Editing Hunter Region (section)

===Geology===
[[File:Karte Sydneybecken.png|thumb|upright|The Sydney Basin showing the Great Dividing Range, the Hunter Valley and the Barrington Tops to the north of the Hunter]]

The Hunter Region is considered a transitional area between the [[Paleozoic]] rock foundation of the [[New England Fold Belt]] located to the south and the [[Early Permian]] and [[Middle Triassic]] period rock formations of the [[Sydney Basin]] to the south. Between these two geological areas is the Hunter-[[Mooki River|Mooki]] Thrust fault.<ref name="Hunter Valley Research Foundation">''"[http://www.hvrf.com.au/pages/hrf/hunter_region_yearbook.php Hunter Valley Research Foundation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091018070454/http://www.hvrf.com.au/pages/hrf/hunter_region_yearbook.php |date=18 October 2009 }}"'' Web. 1 June 2010.</ref> At one time this fault was very geologically active and gave rise to the Brokenback range that feature prominently in the Hunter region. Strips of [[basalt]] found throughout the region also bear witness to the volcanic activity that has occurred in the history of this fault.<ref name="Wine Atlas"/>

The Permian rocks in the central and southeastern expanse of the Lower Hunter Valley were formed when the area was underneath a shallow marine [[estuary]]. The remnants of this period has left an extensive network of coal seams that fuelled the early population boom of the Hunter Valley in the 19th century as well a high degree of [[salinity]] in the water table of much of the area. The further north and west, towards the Brokenback Range and the Upper Hunter, the more [[Triassic]] sandstone that can be found leading eventually to the [[carboniferous]] rocks that form the northern boundary of the Hunter with the New England Fold Belt and the foothills of the [[Barrington Tops]].<ref name="Hunter Valley Research Foundation"/>

Overall, the Hunter Valley has more soils (mostly hard, acidic patches of poorly draining heavy clay) that are unsuitable for viticulture than they have areas that are ideal for growing grapes. The soils of the Lower Hunter vary widely from sandy [[alluvial]] flats (often planted to Semillon), to deep friable [[loam]] (often planted with Shiraz) and friable red [[duplex soils]]. In the Upper Hunter, the rivers and creeks of the region contribute to the areas black, silty loam soils that are often overlaid on top of [[alkaline]] clay loam. Among the hills of the Brokenback range are strips of volcanic basalt that are prized by growers for their tendencies to restrict vigor and concentrate mineral flavours in the grapes.<ref name="Wine Atlas"/> The [[Warkworth Sands Woodland of the Hunter Valley]] are situated on these soils.<ref name="listing">{{Cite web|title=Warkworth Sands woodland in the Sydney Basin Bioregion – endangered ecological community listing: final determination {{!}} NSW Environment, Energy and Science|url=https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/determinations/WarkworthSandsWoodlandSydneyEndComListing.htm|access-date=2021-05-17|website=www.environment.nsw.gov.au|date=2011-02-28|author=NSW Scientific Committee|archive-date=18 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211018021604/https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/determinations/WarkworthSandsWoodlandSydneyEndComListing.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>