Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 16, 2026

South Stack Formation

The South Stack Formation is a sequence of Cambro-Ordovician metasedimentary rocks exposed in northwestern Anglesey, North Wales. The outcrop of this formation at South Stack was chosen as one of the top 100 geosites in the United Kingdom by the Geological Society of London, for its display of small-scale folding.

Last revised
Jun 16, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
230 w
Citations
2
Source
South Stack Formation
Stratigraphic range: Furongian-Tremadoc
~
Folded metamorphosed sandstones of the South Stack Formation
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofHoly Island Group
UnderliesNew Harbour Group
Overliesnot exposed
Thickness~360–1,000 m (1,180–3,280 ft)
Lithology
PrimaryMetamorphosed sandstone
OtherMetamorphosed mudstone
Location
Coordinates53°18′N 4°41′W / 53.300°N 4.683°W / 53.300; -4.683
RegionHoly Island, Anglesey
CountryWales
Type section
Named forSouth Stack
South Stack Formation (the United Kingdom)
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South Stack Formation (Wales)
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The South Stack Formation is a sequence of Cambro-Ordovician (Furongian to Tremadocian) metasedimentary rocks exposed in northwestern Anglesey, North Wales.1 The outcrop of this formation at South Stack was chosen as one of the top 100 geosites in the United Kingdom by the Geological Society of London, for its display of small-scale folding.2

Closer view of the rock formation source ↗
References

References

  1. "South Stack Formation". The BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units. British Geological Survey. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  2. "The Geological Society's 100 Great Geosites". The Geological Society. 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
Further reading

Further reading

  • Phillips, E, 1991. Progressive deformation of the South Stack and New Harbour Groups, Holy Island, Western Anglesey, North Wales. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society, Vol.148, p. 1091-1100
  • Shackleton, R M, 1954. The structure and succession of Anglesey and the Lleyn Peninsula. British Association for the Advancement of Science, Vol.11, p. 106-108
  • Greenly, E. 1919. Geology of Anglesey. Memoir of the Geological Survey, UK
  • Blake, J F, 1888. The Monian System of rocks. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society, Vol.44, p. 476-480