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Stockton University

The Geology of

The Cliffs of Moher

Mason Kuri

Physical Geology 2101-001

Matthew “Rocky” Severs

December 14, 2016

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Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to show the history, formation, and composition of one of

Ireland’s most visited attractions​.​ The Cliffs of Moher, being consisted of sedimentary rocks,

have multiple layers that have developed from an ancient river delta from millions of years ago​.

“The rock layers are rich in fossil​ ​formations and geologists consider the area one of the world’s

foremost natural laboratories for the study of deltaic deposition through deep water systems”

(Bott)​.​ These fossil formations are still being studied to understand possible new species for

marine organisms​.​ Its significance to the geological society is as important as it is a landmark for

all of Ireland​.

1. Introduction

Within the rugged landscape of Ireland’s west coast rests the Cliffs of Moher​. ​The cliffs

are a major visitor attraction in Ireland because of how close you can get to the natural beauty of

the cliff​.​ There have been many deaths at the cliffs because there is no barrier separating the

guests and the abyss​.​ The Cliffs of Moher have also been used in many popular movies

expanding its allure​.​ Although it is very popular to regular daily visitors it is much more than a

simple attraction​.​ It is a 300 million year old cliff spanning 8 kilometers and at its greatest height

reaches 214 meters​.​ This is caused by an ancient​ ​river depositing sand and mud sediments over

layers of shale and limestone millions of years​.​ Along with the sediments being deposited from
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the rivers there was also mass amount of sand and natural organic sediments being deposited

from the ocean​.​ It is a massive river delta similar to that of the Nile river delta that has long since

dried up​.​ The cliffs being comprised of shale, sand,​ ​and mud along with fossils of ancient

unknown organisms makes the cliffs a very suitable place​ ​for structural geology studies and

allows people of all kinds to admire the landscape​.

2. Geological Setting

Sitting on the west coast of Ireland in the northwestern corner of county Clare rests the

cliffs (Fig​.​ 1)​.​ The Cliffs of Moher are also a carboniferous growth fault system that was

developed by the sediment deposits​.​ The bottom and oldest, known by the principle of

superposition, is the carboniferous limestone​.​ There is a thin layer of shale sandwiched between

the limestone and the sediment deposits of the river delta​.​ “Growth faulting was initiated with

the onset of sandstone​ ​deposition on a succession of silty mudstones that overlie a thin, marine

shale” (Wignall and Best)​.​ Ireland is famous for being a constantly wet country which helped to

keep the sediments flowing​. ​Ireland's natural precipitation allows for the rivers to constantly

move steady sediments to collect in the delta (Fig​.​ 2)​.

3. Sediments in Deep Water

When a great river, since has dried up,​ ​ran throughout Ireland deposited large amounts of

sediments it released them in deep ocean water​.​ These sediments built up with the river
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depositing more and more along with the ocean pushing sand onto it​.​ This, over millions of

years, created an enormous delta that the cliffs now sit upon​.​ There is evidence in the upper parts

of the cliffs that show marine life had once been present​.​ The sediment build up allowed for the

marine organisms​ ​to inhabit the area until it rose above sea level to the point where land plants

were able to grow​.​ “This change is recorded in the fossils found in the Cliffs which change from

marine, free-swimming goniatites to terrestrial land plants” (Mohr)​.

4. Growth Faulting

Along with the constant sediment deposits over millions of years, another​ ​major aspect of

the creation of the Cliffs of Moher are the fact that the sediments have created a growth fault​.

Understanding growth faults, and how they apply to​ ​sedimentary deposits, are important when

looking at structures as grand as the cliffs​.​ “Growth faulting is a common feature of many deltaic

environments and is vital in determining local sediment dispersal​ ​and accumulation, and hence in

controlling the resultant sedimentary facies distribution and architecture” (Wignall and Best)​.

When studying these faults it shows how​ ​the region was created and morphed along with the

types of materials that went into the process​.​ The topography seen above ground is worth

studying and can be awed over, but​ ​what is underground has just as much wonder and is very

worth taking the time to study​.

