| Computer Code: |
MORA |
Preferred Map Code: |
notEntered |
| Status Code: |
Full |
| Age range: |
Paleocene Epoch (GP)
— Eocene Epoch (GE) |
| Lithological Description: |
The Moray Group is characterized by grey to grey-brown, carbonaceous, pyritic mudstones and siltstones that contrast with the greenish mudstones of the overlying Stronsay Group and the underlying Montrose Group. The group is also characterized by a relatively sharp transition between a 'shelf' succession dominated by sandstone and siltstone, with subordinate lignite, and a 'basinal' succession dominated by mudstone. The shelf succession is assigned to the Dornoch Formation and the basinal succession to the Sele Formation and the Balder Formation. |
| Definition of Lower Boundary: |
The base of the Moray Group is marked by a downward change from grey to grey-brown, carbonaceous, pyritic mudstones and siltstones to greenish mudstones of the Montrose Group. |
| Definition of Upper Boundary: |
The top of the Moray Group is marked by a downward change from greenish mudstones of the Stronsay Group to grey to grey-brown, carbonaceous pyritic mudstones and siltstones. |
| Thickness: |
The Moray Group reaches thicknesses of over 500 m in Outer Moray Firth Basin thinning to less than 30 m in the southern Central North Sea. |
| Geographical Limits: |
The Moray Group extends throughout the UK North Sea area (Knox and Holloway, 1992; Lott and Knox, 1994). Subsequently Knox et al. (1997) extended the geographical range of the Moray Group to include the West of Shetland area. |
| Parent Unit: |
Not Applicable (-)
|
| Previous Name(s): |
none recorded or not applicable
|
| Alternative Name(s): |
none recorded or not applicable
|
| Stratotypes: |
| none recorded or not applicable |
| Reference(s): |
| Mudge, D C and Copestake, P. 1992. Lower Palaeogene stratigraphy of the northern North Sea.Marine and Petroleum Geology,9,287-301. |
| 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.) |
| Waters, C N, Smith, K, Hopson, P M, Wilson, D, Bridge, D M, Carney, J N, Cooper, A H, Crofts, R G, Ellison, R A, Mathers, S J, Moorlock, B S P, Scrivener, R C, McMillan, A A, Ambrose, K, Barclay, W J, and Barron, A J M. 2007. Stratigraphical Chart of the United Kingdom: Southern Britain. British Geological Survey, 1 poster. |
| Knox, R W O'B and Holloway, S. 1992. 1. Paleogene of the Central and Northern North Sea. In: Knox, R W O'B and Cordey, W G (eds.) Lithostratigraphic nomenclature of the UK North Sea. British Geological Survey, Nottingham. |
| Mudge, D C and Copestake, P. 1992a. Revised Lower Palaeogene lithostratigraphy of the Outer Moray Firth, North Sea. Marine and Petroleum Geology 9, 53-69. |
| Lott, G K and Knox, R W O'B. 1994. 7. Post-Triassic of the Southern North Sea. In: Knox, R W O'B and Cordey, W G (eds.) Lithostratigraphic nomenclature of the UK North Sea. British Geological Survey, Nottingham. |
| 1:50K maps on which the lithostratigraphical unit is found, and map code used: |
| none recorded or not applicable |
