2011

NS3679 : Traces of ancient mud cracks

taken 13 years ago, near to Renton, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland

Traces of ancient mud cracks
Traces of ancient mud cracks
For context, see NS3679 : Carman Quarry, in which this large stone appears below the centre of the image.

The upper part of the stone, displaying this unusual pattern, measures about 1.3 metres from side to side, and about 1 metre from its lower to its upper end. Its surface here would originally have been smooth, as in the lower left section of the photograph, but some layers have fallen off, exposing a network of ridges.

This rock was formed by the deposition of sand on mud cracks; it has therefore preserved, in the form of a natural cast, the shape of those cracks. A larger and more impressive example can be seen, lying flat, not far away: see NS3678 : Traces of ancient mud cracks.

I have not encountered any reports of these features elsewhere, but they are an interesting geological curiosity.
The former Fairy Knowe Quarry :: NS3779

Red sandstone was quarried here. The site was formerly a small hill called Fairy Knowe, but it became a quarry at the end of the nineteenth century; later maps call it Carman Quarry. It has long been disused. See LinkExternal link for an annotated satellite view putting this site in its geological context. See Link and Link (in a Geograph article) for more on the quarry, the Fairy Knowe, and old traditions about this site and Havoc Hole.


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Lairich Rig and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Geographical Context: Geological interest Image Buckets ?: Closeup Near: Carman Muir Carman Hill Category: Geological feature
This photo is linked from: Articles: · Carman Hill Automatic Clusters: · Lower [3] Other Photos: · Traces of ancient mud cracks · Carman Quarry ·
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NS3679, 44 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Lairich Rig   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Thursday, 17 March, 2011   (more nearby)
Submitted
Monday, 4 April, 2011
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! NS 3692 7901 [10m precision]
WGS84: 55:58.5774N 4:36.9030W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! NS 3695 7902
View Direction
South-southwest (about 202 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Supplemental image
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