The BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units — Result Details

Buchan Gravels Formation

Computer Code: BUG Preferred Map Code: notEntered
Status Code: Full
Age range: Miocene Epoch (NM) — Quaternary Period (Q)
Lithological Description: Well rounded gravel and cobble gravel comprising white quartzite, vein quartz and flint, in white micaceous silty sand matrix or in a white sandy kaolinitic clay matrix. Residual beach and river gravels forming broad ridges and plateaux up to 140 m above OD (McMillan and Merritt, 1980; Merritt et al., 2003). Miocene-Quaternary.
Definition of Lower Boundary: Unconformable on Neoproterozoic rocks, or on the Moreseat Sandstone Formation.
Definition of Upper Boundary: Overlain unconformably by till or head, or at the surface.
Thickness: Up to 25 m or more.
Geographical Limits: Northeast Scotland.
Parent Unit: Residual Deposits Group (RESID)
Previous Name(s): Pliocene gravels [Obsolete Name and Code: Use BUG] (-2648)
Buchan Gravels Group [Obsolete Name and Code: Use BUG] (-3253)
Buchan Beds [Obsolete Name and Code: Use BUG] (BUCB)
Alternative Name(s): none recorded or not applicable
Stratotypes:
Type Area  Buchan Ridge, 11 km southwest of Peterhead, comprising Moss of Auquharney, Moss of Cruden, Corse of Balloch, Hill of Aldie (and possibly, Den of Boddam). Flett and Read, 1921. 
Reference(s):
Flett, J S and Read, H H, 1921. Tertiary gravels of the Buchan district of Aberdeenshire. Geological Magazine, Vol.58, p.215-225. 
McMillan, A A and Merritt, J W, 1980. A reappraisal of the Tertiary deposits of Buchan, Grampian Region. Report of the Institute of Geological Sciences, No.80/1, p.18-25. 
Merritt, J W, Auton, C A, Connell, E R, Hall, A M and Peacock, J D. 2003. The Cainozoic geology and landscape evolution of north-east Scotland. Memoir of the British Geological Survey, Sheets 66E, 67, 76E, 77, 86E, 87W, 87E, 95, 96W, 96E and 97 (Scotland) 
McMillan, A A, Hamblin, R J O, and Merritt, J W. 2011. A lithostratigraphical framework for onshore Quaternary and Neogene (Tertiary) superficial deposits of Great Britain and the Isle of Man. British Geological Survey Research Report, RR/10/03. 343pp. 
Waters, C N, Gillespie, M R, Smith, K, Auton, C A, Floyd, J D, Leslie, A G, Millward, D, Mitchell, W I, McMillan, A A, Stone, P, Barron, A J M, Dean, M T, Hopson, P M, Krabbendam, M, Browne, M A E, Stephenson, D, Akhurst, M C, and Barnes, R P. 2007. Stratigraphical Chart of the United Kingdom: Northern Britain. (British Geological Survey.) 
Stoker, M S, McMillan, A A and Waters, C N. Quaternary Stratigraphical Chart: Northern Britain. British Geological Survey, 1 poster. 
Hall, A M (Editor). 1984. Buchan Field Guide. Quaternary Research Association, Cambridge, 120pp. 
1:50K maps on which the lithostratigraphical unit is found, and map code used:
S086 S087 S087