Type Group Other limestone, sandstone Extent widespread Named for Penarth Unit of New Red Sandstone | Underlies Lias Group Country Great Britain, Ireland Primary Mudstone Overlies Mercia Mudstone Group | |
Thickness from 0 to more than 12m | ||
The Penarth Group is a Rhaetian age (Triassic) lithostratigraphic group (a sequence of rock strata) which is widespread in Britain. It is named from the seaside town of Penarth near Cardiff in south Wales where strata of this age are exposed in coastal cliffs southwards to Lavernock Point. This sequence of rocks was previously known as the Rhaetic.
Contents
Stratigraphy
It includes the Lilstock Formation and the underlying Westbury Formation. The Langport and Cotham Members, grey limestones of marine origin with associated mudstones, are recognised within the Lilstock Formation, itself named from Lilstock in west Somerset. The Westbury Formation is named from Westbury-on-Severn in Gloucestershire.
Ireland
In 1999, the discovery of an ichthyosaur from Langport Member mudstones exposed at Waterloo Bay, Larne provided the most complete example of this in Northern Ireland.