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You may find this information helpful when researching the area
Here is some information on geology in Europe:
Here is an important safety tip: Fossil hunting can at times pose a real risk to your personal safety, in particular within environments close to the coast, cliffs or some quarries and when using your tools and equipment. We recommend all individuals abide by the National Fossil Hunting Code and independently research all of the potential dangers before and during the visit.
The cliffs that are at Dover are accessible to the east when heading from Dover town itself. Cliff-top parking is also available within a reasonable distance of the beach. After a short walk from the cliff top car park, you'll need to descend down a reasonably steep path towards the beach, at the end of which there is a long ladder that reaches down to the foreshore.
On your left, a long path winds its way down the cliff face, and to your Right, The final descent is made down a ladder to the foreshore.
It's worth observing the battlements built into the cliff face before going down the ladder; here you can even see the chilling evidence of bullet holes inside the doors!
Dover is a classic fossil hunting location which is best suited to experienced collectors and not families. The fossils are not really readily found and those that are require careful extraction to prevent damage.
Once you arrive on the beach one of the most notable relic of the past is in fact a ship wreck. Having conducted some initial research it has not been possible to identify the ship; we suspect she's a WW2 wreck.
Not only is fieldwork a very essential part of the training of any geologist, it can also be fun for the whole family. The collecting of fossils can easily occupy even the youngest of children for several hours. However, the safety aspects realy must be emphasised as many people get severely injured and even killed around our coastlines and cliffs every year. Some particular hazards include:
Unstable cliff tops, Rocks falling from above off cliffs or mountains, Rising tides, and very Large waves
It is also important to remember that the locations are definatly not an infinite resource which means that we should treat them in a manner that will allow future generations to have access to them.
World Heritage Sites, Geology: Europe
In France there are the Capes Girolata and Porto, Scandolo Nature Reserves.
"This area is part of a large geological complex that appears to have undergone two distinct cycles of volcanic activity in the Permian. Since then, the area has been subject to several alternating cycles of erosion and rejuvenation. Geologically comprises porphyry, rhyolites and basaltic pillars, which have all been seriously eroded by wave action."
In France/Spain: Pyrénées Mont Perdu
"This outstanding mountain landscape is centred round the peak of Mont Perdu, a calcareous massif that rises as high as 3,352 m. The site, with a total area of 30,639 ha, which includes two of Europe's largest and deepest canyons on the Spanish side and three major cirque walls on the more abrupt northern slopes with France, which are classic presentations of these geological landforms."
In Germany there is the Messel Pit Fossil Site
"Messel Pit is one of the richest sites in the world for understanding the living environment of the Eocene, between 57 million and 36 million years ago. In particular, it provides much unique information about the early stages of the evolution of mammals and includes very very well-preserved mammal fossils, ranging from fully articulated skeletons to the contents of stomachs of animals of this period."
