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2.1.3 Dissected Western Uplands associated with Cainozoic gravel and sediments

The Palaeozoic rocks of the Western Uplands are capped in places by sands and gravels, which are remnants of Palaeogene and Neogene sediment deposition.

The Palaeogene White Hills Gravels and equivalents are the erosional remnants of an extensive sheet of fluvial sediments that once covered much of the Western Uplands. The coarse grained sediments form a quartz-pebble conglomerate, often ferruginised and sometimes silicified. The thickness varies from around 30 m (such as at Sago Hill quarry) to a few metres. Landforms include isolated flat-topped mesas overlying Palaeozoic rocks (Napoleons), break-of slope deposits between the overlying basalt and the underlying Palaeozoic rock (Lal Lal Reservoir) and broad tablelands fringing the overlying basalt (Haddon-Nintingbool).

Neogene sands generally fringe the south of the Western Uplands as a dissected tableland. A remnant of the Late Palaeogene marine transgression, the sands are often ferruginised by groundwater processes. Erosion and salinisation are commonly associated with this landform. Soil types include sands and texture contrast soils, often with ferruginised nodules (‘buckshot’).

Geomorphic unit 2.1.3
Soil-landform units

Soil-landform unit
Original unit ID
Unit description
Area (km2)
6
Gently undulating sedimentary plains (e.g. Napoleans)
79
7
Moderately steep low hills and gently undulating plain (Pittfield)
37
8
Undulating rises (south-west of Clarendon)
13
10
Undulating plains and rises associated with Ordovician hills (e.g. Durham Lead)
258
238
Gently undulating plains (west of Meredith)
1
254
Gently undulating plains (e.g. Morrisons)
3
8
Undulating rises (Beremboke)
6
51
Very gently undulating plains (Bamganie)
32
246
Undulating old and young sedimentary rises and plains (Sheoaks)
16
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