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5. Fossils in The Cliffs

There is a lot of evidence of fossils all throughout the Cliffs of Moher​.​ There are three

types of fossils that run throughout the cliffs​.​ The Scolicia, are the “squiggly” looking ones​.​ The

markings left behind are feeding trails left behind by an unknown marine organism​.​ They are

most likely left behind by some type of marine worm or crustacean​. ​The next, less known and

understood are the small circular burrow marked sections​.​ “These burrows are preserved as casts

of the feeding (or escape) burrow left by an unidentified marine creature” (Wolfsgruber)​.​ The

last fossil discovered at the northern end of the cliffs are a rare neopteran pterygote​ ​insect​.​ This

insect had the ability to fold its wings over its body​.​ “These wings were a major evolutionary

advancement allowing the insect to access confined spaces in​ ​plants and rocks for food and

shelter​.​ This is the earliest such example of this type of insect in the British Isles​.​ The section has

also yielded goniatitid ammonoids, important in dating their host rocks” (Dunlie)​.​ These fossils

found in the cliffs are easily identifiable and can be seen by not only scientists but regular

visitors​.

6. Sea Stacks, Sea Caves, and Sea Arches

There is one major separated sea​ ​stack present at the Cliffs of Moher called Branaunmore

(Fig​.​ 3)​.​ It has been very popular in pop culture being shown in such movies as “The Princess

Bride” and “Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince”​. ​The sea stacks are susceptible to heavy
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coastal erosion​.​ The natural amount of precipitation that Ireland receives along with the wave

and storm activity make it a place of constant erosion​.​ Although there is erosion from waves and

also from rain the top layer of the sea stack usually protects the stack from the rain​.​ This is why

they are usually standing straight upright​.​ The rest has been eroded by the rain leaving behind

the vertical strack​.​ The waves are the main reason for the sea stack to be eventually felled by the

waves​.​ There is much evidence of different sea stacks falling from deterioration from waves​.

Sea caves also have formed from the coastal erosion present at the bottom of the cliffs​.

With enough waves hitting the foot of the cliffs and enough time caves are formed​.​ These caves

are very visible because of how much erosion has taken place over the years​.​ These sea caves are

mostly caused by coastal erosion hitting a softer spot of the sedimentary layers​.​ When the water

focuses on the softer rock interbedded between​ ​harder layers it works that away faster until it

deteriorates it into a sea cave (Fig​.​ 4)​.​ “The cave may begin as a very narrow crack into which

waves can penetrate and exert tremendous force, cracking the​ ​rock from within by both the

weight of the water and by compression of air​.​ Sand and rock carried by waves produce

additional erosive power on the cave's walls” (Smyth)​.

Sea arches are another form​ ​of coastal erosion which are in between a sea cave and a sea

stack​.​ A sea arch happens just the same as a sea cave but happens at a point where the cliff

comes out into the ocean more (Fig​.​ 5)​.​ When rain and the natural elements erode top of the

cave it creates an arch instead. After time and more erosion from natural elements, the arch’s top
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collapses creating a sea stack​.​ These are very attractive for visitors which is why the Cliffs of

Moher attract so many visitors​.​ Not only do the cliffs have the sea arches but they have all three

sea features caused by coastal erosion​.​ This also makes the cliffs a great place for people

studying the effects of coastal erosion on sedimentary deposits​.

7. Irish Folklore

According to Katherine Diveny of Cliffs of Moher Cruises, the legend is that when St​.

Patrick spread christianity throughout Ireland the ruling Pagan gods, the Tuatha Dé Danann,

were angry​.​ They magically turned themselves into horses and ​galloped to Kilcornan in the

Burren where they hid out in the Kilcornan Caves (The Cavern of Wild Horses)​.​ After time went

by not seeing the ​Tuatha Dé Danann, people began to explore the caves​.​ When finally disturbed

the seven foals ran out of the cave and blinded​ ​by the bright sunlight leapt right off the Cliffs of

Moher​. This point of the cliffs are now known as Aillenasharragh (the Leap of the Foals)​.​ This

spot of lore is home to a world famous surfing location called Aileens​.

