- Emborough Quarries
Infobox SSSI
name=Emborough Quarries
aos=Somerset
interest=Geological
gridref=gbmappingsmall|ST623505
area=1hectare (2.5 acre)
notifydate=1971http://www.natureonthemap.org.uk/map.aspx?
]
Emborough Quarries (gbmapping|ST623505) is a 1
hectare (2.5 acre)geological Site of Special Scientific Interest atEmborough in theMendip Hills ,Somerset , notified in 1971.The disused quarry has yielded a wide variety of remains of vertebrate fossils, amongst which the early reptiles are particularly well represented. Of special note is
Kuehneosaurus latus which is one of the earliest-known flying vertebrates. [cite web | title=Kuehneosaurus | work=Texas Natural Science Centre | url=http://www.npl.utexas.edu/vpl/databases/index.php?page=1&page_size=10&mode=search&action=search_record&searchtype=&specimen_id=37487&taxon=&locality=Emborough%20Quarry&county=&state=&specid=&geol_form=&epoch=&site_no=&show] During the
Triassic period of geological time, some 230 million years ago, the limestones now exposed on Mendip formed upland areas upon which a number of large rivers rose. Solution cavities were soon created in the land surface and material from the surrounding area was swept into the newly formed cave systems. Remains of the creatures living in the upland areas during this time were swept into these deposits and have now been exhumed by recent quarrying activities. Fresh material is brought to the surface with every rock fall and Emborough Quarries are a nationally important source of fossil vertebrate remains for research and study. [cite web | title=Emborough Quarries | work=English Nature | url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1000098.pdf | accessdate=2006-07-11]This former Mendip quarry site, probably owned by Emborough Stone Co., a branch of Roads Reconstruction, Ltd., where
iron ore was once mined [cite book |last=Gough |first=J.W. |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=The mines of Mendip |year=1967 |publisher=David & Charles |location=Newton Abbot | id=http://www.amazon.co.uk/o/ASIN/B0000CNKWB ] is now home to an assembly of contractor's plant (possibly of [http://www.richardwood-eng-ltd.co.uk/ Richard Wood (Engineering) Ltd] ), cranes, narrow gauge railway equipment and machine tools. It is the location of aSomerset and Dorset Railway seven arch viaduct.References
See also
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Quarries of the Mendip Hills
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