About 730 million years ago the ancient continent of Vendia began to stretch and thin. Layers of sand, silt and mud were deposited in marine basins within the continent. 580 million years ago Vendia rifted completely as the Iapetus Ocean was born. Extremely hot magma from Earth’s mantle erupted onto the marine sediments. When such exceptionally hot lavas erupt onto the Earth’s surface they cool rapidly and crack, resulting in breccia. Randomly oriented, elongated crystals of olivine can develop, giving the lava a distinctive texture. Such lavas are called komatiite lavas and the texture is called spinifex, as it resembles Australian spinifex grass. A rock exposure near Cunningsburgh, now metamorphosed by hydrothermal fluids, is the only komatiite lava known in Europe - believed to be evidence of an early rupture of the Vendian continent. Between 480 and 390 million years ago the sediments and lavas were metamorphosed as the Iapetus Ocean closed and continents on either side collided. Heat and pressure altered the marine sediments to graphitic phyllite, while hot fluids circulating through the lava altered olivine minerals to serpentine and talc to give serpentinite and talc-magnesite. Along Catpund track the junction between metamorphosed brecciated lavas and phyllites is exposed.
In the crags along the Catpund track you see metamorphosed lavas and sediments that formed when an ancient continent split apart and a new ocean opened.
Directions
Catpund is in the South Mainland north of Cunningsburgh
Take the A970
Just south of Cunningsburgh is a public parking point. Take the turning on the opposite side of the road just south of the parking point (this is unsigned)
Park along this road and walk along the short road that branches from it
Go through the gate and follow the track into the hill
The site is situated just before the second sharp bend
Please note this site is very close to the Catpund soapstone quarry geosite