West, Ian M. 2020. Geology of the Wessex Coast (including the Dorset Coast - Jurassic Coast - the Isle of Wight, - part of East Devon, - and also Solent Estuaries) - Home and List of Webpages. Geological Internet site: http://www.southampton.ac.uk/~imw/index.htm. Revised Version: 22nd July, 2020.



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INTRODUCTION AND BRITAIN, GENERAL

Geology of Britain - Introduction with Geological Maps

Geology of Wessex Coast - Introduction with Geol Maps

Geology Wessex Coast - Home and List of Webpages (this)

BARTON, HORDLE CLIFF AND CHRISTCHURCH BAY, TERTIARY CLIFF EXPOSURES

Barton and Highcliffe - Barton Clay and Barton Sand (Eocene)

Barton and Highcliffe - Coast Erosion and Sea Defences - General

Barton - and Highcliffe - History of Coast Erosion and Sea Defences

Hordle Cliff - Headon Hill Formation

Barton - Highcliffe, and Hordle Cliff, Geological Bibliography

Hurst Spit, Hampshire

Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire

BOURNEMOUTH AREA, EAST DORSET, TERTIARY CLIFFS

Bournemouth Geology - Cliffs, Eocene sands, clay and plant beds

Hengistbury Head - Eocene strata and Mudeford Spit, revised

Hengistbury Head - Bibliography

Sandbanks Sand Spit, Geomorphology

Brownsea Island, Poole Harbour BRIDPORT AREA, LOWER JURASSIC, WEST DORSET

Bridport - East Cliff

Bridport Harbour and Beach

Bridport - West Bay - West Cliff to Eype Mouth

Burton Bradstock, Burton Cliff

Golden Cap and Seatown, Jurassic

Eype Mouth, Jurassic (in prep) CHESIL BEACH, DORSET (See also - Portland)

Chesil Beach - General

Chesil Beach - Hurricanes, Storms and Storm Surges

Chesil Beach - Pebbles, including rare rock types

Chesil Beach - Magnetite, Lodestone, Pebbles from Shipwreck

Chesil Beach - the Fleet Lagoon (in prep)

Chesil Beach - Geological Bibliography EAST DEVON, TRIASSIC RED BEDS AND CRETACOUS

Dawlish Warren Sand Spit, Exe Estuary

Dawlish to Teignmouth cliffs, including the coastal railway line.

Teignmouth to Dawlish, with sea-wall and railway line.

West of Lyme Regis and Axmouth-Lyme Undercliffs

Beer and Seaton

Sidmouth and Ladram Bay

Budleigh Salterton, Exmouth and Littleham Cove

Littleham Cove and Radioactive Nodules(second half of Budleigh Webpage)

Dartmoor Granite

Torquay and Babbacombe SWANAGE AREA, DURLSTON, UPPER JURASSIC AND CRETACEOUS, DORSET

Peveril Point, Durlston Bay

Durlston Bay, Middle Purbeck (Berriasian - Cretaceous)

Swanage - Durlston Bay - Lower Purbeck (Jurassic-Cretaceous)

Durlston Bay - Central Zigzag Part and Coast Erosion

Durlston Head - Lower Purbeck Group and Portland Stone

Durlston Bay - Geological Bibliography

Swanworth Quarry, Portland and Purbeck, with Kimmeridge Boreholes . ISLE OF WIGHT, CRETACEOUS AND TERTIARY GEOLOGY

ISLE OF WIGHT GEOLOGY - INTRODUCTION

Whitecliff Bay, Tertiary

Alum Bay, Tertiary coloured sands

The Needles, Chalk Stacks,

Colwell Bay, northwestern Isle of Wight

Brighstone Bay, Compton Bay, Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight Geology - Bibliography KIMMERIDGE AREA,KIMMERIDGE CLAY AND OIL SHALE, DORSET

KIMMERIDGE - BAY, INTRODUCTION

Kimmeridge - East to Hen Cliff, Yellow Ledge and Cuddle

Kimmeridge - East, Blackstone, OIL SHALE, near Clavell's Hard

Kimmeridge - East, Burning Beach, Burning Cliffs - oil shale fires

Kimmeridge - East, Rope Lake Head to Freshwater Steps

Kimmeridge - East, Chapman's Pool, Houns-tout (Hounstout) Cliff and Egmont Bight

Kimmeridge - West to Hobarrrow Bay, Brandy Bay and Gad Cliff

Kimmeridge - Fossils, ammonites, ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, etc

Kimmeridge Clay Boreholes at Swanworth Quarry

Kimmeridge - Bibliography - Start - Main Part.

