Thursday 7 August 2008

Fossil Cove - 7th August 2008

In the Sunday Tasmanian last weekend, John Cannon wrote about some walks south of Kingston. Firstly, there was the walk to Fossil Cove. A well made track descends to the coast from the end of Fossil Cove Road, which is a little way south of Blackmans Bay. The small cove has a variety of interesting features.

Natural arch, Fossil Cove - 7th August 2008To the north is this natural arch, cut by the action of the sea into the Permian sedimentary rocks.


View through natural arch, Fossil Cove - 7th August 2008You could wade through the arch when the tide wasn't too high.


Permian sedimentary cliffs at Fossil Cove - 7th August 2008The cliffs here are formed of tilted layers of Permian rocks. The cliffs are somewhat fractured and crumbly, and overhang in places. You can fairly easily move southwards around the wave-cut platforms for a short distance.


Fossils in wave-cut platform, Fossil Cove - 7th August 2008In the rock platforms and cliffs are a great many fossils, hence the name of the cove. At high tide the platform would be awash, at least in places.


Dolerite? dyke cutting across Permian sedimentary rocks, Fossil Cove - 7th August 2008There is also this dyke of igneous rock which has intruded into the sedimentary rocks, cutting across beds, splitting them apart, and climbing the cliff. I'm assuming it's dolerite, as this is in evidence nearby at Tinderbox.



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