Whin Sill dolerite
E460176
Whin Sill dolerite is a prominent intrusive igneous rock formation in northern England, famous for forming dramatic escarpments that underlie features such as Hadrian’s Wall and much of the North Pennines landscape.
Observed surface forms (1)
| Surface form | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Whin Sill escarpments | 1 |
Statements (47)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
dolerite sill
ⓘ
igneous rock unit ⓘ intrusive rock body ⓘ |
| approximateAgeMa | 295–295 ⓘ |
| associatedWith | mineralization in northern England ⓘ |
| belongsTo | Whin Sill intrusive complex NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| composition |
olivine (minor)
ⓘ
plagioclase feldspar ⓘ pyroxene ⓘ |
| country | United Kingdom ⓘ |
| forms | escarpments ⓘ |
| formsFeature |
High Force area in Teesdale
ⓘ
crags along Hadrian's Wall ⓘ escarpments in the North Pennines AONB ⓘ |
| formsPartOf | geological heritage of the North Pennines UNESCO Global Geopark NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| geologicalAge | Early Permian ⓘ |
| geologicalSetting | northern England NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| geologicalUnitOf | North Pennine Orefield region NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hostRockAge | Carboniferous ⓘ |
| importance | controls topography of northern England escarpments ⓘ |
| importanceFor | geotourism in northern England ⓘ |
| influences | North Pennines landscape ⓘ |
| intrudedInto | Carboniferous sedimentary rocks ⓘ |
| intrusionStyle | sill ⓘ |
| lithology | medium-grained dolerite ⓘ |
| mapUnitName | Whin Sill NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| notableExposure |
Hadrian's Wall corridor
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Northumberland National Park NERFINISHED ⓘ Teesdale NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| notableFor |
dramatic landscape features in the North Pennines
ⓘ
forming the foundation of Hadrian's Wall in many sections ⓘ |
| orientation | generally gently dipping ⓘ |
| protectedAt | various Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) ⓘ |
| region |
County Durham
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
North Pennines NERFINISHED ⓘ Northumberland NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| relationship | part of a laterally extensive sill system ⓘ |
| rockClass | mafic igneous rock ⓘ |
| rockType | dolerite ⓘ |
| studiedInDiscipline |
geology
ⓘ
geomorphology ⓘ |
| tectonicEnvironment | post-Variscan extensional setting ⓘ |
| texture | phaneritic ⓘ |
| thermalEffect | baked surrounding sedimentary rocks ⓘ |
| thickness | varies from a few metres to over 70 metres (approximate) ⓘ |
| underlies | Hadrian's Wall NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| weatheringExpression | steep crags and cliffs ⓘ |
Referenced by (3)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
this entity surface form:
Whin Sill escarpments