This book deals with Hertfordshire’s earth heritage and its fundamental influence on geodiversity and biodiversity has been published by Hertfordshire Natural History Society with Hertfordshire Geological Society. It gives a comprehensive and authoritative account of the basic geology of the county and its relationship with a wide range of topics, including soils, ecology, agriculture, prehistoric archaeology, hydrogeology, mineral resources and building stones.
Contents:
Foreword: Peter Hopson
1. Introduction: John Catt
The character of Hertfordshire. Some basic geological facts and principles, Why study geology in Hertfordshire? Some famous inhabitants of Hertfordshire
2. Concealed bedrock geology: John Catt
Seismic evidence for deep structure; evidence from magnetic surveys, gravity surveys, deep boreholes; geological history before the Albian transgression, the Gault Clay, Upper Greensand and the Cambridge Greensand
3. The Upper Cretaceous Chalk: Haydon Bailey and Chris Wood
Lithostratigraphic terminology, the nature of Chalk and its origins, the Chalk succession in Hertfordshire, chalk exposures within the county and at nearby localities outside the county
4. The Palaeogene Period: John Catt and Jack Doyle
Palaeogeographic and tectonic setting of Hertfordshire in the Palaeogene, the Ormesby Clay and Thanet Sand Formations, the Upnor Formation, the Woolwich and Reading Formations, the Harwich Formation, the London Clay Formation and later Palaeogene formations
5. Neogene deposits and early landscape development: John Catt
Plateau Drift and Clay-with-flints of the Chilterns; Caenozoic landscape development, the drainage network of the Chilterns, structural features affecting the Chalk and later formations, historical evidence for recent tectonic activity – land-sea level change and earthquakes development of the Chiltern landscape, the origins and uses of puddingstone and sarsenstone and puddingstone in myth, legend and poetry
6. The Quaternary and later landscape development: John Catt and Allan Cheshire
History of the Thames, the Thames terrace sequence, Pebble Gravels, a possible pre-Anglian glaciation, the Anglian cold stage, the Hoxnian Interglacial, the Wolstonian Complex, the Ipswichian Interglacial, the Devensian Stage and the Holocene
7. Soils, ecology and agriculture: John Catt, Trevor James and the late Brian Avery
Soil profiles and their development, soil horizons, soil types, classification and mapping of Hertfordshire soils, description, occurrence and ecology of the major soil groups, and agricultural characteristics of the soil associations
8. Prehistoric archaeology and human occupation of Hertfordshire: John Catt, Brian Perry, Isobel Thompson and Stewart Bryant
The Lower Palaeolithic, Upper Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age
9: Hydrogeology: water supply, water pollution, waste disposal, engineering geology and canals: John Catt, Rob Sage, CliveEdmonds and Peter Banham
Definitions and basic principles, groundwater, surface water bodies, groundwater usage and abstraction, water pollution and health, landslides, ground heave and subsidence, the hydrogeology of Hertfordshire canals
10. Mineral resources and church building stones: John Catt, Clive Edmonds, Haydon Bailey and Chris Green
Aggregate, chalk and flint, brickmaking in Hertfordshire and building materials of Hertfordshire churches
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