Marine Permian of England
This book is concerned almost wholly with a diverse suite of carbonate rocks that were formed near the margins of shallow tropical seas during the last 5-7 million years of the Permian period (300-251 Ma). These unique rocks, collectively known as the Mag
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THE GEOLOGICAL CONSERVATION REVIEW SERIES The comparatively small land area of Great Britain contains an unrivalled sequence of rocks, mineral and fossil deposits, and a variety of landforms that span much of the earth's long history. Well-documented ancient volcanic episodes, famous fossil sites and sedimentary rock sections used internationally as comparative standards, have given these islands an importance out of all proportion to their size. The long sequences of strata and their organic and inorganic contents have been studied by generations of leading geologists, thus giving Britain a unique status in the development of the science. Many of the divisions of geological time used throughout the world are named after British sites or areas, for instance, the Cambrian, Ordovician and Devonian systems, the Ludlow Series and the Kimmeridgian and Portlandian stages. The Geological Conservation Review (GCR) was initiated by the Nature Conservancy Council in 1977 to assess, document and ultimately publish accounts of the most important parts of this rich heritage. Since 1991, the task of publication has been assumed by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee on behalf of the three country agencies, English Nature, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Countryside Council for Wales. The GCR series of volumes will review the current state of knowledge of the key earth-science sites in Great Britain and provide a firm basis on w h i c h site conservation can be founded in years to come. Each GCR volume will describe and assess networks of sites of national or international importance in the context of a portion of the geological column, or a geological, palaeontological or mineralogical topic. Within each individual volume, every GCR locality is described in detail in a selfcontained account, consisting of highlights (a precis of the special interest of the site), an introduction (with a concise history of previous work), a description, an interpretation (assessing the fundamentals of the site's scientific interest and importance), and a conclusion (written in simpler terms for the non-specialist). Each site report is a justification of a particular scientific interest at a locality, of its importance in a British or international setting and ultimately of its worthiness for conservation. The aim of the Geological Conservation Review series is to provide a public record of the features of interest in sites being considered for notification as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). It is written to the highest scientific standards but in such a way that the assessment and conservation value of the site is clear. It is a public statement of the value given to our geological and geomorphological heritage by the earth-science community w h i c h has participated in its production, and it will be used by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, English Nature, the Countryside Council for Wales and Scottish Natural Heritage in carrying out their conservation functions. The three country agencies are also active in helping
