| Thanet Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Thanetian | |
 Grey sands of the Thanet Formation in the cliffs just east of Herne Bay | |
| Type | Formation |
| Unit of | Montrose Group |
| Underlies | Lambeth Group |
| Overlies | Chalk Group |
| Thickness | 0–30 m (0–98 ft) |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | fine-grained sand |
| Other | clay |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 51°24′N 1°06′E / 51.4°N 1.1°E |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | 45°54′N 1°00′E / 45.9°N 1.0°E |
| Region | southeastern England |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Extent | London Basin |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Isle of Thanet |
  Thanet Formation (England) | |
The Thanet Formation is a geological formation found in the London Basin of southeastern England.[1] It is of early to mid-Thanetian (late Paleocene) age and gave its name to that stratigraphic interval. It was previously known as the Thanet Beds, the Thanet Sands and the Thanet Sand Formation. It was named after the Isle of Thanet. The type sections are Herne Bay in Kent for the upper part of the formation and Pegwell Bay for the lower part.[2][3] It lies unconformably on the Late Cretaceous Chalk Group. It unconformably underlies the Lambeth Group, generally the Upnor Formation but in Essex it is the Reading Formation.
- ^ Thanet Formation at Fossilworks.org
- ^ Aldiss D.T. (2014). "The stratigraphical framework for the Palaeogene successions of the London Basin, UK". Open Report OR/14/008. British Geological Survey. pp. 9–14. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- ^ "Thanet Formation". BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units. British Geological Survey. Retrieved 30 July 2016.