(Geological succession) - 2008

The Bridport Sands Formation (Upper Lias age) is 43m thick and represents relatively shallow faces of a major rhythm of Jurassic sedimentation. The formation is an important oil reservoir rock underground at the Wytch Farm Oilfield and this is the best exposure at the surface. This sandstone formation is a classic diachronous sequence that becomes younger southward. The main sequence is Upper Toarcian (Dumortieria levesquei ) zone. It is interesting, containing heavy minerals of metamorphic type (e.g. garnet), probably ultimately derived, via the Permo-Trias, from Brittany.

Above this is a thin later of Inferior Oolite, this is much thinner than at Burton Bradstock and contains fewer fossils. Blocks from this bed contain the layer known as 'Snuff Boxes' can be found on the foreshore. These are layers with stromatolites. The sea washes away the stromatolite leaving holes. The Inferoir Oolite is missing at the middle part of the cliff.

Right at the top along whole cliff at West Bay, is the Fullers Earth, shown in the above photo.

Jurassic	Late	Volgian	Portlandian		142 to 147
			Tithonian
					147 to 150
		Kimmeridgian		Late	150 to 154
				Early
		Oxfordian	Corallian		154 to 159.4
			Late Oxford Clay
	Middle	Callovian	Middle Oxford Clay		159 to 165
			Early Oxford Clay
			Kellaways
			Late Cornbrash
		Bathonian	Early Cornbrash		165 to 170
			Forest Marble
			Frome Formation
			Wattonensis Beds
			Fullers Earth
			Zigzag Beds
		Bajocian	Late Inferior Oolite		170 to 177
			Middle Inferior Oolite
		Aalenian	Early Inferior Oolite		177 to 180.1
			Scissum Beds
			Bridport Sands
	Early	Toarcian (Late Lias)			180 to 190
		Pliensbachian (Middle and Early Lias)			190 to 195
		Sinemurian (Early Lias)			195 to 201
		Hettangian (Early Lias)			201 to 205.7

Bathonian 165 to 170 MYA
FORMATIONS AND DEPOSITS	LOCATIONS

Brora Coal Formation	Brora Coal	Brora Brora River Balintore
	Bituminous Shale	Brora Brora River
	Clays, Brecciated Sands and Cementstones
	White Sandstone

Early Cornbrash
Forest Marble			Burton Bradstock
Frome Formation			Burton Bradstock
Wattonensis Beds
Fullers Earth			West Bay Burton Bradstock
Zigzag Beds
Lealt Shale Formation		Lonmfearn Member	Elgol
		Dark grey fissile mudstone	Elgol
		Kildonnan Member	Elgol
		Gey fissile siltstone	Elgol
		Stromatolitic algal limestone	Elgol
Elgol Sandstone Formation			Elgol
Ravenscar Group	Scalby Formation	Long Nab Member	Scalby Ness

Bajocian 170 to 177 MYA
FORMATIONS AND DEPOSITS	LOCATIONS

Late Inferior Oolite			West Bay Bearreraig Bay Burton Bradstock
Middle Inferior Oolite			West Bay Burton Bradstock
Ravenscar Group	Scalby Formation	Moor Grit Member	Gristhorpe Scalby Ness
	Scarborough Formation		Cloughton Wyke Gristhorpe
	Cloughton Formation	Gristhorpe Member	Cloughton Wyke Gristhorpe
		Lebberston Member	Cloughton Wyke
		Yons Nab Member	Gristhorpe
		Sycarham Member	Cloughton Wyke Gristhorpe
Dogger Formation			Saltwick Bay Whitby Sandsend Ravenscar
Bearreraig Sandstone Formation		Garantiana Shale Member	Glasnakille Faoilean
		Dark grey fissile mudstone

Aalenian 177 to 180.1 MYA
FORMATIONS AND DEPOSITS	LOCATIONS

Early Inferior Oolite		West Bay Burton Bradstock
Scissum Beds		Burton Bradstock
Bridport Sands		West Bay Burton Bradstock
Bearreraig Sandstone Formation	Druim an Fhuarain Sandstone Member	Glasnakille Faoilean
Ravenscar Group	Eller Beck Formation	Hayburn Wyke Ravenscar
	Saltwick Formation	Saltwick Bay Whitby Hayburn Wyke Sandsend Ravenscar

Toarcian 190 - 195 MYA
FORMATIONS AND DEPOSITS			LOCATIONS
L A T E L I A S	Early Bridport Sands		Thorncombe Beacon West Bay
	Down Cliff Clay		Eype Golden Cap (Seatown) Thorncombe Beacon
	Junction Bed		Eype Thorncombe Beacon
	Blea Wyke Formation	Yellow Sandstone Member	Ravenscar
		Grey Sandstone Member	Ravenscar
	Whitby Mudsone Formation	Fox Cliff Sandstone Member	Ravenscar
		Peak Mudstone Member	Ravenscar
		Alum Shale Member	Kettleness Whitby Saltwick Bay Runswick Bay Sandsend Ravenscar
		Mulgrave Shale Member	Port Mulgrave Kettleness Whitby Saltwick Bay Runswick Bay Ravenscar
		Grey Shale Member	Port Mulgrave Kettleness Whitby Saltwick Bay Runswick Bay Ravenscar

1:250 000 Geological Map of West Bay Geological Maps are sold either Flat or Folded for Solid, or Seabed geology. Special editions may be available for certain locations. For a complete list click the link below. Click here to BUY ONLINE from our Store

1: 50 000 Geological Map of West Bay Geological Maps are sold either Flat or Folded for Solid, Drift or combined geology. Special editions may be available for certain locations. For a complete list of 1: 50 000 maps, click the link below. Click here to BUY ONLINE from our Store