Lavernock - Geological Guide for the Geology and Stratification

1:250 000 Geological Map

This range of geological maps show the general geology of the area, they come in either folded (for taking on the field), or flat (for wall mounting)
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1: 50 000 Geological Map

This range of geological maps show the localised geology, they come in either folded (for taking on the field), or flat (for wall mounting)
Buy from UKGE

Jurassic

GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE: Gondwanaland continues to break up, Graywacke, shale and siliceous sediments formed. Continued mountain building. mild, moist climates over most of the land.

TERRESTRIAL ANIMAL LIFE: Reptiles dominant with Crocodiles, turtles, lizards and dinosaurs. Pterosaurs and Archaeopteryx take to the air. Mammals begin to diversify. More advanced insects such as flies.

PLANT LIFE: Cycads, ginkos, conifers, ferns and tree ferns.

SEA LIFE: All major invertebrate groups well represented, ammonites and bivalves successful. Marine reptiles, Ichthyosaurs are Plesiosaurs.

Triassic

GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE: Sea levels very low. Graywacke shale, siliceous and Red desert sandstone deposits, arid climate over most of land Pangaea begins to split. Atlantic Ocean opens up.

TERRESTRIAL ANIMAL LIFE: Reptiles dominant, including the ancestors of the dinosaurs and mammals.

PLANT LIFE: Gymnosperms such as ferns, cycads, gingko's and conifers.

SEA LIFE: Ammonites dominate the seas, Bivalves and Brachiopods are locally abundant but generally rare. All other major invertebrate groups are rare of missing.

Geological Guide to Lavernock

Geological Succession at Lavernock

The Jurassic rocks at Lavernock are lower lias similar to those of Watchet which of course it just across the Bristol Channel. These are early blue lias, but differ from those of Watchet since the fossils are completely different. Giant gastropods, bivalves and brachiopods dominate the rocks, with only a few ammonites.

The Triassic red cliffs are mostly the Mercia Mudstone Group of the Sully Beds and are unfossilferous. At the top of this bed and below the Jurassic lower lias, is the Rhaetian Penarth Group. This bed is recognised by Grey to black mudstones with subordinate limestones and sandstones; predominantly marine in origin.

Hettangian 201 to 205.7 MYA
E A R L Y L I A S	Early Blue Lias		Watchet Lilstock Hinkley Point Quantoxhead Kilve Chippel Bay Doniford Bay St Audries Bay Blue Anchor Pinhay Bay Llantwit Major Gileston Sully
	Lavernock Shale Member		Lavernock
	Redcar Mudstone Formation	Early Calcareous Shales	Saltburn

Dunrobin Bay Formation	Lady's Walk Shale	Golspie
	White Sandstone	Golspie
	Carbonaceous Siltstone	Golspie

Rhaetian 206 - 210 MYA
P E N A R T H G R O U P	Lilstock Formation	Langport Member	Lilstock Blue Anchor
		Cotham Member	Lilstock Blue Anchor
	Westbury Formation		Aust Blue Anchor Lavernock

White Lias Formation	Pinhay Bay
Dunrobin Pier Conglomerate	Golspie

Mercia Mudstone Group (Norian, Carnian, Ladinian) 210 - 233 MYA
M E R C I A M U D S T O N E G R O U P	New Red Sandstone Series	Seaton
	Red (Keuper) Marls	Aust Watchet Doniford Bay St Audries Bay Blue Anchor
	Tea Green Marls	Aust Lilstock Blue Anchor
	Blue Anchor Formation	Blue Anchor
	Sully Beds	Blue Anchor Lavernock Sully

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