Proglacial glaciotectonic deformation and the origin of the Cromer Ridge push moraine complex, North Norfolk, England

The landscape of northeast Norfolk is dominated by a high (>50 m) ridge which has been interpreted as an end moraine (Cromer Ridge). This feature is truncated by coastal erosion at Trimingham. Evidence of large- and small-scale compressive styles of deformation is found throughout the sequence, except at the very top, where late Anglian/early Hoxnian lake sediments are found within an undeformed kettle hole. The deformation consists of open folds (including chevron folds) and listric thrust faults. It is suggested that these are the result of a single compressive event, which was caused by proglacial glaciotectonic deformation. It is inferred that this deformation is due to a combination of frontal pushing and compressive stresses transmitted through a subglacial deforming wedge. It is also shown that strain increases towards the ice sheet margin, as reflected by the deformational styles (from open folding up-glacier to listric thrust faulting down-glacier). The Cromer Ridge is shown to be a push moraine complex related to an actively retreating ice margin.     

Understanding salt-marsh accretion,Scolt Head Island,Norfolk, England

Measurements of surface sediment accretion have been obtained for Hut Marsh, Scolt Head Island, Norfolk, England, using sand marker horizons. More than eighty 1-m² marker sites were deployed in October 1983, and vertical accretion measured at them in April and October 1986 and April 1987. Elevations relative to Ordnance Datum were established by levelling each site at the time of deployment. Data collected by Steers between 1935 and 1957 on the same marsh show a clear relationship between marsh elevation and sedimentation. The results of the current more detailed study, presented as mean annual accretion rates, indicate a complex pattern of sediment distribution at this macrotidal location. These data, together with the results of tidal flow monitoring in the creeks on Hut Marsh, show the importance of spatial and temporal patterns of sediment delivery and variations in depositional processes in determining the distribution of sedimentation across the marsh surface.     

Silicate and sulphide thermobarometry of low- to medium-grade metamorphic rocks from Holkham Bay, south-east Alaska

ABSTRACT The western metamorphic belt of the Coast Plutonic Complex, south-east Alaska and adjacent British Columbia, contains strongly deformed rocks and a prominent topographic low: the Coast Range megalineament. Near Holkham Bay, south-east Alaska, the lineament separates the western metamorphic belt into: a western low-grade (greenschist facies) terrane, and an eastern medium-grade (amphibolite facies) terrane. Sphalerite compositions of grains in direct contact with pyrite and pyrrhotite in chlorite-muscovite zone rocks in the low-grade terrane give pressures of about 8 kbar; compatible with pressures of 8-10 kbar at 500°C calculated from plagioclase-biotite-garnet-muscovite assemblages adjacent to the Windham Bay pluton about 15 km away. A pressure of 4.8 ± 0.7 kbar was calculated from sphalerite compositions in staurolite zone rocks east of the Coast Range megalineament. This is indistinguishable from pressures of 4.8 ± 1 kbar at 585°C and 5.1 ± 1 kbar at 680°C (plagioclase-garnet-aluminum silicate-quartz equilibria), and 4.1 ± 1 kbar at 585°C (plagioclase-biotite-garnet-muscovite equilibrium) determined for the medium-grade terrane. An identical pressure of 4.8 ± 0.7 kbar was calculated from sphalerite compositions in biotite zone rocks adjacent to the lineament; this is considerably higher than a pressure of 3.1 ± 1 kbar at 525°C obtained using plagioclase-biotite-garnet-muscovite geobarometry from shear zones within the lineament. The discrepancy may be explained by later equilibration of mineral phases within the shear zones. The geothermobarometry suggests relatively low temperatures and high pressures for the low-grade terrane (6-10 kbar), and intermediate temperatures and pressures for the medium-grade terrane to the east (4-6 kbar). Comparison of the barometers indicate that sphalerite can be used to estimate metamorphic pressures, similar to those estimated from silicate mineral chemistry when pyrrhotite-sphalerite-pyrite assemblages are used.     

