- Geology of Hampshire
Hampshire 'sgeology broadly comprises a majorsyncline in theSouthern England Chalk Formation , surrounding a core of softerTertiary rocks. This gives rise to two characteristic landscapes, the Hampshire Basin and the Downs.Hampshire Basin
In the south, along the
coast , softEocene andOligocene clay s andgravel s form low flat terrain, the Hampshire Basin. Protected fromsea erosion by theIsle of Purbeck , Dorset, and theIsle of Wight , this land supportsheathland andwoodland habitats, a large area of which form part of theNew Forest . The New Forest has a mosaic of heathland, grassland, coniferous and deciduous woodland habitats that host diverse wildlife. The forest is protected as a national park, limiting development and agricultural use to protect the landscape and wildlife. Large areas of the New Forest are open common lands kept as a grasslandplagioclimax by grazing animals, which include many domesticated farm animals, such ascattle ,pig s andhorses , which are not segregated in fields. Several species ofdeer and other wild animals also graze the forest.Much of the coastal landscape of the Hampshire Basin results from
sea level rise in the Flandrian (after the lastice age ) some 6000 years BP. There are several largeestuaries andria s, notably the 12 mile longSouthampton Water and the large convolutedPortsmouth Harbour . TheSolent , which separates the Isle of Wight from the coast of Hampshire, is itself a flooded river valley, further erosion having broken the remaining chalk link with the mainland.Chalk Downs
In the centre and north of the county the substrate is the
Southern England Chalk Formation ofSalisbury Plain and theSouth Downs . These are high hills with steep slopes where they border the clays to the south. Thedownland supports acalcareous grassland habitat, important for wildflower s andinsects , as well as arableagriculture . The hills dip steeply forming ascarp onto the Kennet valley to the north, and dip gently to the south. The highest point in the county isPilot Hill , which reaches the height of 286m/938ft. The rivers Test and Itchen flow from the downland through green valleys, both supportingtrout and other wildlife.Further north, beyond the downs, the landscape is again lowland clay and gravel heathland, though the north is generally greener and more diverse than the south.
ee also
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Geology of the United Kingdom References
* Draper, Jo. 1990. "Hampshire". Wimborne: Dovecote Press.
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