Manx National Heritage Library
The Isle of Man provides a great variety of geological features and materials which has made it a popular place for those with an interest in geology since early reports of findings were published in the nineteenth century.
Modern interest has been boosted by the recent re-mapping by the British Geological Survey and a number of academic papers and publications relating to specific areas of the Island's geological development.
It is a regular destination for both students and those with an interest in geology as so much variety can be seen and experienced within a compact area.
The following is a selection from the considerable amount of material available in the library and researchers who require access to other material should consult the library catalogues. Much of it is also available elsewhere through the British Library system, Universities and specialist societies and organisations and some contacts are listed at the end of this bibliography.
GEOLOGICAL MAPS
British Geological Survey
East Irish Sea Special Sheet edition Solid Geology
scale 1:250,000
Nottingham: BGS, 1994
ISBN 0 7518 2917 X
Gives the solid geology of the sea floor with a summary of onshore; useful for the northern plain.
Library Ref O81
British Geological Survey
Isle of Man solid and drift geology
scale 1:50,000
Nottingham: BGS, 2001
ISBN flat 0 7518 3325 8, folded 0 7518 3326 6
Library Ref O88
Geological Survey of England and Wales
IOM Sheet 100
scale 1:63360
Southampton: Ordnance Survey, 1898, 1913, 1966
These sheets are a mixture of solid and drift editions and were derived from Lamplugh's survey of 1892-97, see his memoir listed below.
Library Ref map cabinet
Geological Survey of England and Wales
IOM
scale 1:10,560
Southampton: Ordnance Survey, c.1900
19 sheets based on Lamplugh's survey.
Library Ref ask at counter
Institute of Geological Sciences (now British Geological Survey)
IOM special sheet drift edition
scale 1:50000
Southampton: Ordnance Survey, 1975
Reprint of Geological Survey sheet of 1966.
Library Ref O43
Institute of Geological Sciences
Isle of Man sheet 54N 06W
Solid Geology
scale 1:250,000
Southampton: Ordnance Survey, 1982
Library Ref O97
Institute of Geological Sciences
The Sub-Pleistocene Geology of the British Isles and the Adjacent Continental Shelf
scale 1:250,000
Southampton: Ordnance Survey, 1982
Library Ref O98
GENERAL SOURCES
Chadwick R. A. et al.
Geology of the Isle of Man and its offshore area
Nottingham: British Geological Survey, 2001
ISBN 0 85272 395 4
Memoir to accompany 1:50,000 map issued in 2001.
Library Ref A224/100
Ford T. D., Burnett D. B. and Quirk D. G.
The Isle of Man. Geologists’ Association Guide no. 46 2nd rev edition
London: Geologists Association, 2001
ISBN 0 900717 79 3
This provides a summary description of the Island’s geology and geomorphology with eight excursion guides.
Library Ref A224/95
Lamplugh G. W.
Memoirs of the Geological Survey of the United Kingdom, the Geology of the Isle of Man
London: HMSO, 1903.
At over 600 pages this is still the most comprehensive guide to the Island's geology, although it has been superceded by the 2001 BGS map and memoir. Lamplugh's maps and notes lodged with the British Geological Survey formed the basis of the 2001 1:50000 map.
Library Ref A224
Pickett E.
Isle of Man: foundations of a landscape.
Nottingham: British Geological Survey, 2001
ISBN 0 85272 396 2
Popular introduction to Manx Geology with many photographs and diagrams. Includes use of stone in ancient monuments, crosses and buildings; mining, landscape, and post-ice age changes.
Library Ref A224/97
Quirk D., Crowley S., Woodcock N., Morris J., Barnes R., and Burnett D.
Field Guide to the geology of the Isle of Man
BG Exploration and Production Ltd. 1998
Guide produced for delegates to the conference ‘In sight of the suture and future hydrocarbon potential of the Irish Sea’ it includes the Manx, Dalby, Peel and Castletown groups and solid geology of northern plain.
Library Ref A224/76q
Robinson, V. and McCarroll, D
The Isle of Man - Celebrating a sense of place.
Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 1990
ISBN 0 85323 036 6
Chapter 2, The Manx Landscape pp 10-17
Chapter 3, Solid geology pp 18-39
Chapter 4, The Quaternary Ice Age: an historical perspective pp 40-54
Chapter 5, Late glacial and Post glacial environmental history pps 55-76
Library Ref F68/8
MANX GROUP (MANX SLATES) & DALBY GROUP
Ford T. D., Quirk D., and Burnett D.
The Manx Group of the Isle of Man.
