Stainton gravel beds, and clay deposits.

The image below i believe shows the same red clay that covers all the areas in the south west Cleveland area and sits directly below the Stainton gravel beds, the first image was taken at Fanny Bells Gill just before its confluence with the river Leven

This image shows what i believe to be a very good exposure of Triassic Mercia mudstone about a mile down river.

This exposure just up river from the image above, is i believe also Mercia mudstone, and is also the site of an old mill that was built upon the Triassic bedrock.

A good image of the bedrock.

This image i think shows Mercia mudstone that has been exposed earlier in time and weathered.

The last image shows the whole natural weir.

 I believe that because the surrounding banks are so steep that what has and is now to be seen, could easily be mistaken for glacial till, but is infact a mixture of individual fluvial layers that have eroded over time with the help of the more modern Leven flow.

 

 

More can be viewed regarding tthe Stainton gravel beds by clicking the link below

The Stainton gravel beds

Agar 1954 on the deposits in the south west area of Cleveland.

Agar covered in detail the deposits to the north of Stainton created by the ice-dammed water-body that is said to have stood far below the 50 metre elevation of the Stainton site's.  Neither of the papers i have now looked at explicitly cover the south west area of Cleveland, but Agar ( 1954) maps the area as being till- covered with no detail on other beds in the area.

I can now with some confidence state that Agar mapped the area wrong, the area is far from a till covered glacial mess in fact i am yet to come across anything that resembles a till deposit or indeed any glacial erratics on the surface, every area i have excavated is proof in itself that Agar mapped the area wrong, and in doing so tells me he never actually looked hard enough to have the right to map it at all .

Magnetic rock found in the Stainton gravel beds.

This Basalt was excavated two days ago from the same excavation as the slab in the previous post. This i believe to be Basaltic Andesite from the nearby Cleveland Dyke, the Quartz or calcite veins i first thought were filled vesicles, but ime now sure there not.

The basalt is by far the most magnetic ive found so far, it attracts a magnet from 10mm away.

In my experience the tell tale signe to id Whinstone ( Basaltic Andesite ) can be seen to the top right of this image, its the white half circle that is the point of impact of the hammer blow that cracked the rock. Obviously the unique crystals also give a big clue!

 

More can be viewed regarding the Stainton gravel beds by clicking the link below

The Stainton gravel beds

 

 

The magnetic properties of the Cleveland dyke in t...