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Geological Formation

Chew Valley

Valleys

Chew Valley is a river valley in north Somerset, England, named for the River Chew, which rises at Chewton Mendip and joins the River Avon at Keynsham. In the 1950s the river was dammed to create Chew Valley Lake, which supplies drinking water to Bristol and is internationally recognized for its nature conservation value. The valley covers about 182 square miles of largely arable and dairy farmland dotted with a dozen villages home to roughly 5,000 people, with part of the area falling within the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Facts
Classification
Protected Status
Locally or Regionally Protected 1
Connections

Associated With

Carboniferous, Eras
Source Chew Valley (Wikipedia)
Source Chew Valley (Wikipedia)
Limestone, Materials
Source Chew Valley (Wikipedia)
Mudstone, Materials
Source Chew Valley (Wikipedia)
Sandstone, Materials
Source Chew Valley (Wikipedia)
Triassic, Eras
Source Chew Valley (Wikipedia)

Caused By

Erosion, Processes
Source Chew Valley (Wikipedia)

In Discipline

Source Chew Valley (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. Chew Valley (Wikipedia)
  • Lead section
    The Chew Valley is a river valley in north Somerset, England, named after the River Chew, which rises at Chewton Mendip, and joins the River Avon at Keynsham.
  • Lead sentence
    Part of the area falls within the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
  • Associated With: Carboniferous, Article text, age Carboniferous
    Clifton Down Limestone, which includes calcite and dolomitic mudstones of the Carboniferous period, is found in the adjoining central band and dolomitic conglomerate of the Triassic period.
  • Associated With: Triassic, Article text, age Triassic
    Clifton Down Limestone, which includes calcite and dolomitic mudstones of the Carboniferous period, is found in the adjoining central band and dolomitic conglomerate of the Triassic period.
  • Associated With: Limestone, Article text, rock Limestone
    The western end of the area (around Nempnett Thrubwell) consists of the Harptree Beds which incorporate silicified clay, shale and Lias Limestone. Clifton Down Limestone, which includes calcite and dolomitic mudstones of the Carboniferous period, is found in the adjoining central band and dolomitic conglomerate of the Triassic period.
  • Associated With: Mudstone, Article text, rock Mudstone
    Clifton Down Limestone, which includes calcite and dolomitic mudstones of the Carboniferous period, is found in the adjoining central band and dolomitic conglomerate of the Triassic period.
  • Associated With: Conglomerate, Article text, rock Conglomerate
    Clifton Down Limestone, which includes calcite and dolomitic mudstones of the Carboniferous period, is found in the adjoining central band and dolomitic conglomerate of the Triassic period.
  • Associated With: Sandstone, Article text, rock Sandstone
    The main geological outcrops around the lake are mudstone, largely consisting of red Siltstone resulting in the underlying characteristic of the gently rolling valley landscape. Bands of Sandstone of the Triassic period contribute to the undulating character of the area.
  • In Discipline: Geomorphology, Lead paragraph
    The Chew Valley is a river valley in north Somerset, England, named after the River Chew, which rises at Chewton Mendip, and joins the River Avon at Keynsham
  • Caused By: Erosion, Article text
    It formed as a result of desert erosion and weathering of the scarp slopes.
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