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MINERALISATION IN DETAIL

CROSS-SECTION OF THE FAULT ZONE OF THE EASTERN CHESHIRE BASIN

Cross-section of the Alderley fault zone

Fault zone. The diagram above shows the structure of the geology at the eastern edge of the Cheshire Basin and demonstrates how the faults can provide potential traps for mineralisation.  Potential sources of metals and sulphur exist in the underlying Carboniferous and in the basin itself where diagenesis of the Lower Triassic and Upper Permian sandstones may have resulted in the release of trace metals into solution. The traps around the basin margins are topographically higher than the rich Cl? and SO4? ? source in the form of the evaporites due to basin inversion during the Tertiary.  Work is still going on in this area and will be shown here when published.  (Source: Naylor et al).

Cross-section of the Alderley horst

 
Local structure. To the left is an illustration (from Rowe and Burley's paper) showing the structure of the Alderley Edge Horst block with present  land surface shown as a black line (PSE).  Because the uplifted block is enclosed between two faults, it is known as a Horst (from the German word for an eyrie).  The step up on the left (west) side is visible where the old A34 climbs up to White Barn Road and then drops down into the village.  The step up on the right (east) is represented by Castle Rock and Stormy Point.

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