Ravenscar - Geological Guide for the Geology and Stratification

(Ravenscar Cliffs) - 2006

On Reaching the cliff area, the Staithes Sandstone formation from the Upper Pliensbachian (Lower Jurassic) can be seen on the left hand side of the path, whilst walking to the beach. Micaceous sandstone together with siltstones and a thin nodular ironstone bed are present. This magaritatus zone, yields many Jurassic fossils. On the right however, there is a gully making the line of a fault. At the base, exposures of Yellow Sandstone from the Upper Toarcian are joined with pebble beds. Ammonites are common along the beach of Ravenscar both to the North and South, though many are worn.

SYSTEM / PERIOD / SERIES / STAGE					AGE (mya)
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			170 to 177
		Aalenian			177 to 180.1
	Early	Toarcian (Late Lias)			180 to 190
		Pliensbachian (Middle & Early Lias)			190 to 195
		Sinemurian (Early Lias)			195 to 201
		Hettangian (Early Lias)			201 to 205.7

Bajocian 170 to 177 MYA
FORMATIONS AND DEPOSITS	LOCATIONS

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

Aalenian 177 to 180.1 MYA
FORMATIONS AND DEPOSITS	LOCATIONS

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

Pliensbachian 190 - 195 MYA
FORMATIONS AND DEPOSITS			LOCATIONS
M I D D L E L I A S	Marlstone Rock
	Thorncombe Sands		Eype Thorncombe Beacon
	Margaritatus Beds
	Down Cliff Sands		Eype Thorncombe Beacon
	Eype Clay		Charmouth Eype Golden Cap (Seatown) Thorncombe Beacon
	Three Tiers		Charmouth Golden Cap (Seatown)
E A R L Y L I A S	Green Ammonite		Charmouth Golden Cap (Seatown)
	Belemnite Stone		Charmouth Golden Cap (Seatown)
	Belemnite Marls		Charmouth Lyme Regis
	Cleveland Ironstone Formation	Kettleness Member	Port Mulgrave Staithes Runswick Bay Kettleness
		Penny Nab Member	Port Mulgrave Staithes Runswick Bay
	Staithes Sandstone Formation		Staithes Ravenscar Robin Hoods Bay
	Late Redcar Mudstone Formation	Ironstone Shales	Staithes Robin Hoods Bay
		Pyritous	Robin Hoods Bay

1:250 000 Geological Map of Ravenscar
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1: 50 000 Geological Map of Ravenscar
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.
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