The Vale of Pickering : an initial summary of the Quaternary/superficial geology and data holdings

The British Geological Survey (BGS), together with a number of partners is undertaking an independent environmental monitoring programme to characterise baseline conditions across the Vale of Pickering in North Yorkshire, in the vicinity of a site close to Kirby Misperton (Third Energy, KM8) proposed for shale-gas exploration and production. The monitoring will include measurement of: water quality (groundwater and surface water), seismicity, ground motion, air quality including radon, and soil gas. The programme aims to establish the environmental baseline before any shale-gas explorations begin. This report presents the results of a desk study to develop an initial summary of the Quaternary superficial geology across the Vale of Pickering. It is a component and specific deliverable of the environmental baseline project. The Quaternary deposits form a shallow aquifer that is used locally for drinking water supply and agriculture. A separate report considers the bedrock geology. The geological information in this report will be used to identify aquifer dimensions and configurations, groundwater flow paths and potential contaminant migration pathways, as well as determining optimum locations for sampling and monitoring. It will also provide information to support the locating of new borehole infrastructure (suitable for groundwater sampling and seismometers) and will underpin the interpretation of acquired hydrogeochemical data

Absolute fixing of tide gauge benchmarks and land levels : the BGS contribution to a report on a study of the London and Thames estuary region

This report comprises material submitted as the British Geological Survey (BGS) contribution to the final report of a project measuring changes in land and sea levels using high precision global positioning system (GPS) surveying, absolute gravimetry (AG), persistent scatterer interferometry (PSI) and tide gauge records. Data was collected during the period 1997 to 2005 for a National study of changes around the coast of Great Britain, and a Regional study of changes along parts of the Thames Estuary and the River Thames at London. Since 2003, the national study has been funded by the Joint DEFRA/EA Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management R&D Programme, and a regional study, funded by the Environment Agency Thames Estuary 2100 project. The national study was carried out jointly by the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory (POL) and the University of Nottingham’s Institute of Engineering Surveying and Space Geodesy (IESSG). The regional study was led by IESSG and carried out jointly by IESSG, POL, Nigel Press Associates Ltd. (NPA) and the British Geological Survey (BGS). The item in the project research plan relevant the main BGS input is Objective 08: ‘The estimates of changes in absolute ground level for the regional network of 13 GPS stations and a few thousand PSI points (output from 07) will be analysed, and geological interpretations presented using the geological database and other available information’. The final project report includes a condensed version of this material, with only a few of the figures. That is due to be published as Environment Agency R&D Technical Report FD2319/TR. The geological setting of the London region is described in a report for the EA/NERC CONNECT B project (Bingley et al., 1999), and by Ellison et al. (2004)

A 3D geological model of the superficial deposits in the Selby area

The Selby 3D geological model, commissioned by the Environment Agency, covers an area of 1,300km2 and shows the distribution and thickness of superficial deposits between Thorne, just north of Doncaster, to Haxby, just north of York. Surfaces derived from this model will be used by the Environment Agency to construct a numerical, spatially distributed model of recharge to the underlying regionally important Sherwood Sandstone Group aquifer and to update their existing numerical regional groundwater model. This report describes the geological units modelled, the 3D modelling methodology used and the limitations of the model

Model metadata report for Manchester and Salford, NW England

This report describes the creation of a 3D geological model of natural and artificial superficial deposits in Manchester and Salford, NW England. The Manchester and Salford model forms part of the Lower Mersey Corridor, NW England. The Lower Mersey Corridor includes models within the region comprising: Manchester-Salford Warrington Liverpool Irlam The location of the geological models is shown in Figure 1 and the spacing of cross-sections is shown in Figure 2. Figure 1 Location of Manchester and Salford 3D geological model and its relationship to others in the Lower Mersey Corridor area of NW England. The 3D models include natural and artificial superficial deposits. Cross-sections for Manchester and Salford include schematic bedrock correlations for illustration only. Bedrock is not included in the calculated mode

