Upper Coralline Limestone
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
| Layer | 1 of 5 (top) |
|---|---|
| Blocks | stone, andesite, sandstone, smooth sandstone |
| Thickness | varies by place |
| Above | nothing (the surface) |
| Below | Greensand |
Upper Coralline Limestone (Maltese: Qawwi ta' Fuq) is the youngest and highest of Malta's rock layers: a hard limestone that caps the flat-topped hills and plateaus. Because it resists the weather, it protects the soft Blue Clay underneath, which is why so many Maltese hills have a flat top and steep sides.
In the world
The layer is split into four members (sub-layers), each with its own blocks, from the bottom up:
| Member | Main block | Second block | Beds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mtarfa | sandstone | smooth sandstone | thin, yellow, passing up into white |
| Tal-Pitkal | stone | andesite | light grey to brown, rubbly |
| Tal-Mas | smooth sandstone | stone | white |
| Ġebel Imbark | stone | andesite | light grey, with old soil lines |
Not every member is present everywhere: where the map shows two members touching, the one between them is left out.
Where to see it
- The Xagħra and Nadur plateaus on Gozo: the flat hilltops are Upper Coralline, with grey stone and andesite a few blocks under the soil.
Coordinates
- Xagħra plateau:
/tp @s -9743 170 -14167 - Nadur plateau:
/tp @s -7714 190 -12884
Mining
Ores appear in this layer as in vanilla stone.
See also
- Rock layers: all five layers and where to see them
- Greensand: the layer below