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Thanet Formation
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<h2 id="distribution">Distribution</h2> <p>The Thanet Formation is known at outcrop and in the subsurface over central and eastern parts of the London Basin. To the west it is missing, with the <a href="/facts/Lambeth_Group/hX8XglBt">Lambeth Group</a> lying directly on the Chalk, and to the north it is replaced by the Ormesby Clay Member.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> It thins to the west and north of London. It reaches a maximum thickness of over 30 m in North Kent. </p> <h2 id="lithology">Lithology</h2> <p>The predominant <a href="/facts/Lithology/WLIJXzGj">lithology</a> is very pale grey or buff fine-grained <a href="/facts/Glauconite/Uq6Yv3Kb">glauconitic</a> sand. Particularly towards the base of the formation, the sand is interbedded with silts and clays. At the base of the formation a bed of flint pebbles is often developed with clasts up to <a href="/facts/Cobble_(geology)/0bhLXGAQ">cobble</a> size in a matrix of glauconitic clayey sand.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> </p><p>At Herne Bay the beds are divided as follows (top to bottom):<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> </p> <ul><li>A layer of concretionary blocks (‘doggers') of calcareous indurated sandstone of 0.3 metre thickness</li> <li>A pale grey sandstone with abundant shells 2.6 metre thickness</li> <li>A layer of calcareous sandstone doggers, 0.3 metre thickness</li> <li>A bedded, clayey buff sand with many shells, seen to 0.9 metre thickness</li></ul> <h2 id="depositional-environment">Depositional environment</h2> <p>The Thanet Formation was deposited in open marine conditions. The water depth was relatively shallow, above normal wave-base, in an inner or outer <a href="/facts/Continental_shelf/dpgHAR4U">shelf</a> setting.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="fossil-content">Fossil content</h2> <p>The sequence is known for its rich fossil content, particularly molluscs and fish.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> The fauna give somewhat contradictory evidence of the climate, with molluscs of both cold and warm water type being found and tropical to sub-tropical fish recognised. Overall, a sub-tropical climate is indicated.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> The formation also has provided fossils of flora of <i>Pinus macrocephalus</i>, <i>Pinus prestwichi</i>, <a href="/facts/Palmae/5bN6Wwcr">Palmae</a> and <i>Osmunda dowkeri</i>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/List_of_fossiliferous_stratigraphic_units_in_England/Bd58q6YH">List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in England</a></li> <li>Thanetian formations <ul><li><a href="/facts/Conglom%25C3%25A9rat_de_Cernay/oDaP1Kzx">Conglomérat de Cernay</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Tuffeau_de_St_Omer/RWsvj30p">Tuffeau de St Omer</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Cerrej%25C3%25B3n_Formation/bKxSMLT4">Cerrejón Formation</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Danata_Formation/B8nShQ4s">Danata Formation</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/DeBeque_Formation/cYldYAz6">DeBeque Formation</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Willwood_Formation/9txe24R2">Willwood Formation</a></li></ul></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Thanet Formation at Fossilworks.org <a href="https://paleobiodb.org/classic/displayStrata?geological_group=&formation=Thanet&group_formation_member=Thanet" target="_blank">https://paleobiodb.org/classic/displayStrata?geological_group=&formation=Thanet&group_formation_member=Thanet</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Aldiss D.T. (2014). "The stratigraphical framework for the Palaeogene successions of the London Basin, UK". Open Report OR/14/008. British Geological Survey. pp. 9–14. Retrieved 30 July 2016. <a href="http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/17121/" target="_blank">http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/17121/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Thanet Formation". BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units. British Geological Survey. Retrieved 30 July 2016. <a href="http://www.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=TAB" target="_blank">http://www.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=TAB</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Aldiss D.T. (2014). "The stratigraphical framework for the Palaeogene successions of the London Basin, UK". Open Report OR/14/008. British Geological Survey. pp. 9–14. Retrieved 30 July 2016. <a href="http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/17121/" target="_blank">http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/17121/</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Aldiss D.T. (2014). "The stratigraphical framework for the Palaeogene successions of the London Basin, UK". Open Report OR/14/008. British Geological Survey. pp. 9–14. Retrieved 30 July 2016. <a href="http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/17121/" target="_blank">http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/17121/</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Holmes. "British Cenozoic fossil fishes sites Site: HERNE BAY (GCR ID: 2911)" (PDF). Volume 16: Fossil Fishes of Great Britain. Extracted from the Geological Conservation Review. pp. Chapter 14: pages 2 and 4. Retrieved 9 April 2012. <a href="http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/pdf/gcrdb/GCRsiteaccount2911.pdf" target="_blank">http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/pdf/gcrdb/GCRsiteaccount2911.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Aldiss D.T. (2014). "The stratigraphical framework for the Palaeogene successions of the London Basin, UK". Open Report OR/14/008. British Geological Survey. pp. 9–14. Retrieved 30 July 2016. <a href="http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/17121/" target="_blank">http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/17121/</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Thanet Formation at Fossilworks.org <a href="https://paleobiodb.org/classic/displayStrata?geological_group=&formation=Thanet&group_formation_member=Thanet" target="_blank">https://paleobiodb.org/classic/displayStrata?geological_group=&formation=Thanet&group_formation_member=Thanet</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Holmes. "British Cenozoic fossil fishes sites Site: HERNE BAY (GCR ID: 2911)" (PDF). Volume 16: Fossil Fishes of Great Britain. Extracted from the Geological Conservation Review. pp. Chapter 14: pages 2 and 4. Retrieved 9 April 2012. <a href="http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/pdf/gcrdb/GCRsiteaccount2911.pdf" target="_blank">http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/pdf/gcrdb/GCRsiteaccount2911.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Thanet Formation at Fossilworks.org <a href="https://paleobiodb.org/classic/displayStrata?geological_group=&formation=Thanet&group_formation_member=Thanet" target="_blank">https://paleobiodb.org/classic/displayStrata?geological_group=&formation=Thanet&group_formation_member=Thanet</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>