The Superficial Deposits and pre-Glacial Valleys of the Northumberland and Durham Coalfield

Abstract

I. I ntroduction . N early the whole of the rock-surface of the Northumberland and Durham Coalfield is covered by superficial deposits of an extremely variable thickness. After I had made some study of the thickness of these deposits and the pre-Glacial contour of the north-east of County Durham, Prof. Lebour suggested to me that results of some importance might be obtained from a thorough investigation of all the borings and sinkings made in the Northern Coalfield, and the working out of this subject has occupied the greater portion of my leisure-time for the last three or four years. Nicholas Wood & E. F. Boyd, in a paper on the ‘Wash’ published as long ago as 1864 (1) first clearly showed that the deposits covering the rock-surface of this coalfield were not arranged in an irregular manner, but were found along valley-like depressions. Since then, little has been done towards the thorough elucidation of the Glacial and superficial geology of this area. Indeed, little of a detailed character could have been attempted until the publication in 1897 of the final volume of the ‘Account of the Strata of Northumberland & Durham, as proved by Boring & Sinkings’ (4). The six volumes published by the North of England Institute of Mining & Mechanical Engineers give details of 2,353 borings made in the Northern Coalfield, or in its immediate neighbourhood. A large number of these are useless for our present purpose, because their exact position is not known, many of them are vague and indefinite