CR/18/031031 Last modified: 2018/04/24 09:26 Revised chronostratigraphy of the Faroe Islands Basalt Group and the British Palaeogene Igneous Province: implications for Selandian-Thanetian palynofloral assemblages and correlation with the Faroe-Shetland Basin Energy Systems and Basin Analysis Programme Commissioned Report CR/18/031 CR/18/031031 Last modified: 2018/04/24 09:26 CR/18/031031 Last modified: 2018/04/24 09:26 BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ENERGY SYSTEMS AND BASIN Analysis PROGRAMME COMMISSIONED REPORT CR/18/031 Revised chronostratigraphy of the Faroe Islands Basalt Group and The National Grid and other the British Palaeogene Igneous Ordnance Survey data © Crown Copyright and database rights 2018. Ordnance Survey Licence Province: implications for No. 100021290 EUL. Keywords Selandian-Thanetian palynofloral biostratigraphy, palynology, Palaeogene, Faroe-Shetland Basin, biostratigraphy, assemblages and correlation with radioisotopic dating. the Faroe-Shetland Basin Front cover Bibliographical reference Uni Árting, Dan Condon, James B. Riding and Morten S. Riishuus ÁRTING, U, Condon, D., Riding, J.B., Riishuus, M.S.. 2018. Revised chronostratigraphy of the Faroe Islands Basalt Group and the British Palaeogene Igneous Province: implications for Selandian-Thanetian palynofloral assemblages and correlation with the Faroe- Shetland Basin. British Geological Survey Commissioned Report, CR/18/031. 114pp. 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 2018. 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.......................................................................................................................................... i Figures ........................................................................................................................................... iii Tables ............................................................................................................................................. v Summary ...................................................................................................................................... vii 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 8 2 Overall Background ............................................................................................................. 14 3 Geological Background ........................................................................................................ 15 3.1 The Faroe Islands ......................................................................................................... 15 3.2 Mull and Skye, Inner Hebrides, Northwest Scotland ................................................... 16 Mull ........................................................................................................................... 18 The Ardtun Leaf Beds ............................................................................................... 19 Skye ........................................................................................................................... 22 3.3 Northern Ireland ........................................................................................................... 24 4 Palynology ............................................................................................................................. 25 4.1 Mull, Inner Hebrides, Northwest Scotland ................................................................... 25 The Pulpit Rock, Carsaig Bay, south Brolass, southwest Mull ................................ 25 Malcolm’s Point, south Brolass, southwest Mull ..................................................... 26 Carraig Mhor, Carsaig Arches, southwest Mull ....................................................... 26 The Ardtun Leaf Beds of Ardtun Head, north Brolass, southwest Mull .................. 27 A biostratigraphical overview of the samples from Mull ......................................... 28 4.2 Skye, Inner Hebrides, Northwest Scotland .................................................................. 30 Near Camas Tianavaig, Sound of Raasay, east central Skye .................................... 30 Carbost Burn Waterfall, Carbost, southwest of Loch Harport, west central Skye ... 31 Dunn Beag, north of Loch Harport, west central Skye ............................................. 31 Preshal Beag and Preshal Mhor, Skye ...................................................................... 31 A biostratigraphical overview of the samples from Skye ......................................... 31 4.3 Northern Ireland ........................................................................................................... 32 4.4 Faroe Islands................................................................................................................. 33 Vágóy, Eysturoy and Streymoy ................................................................................ 33 4.4.1.1 Miðvágur Quarry ................................................................................................ 34 4.4.1.2 Sandavágshálsur (onshore) ................................................................................. 35 4.4.1.3 Vestmanna-1 Well (Onshore scientific well) ..................................................... 36 4.4.1.4 Klivarnar, Leynavatn .......................................................................................... 36 4.4.1.5 Sund Quarry ....................................................................................................... 37 Suðuroy ..................................................................................................................... 37 4.4.2.1 Holið í Helli, Suðuroy (onshore Faroe Islands) ................................................. 38 4.4.3 The Longan Well (OCS 6005/15-1), offshore Faroe Islands ........................................ 42 The Marjun Well (OCS 6004/16-1Z), offshore Faroe Islands .................................. 44 The Svinoy Well (OCS 6004/12-1), offshore Faroe Islands ..................................... 44 5 Stable Isotope analysis ......................................................................................................... 47 6 Radio-isotopic dating ........................................................................................................... 47 i CR/18/031031 Last modified: 2018/04/24 09:26 6.1 British paleogene igneous province ............................................................................. 50 Mull and the Small Isles, Inner Hebrides, Northwest Scotland ................................ 50 Isle of Skye, Inner Hebrides, Northwest Scotland .................................................... 55 Northern Ireland .......................................................................................................