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| Bowland Basin | |
|---|---|
| Name | Bowland Basin |
| Country | England |
| Region | Lancashire |
| Coordinates | 54°N 2°W |
| Type | Sedimentary basin |
| Age | Carboniferous–Permian |
| Area km2 | ~2000 |
Bowland Basin is a Carboniferous to Permian sedimentary basin in northern England associated with the Pennines and the Westphalian succession. Its stratigraphy records coal-bearing Carboniferous Limestone, Millstone Grit Group, and Bowland Shale Formation facies that crop out in the Forest of Bowland and underlie parts of Lancashire and Greater Manchester. The basin has been the focus of studies by institutions such as the British Geological Survey, University of Manchester, and University of Durham because of its structural complexity, fossil assemblages, and hydrocarbon potential.
The geology integrates strata from the Tournaisian through Westphalian into the Permian, with major units correlated to the Yoredale Group, Millstone Grit Group, and the regionally important Bowland Shale Formation. Stratigraphic frameworks have been tied to type sections in the Forest of Bowland, comparisons with the Stainmore Trough, and borehole data from the East Lancashire Oilfield and exploratory wells drilled by ConocoPhillips, British Gas, and British Petroleum. Lithostratigraphic markers include carbonate buildups comparable to the Asbian limestones, deltaic sandstones analogous to the Millstone Grit, and marine black shales correlated with the Namurian to Westphalian boundary. Correlation studies reference the chronostratigraphic scales used by the International Commission on Stratigraphy and biostratigraphic zonations established by researchers at the Natural History Museum, London.
The structural evolution reflects Variscan orogeny influences linked to the closure of the Rheic Ocean and collisional events involving the microcontinents adjacent to the Avalonia terrane. Later reactivation during the Permo-Triassic extensional phase produced half-graben geometries similar to the East Irish Sea Basin and inversion structures comparable to the Mercia Mudstone Basin. Fault systems are mapped with seismic reflection data integrated with gravity surveys conducted by the Institute of Geological Sciences and interpreted using models from the Royal Society-supported tectonic syntheses. Major tectonic elements include growth faults and strike-slip segments that connect to regional transfer zones near the Morecambe Bay and West Lancashire Basin.
Sedimentological analysis documents fluvial-deltaic distributary systems, shelfal mudstone accumulation, and turbidite sequences comparable to those in the Hebridean Basin and Bowland Shale-type basins globally. Paleoenvironments range from terrestrial coal swamps analogous to those described in the South Wales Coalfield to hemipelagic basins resembling the Carnarvon Basin. Facies models incorporate petrographic data from the University of Leeds and geochemical proxies developed at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, with organic-rich intervals showing high total organic carbon values similar to the Barnett Shale and Kimmeridge Clay Formation in other basins. Provenance studies link sediment input to uplifted terrains near the Lake District and the Southern Uplands.
The basin has been evaluated for shale gas and conventional hydrocarbons by companies including Cuadrilla Resources, Centrica, and Ineos and assessed in governmental reviews by Department of Energy and Climate Change panels. Source-rock quality of the Bowland Shale Formation has been compared with the Marcellus Formation and Chengjiang Shale, with thermal maturity gradients mapped using vitrinite reflectance measured according to protocols at the British Geological Survey. Exploration history includes seismic campaigns by Shell and exploratory drilling targeting stacked sandstone reservoirs similar to those exploited in the North Sea and East Midlands Oil Province. Environmental assessments reference regulations from the Environment Agency and planning guidance from Lancashire County Council.
Economic geology studies have addressed coal resources correlated with the Pennine Coal Measures Group, tight gas potential in Permo-Triassic sandstones akin to plays in the West Midlands, and mineral occurrences such as fluorspar and lead-zinc mineralisation comparable to the Pennine Orefield. Resource development projects have involved partnerships among Cuadrilla Resources, local authorities like Lancaster City Council, and research support from the Natural Environment Research Council. Infrastructure and pipeline links follow corridors used by the Morecambe Bay Gas Field and are assessed in regional plans coordinated with the National Grid.
Fossil assemblages include marine brachiopods and crinoids comparable to collections in the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, plant macrofossils and lycopsid remains similar to those recorded in the Joggins Fossil Cliffs literature, and diverse microfossils used for biostratigraphy by teams at the University of Cambridge. Ichnofossils and coal-ball preservation have been studied in deposits analogous to those from the Vale of Glamorgan and have informed palaeoecological reconstructions coordinated with the Palaeontological Association.
Research history traces from 19th-century geological surveys by figures associated with the Geological Survey of Great Britain through 20th-century regional syntheses by scholars at the University of Manchester and University of Liverpool. Key mapping efforts incorporated borehole data compiled by the British Geological Survey and seismic interpretation methodologies advanced by researchers at the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre. Recent multidisciplinary projects involve collaborations with the Royal Society and funding from the Natural Environment Research Council and private industry partners.
Category:Sedimentary basins Category:Geology of Lancashire Category:Carboniferous geology of England