In Geology Today Vol 17, No 3 May-June 2001 pp 106-109
A good introduction to the complex geology of the Manx Group and Dalby Group
Library Ref A224/104
Woodcock, N. H., Quirk, D. G., Fitches, W. R. & Barnes, R. P. (eds)
In Sight of the Suture: the Palaeozoic geology of the Isle of Man in its lapetus Ocean context.
London: Geological Society, 1999 Special Publications No. 160.
ISBN 1 86239 046 0
Source for all aspects of the age, composition, structure and previous literature on the Manx Group and reclassification of the Dalby Group as Silurian.
Library Ref A224/84
PEEL SANDSTONE
Crowley, S. F.
Lithostratigraphy of the Peel Sandstones, Isle of Man.
In Mercian Geologist 1985 vol 10, pp 73-76.
Letter to the editor with list of references
Library Ref A224/42q
In Sight of the Suture and Future Hydrocarbon Potential of the Irish sea Field Guide:
Conference Field Guide
Douglas: 1998
Produced for the use of delegates to the conference held at the Manx Museum in April 1998 pp. 22-28 refer to the Peel sandstones.
Library Ref A224/76q
Piper, J.D.A. & Crowley, S.F.
Palaeomagnetism of (Palaeozoic) Peel Sandstones...
In In Sight of the Suture pp. 213-225
Library Ref A224/84
CASTLETOWN LIMESTONE
Dickson, J. A. D., Ford T. D. and Swift, A.
The stratigraphy of the Carboniferous rocks around Castletown, Isle of Man.
In Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society, 1987 vol 46 pp 203-229
Library Ref A224/42q
Lewis, H.P.
The Avonian succession in the south of the Isle of Man
In Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London, 1930 vol 86, pp234-290.
Library Ref A224.13(7)
QUATERNARY: ICE AGE AND RECENT
Chiverrell, R.C. Thomas, G.S.P. & Harvey, A.M.
Late Devensian and Holcene landscape change in the uplands of the Isle of Man
In Geomorphology 2001 Vol. 40 pp. 219-236
Library Ref A224/94
Dackombe, R.V. & Thomas G.S.P.
Field Guide to the Quaternary of the Isle of Man
Cambridge: Quaternary Research Association, 1985
ISSN 0261 3611
Produced to accompany the Annual Field Meeting held at Douglas April 1985
Library Ref A224/38
Dackombe, R. V. and Thomas, G. S. P.
Glacial deposits and Quaternary stratigraphy of the Isle of Man.
In Ehlers, J., Gibbard, P and Rose, J (eds) Glacial deposits of Great Britain and Ireland.
Rotterdam: Balkema 1991 pp333-344
Offprint
Library Ref A224/51q
Gonzales, S; Innes, J; Huddart, D; Davey, P; and Plater, A.
Holocene coastal change in the north of the Isle of Man: stratigraphy,
palaeoenvironment, and archaeological evidence.
In Pye K and Allen J. R. L. Coastal and Estuarine Environments: sedimentology, geomorphology and geoarchaeology.
London: Geological Society Special Publication 175, 2000 pp.343-363
Deals with the recent (i.e. Holocene) raised beach deposits of the Ayres, particularly at Phurt and Lough Cranstal where the deposits include Middle Neolithic and Bronze Age artefacts.
Library Ref A224/93
Neal, A and Roberts, C L
Applications of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to sedimentological,
geomorphological and geoarchaeological studies in coastal environments.
In Pye K and Allen J. R. L. Coastal and Estuarine Environments: sedimentology, geomorphology and geoarchaeology.
London: Geological Society Special Publication 175, 2000 pp.156-165
Part of this paper divides the east coast sections into fine clastic and organic sediments with an outer complex of beach ridge sands and gravels. It deals with the subdivision and sedimentary structure of the Ayres
Library Ref A224/93
Thomas, G. S. P
The Quaternary of the Isle of Man
In Kidson, C and Tooley M. J. (eds) The Quaternary History of the Irish Sea.
Geological Journal Special Issue No. 7 pp 155-179.
Liverpool: Seel House Press, 1977
ISBN 0 902354 07 8
Gives the Quaternary stratigraphy of the NW and NE coasts of the Isle of Man.
Library Ref A224/36
Tooley, M.
Flandrian sea-level changes and a vegetational history of the Isle of Man: a review.
In Davey, P. “Man and Environment in the Isle of Man’ Part 1 pp 15-24
Oxford: British Archaeology Reports 54, 1978
Library Ref F6/79q
MINING
Garrad, L. S., Bawden, T. A., Qualtrough, J.K. and Scatchard, W. J.
The Industrial Archaeology of the Isle of Man
Newton Abbot: David and Charles 1971
SBN 7153 5440 X
A useful summary description of the Islands mines.
