This model provides a unique visualisation of the 3D geology of the

East Anglia - Geological 3D Model East Anglia region. It is provided to accompany the new regional guide
to the geology of this area produced by BGS. The model shows the
subsurface arrangement of the sedimentary rocks and associated
Geological 3D model prepared by S J Mathers, S Thorpe and R L Terrington igneous intrusions to a depth of 1.5 kilometres.
Interactive 3D PDF by C Ritchie

This document is divided into four pages:

this introductory page: the 3D geological
Geological Model
model with display and interrogation tools,
an expanded geological legend for the
model and instructions on how to navigate Detailed Legend
and use the tools with the model. You can
navigate quickly between pages using the
page links to the right. Instructions

This publication forms part of an ongoing program to improve delivery methods

for BGS geological information we welcome your feedback. Please feel free to
send us your comments at the following email address: imap@bgs.ac.uk

Based on British Geological Surevy geological data NERC 2015

This product includes mapping data licensed from Ordnance Survey
Crown copyright and database rights 2015. All rights reserved

NEXTMap Britain elevation data

Intermap Technologies

Area of
The 3 dimensional model covers the majority model
of the counties of Norfolk, Cambridgeshire,
Suffolk and the south east of Lincolnshire
extending to a depth of 1.5 kilometres below
sea level.

Produced by the British Geological Survey www.bgs.ac.uk Orfordness, Suffolk from the southwest
Photograph Mike Page 2015
Key to geological units Surface
Neogene Sections

Crag Group

Palaeogene
Thames Group
(including London Clay)
Lambeth Group

Thanet Sand Formation

Cretaceous

White Chalk Subgroup

Grey Chalk Subgroup

Gault Formation and

Upper Greensand Formation

Lower Greensand Group

Wealden Group
(Mudstone, siltstone & sandstone)
Wealden Group
(Sandstone & siltstone, interbedded)
Jurassic
West Walton Formation,
Ampthill Clay Formation and
Kimmeridge Clay Formation
Kellaways Formation and
Oxford Clay Formation
Inferior Oolite Group and
Great Oolite Group
Lias Group

Permo-Trias

Mercia Mudstone Group

Sherwood Sandstone Group

Zechstein Group

Other Permian Rocks

Devonian and Carboniferous

Coal Measures Formation

Dinantian Rocks
(Carboniferous Limestone)

Devonian Rocks

Lower Palaeozoic

Intrusive Igneous Rocks

Silurian Rocks
Selected feature
Ordovician Rocks Ground surface Block display control Stratigraphy: Vertical
Cambrian and Ordovician Rocks
Exaggeration
National grid
(Undifferentiated) (major 20km, minor 5km)
Factor
Lithology:
Cambrian Rocks
Topography Introduction
Pre-Cambrian Transparency
Age:
Neoproterozoic to Palaeozoic Bedrock geology Detailed Legend
Rocks (Undifferentiated)
Transparency
Neoproterozoic Rocks BGS Lexicon code:
Instructions
million years ago
PERIOD STRATIGRAPHY LITHOLOGY LEXICON CODES
2.6 Key to geological units
Neogene Crag Group Pebbly sands CRAG-PESA

23 The geological legend shows the rock units

Thames Group (including London Clay) Clay, silt, sand and gravel THAM-CLSSG contained within the model in the form of a
Palaeogene
vertical column. This column is divided into the
Lambeth Group Clay, silt, sand and gravel LMBE-CLSSG
different observed geological units each
Thanet Sand Formation Sand, silt and clay TAB-SSCL identified within the model as a different colour.
66 The sequence in the column also indicates the
age of the rocks and the order they were formed
White Chalk Subgroup Chalk WHCK-CHLK
with the youngest shown at the top and
Grey Chalk Subgroup Chalk GYCK-CHLK travelling back in time towards the oldest rocks
at the base of the column.
Gault Formation and Upper Greensand Formation Mudstone, sandstone and limestone GUGS-MDSL
Cretaceous
Lower Greensand Group Sandstone and mudstone LGS-STMD Stratigraphy
Stratigraphy is a list of the approved names
Mudstone, siltstone and sandstone W-MDSS
Wealden Group given to the various map-scale geological units
Sandstone and siltstone, interbedded W-SDSL that are represented in the model. The terms
145 Formation, Subgroup and Group refer to the
West Walton Formation, Ampthill Clay Formation hierarchical status of each unit in the UK
Mudstone, siltstone and sandstone WWAK-MDSS
and Kimmeridge Clay Formation stratigraphy. Rocks refer simply to the more
Kellaways Formation and Oxford Clay Formation Mudstone, siltstone and sandstone KLOX-MDSS generalised geological Period with which the
Jurassic
units are identified.
Inferior Oolite Group and Great Oolite Group Limestone, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone IOGO-SLAR

Lias Group Mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone LI-MSLS Lithology

