Tag Archives: geological

Ireland’s Rock Formation

Although Precambian rocks dating back to more than 2000 million years have been identified in coastal sections at Rosslare and Kilmore Quay in Wexford, the most extensive older rock formations in the country are represented by those of the lower Palaeozoic and the youngest (60 million years ago) by those of the Tertiary Period. The Palaeozoic era consists of Cambrian, Ordovician and Silurian rocks (mainly shales). They are usually metamorphosed and trend in a south-westerly direction. Continue reading

Real map of Ireland trawls up our true coastal territory

TAKE a look at the “new” map of Ireland, the image which shows we own quite a bit more of the sea floor than previously thought. The final results of a seabed survey, carried out by the Marine Institute and the Geological Survey of Ireland, are still being finalised, but Ireland can lay claim to 220 million acres of seabed — gaining a significant amount of territory, primarily off the south-west coast. Continue reading