UK structure site report : Seaton Sluice (Whitley Bay)

Understanding the architecture and connectivity of faults and joints through mechanically layered stratigraphy is important for understanding controls on groundwater flow and fluid compartmentalization. The Seaton Sluice site provides an excellent cross-section through three fault zones associated with the regional ENE-WSW trending 90-Fathom Fault. The faults transect an interbedded sequence of Carboniferous strata comprising sandstones, shales, and coals in the Northumberland Basin. Layer thickness and lithology control joint spacing and fault attitude, and shale smears along fault planes may create local barriers to cross-fault fluid flow in the subsurface. This work is particularly applicable to groundwater studies in the Northumberland Basin.