Sedimentation and Iithostratigraphy of the North Sea Drift and Lowestoft Till Formations in the Coastal cliffs of northeast Norfolk,England

The most complete terrestrial sequence of Anglian (Elsterian) glacial sediments in western Europe was investigated in northeast Norfolk, England in order to reconstruct the evolution of the contemporary palaeoenvironments. Lithostratigraphically the glacial sediments in the northeast Norfolk coastal cliffs can be divided into the Northn Sea Drift and Lowestoft Till Formations. Three of the diamicton members of the North Sea Drift Formation (Happisburgh, Walcott and Cromer Diamictons) were deposited as lodgement and/or subglacial deformation till by grounded ice, but one, the Mundesley Diamicton, is waterlain and was deposited in an extensive glacial lake. Sands and fine sediments interbedded between the diamictons represent deltaic sands and glaciolacustrine sediments derived not solely from the melting ice in the north but also from extra-marginal rivers in the south. The Lowestoft Till Formation is not well preserved in the cliffs but includes lodgement till (Marly Drift till) and, most probably, associated meltwater deposits. Extensive glaciotectonism in the northern part of the area is shown to relate to oscillating ice that deposited the Cromer Diamicton and also partially to the ice sheet that deposited the Marly Drift till. It is suggested that during the Anglian Stage the present day northeast Norfolk coast was situated on the northwestern margin of an extensive glaciolacustrine basin. This basin was dammed by the Scandinavian ice sheet in the north and northeast. Because the grounding line of this ice sheet oscillated in space and time, part of the North Sea Drift diamictons were deposited directly by this ice. However, during ice retreat phases glaciolacustrine deposition comprised waterlain diamicton, sands and fines. When the Scandinavian ice sheet was situated in northernmost Norfolk, the British ice sheet (responsible for depositing the Marly Drift facies) entered the area from the west. This ice sheet partially deformed the North Sea Drift Formation sediments in the northern part of the area but not in the south, where the British ice sheet apparently terminated in water. The interplay of these two ice sheets on the northern and western margins of the glacial lake is thought to be the major determining factor for the accumulation of thick glacial deposits in this area during the Anglian glaciation.     

Composition and formation of laminated sediments in Diss Mere, Norfolk, England

The chemical and biological composition of laminated lake-sediments deposited between about 2,500 and 5,500 years B.P. in Diss Mere, Norfolk, England is described. The distribution of Ca, Fe, S, and Si in pale and dark laminae is established by energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis. The pale laminae consist primarily of calcium carbonate and the dark layers contain mainly Fe, S, Si, and dark organic material. The diatom composition of 16 individual light and dark laminae shows no consistent differences between light and dark layers. There are, however, higher frequencies of chrysophycean cysts in seven of the eight dark layers, suggesting these layers were deposited in late summer or fall. Pollen analyses of the pale and dark layers show that pollen percentages of early-flowering trees and shrubs are highest in the dark laminae and that pollen values of late-flowering plants are highest in the pale layers. The biological data indicate that the pale layers were formed in the late spring and early summer, whereas the dark laminae were deposited in late summer, fall, winter, and the early spring. Seasonal supply of CaCO₃ was the major variable responsible for couplet formation.     

Shell sand properties and vegetative distribution on shell ridges of the Southwestern Coast of Bohai Bay

Little information is available about shell ridge ecosystems. Vegetative distribution and shell sand properties were investigated on a shell ridge in the Binzhou National Shell Ridge and Wetland Nature Reserve. 21 plant species were observed in the study area and, according to the Shannon?CWeiner Index and species evenness, vegetative cover, and abundance varied significantly at different sites (P?<?0.05). Sand percent, dissolved organic C, total N, and available N concentrations were significantly higher in the upper layers, while total and available P and K concentrations were significantly higher in the lower profile. Plant species were divided into three groups based on canonical correspondence analysis. Group A included 10 plant species, and was well correlated with high available nutrient concentrations (dissolved organic C, and available N, P, and K) and sand moisture. Groups B and C were well correlated with total K, P and salinity. Thus shell sand properties affected the spatial distribution of vegetation in the study area. Due to the coarse texture, salinity was less than 0.4% and much lower than in adjacent soils. Ten salt-sensitive plant species were found, accounting for 48% of the total plant species. Shell sand is therefore imperative to shell ridge ecosystem sustainability, and shell sand mining should be prohibited in the area.     

