648 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



district, as being the only place along the margin of the Bann transverse 

 syncline where we can see the Coal Measures, we find that by means of dip 

 and faulting we can pass from the very base of the Carboniferous to areas 

 where the Coal Measures are preserved in' the. fault blocks in a distance of 

 about eight miles. This rate of taking on cover is the only measure we have 

 of the rate of the descent towards the centre of the Bann syncline. It is 

 estimated parallel to the- trough valley, so that any dip or faulting downwards 

 from the sides of the latter towards the centre is left out. of aceount. Now, 

 applying this to the North Antrim basin, we find, to say the least of it, that 

 there is a considerable area in the centre of the Bann transverse syncline 

 where true Coal Measures may be expected to occur at the points of inter- 

 section with the direct synclines. This may sound rather speculative, but it 

 should be remembered that it is not proposed to bore here in search of true 

 Coal Measures, but for the Lower Carboniferous coals, the probability of the 

 occurrence of which is on a different plane altogether. Should the true Coal 

 Measures occur, or should even the higher beds of the_J .ower Carboniferous 

 Series be present, the area might be many times richer than any estimate from 

 the known seams of Ballycastle would indicate. Should there be no seams in 

 the area but what are found at Ballycastle, nevertheless the Main Coal, the 

 Hawks Nest Coal, and the Blackband Ironstone are in themselves well worth 

 searching for. 



Effect of the North Channel Trough on tlie North Antrim Field. 



The N.N.W. faults which cross the Ballycastle field and are well seen in 

 the fine coast-sections have almost all their up-throw to the east. The 

 result of this is that the Main Coal, which is 260 feet below sea-level near 

 Ballycastle, is 400 feet above it south of Fair Head. This is the crest of the 

 rise, however, for on the east side of the Head there is a powerful fault throwing 

 down to the east. I take this to be the first of a series of faults similar 

 to those in the Larne district, by which the descent into the transverse 

 synclinal basin of the North Channel is brought about ; and I would expect 

 that no very great distance out to sea to the north-east of Murlough the Main 

 Coal must again occur at low levels beneath the sea, and that still higher 

 strata and possibly even the Coal Measures may be found forming the floor 

 of the Channel in this direction. I do not think that this conclusion is of any 

 economic importance, for, to reach this area from the land, a highly faulted 

 region would have to be traversed, involving difficulties in working which 

 would most certainly be fatal to any enterprise of the kind. Moreover, I 

 hardly fancy a tunnel will ever be run from Fair Head to the Mull of Kintyre, 

 as neither place could be described as a desirable destination. 



