The BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units — Result Details

Upper Greensand Formation

Computer Code: UGS Preferred Map Code: UGS
Status Code: Full
Age range: Albian Age (KA) — Cenomanian Age (KE)
Lithological Description: Sand and sandstone, fine-grained, silt, glauconitic, shelly.
Definition of Lower Boundary: Upward change from sandy micaceous clay of the Gault to silt and/or sand.
Definition of Upper Boundary: Upward change from dominantly arenaceous sequence to dominantly marly or chalky sequence.
Thickness: 0 to 75m
Geographical Limits: Eastborne to Sevenoaks in the Weald; across the Wessex Basin and northwards to just northeast of Monks Riseborough in the Chilterns. SEE ALSO the definition for the now abandoned term "Upper Greensand Formation (Devon)".
Parent Unit: Selborne Group (SELB)
Previous Name(s): Firestone, Upper Green-Sand or Malmstone [Obsolete Name and Code: Use UGS] (-3104)
Mersthan Beds [Obsolete Name and Code: Use UGS] (-3105)
Upper Greensand Formation [Except Devon] [Obsolete Name and Code: Use UGS] (-4950)
Malm [Obsolete Name and Code: Use UGS] (-1252)
Malm Rock of Western Sussex [Obsolete Name and Code: Use UGS] (-1253)
White Firestone alternating with Blue Rag [Obsolete Name and Code: Use UGS] (-4382)
Greensand Group [Obsolete Name And Code: See UGS] (GRDG)
Upper Greensand Formation (Devon) [Obsolete Name And Code: See UGS] (UGSD)
Alternative Name(s): none recorded or not applicable
Stratotypes:
Type Area  The Weald of Sussex and Hampshire. No designated section. 
Reference(s):
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. 
White, G, 1789. Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne in the County of Southampton. 
Mantell, G, 1822. The fossils of the South Downs. London. 
Fitton, W H, 1824. Inquiries respecting the geological relations of the beds between the chalk and Purbeck Limestone in the south-east of England. Annals of Philosophy, Vol.24, No.8, pp.365-458. 
Murchison, R I, 1826. Geological Sketch of the North-west extremity of Sussex, and the adjoining parts of Hants and Surrey. Transactions of the Geological Society of London, (2), Vol.2, pp.97-107. 
Martin, P J, 1828. A Geological Memoir of Part of Western Sussex. [London.] 
1:50K maps on which the lithostratigraphical unit is found, and map code used:
E237 E313 E317 E311 E266 E282 E284 E298 E339 E327 E314 E283 E162 E285 E300 E176 E207 E220 E238 E239 E240 E252 E253 E254 E256 E257 E258 E259 E268 E267 E269 E270 E326 E340 E281 E341 E342 E343