Panmure Basin

The basin was formed by violent 'wet' eruptions where magma erupted in contact with water. The ring of ash surrounding the basin is up to 25m high and is now mainly covered by housing.
At low tide you can see the distinct thin layers of ash, with a coating of slimey mud, especially along the north western side of the basin. There is also a small outcrop of the ash beside the walkway nearby (on the northern side).

If you walk along the northern side of the basin, you will come across the modest outcrop of ash. Have a look at the small angular particles (mostly lapilli, eg from 2 to 64mm across). A close-up look will reveal the tiny holes created by the expansion of gas within the erupting magma. At low tide you can see layers of ash in the intertidal zone. Notice that they are gently 'folded'. Can you think of possible reasons for this?