Geological lesson, ( The geology of the region)
The northwestern lakes is mainly a band of rock which is composed of sedimentary rocks – largely siltstones of marine origin.
a) These rocks are grey in colour and have thin defined layers. They feel sharp in one axis and smooth in another. They are often categorized as slate, but don't always 'split' in the way slate would normally do.
The central band of the lakes is a mix of volcanic and sedimentary rocks of mid to late Ordovician age comprising the lavas and tuffs of the Borrowdale Volcanic Group
b) Volcanic rock can be made up of a conglomerate of tiny rocks fused together, (looking a bit like concrete), and can be a wide range of colours from green to red. This is very rough to the touch, like a sandpaper.
c) Volcanics can also be a smooth and shiny rock (looking like it has been polished), which are usually black
d) Sedimentary rock is a layered rock, this usually fine grained with larger lumps embedded (though the layers may not be horizontal) and has defined lines in the rock of different colours like reds, yellows or blues. These lines can be as thin as a pencil or hundreds of meters thick.
The southeastern band of the lakes comprises of mudstones, These are generally a little less resistant to erosion than the rocks to the north and underlie much of the lower landscapes around the southern lake district.
e) These rock have little or no defined grain and are excellent for building and carving, they are rough textured
There are types of each of these stones dotted around the picnic areas and lining the side of the service road for you to look at and compare with the stone circle
Questions; read the five descriptions above, then...............
1) What type of stone do you think was used to build this tiny stone circle?
2) Stand inside it and tell me the texture of the stones
3) What is the approximate height of the tallest stone in feet or cm?
4) (optional) post a photo of you or your GPS at the stone circle
Thank you for visiting the geocache, I love stone circles, I hope you do too