Crockanaver ASSI

Protected area type: Areas of Special Scientific Interest
Feature type: 
  • Earth Science
County: 
  • Fermanagh
Council: Fermanagh and Omagh
Guidance and literature: Crockanaver ASSI

Crockanaver is a special place because of its earth science interest.  The disused quarry provides access to a thick sequence of Carboniferous sedimentary rocks which belong to the Crockanaver Member.

Crockanaver is important because it is the reference locality for the geological unit called the Crockanaver Limestone Member. Here these rocks can be seen overlying the rocks of the Ballyshannon Limestone Formation. The base of the Crockanaver Member is well exposed while the rock series also preserves an abundance of fossils.

These rocks are of Carboniferous age, the geological period that lasted from 354 to 290 million years ago. During much of this period, Northern Ireland was covered by fairly shallow tropical waters.

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