Enhanced mapping of artificially modified ground in urban areas : using borehole, map and remotely sensed data

The report described here is focused on how using boreholes and attributes from boreholes increased and enhanced the mapping of Artificially Modified Ground, and helped measure landscape evolution change in the urban environment. These attributes from boreholes include the presence of AMG in a borehole, the thickness of AMG recorded, the start height of a borehole and the location of boreholes (and other boreholes in close proximity) with modern topological features and geological maps

A geological model of London and the Thames Valley, southeast England

Many geological survey organisations have started delivering digital geological models as part of their role. This article describes the British Geological Survey (BGS) model for London and the Thames Valley in southeast England. The model covers 4800 km2 and extends to several hundred metres depth. It includes extensive spreads of Quaternary river terraces and alluvium of the Thames drainage system resting on faulted and folded Palaeogene and Cretaceous bedrock strata. The model extends to the base of the Jurassic sedimentary rocks. The baseline datasets used and the uses and limitations of the model are given. The model has been used to generate grids for the elevation of the base of the Quaternary, the thickness of Quaternary deposits, and enabled a reassessment of the subcrop distribution and faulting of the Palaeogene and Cretaceous bedrock units especially beneath the Quaternary deposits. Digital outputs from the model include representations of geological surfaces, which can be used in GIS, CAD and geological modelling software, and also graphic depictions such as a fence diagram of cross-sections through the model. The model can be viewed as a whole, and be dissected, in the BGS Lithoframe Viewer. Spatial queries of this and other BGS models, at specific points, along defined lines or at a specified depth, can be performed with the new BGS Groundhog application, which delivers template-based reports. The model should be viewed as a first version that should be improved further, and kept up to date, as new data and understanding emerges

The 3D Quaternary geology of the area around Thornton, Cheshire

This report summarises the superficial (Quaternary) geology of the area around Thornton Science Park at Thornton-Le-Moors in north Cheshire, with an emphasis on understanding the geological units in terms of potential fluid transport through them. The study utilised existing geological maps and borehole records to construct a 3D geological model of the superficial deposits, covering an area of 63km2. The Quaternary succession in the area is dominated by glacigenic sediments, comprising till (gravelly clay), glaciofluvial deposits (gravels and sands) and lesser amounts of glaciolacustrine clays and silts. The tills and glaciofluvial deposits are intercalated in some areas, with intervals of sand and gravel within the till modelled as lenses. The superficial deposits vary laterally and vertically across short distances, making extrapolation difficult in areas where borehole data are absent. Holocene sediments, comprising tidal flat deposits, peat and alluvium occupy the northern part of the study area forms a tract through the middle of the area. The northern part of the model covers the southern bank of the Mersey estuary where tidal flat deposits, dominated by silt and clay, are mapped/modelled with till underneath. A laterally persistent peat layer within the tidal flat deposits is modelled where proven in boreholes. The River Gowy runs south-north through the middle of the model area to join the Mersey at Stanlow Point. An arbitrary mapped line separates alluvium associated with the River Gowy from the Mersey estuary tidal flat deposits, with which they are transitional. A large area of peat is mapped/modelled at surface in a marshy area in the River Gowy floodplain. Boreholes prove that much of this peat is underlain by alluvium. Bedrock is mapped/modelled at surface in isolated patches, representing bedrock ‘highs’ where superficial deposits are locally absent. There may be other unproven zones of thin or absent superficial deposits in the area that could provide direct connectivity from the ground surface to the underlying Sherwood Sandstone Group bedrock

The Fylde, Lancashire: summary of the quaternary geology

This report summarises the regional superficial (otherwise known as Quaternary) geology of the Fylde region, western Lancashire, with an emphasis on understanding the geological units in terms of potential fluid transport through the differing units. The study utilised existing geological maps and borehole records to construct a series of cross-sections traversing the area depicting the superficial deposits as a geological fence diagram. Quaternary-age glacigenic deposits dominate the majority of geological units in the shallow subsurface. The glacigenic units comprise the following: 1) tills, which are composed of gravels in a dominantly clay-rich matrix; 2) glaciofluvial deposits, composed of gravels and sands; and 3) lesser amounts of glaciolacustrine deposits consisting of laminated clays and silts. The tills and glaciofluvial deposits are generally intercalated with one another, and are of variable thickness and lateral extent. The base of the sequence broadly comprises a basal till overlain by a glaciofluvial unit and in-turn, an upper till. However, there are major local variations to this succession with localised inclusions of sand, gravel, silt and clay. The units show a high lateral and vertical variability across short distances making it difficult to extrapolate lithologies to areas where boreholes are absent. Along the coastal zone and within the tidal estuaries of the River Wyre and the River Ribble, coastal zone deposits occupy a thin surface layer. These Holocene-age deposits mainly comprise clays, silts and sands with some gravel. Peat occurs throughout the region, but particularly along the ‘Skippool Channel’, east of the River Wyre south of Preesall, and in the subsurface from South Shore Blackpool, to Lytham St Anne’s and inland to Marton Moss. The Kirkham moraine forms a broad and subtle topographic high in relief from Blackpool, eastward through Kirkham to Preston. Lastly, a bedrock high has been found around Rawcliffe Moss, West of Churchtown in the north eastern edge of the model area. There may be other undiscovered zones of thin or absent superficial cover that may provide direct connectivity from the surface to the underlying bedrock

Vale of York 3-D borehole interpretation and cross-sections study

The Vale of York between Doncaster and Scunthorpe in the south and York and Bugthorpe in the north is largely underlain by bedrock of the Sherwood Sandstone Group – one of the regions principal aquifers. Significant superficial deposits of Quaternary age overlie the Sherwood Sandstone. This study aims to investigate the nature of these superficial deposits with respect to their relationship with the underlying aquifer. The Vale of York project area represents a varied glaciated terrain, consisting of pro-glacial finegrained sediments, coarser glaciofluvilal sediments and extensive glacial tills. These diverse superficial units vary in thickness throughout the project area. The hydrogeological nature of the natural superficial sequence is consequently highly variable. Units may be considered as aquitards, while others may act as aquifers, providing a potential pathway to the underlying sandstone. The classification of lithologies as aquifer or aquitard is described in detail in this report. To investigate the hydrogeological nature of the superficial sequence, six east-west and three north-south lithostratigraphical cross-sections were constructed. A range of geoscientific information was considered, including existing geological mapping and over 3000 fully attributed and coded boreholes. The cross-sections show a subdivision of the superficial sequence into lithostratigraphical units. Each unit is described in detail in this report. In addition, a series of thematic maps were generated from the lithological component of the digital borehole data. Total superficial aquifer and superficial aquitard maps show how the lithological nature of the superficial sequence varies across the area. Rockhead elevation and superficial thickness maps indicate where the sandstone aquifer outcrops at the ground surface. In summary, four main lithostratigraphical units overlie the Sherwood Sandstone Group aquifer in the project area: a basal sequence of glaciofluvial sand and gravel (interpreted as a superficial aquifer), glaciolacustrine laminated silt & clay (aquitard), glacial till comprising sandy gravelly clay (aquitard), and a cover sequence of fluvial and aeolian sand, clay and peat (aquifer / aquitard). The correlations illustrate that in certain areas, superficial deposits are thin or absent and that in these areas the Sherwood Sandstone aquifer comes directly to ground surface

A 3D geological model for B90745 North Trans Pennine Electrification East between Leeds and York

This report and accompanying 3D geological model were produced for Tata Steel Projects. The report describes the bedrock and Quaternary geology of the study area, comprising 28 km (17.5 miles) of railway line between Leeds and York. The description and spatial distribution of each geological unit is based on the 3D geological model, which was constructed using 1:10,000 scale digital geological map data and 102 borehole logs from the British Geological Survey’s national archive. All boreholes located within the modelled area were considered in the construction of the geological model, together with key boreholes that fall outside the area of study. The top and base of weathered rock as defined is depicted as layers within the model