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The large-scale structure of the Earth's crust beneath southern Britain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 2009

A. Whittaker
Affiliation:
Deep Geology Research Group, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG
R. A. Chadwick
Affiliation:
Deep Geology Research Group, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG

Abstract

Recently acquired deep seismic reflection profiles recorded to 12 s two-way travel time in southern Britain suggest that the crust beneath this area is commonly divisible, vertically, into three zones.These zones, based upon seismic character, can be related to structural or tectonic units. They comprise an upper zone of cover rocks of various ages, a middle zone of folded and thrust rocks, and a lower zone tentatively identified as metamorphic or crystalline basement. A sketch crustal profile from Dorset to Yorkshire summarizes the data and illustrates the distribution of the zones.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1984

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