8. Surfing the Cliffs of Moher

Aileens is located directly off the edge of the Kilcornan Caves​.​ This wave is created by

the oceanic shelf being so close to the cliffs​.​ This results in more powerful surf being pushed in

closer to the shore​.​ It creates a wave that jacks up because of the depth of the water being so

shallow so fast​.​ This along with the refraction of the cliffs angle result in the massive surf that is

produced during the right storms​.​ The height of the wave can be anywhere from 10 to 30 foot
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and can result in some of the most worst class surf​. ​Aileens has only been surfed since 2005

because of how dangerous it is and the fact that it needs to be towed into with a jet ski​.(​Fig​.​ 6)

“What began as mainly a tow​ ​in (jet ski assisted) wave is now being paddle surfed regularly with

jet skis only present for rescues or on the largest days”(Bott)​.​ Over time what seems like

impossible is challenged and now this spot is mainly paddled during the more maneagle swells​.

9. Bathymetry Near the Cliffs

The bathymetry​ ​of the continental shelf being so close to the cliffs show how it is more

than possible for the cliffs to be​ ​eroded after time especially when there are 30 foot seas crashing

into the cliffs​.​ This coastal erosion is prominently shown by the vast structures talked about

before​.​ Since the shelf is so close to the cliffs it also shows how there would be so much

movement of sediments during the period of the deltaic deposition. One reason why the Cliffs of

Moher are over 5 kilometers long could be because of the littoral drift along the shore line​.

With the amount of swell that hits the​ ​edge of the cliffs the littoral drift would take the

small sediments being deposited by the river and move them up and down the coast​.​ The

longshore drift would also take larger​ ​sediments and give them a chance to build up and create

different features of the coastline​.​ These are a couple of very many reasons why the Cliffs of

Moher have incredible features both to geologists and tourists alike​.

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10. Conclusion

The Cliffs of Moher are​ ​both a pleasure to tourists visiting Ireland and also geologists

wanting to learn about growth faults, deltaic depositions, and longshore drift​.​ From the Cliffs of

Moher you can visit the GeoPark and take kayak rides to see the arches, caves and stacks​.

Having the ability to tell you the local​ ​folklore of the cliffs, then go out and first hand look at all

the geologic features and how they were actually​ ​created, and finally ending it with surfing the

waves created by the cliffs is the reason I am going there​.

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Works Cited

Bott, Connor. "Cliffs of Moher." ​Cliffs of Moher​. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.

Mohr, Dennis J. "Cliffs Of Moher." ​Cliffs Of Moher | Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark |

Ireland.​ Newbury Publications, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.

Wignall, P. B. and Best, J. L. (2004), Sedimentology and kinematics of a large, retrogressive

growth-fault system in Upper Carboniferous deltaic sediments, western Ireland. Sedimentology,

51: 1343–1358. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3091.2004.00673.x

Wolfsgruber, Stephen J. "Geology and Cliffs of Moher Geopark , Official Site." ​And Cliffs of

Moher Geopark , Official Site​. Anchor Publications, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.

Dunlie, James. "The Geological Society of London - Cliffs of Moher." ​The Geological Society.​

N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.

Smyth, Kate. "The Virtual Cave: Sea caves." ​The Virtual Cave: Sea caves​. N.p., n.d. Web. 05

Dec. 2016.

Diveny, Katherine. "Surfing at the Cliffs of Moher." ​Cliffs of Moher Cruises​. N.p., 20 July 2015.

Web. 04 Dec. 2016.

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Figures

Fig​.​ 1

Showing the geologic​ ​setting of the Cliffs of Moher residing in the northwestern section

of county Clare, Ireland​.

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Fig​.​ 2

The shows the precipitation​ ​in millimeters in a 29 year period in Ireland. It shows

how the area close to the Cliffs of​ ​Moher accumulate a great amount of precipitation​.

Fig​.​ 3
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The famous sea stack Branaunmore compared to a large sized boat​.

Fig​. ​4

Just one of the many sea caves at the Cliffs of Moher​.

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Fig​.​ 5

The major sea arch located at the Cliffs of Moher​.​ It is easy to see how this

transformed from a sea cave being eroded to the point where it has become a sea arch​.

Now it is ready to be further eroded to create a sea stack​.

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Fig​.​ 6

The cliffs, refracting a deep ocean swell onto a quick and shallow shelf resulting in a

seriously effective wave for coastal erosion, shows its teeth on this 30 foot righthander​.