Southerham Grey Pit facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 |
|
| Area of Search | East Sussex |
|---|---|
| Interest | Geological |
| Area | 8.5 hectares (21 acres) |
| Notification | 1990 |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Southerham Grey Pit is a special place in East Sussex, England. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This means it is protected because of its unique geology. The site covers about 8.5 hectares, which is like 12 football fields. It is located south-east of Lewes.
What is Southerham Grey Pit?
Southerham Grey Pit is a very important geological site. It helps scientists learn about Earth's past. The rocks here are like a giant history book. They show us what the world was like millions of years ago. This site is also part of the Geological Conservation Review. This program identifies and protects the best geological sites in Britain.
A Window to the Past
The rocks at Southerham Grey Pit are incredibly old. They formed during a time called the Cenomanian stage. This was part of the Late Cretaceous period. Imagine, these rocks are about 100 million years old! That's long before humans existed. Studying these rocks helps us understand ancient environments.
Ancient Sea Creatures
This site is famous for its amazing fossils. It has many bivalves called inoceramids. Bivalves are like clams or mussels. These particular inoceramid fossils are very rare. You won't find them anywhere else in Britain. They are important for matching rock layers across different regions.
Southerham Grey Pit is also the last place in this area to find fossil fish. These fish fossils give us clues. They tell us about the types of fish that swam in ancient seas. They also show us what the sea environment was like. Finding these fossils helps scientists piece together Earth's history.
