Start
from the car park on the seaward side of the leisure centre.
To your right as you stand in the car park and
look out to sea is a replica of an Irish round tower, built as a
memorial to James Chaine, a benefactor of the town.
The promenade begins in the corner of the car park
by the centre and at the opposite side from the road entrance.
After about 350 yards, if the tide is low enough,
you will be able to see some rocks which are a striking red colour,
with green spots.
Access to these rocks is tricky and slippery but there is a clear
view from the promenade.
These rocks were formed in a dry, hot desert more
than 200 million years ago and they are red because, being on dry
land, there was plenty of oxygen available and iron in the rock
was able to rust.
The presence of gypsum and rock salt below the
surface (the salt is commercially mined at nearby Kilroot) shows
that, although the land was dry, the sea must have sometimes flooded
what would have been a low-lying area.
It was very hot and any standing seawater evaporated
very quickly leaving the salt deposits behind.
At this time these rocks were positioned at about
where Sudan is now. Given enough time, rocks do get around a bit.
The current theory on how and why we're constantly on the move is
called plate tectonics. (Find
out more about the dynamic earth from the Open University)
The green spots you can see on the rocks were formed
later and are parts of the same clay less oxidised.
They had less oxygen because of the presence of
tiny particles of plant or vegetable matter. So some life was present
in this hostile environment.
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