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Stratigraphy of a flysch succession: the Ordovician of W Nithsdale, SW Scotland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2011

James D. Floyd
Affiliation:
Institute of Geological Sciences, Murchison House, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3LA, Scotland

Abstract

A thick Ordovician marine flysch succession including greywackes, conglomer- ates, siltstones and shales occurs in West Nithsdale in the Northern belt of the Southern Uplands. Five new formations of Caradoc and ?Ashgill age are defined based mainly on petrographical and lithological evidence. The proposed correlation with areas up to 80 km distant to the SW, emphasises the persistent nature of the greywacke formations in the Southern Uplands when traced along strike. It is demonstrated that the main inliers of black shale in the Northern belt cannot be simple anticlines but are closely associated with large strike faults. The position of the investigated flysch succession in the accretionary prism model for the development of the Southern Uplands during the evolution of the Caledonides is indicated and its significance assessed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1982

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