Kimmeridge - Bibliography Continued.

Petroleum Geology of South Downs and western Weald - including Shale Oil

LULWORTH COVE AREA, JURASSIC AND CRETACEOUS, DORSET

LULWORTH COVE - GEOLOGICAL INTRODUCTION

Lulworth Cove - Purbeck Group - East Side of Cove

Lulworth Cove - Purbeck Group - West Side of Cove

Fossil Forest, Lulworth - Part 1 - the Geology of the Ledge

Fossil Forest, Lulworth - Part 2 - the Fossil Trees

Stair Hole, Purbeck and Wealden

Dungy Head and St. Oswald's Bay

Lulworth Area - St. Oswald's Bay and Dungy Head

Durdle Door, Lulworth

White Nothe to Bats Head (west of Durdle Door)

Mupe Bay and Bacon Hole (in Army Range, east of Lulworth Cove)

Lulworth Area - Worbarrow Bay, in the Army Range

Lulworth Area - Geological Bibliography

Lulworth Area - Strata and Fossils (additional notes)

Worbarrow Bay

LYME REGIS AND CHARMOUTH - LIAS, JURASSIC, WEST DORSET

Lyme Regis west to Monmouth Beach, Pinhay Bay and Undercliffs

Lyme Regis and Black Ven east to Charmouth

Lyme Regis - Town and Seafront

Charmouth, Stonebarrow Hill, St. Gabriel's

Liassic Fossils

Lyme Regis - Geological Bibliography

Lyme Regis - Burning Cliffs and the Lyme Volcano

Golden Cap and Seatown NEW FOREST GEOLOGY, HAMPSHIRE AND DORSET

New Forest - Geology Guide

New Forest - Geology - Bibliography

Beaulieu River Estuary

Lepe Beach and Stone Point

Lymington, Keyhaven, West Solent

New Forest - Studley Wood and Upper Latchmore Brook (nr Bramshaw Telegraph)

Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire

Hordle Cliff - Headon Hill Formation

MENDIP HILLS AND CARBONIFEROUS

Cheddar Gorge Geology

Carboniferous, Mendips - Bibliography

Burrington Combe [in preparation]

Mendip Hills, Carboniferous - Quarries etc. [in prep.]

Ireland - Carboniferous Evaporites of County Leitrim, Ireland [paper] OSMINGTON, RINGSTEAD AND WHITE NOTHE, CORALLIAN, KIMMERIDGE AND CRETACEOUS.

Osmington Mills - Introduction - Upper Jurassic

Osmington Mills - Osmington Mills to Ringstead

Osmington Mills - Corallian Bencliff Grit and Oil-sand

Osmington Mills - Osmington Oolite Formation, Corallian, Upper Jurassic

Osmington Mills - Black Head Area, Kimmeridge Clay

Osmington Mills - Corallian Fossils

Osmington Mills - Corallian Bibliography

Osmington Mills - Region - Ringstead Bay - White Nothe, Dorset

Osmington Mills - Region - White Nothe to Bats Head (in prep)

Osmington Mills - Region -Bowleaze Cove to Redcliff Point (in prep)

Poxwell Quarry and Poxwell Anticline . PETROLEUM GEOLOGY - OIL AND GAS, SOUTH OF ENGLAND

Petroleum Geology - South of England

Petroleum Geology of the Western Weald and South Downs (Shale Oil etc.)

Petroleum Geology - South of England - Bibliography [Oil South Bibliography]

Petroleum Geology - Portland - Isle of Wight Offshore Basin

Osmington Mills - Corallian Bencliff Grit and Oil-sand

Kimmeridge - Oil Shale at Clavell's Hard mining area

Kimmeridge - East, Burning Beach, Burning Cliffs - oil shale fires

Kimmeridge Clay Boreholes at Swanworth Quarry

Poxwell Quarry and Poxwell Anticline - Details .

