Earthquakes
Earthquakes
One of Nature’s most powerful events.
The planet is dynamic and the apparently solid continents are continuously moving as the tectonic plates are driven by heat rising from the immensely hot interior.
Three massive granite bodies, called batholiths or plutons, lie under the north of England. These are relatively imoveable and define the orientation of the fault lines.
The Craven Fault system runs north to south but splits off as the North Craven Fault towards the east past Pateley Bridge and Brimham.
Along these fault lines earth movements generate earthquakes which had a profound effect on the flow of the ancient river that was depositing sediments.
Before the earthquake the flow was in a North to South direction.
After the quake, the land slipped and within the fault relay zone the river now flowed in a more westerly direction. Not only that but the river flow became faster, more dynamic changing from a meandering river to a braided river system.
