Culm Measures

Culm Measures
Chevron folding in the cliffs at Millook Haven, North Cornwall

The Culm Measures are a geological formation of the Carboniferous period that occur in south-west England, principally in Devon and Cornwall. They are so called because of the occasional presence of a soft, sooty coal, which is known in Devon as culm.[1]

The majority of the formation consists of shales and thin sandstones, but there are also occurrences of slate, limestone and chert.[2][3]

Culm grassland on the formation's slates and shales is composed of purple moor grass and rush pasture. It is noted for a wide diversity of species, some extremely rare including the Marsh Fritillary butterfly. Some 92 percent of culm grassland has been lost in the past 100 years, 48 percent being lost between 1984 and 1991 alone.[citation needed] There are a number of organisations trying to halt the decline including Devon Wildlife Trust with its Culm Natural Networks project, Butterfly Conservation, and Natural England with its Environmental Stewardship Scheme.

References

  1. ^ Dewey (1948); p. 29
  2. ^ Dewey, Henry (1948) British Regional Geology: South-west England, 2nd ed. London: H.M.S.O.; pp. 29-31
  3. ^ Balchin, W. G. V. (1967) Cornwall. British Landscapes Through Maps. Sheffield: the Geographical Association

External links



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  • culm measures — noun see culm I, 2b * * * Culm or Culm Measures plural noun A Lower Carboniferous formation of Europe and SW England, with grits, sandstones, shales, etc • • • Main Entry: ↑culm * * * Culm measures or Culm series, = Culm. (Cf. ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Culm — may refer to: Culm (plant), the stem of any type of plant Culm Measures, a geological formation of England River Culm, in Mid Devon, England the German name for Chełmno, Poland, also spelled Kulm a term used for fine grained waste from anthracite …   Wikipedia

  • Culm series — Culm measures or Culm series, = Culm. (Cf. ↑Culm) …   Useful english dictionary

  • Culm — • A bishopric in the north eastern part of Prussia, founded in 1234, suffragan to Gnessen Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Culm     Culm      …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • culm — 1. n. 1 coal dust, esp. of anthracite. 2 Geol. strata under coal measures, esp. in SW England. Etymology: ME, prob. rel. to COAL 2. n. Bot. the stem of a plant, esp. of grasses. Derivatives: culmiferous adj. Etymology: L culmus stalk …   Useful english dictionary

  • Devon — For other uses, see Devon (disambiguation). Devon Flag Motto of County Council: Auxilio divino (Latin: By divine aid) …   Wikipedia

  • Anthracite — (Greek Ανθρακίτης, literally a type of coal , from Anthrax [Άνθραξ] , coal) is a hard, compact variety of mineral coal that has a high lustre. It has the highest carbon count and contains the fewest impurities of all coals, despite its lower… …   Wikipedia

  • Torridge — ▪ district, England, United Kingdom       district in the northwestern part of the administrative and historic county of Devon, southwestern England, with its eastern boundary at the mouth of the River Torridge, the site of its main town,… …   Universalium

  • Purple moor grass and rush pastures — is a type of Biodiversity Action Plan habitat in the UK. It occurs on poorly drained neutral and acidic soils of the lowlands and upland fringe. It is found in the South West of England, especially in Devon. The vegetation consists of species… …   Wikipedia

  • Culmo — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda El culmo originalmente se refiere a un falso tallo de cualquier tipo de planta. Deriva de la raíz latina culmus, y especificamente se refiere a tallo encima de la tierra o aérea de pastos y ciperáceas. Culmo también… …   Wikipedia Español

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