Early and Middle Pleistocene river systems in eastern England: evidence from Leet Hill,southern Norfolk,England

Pleistocene sediments at Leet Hill, southern Norfolk are examined in terms of their sedimentary structures, palaeocurrent indicators, clast and heavy mineral lithology and litho- and morphostratigraphic position. Colour of the quartzite and vein-quartz clasts is used to differentiate the Bytham and the Kesgrave sands and gravels, with the Bytham sands and gravels having a significantly higher proportion of coloured material. The Kirby Cane sands and gravels are the lower sedimentary unit and were deposited by the Bytham river, which drained a catchment extending into central England. At Leet Hill, erosion of the Kesgrave Sands and Gravels by the Bytham river has given the Kirby Cane sands and gravels a distinctive lithological assemblage. Trace clast lithologies suggest that the Kesgrave Sands and Gravels in the region of Leet Hill were deposited in a coastal location with an input from northern sources as well as southern and Welsh sources diagnostic of the Thames catchment. The glaciofluvial Leet Hill Sands and Gravels were deposited by outwash from the Anglian Scandinavian ice sheet. Initially the flow direction of the outwash was determined by the Bytham river valley, but this changed to a southerly direction once the valley had been infilled. This paper provides the first indication of the location of the boundary (Early Pleistocene coastline) between the fluvial Kesgrave Sands and Gravels and the marine equivalent reworked by coastal processes, and demonstrates the way the pre-glacial relief initially controlled patterns of glaciofluvial sedimentation during the early part of the Anglian glaciation. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Formation of siderite-Mg-calcite-iron sulphide concretions in intertidal marsh and sandflat sediments, north Norfolk, England

Concretions cemented mainly by siderite, Mg-calcite and iron monosulphide are common in late Holocene marsh and sandflat sediments on parts of the north Norfolk coast. Field experiments have shown that the concretions are actively forming in reduced sediments in which sulphate-reducing bacteria are active. δ¹³C values ranging from ?3 to ?11·8% (mean ?5·9%0) suggest that the carbonate in the concretions is derived partly from marine sources and partly from microbial degradation of organic matter. δ¹⁸O values ranged from ?6·4% to + 0·8% (mean ?1·0%) suggesting that carbonate precipitated in porewaters ranging from pure sea water to-sea water diluted with meteoric water. Chemical analysis of porewaters showed no evidence of significant sulphate depletion at the depth of concretion formation. Some concretions have formed around fragments of wood or metal, but others contain no apparent nucleus. In field experiments siderite, FeS and Mg-calcite were precipitated around several different nuclei within a period of six months. We suggest that siderite may form wherever the rate of iron reduction exceeds the rate of sulphate reduction, such that insufficient dissolved sulphide is available to precipitate all the available dissolved ferrous iron.     

Neoichnology of Chalk cobbles from north Norfolk,England: implications for taphonomy and palaeoecology

The study of marine biota of the North Sea from the perspective of its relevance to palaeontology (Aktuopaläontologie) has enabled modern patterns and processes to be identified that can also be recognised in ancient communities. A collection of Chalk cobbles from the coast of north Norfolk, eastern England, preserves a limited ichnofauna: Gastrochaenolites ornatus Kelly and Bromley; Gastrochaenolites isp.; and Caulostrepsis isp. All cobbles show evidence of physical modification (corrasion) since they were bored; no Gastrochaenolites is complete and no clast has Caulostrepsis on all sides, therefore clasts have been corraded subsequent to boring. Only one producing organism in Gastrochaenolites, probably Barnea sp., is preserved in situ. Gastrochaenolites borings were infested by a range of encrusting organisms after the demise (and removal of shells) of the boring bivalves: thread-like algae; agglutinated worm tubes; cheilostome bryozoan Cryptosula pallasiana (Moll); and serpulids Hydroides norvegica Gunnerus and Pomatoceras triqueter (Linnaeus). Such a suite of encrusting organisms would be impossible to see in a fossil boring filled with lithified sedimentary rock unless it was released by dissolution of the substrate. Such cobbles, corraded since they were infested by borers, leave only portions of traces for identification, commonly only to ichnogenus.     

