North Yorkshire Geodiversity Partnership

Ingleton Quarry, Precambrian
Malham Cove Carboniferous
West Burton Falls Carboniferous
Cleave Dyke Quarry, Jurassic
Geology

Geology

Geological Sites

Geological Sites

Rocks for us

Rocks For Us

Earth Science Conservation Classification

As a method of classifying designated geological sites, and for conservation purposes Natural England, and the other UK statutory conservation agencies use the recently modified Earth Science Conservation Classification (ESCC) (English Nature 2006):

i) Exposure or extensive (E) sites are defined wherever geological features are relatively extensive beneath the surface:

Types of Exposure or Extensive Sites Code
Active quarries and pits EA
Disused quarries and pits ED
Coastal cliffs and foreshore EC
River and stream sections EW
Inland outcrops EO
Exposure underground mines and tunnels EU
Extensive buried interest EB
Road, rail and canal cuttings ER

ii) Integrity (I) sites have geomorphological features, such as drumlins, screes and karst features:

Types of Integrity Sites Code
Static (fossil) geomorphological IS
Active process geomorphological IA
Caves IC
Karst IK

iii) Finite (F) sites contain limited or rare geological features such as fossils or minerals.

Types of Finite Sites Code
Finite mineral, fossil or other geological FM
Mine dumps FD
Finite underground mines and tunnels FU
Finite buried interest FB

The-Strid-jpeg

Photo: The Strid – river gorge and waterfalls in the Millstone Grit Group

Newfield-House

Photo: Newfield House – flute casts on the base of the Silurian Austwick Formation

Bolton-Abbey-1

Photo: Bolton Abbey – anticline in the Craven Group

Abbey-Crags

Photo: Abbey Crags, Knaresborough – Carboniferous Permian unconformity