocks, which were blanketed in terrestrial and marine sediments—particularly as a major marine transgression flooded much of the region. In the Cenozoic, a microcontinent covered in sedimentary rocks from the Triassic and Cretaceous collided with northern Morocco, forming the Rif region. Morocco has extensive phosphate and salt reserves, as well as resources such as lead, zinc, copper and silver.
The geology of Sudan formed primarily in the Precambrian, as igneous and metamorphic crystalline basement rock. Ancient terranes and inliers were intruded with granites, granitoids as well as volcanic rocks. Units of all types were deformed, reactivated, intruded and metamorphosed during the Proterozoic Pan-African orogeny. Dramatic sheet flow erosion prevented almost any sedimentary rocks from forming during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic. From the Mesozoic into the Cenozoic the formation of the Red Sea depression and complex faulting led to massive sediment deposition in some locations and regional volcanism. Sudan has petroleum, chromite, salt, gold, limestone and other natural resources.
The geology of Sweden is the regional study of rocks, minerals, tectonics, natural resources and groundwater in the country. The oldest rocks in Sweden date to more than 2.5 billion years ago in the Precambrian. Complex orogeny mountain building events and other tectonic occurrences built up extensive metamorphic crystalline basement rock that often contains valuable metal deposits throughout much of the country. Metamorphism continued into the Paleozoic after the Snowball Earth glaciation as the continent Baltica collided with an island arc and then the continent Laurentia. Sedimentary rocks are most common in southern Sweden with thick sequences from the last 250 million years underlying Malmö and older marine sedimentary rocks forming the surface of Gotland.
The geology of Turkmenistan includes two different geological provinces: the Karakum, or South Turan Platform, and the Alpine Orogen.
The geology of Bulgaria consists of two major structural features. The Rhodope Massif in southern Bulgaria is made up of Archean, Proterozoic and Cambrian rocks and is a sub-province of the Thracian-Anatolian polymetallic province. It has dropped down, faulted basins filled with Cenozoic sediments and volcanic rocks. The Moesian Platform to the north extends into Romania and has Paleozoic rocks covered by rocks from the Mesozoic, typically buried by thick Danube River valley Quaternary sediments. In places, the Moesian Platform has small oil and gas fields. Bulgaria is a country in southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, and the Black Sea to the east.
The geology of Romania is structurally complex, with evidence of past crustal movements and the incorporation of different blocks or platforms to the edge of Europe, driving recent mountain building of the Carpathian Mountains. Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the southeast, Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, and Moldova to the east.
2. Coordinates: 52°13′16″N3°04′45″W / 52.22111°N 3.07917°W Gibbons W & Hõrak J, 1996, The evolution of the Neoproterozoic Avalonian subduction system - evidence from the British Isles,