Hydrologic artifact dispersals at Pingasagruk,North Coast,Alaska

Situated on a coastal sand bar, Pingasagruk is a habitation site with prehistoric and historic components. Data from systematic surface sampling led to analyses that show different artifact distribution patterns on and off this site and suggest the dispersals are due to storms and erosion, in addition to human activity. To explain the disparate distributions of cultural materials, this study uses a model of hydrologic artifact dispersal and, possibly, differential sorting. Differences in distribution patterns at Pingasagruk highlight the importance of considering how cultural and noncultural transformation processes affect the occurrence of sites and their artifacts. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Folding in intertidal sediments on the west Lancashire Coast, England

Folded mud layers are observed to be spatially associated with dune bedforms in the runnels of a wide multi-barred foreshore. An hypothesis is presented linking the formation of the folds, by porewater and sediment movements, to the growth of the dune bedforms. The hypothesis is supported by published reports of laboratory experiments by other authors.     

Differential productions of rural gentrification: illustrations from North and South Norfolk

This paper focuses attention on the making of space for rural gentrification, both discursively and materially. The paper emphasises the differential constructions of gentrification within urban and rural studies. Connections are drawn between production-side theories of gentrification, notions of the ‘post-productivist countryside’ and studies that have related rural demographic change and gentrification with planning and property relations. Drawing on these three sets of ideas, the paper explores gentrification in rural Norfolk. It is argued that the contemporary geography of rural gentrification may in part reflect historic structures of landownership as well as settlement classifications associated with the land-use planning system. Country and District level analysis is followed up by detailed study of gentrification of two villages in Norfolk, which highlights how gentrified rural spaces may be produced in rather different way and through different agencies, and as a result takes different forms.     

The Upper Pleistocene deposits at Cassington,near Oxford,England

For much of the Middle and all of the Upper Pleistocene the Upper Thames valley has remained outside the limit of ice advance. The main agents of landform evolution have been the River Thames and its tributaries, which have cut down episodically and in so doing have abandoned a series of river terraces. This study reports the findings of an investigation into exposures in the deposits underlying the Floodplain Terrace at Cassington, near Oxford, England. The sequence exposed reveals a stratigraphy of basal, predominantly fine-grained, lithofacies overlain by coarser gravel lithofacies. The fluvial architecture of these deposits indicates a major change in fluvial style from a low-energy (meandering) to a high energy (braided) channel system. The flora and fauna from the lower fine-grained lithofacies display a marked change from temperate at the base, to colder conditions towards the top, indicating a close association between deteriorating climate and changing fluvial depositional style. Amino acid and luminescence geochronology from the basal fine-grained lithofacies suggest correlation with Oxygen Isotope Stage 5 and hence it is argued that the major environmental change recorded at the site relates to the Oxygen Isotope Stage 5–4 transition. Deposition of much of the overlying gravel sequence probably occurred during Oxygen Isotope Stage 4, suggesting that the latter half of the Devensian may be less significant, in terms of fluvial landscape evolution in the Upper Thames valley, than was believed previously. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Wind sedimentation in the Jafurah sand sea, Saudi Arabia

The Jafurah sand sea of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia extends along the Arabian Gulf coastline from Kuwait in the north to the Rub Al Khali in the south, a distance of about 800 km. Sand drifts southward to south-eastward from regions of high wind energy in the north to low wind energy in the south. The aeolian landscape is zoned, with areas of deflation, transport and deposition from north to south. Drift rates in the zone of transport, near Abqaiq, range from 2 m³ m-w^-1 yr^-1 on sabkhas, to 29 m³ m-w^-1 yr^-1 on the crests of dunes. Average drift rates of approximately 18 m³ m-w^-1 yr^-1 observed during the study can cause about 1 m of accumulation per 5500 yr in a 100 km zone of deposition downwind, not including the bulk transport represented by the forward advance of dunes. Dune advance ranged from 23 m (2.9 m high dune) to 3 m (23 m high dune) during April-October 1980. The study area consists of dune, interdune, sand sheet and siliciclastic sabkha terrains, each of which is characterized by differing drift rates, and differing rates of erosion or deposition. Sedimentation occurs by lateral movement of dunes and interdunes, and vertical accretion by sand sheets and sabkhas.