PORTLAND - ISLE OF PORTLAND, PORTLAND STONE, DORSET

Portland - Isle of, Geology - General Introduction

Portland - Portland Bill, Portland Stone, Purbeck, Cryoturbation

Portland - Portland Stone Quarries

Portland - Quarry - Withies Croft, Portland Stone

Portland - The Chesil Beach - Great Shingle Beach

Portland - Dinosaur Footprints in Purbeck Group

Purbeck - Formation - Fossil Forest and Isle of Portland Fossil Trees

Portland - Portland Harbour, Jurassic

Portland - Coast - Mutton Cove to Wallsend, Portland Stone

Portland - Portland Group Fossils

Portland - Isle of - Geological Bibliography

PURBECK GROUP, UPPER JURASSIC - LOWER CRETACEOUS, DORSET (LULWORTH AND DURLSTON FORMATIONS)

Purbeck Group, - Facies (Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous)

Purbeck - Evaporites (late Jurassic)

Purbeck - Durlston Bay, Swanage - Peveril Point, Upper Purbeck

Purbeck - Durlston Bay, Middle Purbeck Group

Purbeck - Durlston Bay - Lower Purbeck Group.

Purbeck - Durlston Bay - Central Zigzag Part and Erosion

Purbeck - Durlston Head - Lower Purbeck and Portland Stone

Purbeck Group - Geological Bibliography - General

Purbeck Group - Geological Bibliography - Topics, Alphabetic.

Purbeck Group - Durdle Door, natural arch

Purbeck - Group - Fossil Forest Exposure, thrombolites, evaporites

Purbeck - Group - Fossil Forest and Isle of Portland Fossil Trees

Purbeck - Ridgway Railway Cutting, Weymouth - Purbeck Group

Purbeck - Portesham Quarry, north of Weymouth.

Purbeck - Poxwell Quarry, east of Weymouth.

Purbeck Group - Dinosaur Footprints of the Isle of Portland

Purbeck Group - Dinosaur Footprints of Quarries in the Isle of Purbeck

Purbeck - Group - Bibliography - Vertebrates

Purbeck - Group - Analogues SOLENT ESTUARINE SYSTEM, AND SOUTHAMPTON REGION

Solent - Estuaries - Geological Introduction

[with some photographs and notes, re Hythe, Southampton Boreholes etc.]

Solent - Beaulieu River Estuary, Geomorphology

Solent - Boreholes with geological data

Solent - Geology Bibliography - General

Solent - Geology Bibliography - Topics, Alphabetically

Calshot Spit, Stanswood Bay, Tertiary and Pleistocene

Chilling, Brownwich Cliffs and Hill Head, Southampton Water

Lepe Beach and Stone Point - Geology, Geomorphology

Lymington, Keyhaven and West Solent - Pitts Deep - Geology

Pitts Deep and Tanners Lane, Solent - Geology and Coast Erosion

Solent - Submerged Forest off Hayling Island

Sarsens and Erratics of the Wessex Coast

Solent - Geology of Fawley Power Station, Tertiary and Pleistocene

Hurst Spit, Geomorphology and Rocks.

Hurst Spit - Historic Coastal Events

Milford-on-Sea

Hordle Cliff - Headon Hill Formation

Selsey Bill and Bracklesham Bay STUDLAND AND SANDBANKS, DORSET (see also Bournemouth)

Studland and South Haven Peninsula - General

Studland - Peninsula - Poole Harbour Side, Tertiary and Pleistocene.

Studland - Tertiary Cliffs and the Agglestone Rock

Harry Rocks to Ballard Point, Chalk Cliffs

Studland and Harry Rocks; Geological Bibliography

Brownsea Island, in Poole Harbour - Tertiary Geology

Studland - Area - Sandbanks - Sand Spit, Geomorphology and Sediments SWANAGE, DORSET

Harry Rocks to Ballard Point - Geology, Chalk Cliffs.

Swanage - Bay and Ballard Cliff - Cretaceous Geology

Durlston Bay, Peveril Point, Upper Purbeck Group

Durlston Bay, Middle Purbeck Group.

