Broome Heath Pit facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
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|
| Area of Search | Norfolk |
|---|---|
| Interest | Geological |
| Area | 1.2 hectares (3.0 acres) |
| Notification | 1995 |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Broome Heath Pit is a special place in Norfolk, England. It's a protected area called a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of its amazing geology. This means it's really important for understanding Earth's history. It's also part of the Broome Heath Local Nature Reserve, a place where nature is protected and people can visit. The site covers about 1.2 hectares, which is roughly the size of two football fields.
What Makes Broome Heath Pit Special?
Broome Heath Pit is like a window into the past! It shows us rocks from a very old ice age, known as the Wolstonian glaciation. This was a time when huge parts of the Earth were covered in ice, between about 350,000 and 130,000 years ago.
Clues from an Ancient River
One of the most important things found here is the "Broome Terrace." Imagine a wide, flat area next to an ancient river – that's what the Broome Terrace was. It's the only place left where we can see this old riverbed.
Scientists have found some cool clues at the site:
- Ice wedges: These are cracks in the ground that filled with ice. They tell us the weather was extremely cold, like in the Arctic today.
- Fossils: They've also found fossils of plants and animals that lived in very cold places. This shows that the area was once a tundra environment. Tundra is a cold, treeless plain, often found in Arctic regions.
Visiting Broome Heath Pit
You can visit Broome Heath Pit to explore this ancient landscape. However, some parts of the site are covered with thick bushes and plants.
