The Flamborough Quaternary Research Group

South Landing - Quaternary

Fieldwork by Derek Gobbett, Ian Heppenstall & Mike Horne; Sunday 3rd October 2004.

Photos by Ian, sketches & slides by Derek.

Generally the geology of South Landing bay is obscure by grassed-over screes and landslides -so it is not possible to measure and record the whole sequence; but we can record the bits in the 'windows'.

Note there are several distinctive deposits -

Boulder Clay - like the tills of Holderness - mostly clay with some erratics

Pebbles in clay matrix - more pebbles than clay

Chalk gravels and Chalk boulder deposits - no apparent clay - general colour is white.

Sands - sandy coloured

Silts - silt/sand/clay brown in colour.

No varved clays were seen at this site.

Working from 'north' to 'south' - with the GPS readings representing the base of the scree or cliff below the exposure (so actual NGR of the exposure might be a few metres inland!)  --

1 - TA 23252 69126 - valley cut in solid Chalk cliff just around the headland - probably a waterfall when wet.

2 - 23238 69142 - start of grass covered scree covering solid Chalk cliff.

Going on - the scree is covered with brambles.

3 - 23210 69167 - scree with brambles = approximate position of first Chalk boulders over top of solid Chalk [this may need checking].

4 - 23202 69173  - "high level" patch of Chalk boulders above scree. ["high level" means in the boulder clay above the planed-off top of solid Chalk / valley fill deposits].

5 - 23197 69176 - start of chalk gravels and boulders at top of scree. Sequence -

• High Level Chalk boulders

• ca 2m chalk gravel

• in situ Chalk

6 - 23189 69189 - sequence -

• grass

• ca 3m coarse chalk rubble and boulders

• ca 2m dipping chalk gravel

• in situ chalk

• scree

7 - 23184 69198 - slope completely grassed

8 - 23183 69205 - sequence -

• Till and scree

• ca 1m chalk boulders

• ca 4m dipping chalk gravels with sand lens near base [sample SLQ1 sand]

• top of in situ weathered Chalk

continues through to [see sketch]

9 - grassed valley.

To right dipping chalk gravels exposed [sample SLQ2]

10 To left of grassed valley - sequence

• grassed

• Chalk boulders

• Dipping chalk gravels

• Chalk boulders

• Scree

11 - 23112 69240 - Till (not very chalky) washed down.

To left - sequence

• Till

• Patch of "high level" Chalk boulders [Derek has photos]

• ca 10 m of vaguely bedded chalk gravel and chalk boulders with ca 5 per cent erratic pebbles. [sample SLQ3  - partially-indurated fine-medium gravel collected from about head height]

• present beach level

12  - 23083 69137 - to the left of the same exposure as 11 - very coarse chalk boulders with a grassed gully 3m to left

13 - 23062 69231 - big slide of scree to left of exposure of crudely bedded chalk gravel and boulders

14 - 23044 69224 - patch of 1 m thick gravels. Patch of 2m thick sand, silt and boulder clay below and to left. [sample SLQ4A is sand; sample SLQ4B is brown silt]

15 - 23030 69217 - calcrete block on beach

16 - landmark - 23000 69210 - mouth of large drainpipe.

17 - landmark - 22990 60200 - centre of bottom of concrete slipway

18 - 22967 69191 - in cliff above the scree - sequence

• Boulder clay

• ca 1m erratic boulders in brown clay

• ca 1m sand

• ca 3m silts

19 - 22963 69189 - at base of cliff - chalk pebbles and erratic pebbles in brown clay over in situ chalk platform

20 - 22960 69186 - 1m calcrete block on beach and left and end of exposure 19 in cliff

21 - 22956 69180 - 2 m calcrete block on beach at base of cliff

22 - 22938 69174 - from base of cliff  - ca 3m roughly (level) bedded chalk pebbles and erratic pebbles in brown clay. Layer of sand above.

23 - 22937 69171 - 3m calcrete block on beach at base of cliff.

24 - 22941 69157 - 6m calcrete block on beach at base of cliff. Base of cliff undercut. Sequence -

• grassed scree

• ca 2m brown silts

• ca 1m chalk gravel in brown clay

• ca 20 cm reddy brown coarse sand layer [sample SLQ5]

• ca 1m chalk pebbles and erratic pebbles in brown clay matrix

• base of cliff

26 - 22909 69157 - far left of Quaternary deposits

Solid Chalk cliff cut, sloping quite steeply down to right, Quaternary beds butt up to it rather than being draped down it.

Sequence at base of old cliff cut -

• Grassed scree/wash

• Chalk and erratics in brown clay

• ca 3.5m silt and sand

• ca 2.5 m sand

• ca 1m silt

• ca 2m chalk pebbles and erratic pebbles in brown clay

• ca 2m in situ chalk platform

• Base of cliff

{fieldwork report by Mike Horne}

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