The sedimentary basins of Britain and Ireland are numerous, occurring beneath both the land surface of these islands and the surrounding seas. Sedimentary basins (not to be confused with drainage basins) have operated in this region over much of geological time from the Precambrian to the present day, typically accepting sediment from neighbouring areas where erosion is taking place, over timescales variously from millions to hundreds of millions of years. They may be referred to simply as basins or else as troughs, grabens or half-grabens, according to their mode of formation and morphology.
Key to table
- Column 1 indicates the name of the basin. Some variant names are recorded between sources. Sub-basins are noted.
- Column 2 indicates the area (country/sea) in which the basin occurs. Some extend across more than one. Sea areas include the Atlantic Ocean, North Sea, English Channel, Sea of the Hebrides, Irish Sea, Celtic Sea, Bristol Channel, The Minch
- Column 3 indicates the period(s) or epoch(s) during which it was active as a sediment sink. May not be exhaustive.
- Column 4 provides any additional notes
- Column 5 indicates a selection of publications in which references to the basin may be found. See references section for full details of publication.
| Basin name | Country/sea | Period active | Notes | Reference/s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anglian Basin | ||||
| Anglo-Dutch Basin | North Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| Anglo-Welsh Basin | Wales, England | Devonian | ||
| Arfon Basin | Wales | B&R36-7 | ||
| Ayrshire Basin | Scotland | |||
| Badbea Basin | Scotland | Devonian | T229 | |
| Banff Sub-basin | North Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| Blackstones Basin | Sea of the Hebrides | Oligocene | T370 | |
| Bovey Basin | England | B&R | ||
| Bowland Basin | England | Carboniferous | ||
| Bratch Graben | England | Permian, Triassic | ||
| Bristol Channel Basin | Bristol Channel, England, Wales | BGS Tm | ||
| Canna Basin | Sea of the Hebrides | BGS Tm | ||
| Cardigan Bay Basin | Irish Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| Cardington Sub-basin | B&R54 | |||
| Carlisle Basin | England, Scotland | B&R | ||
| Celtic Sea Basin | Celtic Sea | B&R | ||
| Central Coalfield Basin | Scotland | Carboniferous | ||
| Central English Channel Basin | English Channel | BGS Tm | ||
| Central Irish Sea Basin | Irish Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| Central North Sea Basin | North Sea | Carboniferous | T259 | |
| Central Pennine Basin | England | B&R | ||
| Central Viking Graben | North Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| Cheshire Basin | England | Permian, Triassic, Jurassic | BGS Tm | |
| Clare Basin | Atlantic Ocean, Ireland | BGS Tm | ||
| Cleaver Bank Basin | B&R390 | |||
| Cleveland Basin | England, North Sea | Carboniferous, Jurassic, Cretaceous | BGS Tm | |
| Clyde Basin | Scotland | Permian | T317 | |
| Cockburn Basin | Celtic Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| Coll Basin | Sea of the Hebrides | BGS Tm | ||
| Colonsay Basin | Sea of the Hebrides | BGS Tm | ||
| Corrieyairack Basin | Scotland | Neoproterozoic | T97,99 | |
| Craighead Basin | Scotland | Ordovician | T156 | |
| Craven Basin | England | |||
| Crediton Trough | England | BGS Tm, B&R290 | ||
| Cressage Sub-basin | England | B&R54 | ||
| Cromdale Basin | Neoproterozoic | T97,99 | ||
| Culm Trough | England | |||
| Dalry Basin | Scotland | Carboniferous | T273 | |
| Denbigh Trough | Wales | B&R | ||
| Donegal Basin | Atlantic Ocean | BGS Tm | ||
| Dorset Sub-basin | England | BGS Tm | ||
| Douglas Basin | ||||
| Dumfries Basin | Scotland | Permian | T316-7 | |
| Dutch Bank Basin | North Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| East Central Graben | North Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| East Fair Isle Basin | North Sea | |||
