GEOLOGY 



IN relation to the general geological structure of England the city 

 of Nottingham occupies a peculiar position. If a line be drawn 

 from the mouth of the Tees and follow a course along the vale of 



York and the lower basin of the Trent on their western sides, and 

 thence by the Soar and Avon to the east side of the vale of Severn to 

 terminate at the mouth of the Exe, there will be found on the west side 

 of it all the older, or Palaeozoic, rocks and the bulk of the manufactur- 

 ing centres, and on the east side of it most of the newer, or Neozoic, 

 rocks and of the purely agricultural land. This dividing line passes 

 through Nottingham. 



Again, in the northern half of England the surface is dominated by 

 a single line of elevation along the axis of the Pennine range from north 

 to south ; but in the southern half the lines of elevation are shorter 

 and irregular in direction, more especially in the Midland district. Not- 

 tingham lies at the extreme southern end of the Pennine axis. 



As a result of this position we find in Nottinghamshire the youngest 

 members of the Palaeozoic division and the oldest members of the Neo- 

 zoic division of rocks, and a development both of coal mining and of 

 agricultural industries. We find also the several successive rock forma- 

 tions sloping, or having a dip, to the east away from the Pennine axis 

 until they approach the southern border, where several of them die out 

 altogether and others change their direction. 



In systematic geology the bedded rocks of Nottinghamshire are 

 classed under four systems : the CARBONIFEROUS, PERMIAN, TRIASSIC and 

 JURASSIC, of which the two former are Palaeozoic and the two latter are 

 Neozoic. Besides these there are the superficial deposits which lie in- 

 discriminately on all the bedded strata. A complete table of formations, 

 described in ascending order, follows on the next page. 



THE CARBONIFEROUS SYSTEM 



The whole of the Carboniferous system as developed at the southern 

 end of the Pennine axis, if we include the rocks easily reached by bor- 

 ing, is found within the county. The members of the system are : i . 

 The Carboniferous or Mountain Limestone (marked d a on the Geological 

 Survey maps) ; 2. The Yoredale Shales (dj ; the Millstone Grit (dj ; and 

 the Cdal-Measures (dj, including the three subdivisions, Lower, Middle 

 and Upper Coal-Measures. 



