Fossil Forest, Dorset
Encyclopedia
The Fossil Forest is the remains of an ancient forest
from Jurassic
times, located to the east of Lulworth Cove
on the Isle of Purbeck
in Dorset
, England
. It lies on the Jurassic Coast
, on a wide ledge in the seaside cliff. The site is within the Lulworth Military Range
and thus has restricted access. Parts of forest can also be seen on the Isle of Portland
and in quarries near the town of Weymouth to the west.
area, surrounded by saline lagoons and channels. For a short period, soil formed and a tropical forest grew up.
It then flooded under a shallow saline lagoon
. The remains are now preserved as the Fossil Forest. This provides the most complete fossilised record of a Jurassic forest in the world.
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
from Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
times, located to the east of Lulworth Cove
Lulworth Cove
Lulworth Cove is a cove near the village of West Lulworth, on the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site in Dorset, southern England. The cove is one of the world's finest examples of such a landform, and is a tourist location with over 1 million visitors a year...
on the Isle of Purbeck
Isle of Purbeck
The Isle of Purbeck, not a true island but a peninsula, is in the county of Dorset, England. It is bordered by the English Channel to the south and east, where steep cliffs fall to the sea; and by the marshy lands of the River Frome and Poole Harbour to the north. Its western boundary is less well...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It lies on the Jurassic Coast
Jurassic Coast
The Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site on the English Channel coast of southern England. The site stretches from Orcombe Point near Exmouth in East Devon to Old Harry Rocks near Swanage in East Dorset, a distance of ....
, on a wide ledge in the seaside cliff. The site is within the Lulworth Military Range
Lulworth Military Range
Lulworth Military Range is a military firing range located between Wareham and Lulworth in Dorset, England. It is owned by the Ministry of Defence and is part of the Armoured Fighting Vehicles Gunnery School....
and thus has restricted access. Parts of forest can also be seen on the Isle of Portland
Isle of Portland
The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. Portland is south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and...
and in quarries near the town of Weymouth to the west.
History
Near the end of the Jurassic period (c.144 million years ago) the sea levels dropped and a number of islands emerged in the PurbeckPurbeck
Purbeck is a local government district in Dorset, England. The district is named after the Isle of Purbeck, a peninsula that forms a large proportion of the district's area. However the district extends significantly further north and west than the traditional boundary of the Isle of Purbeck along...
area, surrounded by saline lagoons and channels. For a short period, soil formed and a tropical forest grew up.
It then flooded under a shallow saline lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
. The remains are now preserved as the Fossil Forest. This provides the most complete fossilised record of a Jurassic forest in the world.
See also
- List of places on the Jurassic Coast
- Fossil GroveFossil GroveThe Fossil Grove is located within Victoria Park, Glasgow, Scotland. It was discovered in 1887 and contains the fossilised stumps of eleven extinct Lepidodendron trees, which are sometimes described as "giant club mosses" but they may be more closely related to quillworts...
, Glasgow, Scotland - Gilboa Fossil ForestGilboa fossil forestGilboa Fossil Forest, New York, USA, is cited as home to the Earth's oldest forest. Located near the Gilboa Dam in Schoharie County, New York, the region is home to tree trunks from the Devonian Period, which occurred roughly 380 million years ago. The fossils, some of the only survivors of their...
, New York, USA