| East Irish Sea Basin | Irish Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| East Orkney Basin | North Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| East Shetland Basin | North Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| East Solan Basin | Triassic | BGS Tm, T321 | ||
| Edale Basin | England | Edale Gulf on BGS Tm | BGS Tm | |
| Erris Basin | Atlantic Ocean | BGS Tm | ||
| Faroe-Shetland Basin | Atlantic Ocean | Cretaceous, Palaeogene, Neogene | BGS Tm, T363-4 | |
| Fastnet Basin | Celtic Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| Fetlar Basin | North Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| Fife Basin | ||||
| Fisher Bank Basin | North Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| Fishguard-Cardigan Trough | Wales | B&R65 | ||
| Flannan Trough | Atlantic Ocean | BGS Tm | ||
| Flett Sub-basin | Atlantic Ocean | BGS Tm | ||
| Flimston Basin | B&R425 | |||
| Forth Approaches Basin | North Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| Gainsborough Trough | England | BGS Tm | ||
| Gramscatho Basin | England | B&R | ||
| Haig Fras Basin | Celtic Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| Hampshire Basin | England, English Channel | Paleogene | ||
| Harrogate Basin | England | B&R | ||
| Hatton Basin | ||||
| Hinckley Basin | England | Permian, Triassic | ||
| Inner Hebrides Trough | Scotland | |||
| Inner Moray Firth Basin | Moray Firth | BGS Tm | ||
| Irish Sea Basin | Irish Sea | B&R464 | ||
| Isle of Wight Basin | England | B&R318 | ||
| Kincardine Basin | Scotland | Carboniferous | T274 | |
| Kish Bank Basin | Irish Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| Knowle Basin | England | Permian, Triassic | ||
| Lake District Basin | England | |||
| Lakesman Basin | England, Irish Sea | B&R | ||
| Leinster-Lakesman Basin | England, Ireland, Irish Sea | B&R26-8 | ||
| Lancaster Fells Basin | England | |||
| Leinster Basin | Ireland | |||
| Leven Basin | Scotland | Carboniferous | T287 | |
| Little Minch Trough | The Minch | Carboniferous, Permian, Triassic | BGS Tm, T258 | |
| Loch Indaal Basin | Scotland | Permian, Triassic | BGS Tm, T318 | |
| Lochmaben Basin | Scotland | Permian | T316-7 | |
| London Basin | England | Paleogene | ||
| Looe Basin | England | B&R248 | ||
| Magnus Half-graben | Atlantic Ocean | BGS Tm | ||
| Magnus Trough | Atlantic Ocean | BGS Tm | ||
| Malin Basin | Sea of the Hebrides | BGS Tm | ||
| Mauchline Basin | Scotland | Permian | T317 | |
| Mell Fell Trough | England | B&R171 | ||
| Melville Basin | Celtic Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| Midland Valley Graben / Midland Valley Basin | Scotland | BGS Tm | ||
| Midlothian Basin | Scotland | |||
| Moffat Basin | Scotland | Permian | T316-7 | |
| Montgomery Trough | Wales, England | B&R101 | ||
| Muirkirk Basin | ||||
| Munster Basin | Ireland | BGS Tm | ||
| Needwood Basin | England | Permian, Triassic | ||
| North Celtic Sea Basin | Celtic Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| North Channel Basin / Portpatrick Basin | Irish Sea | Permian | BGS Tm, T317 | |
| North Lewis Basin | Atlantic Ocean | BGS Tm | ||
| North Minch Basin | The Minch | BGS Tm | ||
| Northern Rockall Trough | Atlantic Ocean | |||
| North Rona Basin | Atlantic Ocean | BGS Tm | ||
| North Sea Basin | North Sea | Cretaceous, Palaeogene, Neogene | BGS Tm, T363-4 | |
| North Staffordshire Basin | England | |||
| Northumberland-Solway Basin | England, Scotland, Irish Sea | |||
| Northumberland Trough | England, North Sea | Carboniferous | BGS Tm | |
| North Viking Graben | North Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| Oldhamstocks Basin / Oldhamstocks-Dunbar Basin | Scotland | Carboniferous | T253,265 | |
| Orcadian Basin | Scotland | Devonian | ||
| Papa Basin | Atlantic Ocean | BGS Tm | ||
| Peel Basin | Irish Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| Pennine Basin | England | B&R | ||
| Petrockstow Basin | England | B&R425,427 | ||
