GEOLOGY

Geology of Wolverhampton University

Geology of Wolverhampton University

Introduction

The geology of the West Midlands is dominated by the South Staffordshire Coalfield, the exploitation of which has contributed greatly to the industrial and economic development of the area. Upper Carboniferous Coal Measures underlie the main conurbation of Wolverhampton, Walsall, West Bromwich and Dudley. Surrounding these shales, sandstones and mudstones are Triassic aged rocks which comprise red mudstones and sandstones. These underlie much of Birmingham and form the solid geology up to Sutton Coldfield. Within the main mass of the Coal Measures are a number of isolated outcrops of older Silurian rock.

Silurian

The oldest rocks present in the area are of Silurian age (443 - 417 million years ago). These outcrop, at Dudley Castle Hill, Wren's Nest Hill and Hurst Hill and also as an isolated block in east Walsall. Their presence here is due to folding and faulting of the rock succession which has led to the main Silurian succession of the Welsh Borders, being brought to the surface in this area.

The Silurian rocks of the West Midlands and the Welsh Borders have traditionally been split into three units on the basis of the type of rocks and the fossils they contain. In the West Midlands, rocks of the Middle Silurian Wenlock Series are represented by the Wenlock or Dudley Limestone. This shallow marine limestone contains a rich and varied suite of fossils including corals, brachiopods, crinoids (sea-lilies) and trilobites. The succeeding shales seen at Dudley belong to the Lower Ludlow Shales of the Ludlow Series. Like the underlying limestone, the shales are richly fossiliferous and yield many types of brachiopods and trilobites. Good displays of the fossils can be seen in Dudley Museum.

Carboniferous

The Carboniferous Period (354-290 million years old) is represented by the Coal Measures of the South Staffordshire Coalfield. These ...