The Vale of Pickering: an initial summary of the Quaternary/superficial geology and data holdings Geology & Regional Geophysics Programme Open Report OR/15/064 BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GEOLOGY AND REGIONAL GEOPHYSICS PROGRAMME OPEN REPORT OR/15/064 The Vale of Pickering: an initial summary of the Quaternary/superficial geology and data holdings The National Grid and other Ordnance Survey data © Crown J R Ford, L Hughes, H F Burke and J R Lee Copyright and database rights 2015. Ordnance Survey Licence No. 100021290 EUL. Keywords Report; Vale of Pickering; Quaternary Bibliographical reference FORD, J R, Hughes, L, Burke H F & Lee, J R. 2015. The Vale of Pickering: an initial summary of the Quaternary/superficial geology and data holdings. British Geological Survey Open Report, OR/15/064. 21pp. Copyright in materials derived from the British Geological Survey’s work is owned by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and/or the authority that commissioned the work. You may not copy or adapt this publication without first obtaining permission. Contact the BGS Intellectual Property Rights Section, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, e-mail [email protected]. You may quote extracts of a reasonable length without prior permission, provided a full acknowledgement is given of the source of the extract. Maps and diagrams in this book use topography based on Ordnance Survey mapping. © NERC 2015. 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Colour- ramped and shaded NextMap Britain elevation data from Intermap Technologies. ................ 3 Figure 3 DiGMap50 superficial geology for the Vale of Pickering and surrounding area. ...... 5 Figure 4 Key to the superficial deposits shown on the Pickering 1:50 000 scale provisional map sheet; not all of these units are recorded in the Vale area. ............................................... 6 Figure 5 Borehole distribution based on BGS Single Onshore Borehole Index (SOBI). .......... 6 Figure 6 BGS rockhead elevation model; colour ramp ranged to highlight local variation. ..... 7 Figure 7 Advanced superficial thickness model (ASTM); colour ramp ranged to highlight local variation. .......................................................................................................................... 7 Figure 8 Map showing the distribution of borehole data used in the ASTM and rockhead models.8 Figure 9 The distribution of borehole records considered as part of this study. ....................... 9 Figure 10 Extract and transcript from a log for a borehole located approximately 2 km to the east of Kirby Misperton. ......................................................................................................... 10 Figure 11 Map showing inferred distribution of concealed sand and gravel deposits at rockhead based on the schematic cross sections. ................................................................... 10 Figure 12 Key to the schematic cross-sections. ............................................................................ 11 Figure 13 West-east oriented schematic cross section, split into two parts (VOPSection3_HBU and VOPSection1_LH; about 50 times vertical exaggeration; for section location and key see Figure 11 and Figure 12). ....................................................................................................... 12 Figure 14 Northwest-southeast oriented schematic cross section (VOPSection2_LH; about 25 times vertical exaggeration; for section location and key see Figure 11 and Figure 12). ...... 13 Figure 15 North-south oriented schematic cross section (VOP_Section4_HBU; about 50 times vertical exaggeration; for section location and key see Figure 11 and Figure 12). ................ 13 Figure 16 Southwest-northeast oriented schematic cross section (VOP_NS_f_JF; about 50 times vertical exaggeration; for section location and key see Figure 11 and Figure 12). ...... 13 ii OR/15/064 Last modified: 10/11/15 Foreword The British Geological Survey (BGS), together with a number of partners is undertaking an independent environmental monitoring programme to characterise baseline conditions across the Vale of Pickering in North Yorkshire, in the vicinity of a site close to Kirby Misperton (Third Energy, KM8) proposed for shale-gas exploration and production. The monitoring will include measurement of: water quality (groundwater and surface water), seismicity, ground motion, air quality including radon, and soil gas. The programme aims to establish the environmental baseline before any shale-gas explorations begin. This report presents the results of a desk study to develop an initial summary of the Quaternary superficial geology across the Vale of Pickering. It is a component and specific deliverable of the environmental baseline project. The Quaternary deposits form a shallow aquifer that is used locally for drinking water