File:The Quarterly journal of the Geological Society of London (12711718363).jpg

1855..
MURCHISON AND MORRIS — THE HARZ.
445
and associated strata are extensive deposits
which sometimes rest upon the Rothe-
todte-hegende as just mentioned, but are
often placed at once on the edges of the
older slaty rocks. At Osterode and to the
W.S.W., the Zechstein is characterized by
vast interlaminated bands of anhydrite,
which, on weathering, become gypsum.
The fine laminee of sulphate of lime are
quite apparent, and as the beds both repose
upon and are surmounted by limestone, it
might be inferred by some geologists, that
the intermediate beds of anhydrite were
formerly carbonate of lime, which have
been altered by the transfusion of sul-
phuric acid.
To the south of Sachswerfen, where the
Zechstein reposes on the Rothe-todte-
liegende, it is seen to be conformably sur-
mounted by beds of earthy red sandstone ;
and, although these have been hitherto
classed with the Bunter-Sandstein, or base
of the Trias, we have already assigned
reasons why this lower portion of that rock
should be considered as the natural roof
of the Zechstein, and therefore classed with
the Permian * . The accompanying section
(fig. 10), showing a succession from the
younger coal-beds, resting against highly-
inclined I^ower Carboniferous strata, and
followed by Permian rocks to the south of
the Ilarz, is taken from the Geol. Trans.
2 ser. vol. vi. p. 286. See also the Dia-
gram of the Permian succession on the
flanks of the Thiiringerwald, p. 424.
In extensive portions of their range, the
chief limestones are dolomites. Near
Mansfeld, where the lower part only is
seen, the rock is a subconcretionary, flat-
bedded, impure, sandy limestone, of dark
brown colour, weathering into insulated
turrets, like some of the Sunderland beds.

• We much regret not to have had time to
  

visit the remarkable insulated mass of Permian
rocks which lies a few miles to the S.E. of Nord-
hausen. There the conglomerates of the Rothe-
todte-liegende contain P*arom^e.9(Kyfhausen near
Kelbra). These rocks, associated with melaphyre
and surmounted by Zechstein, rise up through
the wide extent of Trias that lies between the
Thiiringerwald and the Harz. We hope to ex-
plore hereafter this insular Permian mass.
2 H 2
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