Stratigraphy of the Lower B and basal Cement Beds (Barremian) of the Speeton Clay, Yorkshire, England

A detailed lithological log is given for the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) Lower B Beds (27.5 m) and basal Cement Beds (4.3 m) of the Speeton Clay at the type section in Filey Bay, Yorkshire. Small-scale sedimentary cycles occur in beds LB1 and LB2, and beds LBIA to LBlF are laminated shales (in part probably oil shales) comparable to the biostratigraphically equivalent Blätterton of north Germany, which represents an important mid-Barremian kenoxic event. The ranges of over 2000 belemnite guards and about 25 fragmentary ammonites are calibrated against the lithic log and belemnite and provisional ammonite zonal schemes are proposed. The zonations are common to the north German Barremian and reflect the close similarity in faunas of the two areas. Correlations are suggested between the Speeton and East Midlands Shelf sequences.