Further Observations on the Volcanic Geology of East Fife

Abstract

To the old volcanoes of East Fife Sir Archibald Geikie assigned a Permian age. In the course of a characteristically able series of investigations he discerned that on the shore at Lundin Links one vent had penetrated some of the highest members of the Scottish Coal Measures, whereas at Kennoway another could be seen to have risen through the Millstone Grit. There further appeared to be a general similarity in the lithologic and petrographic characters of the materials of the entire group, thus linking them together, and they seemed to have taken birth after the inception of the tectonic features of the area. Only one simple conclusion emerged from a consideration of these facts, namely, that the vents must be referable to some period of post-Carboniferous time. In support of that opinion he pointed especially to the Largo district, where he thought he could detect a sheet of fragmental volcanic material resting with a distinct unconformability upon the folded and denuded Carboniferous strata, which supposition, of course, could it be confirmed, would render further discussion upon the matter unnecessary. But in the East Fife Memoir it is stated that the sections which might be expected to furnish critical evidence are not clear.