Editing Geography of the Isle of Man (section)

== Geology ==
{{main|Geology of the Isle of Man}}

The majority of the island is formed from highly faulted and folded sedimentary rocks of the [[Ordovician]] period. There is a belt of younger [[Silurian]] rocks along the west coast between [[Niarbyl]] and Peel, and a small area of [[Devonian]] sandstones around Peel. A band of [[Carboniferous]] period rocks underlies part of the northern plain, but is nowhere seen at the surface; however similar age rocks do outcrop in the south between Castletown, [[Silverdale Glen|Silverdale]] and Port St Mary. [[Permian|Permo-]] [[Triassic]] age rocks are known to lie beneath the Point of Ayre but, as with the rest of the northern plain, these rocks are concealed by substantial thicknesses of superficial deposits.<ref>British Geological Survey 1:50,000 scale Special map sheet ''Isle of Man'' BGS 2001</ref>

The island has significant deposits of [[copper]], [[lead]] and [[silver]], [[zinc]], [[Iron ore|iron]], and plumbago (a mix of [[graphite]] and [[clay]]).<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Cumming|1861|pp=27–28}} ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=jX0HAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA27 Mines]''</ref> There are also quarries of black [[marble]], [[limestone]] flags, clay [[schist]], and [[granite]].<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Cumming|1861|p=28}} ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=jX0HAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA28 Quarries]''</ref> These are all modern, and there was no noticeable exploitation of metals or minerals before the modern era.