A model is proposed whereby the Caledonian metamorphic basement-cover complex of northwest Scotland (the Moine) is considered as a linked thrust system. This system lies between the Moine thrust at its base and the Naver–Sgurr Beag slide at its top. Ductile fold and thrust zones, which developed at mid crustal levels at metamorphic grades from greenschist to amphibolite facies, are interpreted as decoupling from a detachment presently situated at relatively shallow depths. This model is illustrated by two preliminary balanced cross-sections. These imply shortening across the northwest Scottish Caledonides in excess of 130 km and probably over 200 km. When these structures are restored onto a crustal template a considerable quantity of lower crust is found to be required at depth. The most likely location for the lower crustal wedge is beneath the Grampian Highlands.

The East Abbotsford translational block landslide failed suddenly on 8 August, 1979, after months and probably years of slowly accelerating movement. A displacement of about 50 m occurred on a bedding plane dipping 7°, about 30 m below ground surface, at or very near the contact between two formations.

The complex graben formed around the head of the landslide is a small scale example of extensional (rift) tectonics. A wedge and prism model is developed to fit the geometry, and meet the constraints of preserving the cross-sectional area and stratal length of the beds involved and also to account for the sequential retrogressive failures of the trailing edge of the sliding block.

Reconstruction of the failure sequence at the toe shows the compressional zone to be dominated by overthrusting on upward sloping surfaces or ramps, with subsidiary backthrusting and buckling.

The energy expended in overthrusting, coupled with the decrease in mass (and hence driving force) resulting from the retrogressive spalling of the trailing edge of the slide block, indicates that the phase of rapid movement was accompanied by a sudden decrease in resistance on the failure surface for a movement of 50 m to have occurred.

Both the rift and thrust structures associated with the landslide have large scale tectonic analogues.

Site investigations for the M25 motorway at Denham proved a maximum depth of 37.5 m of deposits filling an enclosed hollow up to 40 m across beneath a small seasonally dry valley near Higher Denham. This previously unknown very steepsided hollow is infilled with gravel and sand, partially laminated clayey silt and pebbly clay. Within these deposits a bed of organic clay mud up to 4.5 m in thickness is present. Resistivity survey of the hollow proves that it is completely enclosed.

Palaeobotanical investigation shows that the organic sediment contains fossil pollen, spores and macroscopic remains. The pollen spectra indicate that the sediments accumulated during the later half of the Hoxnian interglacial Stage (Ho III/IV). Macroscopic remains include ‘relict’ species Dulichium arundinaceum, and Brasenia schreberi, the latter being new to the Hoxnian Stage. The evidence for waterlevel fluctuation during the interglacial at the site is discussed.

The origin of the hollow is considered and the conclusion reached is that it is a doline formed by solution of the underlying Chalk bedrock. The infilling of the basin is attributed to collapse, solifluction and slope wash of local material under cold climates before and after the interglacial. The interglacial sediment is a shallow water pool accumulation. The hollow is thought to have been formed originally as a solution pipe beneath the Thames' Gerrards Cross Gravel, rapid drainage of a neighbouring glacial lake causing the major collapse in the late Anglian Stage. Subsequent infill took place during the later part of the Anglian, Hoxnian and Wolstonian Stages and possibly even later.

Heavy mineral analyses of the silt-rich sediment above and beneath the interglacial deposits are appended and indicate that it is almost all of local Reading Beds material.

From a study of 24 outcrops in Neogene and Quaternary deposits of the central Ebro Basin, a number of diapiric deformations have been recognized, two principal types being differentiated: domal or pillow structures, and piercement or intrusive structures. The former are incipient diapirs of gypsum. Piercing structures have reverse faulted contacts not caused by halokinesis; here Neogene marls are the active plastic material, contrasting with the competent behaviour of gypsum. These intrusive structures are viscous diapirs which easily pierce the non-consolidated, low strength Quaternary gravel overburden and submit it to a horizontal compressive stress. As a consequence, reverse faults and flexures develop in it. Generally normal faults and tension cracks do not appear. Underlying gypsum beds are frequently pulled up into diapirs and they constitute the structural core.

Density contrast and conditions for plastic flow exist at the marl–gravel boundary. It seems to have been specially common at the time of Quaternary fluvial sedimentation, so that much deformation is synsedimentary. Diapiric phenomena have been very active during early to middle Pleistocene time, becoming weaker afterwards.

Infaunal communities in marine environments typically are tiered; that is, different taxa live at different depths within the sediment. Tiered suites of biogenic structures yield complex biogenic sedimentary fabrics (ichnofabrics), with the traces of deep-burrowing organisms overprinted on those of shallow-burrowing organisms. Careful analysis of crosscutting relationships of burrows in such composite ichnofabrics allows reconstruction of the tiered nature of fossil endobenthic communities. It is important to recognize that the best preserved and most prominently displayed trace fossils in most assemblages usually represent the deepest tier. Thus, they were farther removed from the sea floor and therefore less indicative of actual sea floor conditions than the more poorly preserved traces of the shallower tiers, on which the deeper traces are juxtaposed.

Segregation vesicles have been recognized in two plagiophyric dolerite dykes in northwestern Ireland. The vesicles are each outlined by a rim of tangentially arranged plagioclase, and filled to a variable extent by a fine-grained, crescent-shaped lining of fractionated residual melt. They closely resemble segregation vesicles reported from Atlantic ocean-floor basalts.

It is suggested (1) that the vesicles began as CO2-rich bubbles released during decompression; (2) that these bubbles grew very little during crystallization, while H2O became concentrated in the residual melt; and (3) that exsolution and expansion of H2O-rich vapour forced interstitial residual melt through the rigid but permeable framework of crystals and into the existing CO2-rich bubble cavities.

Large elongated euhedral olivines, resembling olivines appearing in crescumulates, from dunite bodies of ophiolite mantle sequences have been subjected to a detailed structural and fabric study. Localities from the Semail Ophiolite, Oman and the Vourinos Complex, Greece are described. The studies indicate that the regional mantle flow structures control the shape and crystallographic orientation of the large euhedral olivines, which are elongated parallel to [001] and flattened parallel to (100) due to syntectonic high temperature metamorphic growth. The growth is controlled by the deformation such that grains oriented unsuitable for slip are growing whereas grains with other orientations are selectively deformed. This being so there may be more than one interpretation of crescumulate textures developed in environments that have suffered a penetrative deformation.