THE QUATERNARY GEOLOGY OF GREAT BRITAIN – A EVENT-STRATIGRAPHY BASED ON EARTH SURFACE DYNAMICS, FORCED BY MAJOR CLIMATE EPISODES OF THE LATE CENOZOIC

The Quaternary geology of Britain is examined in terms of the internal and surface processes that have operated within the region over the last c. 3 million years. The factors forcing neotectonic and surface processes are outlined along with the consequences of climate change. A scheme is proposed that identifies five major episodes of unequal length but approximately equal importance for the present geology. 1) Low energy terrestrial processes, associated moderate energy shallow marine systems (SMS) and includes important effects of neotectonism. 2) Moderate energy, major river systems (MRS) that transported coarse grained sediment from the upland area to the coasts, and represents the products of both cool temperate and periglacial climate processes with glaciation in the uplands. 3) Major climate changes associated with glacial/ interglacial cycles (GIC), and consequently the major changes in energy levels on the surface of the British land and offshore area. 4) The very short period of the Last Glacial/ Interglacial Transition (LGIT) in which dynamic processes operated for a short period of time on a highly dis-quilibriated landscape. 5) Holocene climate and human activity (HHA)characterized by relatively low energy processes and enhanced or diminished geological activity caused by human processes. These episodes are geodynamically distinctive, and produce a distinctive stratigraphic scheme for Britain, at the level of groups, build around formations. 1) SMS is defined by locally derived marine sediments; 2) MRS by fluvial and marine sediments with a far-travelled component; 3) CIG has highly complex lithofacies with complex lithological signatures reflecting the mixing of a number of processes and materials; 4) LIGT has highly visible, discontinuous and unstable forms and materials, and 5) HHA has low energy naturally derived materials and forms and high energy materials and forms made by human activity. Problems associated with the scheme are discussed: i) synchoneity of boundaries relating to dating resolution and inherited energetics, ii) British late Cenozoic earth system that have not responded to these forcing processes. Finally, the functional value of the scheme for end-users in academy and science and for practical application such as utilities, ground water and mineral extraction is outlined.