Library Ref F6/62
Mackay, R. A. and Schnellman, G. A.
The mines and minerals of the Isle of Man
London: 1963
This report was submitted to the Industrial Officer of the IOM Government and includes detailed summaries of all the mines and possibilities for future mining.
Library Ref B170
Radcliffe, F. J.
Manx Mines Rocks and Minerals.
Douglas: Manx Heritage Foundation, 1994
This pack of historical source material for schools and students includes a useful resource book
Library Ref B170/18q
OFFSHORE GEOLOGY
Geology of the Isle of Man and its offshore area
Nottingham: British Geological Survey, 2001
ISBN 0 85272 395 4
Detailed volume see also the map above O.88
Library Ref A224/100
Jackson, D.I., Jackson A. A., Evans, D., Wingfield, R.T.R., Barnes, R.P., and Arthur, M. J.
The Geology of the Irish Sea.
United Kingdom Offshore Regional Report
London: HMSO, 1995
ISBN 0 11 884507 1
Includes a short section on economic geology (petroleum, salt etc).
Library Ref A224/60q
Quirk, D. G. and Kimbell, G. S.
Structural evolution of the Isle of Man and central part of the Irish Sea
In Meadows, N. S., Trueblood, S. P., Hardman, M., and Cowan, G. Petroleum Geology of the Irish Sea and Adjacent Areas.
London: Geological Society, London, Special Publications 1997 Vol 124. pp 135-159.
Library Ref A224/74
FOSSILS
Ahlberg, P.E. and Coates, M.I.
There’s a ratfish in our cellar!
In Geology Today 1997 vol 13 pp 2023
Library Ref A224/93q
Downie, C. and Ford, T.D.
Microfossils from the Manx Slate Series.
In Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society, 1966 vol 35, Part 3, No. 13, pp 307-322
Library Ref A224/103(6)
Garrad, L.S.
Collections and collectors of note: The Manx Museum - shells frm the Manxland Drift.
In Geological Curators Group Newsletter, 1979 pp 231-2
Library Ref A182
Gonzalez, S., Kitchener, A.C. and Lister, A.M.
Survival of the Irish Elk into the Holocene.
In Nature 15.06.2000 vol 405, pp 753-754
Library Ref A72Bq
MISCELLANEOUS
Isle of Man from the Air: a unique view of the island's spectacular and historic scenery
Duke Marketing 1999 (NTSC or PAL format)
This 78 minute video gives a good impression of the geological features of the island and would assist remote researchers who are unable to physically visit the Island it is available either direct from Duke or from local retailers.
Journals
The Library also has some back issues of Geology Today 1985-2002 and Geological Asoociation Proceedings 1974-2002.
Please ask for further details.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
A detailed bibliography of geology by Eva Wilson has been published and is included in the following title which is also cited above.
Woodcock, N.H.
In sight of the Suture
pp 345-361
it is also available and can be searched on line through the Centre for Manx Studies at
CONTACTS
British Geological Survey
Keyworth HQ, Kingsley Dunham Centre, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG
To purchase copies of maps and publications.
Centre for Manx Studies
Web Sites:
There is a wealth of information about the Isle of Man available on the Internet. The following are useful sites for geologists:
Geologist's Association
Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1V 9AG
Laxey Mines Research Group
This Island based research group covers all the mines on the Island and has site tours on its site.
Manx Geological Survey
Launched in 2002 by Manx geologists Dr David Quirk and Dr David Burnett. It contains maps, videos and other interactive material largely based on research conducted between 1994 and 2001
Manx Note Book
This web site compiled by Francis Coakley has numerous extracts from local publications relating to Geology on the Island including edited extracts from Lamplugh’s Outline of the Geology (1897) and from the Memoir dealing with general description of the Island, the Irish Elk, and economic geology (mining, descriptions of main mines and minor trials, non-metallic extractive products, soils and water supply).
The Manx National Heritage Library holds a wealth of various and extensive source material.
Staff at the library and throughout Manx National Heritage, are always pleased to hear from anyone with an interest in Manx history.
Opening times: Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Closed Sunday and for one week in January
MNH Library is a reference only facility and does not lend items through the Inter Library Loan system. However, photocopies of some material, subject to copyright and the need to preserve originals may be available on receipt of the appropriate copying fee.
Some material may also be available through Inter Library Loans from other libraries and research centres.
The following links are useful for researchers:
British Library Newspaper Library -
British Library on-line public catalogue -
Library of Congress -
GSM/AGF 03.04
You will need Adobe Acrobat to download documents that are PDFs, this is available free by following this link:
