A cored Jurassic sequence from north Lincolnshire, England: stratigraphy, facies analysis and regional context

Abstract

Summary A virtually complete Jurassic sequence recently drilled in north Lincolnshire is considered in a regional context. Liassic thicknesses and facies are largely unexceptional. The Frodingham and Pecten Ironstones are relatively thin and sandy, but the Marlstone Rock Bed is thicker and more ferruginous than elsewhere in the region. The Inferior Oolite is exceptionally thick and exhibits strong deltaic influence; equivalents of the Gristhorpe Member and Scarborough Formation of Yorkshire may be present. The Great Oolite was deposited in coastal-lacustrine-deltaic environments, more proximal than to the south or east. Thin Kellaways Clay separates the argillaceous Cornbrash from the Kellaways Sand. The organic-rich Lower Oxford Clay is thin owing to a basal non-sequence whilst the Upper Oxford Clay is condensed and less organic than in the East Midlands. The regressive West Walton Beds are followed by very thick Ampthill and Kimmeridge Clay sections beneath the Spilsby Sandstone. Regional thickness and facies analysis records the behaviour of the Market Weighton Block and reveals the influence of the Pennine High as both a positive tectonic feature and an occasionally active sediment source.