Video sequence of a Moine/Devonian unconformity at grid reference NC 8591 6640 where younger Devonian sandstones sit on the eroded Moine rocks, spectacularly exposed in the cliffs at a cave mouth fault.

            Video sequence of a Moine/Devonian unconformity at grid reference NC 8591 6640 where younger Devonian sandstones sit on the eroded Moine rocks, spectacularly exposed in the cliffs at a cave mouth fault. To the west of Portskerra are cliffs of beautiful gneiss highly veined and sheeted by late, pink granites that are thought to correlate with the c.425 Million years old Strath Halladale Granite that intrudes the Precambrian Moine rocks which are approximately 650 million years old and originated as sea-floor sands and muds present around 1.1 billion years ago. There are calcite flowstone and small stalactites at the back of the cave. 
Erosion eventually brought the Moine and igneous rocks of the site to the surface, where they were overlaid by Devonian sandstones around 375 million years ago. A well-known section of the unconformity is the stark juxtaposition of younger sandstones above the eroded Moine rocks, spectacularly exposed in the cliffs north of Portskerra. There is Devonian sedimentary rocks with multiple layers of varying thicknesses. These rocks belong to the Caithness Flagstone series and were formed is a series of fresh-water lakes during the Lower Devonian period (416 – 397 million years ago). This is the original western margin of the lakes which covered an area extending to Caithness, Orkney, Shetland, the Moray coast and to Norway.

Taken in: UK / Scotland / Portskerra (show map)

Taken on: November 12, 2024

Tags:

Moine

rocks

flagstones

Old

Red

Sandstone

fault

cave

sea

kayak

sutherland

8591

6640 « less

Sets appears in: • Geology Scotland • Armadale to Strathy Point and Portskerra Sea Kayak Paddle 5 Sept 2024 more » • Geology • Scotland - Sutherland « less

Groups appears in: • Scottish Geology • Structural Geology

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