| Pewsey Sub-basin | England | BGS Tm | ||
| Plymouth Bay Basin | English Channel | BGS Tm | ||
| Porcupine Trough, Porcupine Basin | Atlantic Ocean | Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous, Cenozoic | BGS Tm, T338 | |
| Portland-Wight Basin / Sub-basin | English Channel | BGS Tm | ||
| Rathlin Trough | Northern Ireland, Malin Sea | Triassic | BGS Tm, T318 | |
| Rhynie Basin | Scotland | Devonian | see Rhynie Chert | BGS Tm, T226-7 |
| Rockall Basin / Rockall Trough | Atlantic Ocean | BGS Tm | ||
| St George's Channel Basin | Irish Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| St Mary's Basin | English Channel | BGS Tm | ||
| Sandbach-Knutsford Sub-basin | England | Permian, Triassic | ||
| Sandwick Basin | Atlantic Ocean | BGS Tm | ||
| Scarvister Sub-basin | Atlantic Ocean | BGS Tm | ||
| Sea of the Hebrides Trough | Sea of the Hebrides | BGS Tm | ||
| Severn Coal Basin | England | B&R221 | ||
| Shelve Sub-basin | England | B&R | ||
| Slyne Trough / Slyne-Erris Trough | Atlantic Ocean | Jurassic | BGS Tm, T338 | |
| Sole Pit Trough | North Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| Solway Basin / Solway Firth | Irish Sea | Permian, Triassic | BGS Tm, T317 | |
| South Celtic Sea Basin | Celtic Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| South Devon Basin | England | B&R | ||
| South Wales Basin | Wales | B&R | ||
| South West Arran Trough | Scotland | Permian | T316 | |
| South West England Half-graben | England | B&R292 | ||
| Stafford Basin | England | Permian, Triassic | ||
| Stainmore Trough / Stainmore Basin | England | BGS Tm | ||
| Stanley Bank Basin | Bristol Channel | B&R, 425 | ||
| Stanton Trough | Sea of the Hebrides | BGS Tm | ||
| Stirling-Clackmannan Basin | Scotland | |||
| Stranraer Basin | Scotland | Permian | T317 | |
| Strathtummel Basin | Scotland | Neoproterozoic | T99 | |
| Thornhill Basin | Scotland | Permian | T316-7 | |
| Tiverton Trough | England | B&R290 | ||
| Torridonian Basin | Scotland, The Minch | Proterozoic | BGS Tm, T71 | |
| Turriff Basin | Scotland | Devonian | T216,228 | |
| Tweed Basin | North Sea | Carboniferous | BGS Tm, T265 | |
| Ulster Basin | Northern Ireland | BGS Tm | ||
| Unst Basin | North Sea | two arms; NW and S | BGS Tm | |
| Usk Sub-basin | Wales | B&R | ||
| Vale of Clwyd | Wales | |||
| Vale of Eden Basin | England | B&R | ||
| Weald Basin | England | |||
| Weald Sub-basin | England | BGS Tm | ||
| Welsh Basin | Wales | B&R | ||
| Wem-Audlem Sub-basin | England | Permian, Triassic, Jurassic | ||
| Wessex Basin | England | BGS Tm | ||
| West Central Graben | North Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| West Fair Isle Basin | North Sea | Devonian | BGS Tm, T240 | |
| West Flannan Basin | Atlantic Ocean | BGS Tm | ||
| West Lewis Basin | Atlantic Ocean | Jurassic | BGS Tm, T341 | |
| West Lothian Basin | Scotland | Carboniferous | T262,264 | |
| West Orkney Basin Complex | Atlantic Ocean | BGS Tm | ||
| West Shetland Basin | Atlantic Ocean | Devonian | BGS Tm, T239 | |
| Western Approaches Trough | English Channel | BGS Tm | ||
| Widmerpool Gulf | England | BGS Tm,B&R | ||
| Widmerpool Half-graben | England | B&R196 | ||
| Widnes Basin | England | |||
| Witch Ground Graben | North Sea | BGS Tm | ||
| Woolhope Basin | England | B&R | ||
| Worcester Graben / Worcester Basin | England | Permian, Triassic | B&R |
See also
References
- BGS Tm = BGS 1996 Tectonic map of Britain, Ireland and adjacent areas, Pharaoh T.C., Morris J.H., Long C.B., Ryan P.D. (compilers) 1:1,500,000 (Keyworth, Nottingham, British Geological Survey) ISBN 0751831298
- Txxx = Trewin, N.H. (editor) 2002 The Geology of Scotland 4th edition The Geological Society, London ISBN 1862391262 (where xxx = page number)
- B&Rxxx = Brenchley, P.J & Rawson, P.F. (editors) 2006 The Geology of England and Wales 2nd edition, The Geological Society, London ISBN 978-1862391994 (where xxx = page number)