The Balder Formation is a geological formation of lowermost Eocene in age, found in the Central and Northern North Sea and Faroe-Shetland Basin.[1] The formation is named after Balder, a god from Norse mythology. Layers of tuff are found, particularly at the base of the unit, deposited by airfall from volcanoes associated with the North Atlantic Igneous Province.[2]

Balder Formation
Stratigraphic range: Earliest Eocene
~55–52 Ma
TypeFormation
Unit ofMoray Group
UnderliesHorda, Mousa or Tay Formation
OverliesSele or Dornoch Formation, Montrose Group
Thickness30–300 m (98–984 ft)
Lithology
PrimaryMudstone, tuff
OtherSandstone
Location
RegionOffshore; subsurface
Country United Kingdom
 Norway
 Denmark
ExtentCentral and northern North Sea, Faroe-Shetland Basin
Type section
Named forBalder, Norse deity

References

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  1. ^ British Geological Survey. "Balder Formation". The BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units.
  2. ^ Morton A.C.; Knox R.W.O'B (1990). "Geochemistry of late Palaeocene and early Eocene tephras from the North Sea Basin" (PDF). Journal of the Geological Society, London. 147 (3): 425–437. Bibcode:1990JGSoc.147..425M. doi:10.1144/gsjgs.147.3.0425.