Environmental factors for around 429 million years ago in the future Wren’s Nest area
Rock Name
Lower Quarried Limestone Member
Lithology (appearance)
Grey limestone with abundant shelly fossils and thin calcareous mudstone partings; reefs (bioherms) locally present.
Period
Silurian – Wenlock
How old
Around 429 million years
Environment of rock formation
Shallow continental shelf sea, clear warm water, with coral reefs, some exposed above the waves.
Climate
Warm tropical / sub-tropical
Latitude
30′ S of Equator
Oxygen as percentage of atmosphere
17% (21% today)
Carbon Dioxide as parts per million of atmosphere composition
3700ppm (around 415ppm today and rising)
Maximum day time temperatures
24’C
Minimum night time temperature
15’C
Sea temperature
24’C
Weather risk
Occasional storms churning up sea floor
Midday Sun
High in northern sky
UV index
9
Earthquake risk (scale 1 low risk to 9 high risk)
5
Tectonic
Continental plate collision to west
Volcano risk
Ash falls
Top predator
Sharks
Animal Life
Rich marine life – bryozoans, corals, crinoids, trilobites
Plant Life
Primitive plants on some land areas – no flowers or grasses
Humidity
Rainfall
Wind
SE?
Day length
21.1 hours
Days in year
414