Friday 25 May 2007

The main Deposition Zone in Swanage Bay

Empty tests *of the inshore Foraminifera are deposited on the beaches of the U.K. on the side of the bay from which the tidal stream flows. So on the South coast it`s on the most Westerly end of the bay. In Swanage the site is around the Public Hard near the Mowlem building. The tests have a similar density to the sea coal and together they provide a useful disinctive banding as in the picture. Detail will be revealed by clicking on the image. A flat plastic card is all that is required to scrape up the whiter parts in the banding. The mixture then needs to be washed in clean tap water to remove salt in a 100 micron sieve and then dried out by heat and cooled.Victorian type floatation may then be used to yield the better tests.
* Tests are the shelly remains of the Forams.

Below is a Plate of the more common Species at Swanage Bay.
Please click on the image for a view at greatest magnification.
The two most numerous species deposited during the whole year are
Elphidium crispum and Massilina secans q.v. below
Elphidium lives mainly on the seaweed and Massilina can be found in the numerous rock pools between stable stones.





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