Western Mail

‘UK made in three-continent collision’

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BRITAIN was formed by the collision of three ancient continents, new research suggests.

England, Wales and Scotland were previously thought to have been created by the merging of Avalonia and Laurentia more than 400 million years ago.

However, geologists at the University of Plymouth now believe a third mass of land, Armorica, was also involved.

The research, published in journal Nature Communicat­ions, offers a “completely new way of thinking about how Britain was formed”, the authors said.

The team of researcher­s studied mineral properties in exposed rocks at 22 sites in Devon and Cornwall.

Their analysis suggests a boundary across the two counties, running from the Exe estuary in the east to Camelford in the west.

The areas north of the border share geological roots with the rest of England and Wales, while those in the south are linked to France and mainland Europe, the researcher­s said.

Lead author Dr Arjan Dijkstra, a lecturer at the University of Plymouth, said: “Our findings suggest that although there is no line on the surface, there is a clear geological boundary which separates Cornwall and south Devon from the rest of the UK.”

The authors said this could explain why tin and tungsten are found in south-west England – and Brittany – but not other parts of England.

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