Durlston Bay - Lower Purbeck Group.

Swanage - Durlston Bay - Central Zigzag Part, Purbeck Group.

Swanage - Durlston Head - Lower Purbeck Group & Portland Stone.

Swanworth Quarry, Worth Matravers, Portland Stone.

Durlston Bay - Bibliography SWANAGE, ISLE OF PURBECK - COAST TO THE WEST

St. Aldhelm's Head, Geology, Portland Stone

Chapman's Pool, Houns-tout (Hounstout) Cliff and Egmont Bight

Winspit and Seacombe, - Portland Stone

Dancing Ledge and Adjacent Coast.

Anvil Point to Blackers Hole, Portland Stone.

St. Aldhelm's Hd to Durlston Head - Bibliography

Swanworth Quarry, Worth Matravers, Portland Stone. WEYMOUTH, DORSET - INLAND AND ADJACENT

Ridgway Railway Cutting and Weymouth Relief Road.

Portesham Quarry, Purbeck Group

Fleet Lagoon, back of Chesil Beach

Portland Harbour, Jurassic exposures SABKHA AND ARID ENVIRONMENTS [some of these pages may be held offline at the present time]

Sabkhas - and Arid Environments - Introduction

Sabkhas [Q] - Sabkhas, Salt Lakes and Arid Environments

Sabkhas - Select Bibiography of Sabkhas, Salt Lakes and Evaporites. MISCELLANEOUS, SUPPLEMENTARY WEBPAGES (in progress or incomplete)

Earthquakes and Tsunamis, South of England [in prog.]

Cyprus - Geology of Salt Lake and Akortiri Peninsula

Staithes, Yorkshire - Lower Jurassic

Questions and Exercises in Geology

Vertebrate Remains, Eocene, Pyrenees. PAPERS BY IAN WEST

Publication List of Ian West.

Evaporites and Associated Sediments of the Basal Purbeck Group of Dorset, 1975

Holocene Deposits of Fawley, Hampshire, and Development of Southampton Water, by F. Hodson and I.M. West, 1972

Review of Evaporite Diagenesis in the Purbeck Formation of Southern England. 1979.

Detrital Portland Chert and Limestone in the Upper Purbeck Beds at Friar Waddon, Dorset.



Click on images for large, high resolution versions!

(do not use browser zoom on the low resolution versions) This is the first page of a large set of Geological descriptive pages on the Wessex Coast of southern England, much of it a UNESCO World Heritage Site ("Jurassic Coast"). This is a classic area of East Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex and the Isle of Wight. These geological webpages form one of the world's largest geological web sites with more than 100 separate web pages. The first versions were placed online in 1997 and they are improved and enlarged on a daily basis. There are now thousands of full screen, colour photographs of varied geological and geomorphological features and there are also associated geological bibliographies. The text in each webpage has linked references to the appropriate bibliography. The study and descriptions have emphasis on the superb coastal exposures of Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous and Palaeogene strata are well-seen in the cliffs of this beautiful coastline. The various localities, many of them well-known classic sites, are described in terms of stratigraphy, sedimentology, geomorphology, faunal content and coast erosion and progradation, in addition to general background information on the environment. In additional there are some associated webpages on other specific geological topics such as sabkhas and Pyrenean geology. A search entry box will be found below. This site has very heavy use - more than half a million requests per week, including each photographic image. Thus, it is no longer necessary to keep any records of use, and there is no objective in obtaining additional visitors, although they are, of course, very welcome. The main aim is to improve the quality of the site academically for existing users and to provide an even greater quantity of detailed and reliable geological information. Some safety guidance and safety warnings are given in specific webpages. These warnings are not comprehensive and may not be sufficient for all types of groups visiting the coast. The objectives of the website relate primarily to field work by geologists, researchers, university students, visiting groups or scientific societies and the safety warnings are intended primarily for these types of visitors. This website is frequently used by schools and such use is welcomed. However, some field localities, cliff sites etc, which are commonly visited by geologists may be unsuitable in terms of safety for school parties or individual children, and the website is not specifically planned as guidance for this type of field use. It is hoped that schools and school parties find it useful, but more stringent safety rules may be needed in the field (the author has experience only of leading university, society and oil company parties). Thus this is primarily a geological website for geologists, but it is intended also to be useful for other purposes, including information for general visitors and school parties. . The technical level of the website is not at mathematical research level, but only at intermediate geological level, easily readable by anyone with a degree in geology, equivalent amateur experience, or just a geological interest.

Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.

The Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site is England's first natural World Heritage Site - it is known as The Jurassic Coast. It covers 95 miles of coastline from East Devon to Dorset, with rocks recording 185 million years of the Earth's history.



The Channel Coastal Observatory , Southampton University, Southampton

Large-scale, vertical, aerial photographs of the Wessex Coast are available free for downloading to persons who register with this organisation. In addition there is much more technical information, such as Lidar and Multibeam Bathymetry. This is a highly recommended website. The following notes are from the Channel Coastal Observatory website.

"..The Channel Coastal Observatory is the data management and regional coordination centre for the Southeast Regional Coastal Monitoring Programme. The programme provides a consistent regional approach to coastal process monitoring, providing information for development of strategic shoreline management plans, coastal defence strategies and operational management of coastal protection and flood defence. The programme is managed on behalf of the Coastal Groups of the Southeast of England and is funded by DEFRA, in partnership with local Authorities of the southeast of England and the Environment Agency. The Channel Coastal Observatory is hosted by New Forest District Council, in partnership with the University of Southampton."



Dorset Geologists' Association Group.

This very active, local organisation holds field trips and lectures in Dorset and surrounding areas. These is not necessarily limited to famous locations but also to less well known coastal and inland areas. They are involved in many other activities, such as keeping local records, and these are listed on their website. Their Newsletter, which is online, contains reports on field trips.



Dorset Historic Coastal Photographs.

Exmouth to Milford on Sea 1800-2000 (including the East Devon and Dorset World Heritage Site). by Doreen Smith of the Dorset Group of the Geologists' Association.

These pages grew out of an original project to celebrate 150 years of the Geologists' Association and 200 years of the Geological Society. To this end I began collecting postcards, magic lantern slides, etchings and whatever else I could obtain on the subject of the WHS coastline. [continues]



UK Onshore Geophysical Library .

This is the major source of onshore seismic data for the UK, including that of the Wessex Coast area, suc as Devon, Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

"With over 75,000km of available seismic survey data as acquired by the onshore exploration industry, the Library strives to locate all available data items pertaining to each seismic profile, with the aim of providing a fully reconciled archive of original pre-stack field records de-multiplexed to SEG-Y."

Shown here is a north-south seismic section across the Weymouth Anticline, modified and with some notes added. See the original seismic section by going to the website: UK Onshore Geophysical Library.



DIGS, 2009. The Purbeck Limestone Group: Virtual geology field trips to Purbeck limestone quarries in south Dorset. CD. For more details see: DIGS in the Purbeck Group Bibliography.



Gesource: geography and environment gateway for UK HE and FE.

GEsource is the geography and environment hub of the Resource Discovery Network (RDN). GEsource provides access to high quality Internet resources for students, researchers and practitioners in geography and the environment through five distinct subject gateways: Environment, General Geography, Human Geography, Physical Geography, and Techniques and Approaches.



Wessex Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club.

"Eye in the Sky" - superb oblique aerial photographs of the Wessex Coast. See Home Page of Wessex Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am very grateful to the many people and organisations who have helped in one way or another to make it possible to run this website. Individual acknowledgements are given in particular webpages on specific places. Southampton University has supported this site over the years. I particularly thank the Head of the School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, the Dean of the Faculty of Natural Science and the Environment, Professor Jonathon Bull, Professor Max Barton, Dr. Ian Croudace and others who have helped keep the website running. I particularly thank Frances Bradbury for regular help over the years. I very much appreciate the cooperation of the Channel Coastal Observatory in making available excellent aerial photographs of the region of study. I particularly appreciate the generous cooperation of iSolutions, Southampton University. Mark Watts of Computer Services of Southampton University is thanked for solving a problem of image files that had temporarily ,misplaced. It is very good to know that this website is backed up on tape by computer services, in addition to my various personal, external hard drive backups. My family have assisted in many ways with regard to this website and their help is greatfully acknowledged.