Encyclopedia
This is a sortable list of the groups into which the rock succession of Great Britain and surrounding seas is formally divided. Rock sequences are described by geologists by dividing them hierarchically thus: individual 'beds' of rock (or in the case of certain volcanic rocks, 'flows') are grouped into 'members', members are grouped into 'formations', formations into 'groups' and groups occasionally into 'supergroups'. Some groups are also subdivided into 'subgroups'. Not all of these hierarchical layers are necessarily present or defined within a particular rock succession. Many of these groups will be encountered as 'series' in older geological literature or indeed simply as the proper name e.g. 'Dalradian' or 'Millstone Grit' though care needs to be exercised as many of the names have or have had other meanings which may not coincide with the assemblage of rocks referred to formally through designation as a 'group'. Note that with all such stratigraphical terms as 'groups', 'formations' and 'members' it is standard practice to capitalise both the proper name and the 'term-word' as per the recommendation of the International Commission on Stratigraphy e.g. Wentnor Group and not Wentnor group. Notes:
- stratigraphical
- stratigraphy
- 'dalradian'
1. Supergroups
The following 'supergroups', i.e. assemblages of 'groups', are recognised:
- Carboniferous Limestone Supergroup
- Culm Supergroup
- Dalradian Supergroup
- Great Britain Superficial Deposits Supergroup
- Leadhills Supergroup
- Longmyndian Supergroup
- Moine Supergroup
- New Red Sandstone Supergroup
- Old Red Sandstone Supergroup
- Pebidian Supergroup
- Windermere Supergroup
2. Subgroups
The following 'subgroups', i.e. subdivisions of 'groups', have been named:[1][2]
Albion Glacigenic Group:
- Shetland Glacigenic (Albion) Subgroup
- Western Isles (Albion) Glacigenic Subgroup
- Northwest Highlands (Albion) Glacigenic Subgroup
- Banffshire Coast and Caithness (Albion) Glacigenic Subgroup
- Inverness (Albion) Glacigenic Subgroup
- East Grampian (Albion) Glacigenic Subgroup
- Logie-Buchan (Albion) Glacigenic Subgroup
- Central Grampian (Albion) Glacigenic Subgroup
- Mearns (Albion) Glacigenic Subgroup
- Midland Valley (Albion) Glacigenic Subgroup
- Borders (Albion) Glacigenic Subgroup
- Southern Uplands (Albion) Glacigenic Subgroup
- Irish Sea Coast (Albion) Glacigenic Subgroup
- Manx (Albion) Glacigenic Subgroup
- Central Cumbria (Albion) Glacigenic Subgroup
- North Pennine (Albion) Glacigenic Subgroup
- North Sea Coast (Albion) Glacigenic Subgroup
- Wales (Albion) Glacigenic Subgroup
Appin Group:
- Blair Atholl Subgroup
- Ballachulish Subgroup
- Lochaber Subgroup
Ardmillan Group:
- Ardwell Subgroup
- Drummuck Subgroup
- Whitehouse Subgroup
Argyll Group:
- Tayvallich Subgroup
- Crinan Subgroup
- Easdale Subgroup
- Islay Subgroup
Badenoch Group:
- Dava Subgroup
- Glen Banchor Subgroup
Britannia Catchments Group:
- Northern Highlands and Argyll Catchments Subgroup
- Grampian Catchments Subgroup
- Tay Catchments Subgroup
- Forth Catchments Subgroup
- Clyde Catchments Subgroup
- Tweed Catchments Subgroup
- Solway Catchments Subgroup
- Northumbria Catchments Subgroup
- Isle of Man Catchments Subgroup
- Cheshire-North Wales Catchments Subgroup
- Yorkshire Catchments Subgroup
- Trent Catchments Subgroup
- Severn and Avon Catchments Subgroup
- West Wales Catchments Subgroup
- Ouse-Nene Catchments Subgroup
- Yare Catchments Subgroup
- Somerset Catchments Subgroup
- Thames Catchments Subgroup
- Suffolk Catchments Subgroup
- Cornubian Catchments Subgroup
- Solent Catchments Subgroup
- Sussex Catchments Subgroup
- South Kent Catchments Subgroup
Grampian Group
- Glen Spean Subgroup
- Corrieyairack Subgroup
- Glenshirra Subgroup
Caledonia Glacigenic Group:
- Shetland Glacigenic Subgroup
- Western Isles Glacigenic Subgroup
- Northwest Highlands Glacigenic Subgroup
- Banffshire Coast and Caithness Glacigenic Subgroup
- Inverness Glacigenic Subgroup
- East Grampian Glacigenic Subgroup
- Logie-Buchan Glacigenic Subgroup
- Central Grampian Glacigenic Subgroup
- Mearns Glacigenic Subgroup
- Midland Valley Glacigenic Subgroup
- Borders Glacigenic Subgroup
- Southern Uplands Glacigenic Subgroup
- Irish Sea Coast Glacigenic Subgroup
- Manx Glacigenic Subgroup
- Central Cumbria Glacigenic Subgroup
- North Pennine Glacigenic Subgroup
- North Sea Coast Glacigenic Subgroup
- Wales Glacigenic Subgroup
Lower Old Red Sandstone Group:
- Brecon Subgroup
- Cosheston Subgroup
- Ditton Subgroup
- Downton Subgroup
- Milford Haven Subgroup
Pembroke Limestone Group:
- Blackrock Limestone Subgroup
- Clydach valley Subgroup
Ogwen Group
- Nant Ffrancon Subgroup
The content is sourced from: https://handwiki.org/wiki/Earth:List_of_geological_groups_of_Great_Britain
References
- Appin, Argyll & Grampian subgroups after Trewin, N.H. (ed) 2002 The Geology of Scotland, The Geological Society, London p97
- Britannia catchments, Albion Glacigenic and Caledonia Glacigenic listings from: MCMILLAN, A A, HAMBLIN, R J O, and MERRITT, J W. 2005. An overview of the lithostratigraphical framework for the Quaternary and Neogene deposits of Great Britain (Onshore). British Geological Survey Research Report RR/04/04 38pp. ISBN:0 85272 516 7
