Dorset webcam online - county of England

The county of Dorset in the south-west of England falls in precipices to the English Channel. But why are the rocks so white, asks himself the one who starts watching Dorset webcams online. Like pieces of refined sugar, they dazzlingly sparkle in the sun. Their special composition is to blame for everything. After all, what now rises above the sea was once its deep bottom. The White Cliffs are composed mainly of limestone and marl, formed as a result of sedimentary processes on the bottom of the ancient sea in the Jurassic period. That is why this coast is called the Jurassic. 185 million years of geological history have been exposed here. It was at that time that active accumulation of microscopic calcite shells of various marine organisms took place in the area of the Jura coast. such as coccolithophores. These shells eventually settled to the bottom of the sea, forming thick layers of limestone and marl, which later became the basis for modern white rocks.

The Jura Coast is a unique stretch in the south of England, stretching some 154 kilometers from Exmouth in East Devon to Studland Bay in Dorset.

This place is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A variety of natural forms and fossils have been preserved here, thanks to which scientists are immersed in the history of the Earth. What outlandish forms nature has not piled up. Like scissors, walking along the edge, she cut stone arches, pillars, islands and caves.
The coastline is divided into eight sections that cover the most significant geological periods, including the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous. The diversity of fossils at this site is amazing. Petrified forest can be found in the Lulworth Cove area, and 71 geological layers in Lyme Regis, each different from each other and containing its own type of ammonite. Ammonites are fossilized shells of cephalopods with shells of various shapes, twisted in a spiral. Their sizes can vary from a few millimeters to a meter in diameter. In a word, the Jurassic Coast, like the pages of a great book, keeps the secrets of the past, waiting for someone who can read them.

Each of these stretches of coast holds its own secrets and treasures.

One of the most famous individuals associated with the study of fossils at this site is Mary Anning (1799-847), a resident of the local town of Lyme Regis. This woman was the first in history to discover the skeleton of an ichthyosaur. Continuing her father's work, she hunted for fossils and became a true expert. Together with her brother, they found a plesiosaur, she owns the discovery of many fossil fish. Ichthyosaurs are marine reptiles that resemble dolphins in body shape. Fossilized remains of such creatures have been found in the Dorset beds, including bones, teeth, and skin impressions. Plesiosaurs are a different type of aquatic reptile, with a long body and a flexible neck.
Later in these places there was a military base. One of the largest bases of the Royal Navy was the port of Portland. The song about pirates “When we return to Portland” immediately comes to mind. But you need to know that such a return was not safe. The coast, especially in the Portland area, is subject to constant erosion and landslides. Limestone is a beautiful material, but unfortunately too fragile. Why is the coast line unstable, and shipwrecks are a common occurrence in these parts.

How many remains of ancient ships are buried at the bottom near Dorset!

But not everything is so romantic. In January 2007, the coast was the site of a tragic environmental incident when the container ship MSC Napoli was washed ashore and an oil slick developed and the cargo was swallowed up in water.
Strong storms are also frequent here. The most significant include those that occurred in 1824 and 1974. But even less powerful blows of the elements destroyed cliffs, caused floods and caused damage to buildings in coastal cities. In 2008, a 400-meter section of the coast disappeared forever from the face of the Earth due to the largest landslide in the last hundred years. In 2012, one of the rock falls off Burton Bradstock resulted in fatalities.
However, reckless explorers do not leave their search, because the Jurassic coast is a real Klondike for a paleontologist. In addition to the ammonites mentioned above, belemnites are found here in abundance - fossil remains of ancient squid mollusks with cone-shaped, elongated shells, fossilized chitinous feathers and imprints of soft tissues. There are also entire "hotbeds" of fossil plants, including imprints of leaves, stems and ferns, as well as petrified trees and branches. The real singer of fossil creatures is the British paleontologist Richard Forte. His book Trilobites. Witnesses of Evolution” tells a fascinating story about these outlandish creatures that ruled the earth for 500 million years. Hunting for fossils, Richard Forti climbed the white cliffs more than once.

While waiting for the opportunity to go on an evolutionary pilgrimage, you can watch Dorset webcams online.