The external Spanish Pyrenees are classic locale for geologists who want to study the interactions between sedimentation and tectonics. The Pyrenees are a fold and thrust belt resulting from the collision of Iberia and Europe. Most of the deformation of the external Pyrenees occurred during the Eocene (56-34 Million years ago). The external Pyrenees are […]
The northwest coast of Scotland is an incredibly geologically diverse stretch of coastline. In less than 150 kilometers the rocks span over 2.8 billion years of Earth history, from the Archaean Lewisian gneiss to the Tertiary volcanic province on Skye with little missing in between. Such a wide temporal spread means that any particular age […]
In the world of geology, many firsts took place in Scotland. Scotland was the place where deep time was first demonstrated by James Hutton at Siccar Point (discussed here). It as also the birthplace of thrust tectonics. However, these tremendous discoveries were not without controversy. Loch Eriboll A prominent feature in the highlands is […]
The Ligurian Coast is possibly the most iconic coastlines in Italy. In addition to being incredibly scenic and beautiful, the Ligurian Coast is home to some incredibly complex and exciting geology. The Ligurian Coast is composed of the Maritime Alps in the west and the Ligurian Nappes of the Apennines in the east. Along this coast the […]
by Kellen GundersonThe Ridge and Valley province of the Appalachians is a fold and thrust belt that formed during the Alleghanian orogeny (260-325 Million years ago). The remnants of that ancient mountain belt consist of a series of linear ridges and valleys that can be followed for hundreds of kilometers. There are a series of […]
