Staithes Town Web

Once the largest Fishing Port in the North East of England

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The Lias Period at Staithes

 

The Lias is a period of Geological time towards the end of the Early Jurassic, that is from around 195,000,000 years ago until 180,000,000 years ago. Not yesterday then! This was a period of the geological history of the United Kingdom when the area of what is now Yorkshire, and a great deal more, was alternately a shallow sea, lagoon or dried out delta baking under a very hot tropical environment. The corresponding deposited rocks are of the sedimentary type ranging from sandstones, shales and mudstones and were laid down in distinct layers.

Penny Nab The horizontal structure of the stratigraphy of the Lias sediments in the cliffs between Penny Nab and Staithes Harbour. Around the corner behind the photographer the sediments follow an easterly dip. It is thought that "Lias" is derived from local dialect or spelling of the word "layer", this however could be mere coincidence. One thing is for sure, as can be seen from the picture above, that the sediments of this period are preserved in very distinct layers.

 

The Jurassic Period Period Sub Period Stage Millions of Years From To Jurassic Late Jurassic Volgian 142 150 Kimmeridgian 150 154 Oxfordian 154 159.4 Middle Jurassic Callovian 159.4 165 Bathonian 165 170 Bajorcian 170 177 Aalenian 177 180.1 Early Jurassic Toarcian 180.1 187 Pliensbachian 187 194.5 Sinemurian 194.5 201 Hettangian 201 205.7

Over the whole of the Untied Kingdom the Lias itself is also sub divided into three distinct zones or early, middle and late however not all the stratum (layers) are found at all locations. Here at Staithes is no exception elements of the Middle Lias are difficult to detect, if indeed they are present here at all.

Lithostratigraphical subdivisions of the Lias Group Group Stage Formation Member LIAS   Toarcian Blea Wyke Yellow Sandstone Grey Sandstone Whitby Mudstone Fox Cliff Sandstone Peak Mudstone Alum Shale Mulgrave Shale Grey Shale Pliensbachian Cleveland Ironstone Kettleness Penny Nab Staithes Sandstone Late Redcar Mudstone Ironstone Shale Pyritous Shale

We will trace, in later pages, the Whitby Mudstones from the top of Boulby Cliff and Old Nab down to the Staithes Sandstone at Penny Nab. Staithes itself is located in the middle of the Staithes Sandstone layer, hence the name.