201 Lithology or rock type refers to the general
physical characteristics of a rock (what its made
Mercia Mudstone Group Mudstone, siltstone and sandstone MMG-MDSS
of) its mineral composition, colour and texture.
Sherwood Sandstone Group Sandstone, siltstone and mudstone SSG-SDSM
Permo-Trias
Lexicon Codes
Zechstein Group Dolomitised limestone and dolomite ZG-DLDO
The BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units provides
Other Permian Rocks Mudstone, siltstone and sandstone PUND-MDSS a freely accessible definition of geological units
299 of Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the
Coal Measures Formation Mudstone, siltstone and sandstone CM-MDSS
associated continental shelf that appears on
Devonian and BGS maps, models and other publications. It is
Carboniferous
Dinantian Rocks (Carboniferous Limestone) Limestone with sandstone and mudstone DINA-LSSA an online searchable database that can be found
Devonian Rocks Mudstone, siltstone and sandstone DEV-MDSS at www.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/
419
Intrusive Igneous Rocks Granite UIIN-GN

Silurian Rocks Mudstone, siltstone and sandstone SILU-MDSS

Lower
Ordovician Rocks Mudstone, siltstone and sandstone ORD-MDSS
Palaeozoic
Cambrian and Ordovician Rocks (Undifferentiated) Mudstone, siltstone and sandstone CAOR-MDSS
Introduction
Cambrian Rocks Mudstone, siltstone and sandstone CAMN-MDSS

514
Neoproterozoic to Palaeozoic Rocks
Geological Model
(Undifferentiated) Varied lithology APRZ-ROCK
Pre-Cambrian
Neoproterozoic Rocks Varied lithology AZRU-ROCK Instructions
1000
Instructions on orientating the 3D model and setting display controls
Basic Navigation
The initial model view looks north with the 1:625 000 scale bedrock geology draped over Rotate view Basic view control is as follows: To rotate the model view hold
the land surface. The model is divided into a series of elements that can be controlled the left mouse button and move the mouse in the direction of
rotation. To move the model view around in the screen hold the
from the tools in the panels around the model. These controls enable the viewer to change
the display of the ground surface, as well as breaking the model apart into different
Ctrl
+ Centre view
control key with the left mouse button and move the
mouse. To zoom in and out hold the right mouse
configurations of the eight component blocks that the model is constructed from. button and move the mouse back or forward or roll
the mouse wheel or hold the shift
key with the left mouse button and
OR OR Shift + Zoom move the mouse back or forward.
Key to geological units Surface Geological Units Display
Neogene Sections The left hand panel contains a short legend of the
Crag Group
geological units contained within the model.
Controls for the display of the geological units are
Palaeogene located to the left of the legend tablets and have been Ground Surface Display
Thames Group grouped together based on geological period they Ground surface
(including Loundon Clay) were formed. Simply click on these controls to toggle To the left of the lower panel are the controls for the display of the ground
Lambeth Group on and off the display of the geological units groups. National grid surface. At the top is the master control, this will turn on and off all the
(major 20km, minor 5km)
To the top right are two apply controls for the ground surface features as set by the individual controls below, click on
Thanet Sand Formation this to change the display state.
geological unit display on the surface and in the Topography
Cretaceous cross-sections. These effect how the controls on the Transparency Below are the individual controls for the three ground features: OS national
left are applied to the display. If the control is on for grid kilometre lines - black for the 20 kilometre interval and grey for the
White Chalk Subgroup Bedrock geology
5 kilometre sub interval, topography based on OD data and the surface
that feature the settings to the left are applied, if not Transparency
Grey Chalk Subgroup all the units will be displayed. Click on these to geological units. The topography and geological units have an additional
change how the geological unit display is applied to control to change the display transparency of the feature. Click on these
Gault Formation and
Upper Greensand Formation the model. five controls to reconfigure how the ground surface of the model displays.
Lower Greensand Group

View Orientation
On the lower panel is a display
Vertical Scale Exaggeration
that relates the orientation the Located on the right hand side of the lower Vertical
Block display control model is being viewed from as it control panel is a slider control for vertical Exaggeration
All on All off is rotated around. This gives a exaggeration. The initially view of the 3D Factor
graphical display of the viewing model is shown with no exaggeration but a
orientation as well as presenting a factor of up to fifteen times exaggeration of
readout of the direction, bearing, the vertical scale can be applied by using the
pitch and roll underneath. slider control. Click and hold the button on the
slider to move it up or down and change the
vertical scale factor.

Selected feature
Block Display Stratigraphy: Identifying Geological Units
West Walton Formation, Ampthill Clay Within the 3D model if you click on top of one of the geological
The model is split into eight blocks created by the pattern of cross
sections. Changing the display of these individual blocks enables Formation and Kimmeridge Clay Formation units it will highlight as selected and information about the unit
the viewer to gain a unique view of the sub-surface. Lithology: will display in the Selected feature palette in the middle of the
This control is located in the middle of the lower panel. On the left Mudstone, siltstone and sandstone lower panel. Only the geological units are selectable, none of
Introduction
of this control is a graphic showing the separated blocks rendered the other components will select so if you have the transparent
with the topography. Click on each of the individual blocks to add Age: topography over the surface geological unit you will not be able
or remove them from the display. To the right is a graphic rendered Late Jurassic - around 151 to 161 million to select these through the topography. Geological Model
with the bedrock geology, this remains in a fixed orientation and If you click on the link in the bottom right you will be taken
years ago
changes to reflect which of the blocks are visible. To the top right
to the online BGS Lexicon for further information on the
are two overriding buttons that allow the user to quickly turn the BGS Lexicon code:
selected unit.
Detailed Legend
display of all the blocks on or off at once. WWAK-MDSS