This second edition of 'The Geology of England and Wales' is considerably expanded from its predecessor, reflecting the increase in our knowledge of the region, and particularly of the offshore areas. Forty specialists have contributed to 18 chapters, which cover a time range from 700 million years ago to 200 million years into the future. A new format places all the chapters in approximately temporal order. Both offshore and economic geology now form an integral part of appropriate chapters.

Over the last ten years, seismic and sequence stratigraphic studies have emphasized the role of worldwide fluctuations in sea level in controlling patterns of sedimentation. Widely recognized cycles of coastal onlap are thought to have been caused by such global changes. This postgraduate and reference text contains contributions from an international team of specialists. The book is based upon an IAS meeting which focused attention on the situation at active plate margins, covering three major themes: the underlying mechanics and rates of relative sea-level change at active plate margins; the interaction of eustatic and tectonic processes at modern margins; recognition of the products in the sedimentary record and possible criteria for distinguishing global eustatic from local tectonic effects. This book is intended for those studying and working in sedimentology, basin analysis, exploration geophysics and petroleum geology.

This is a reprint of the second edition of Dr Rayner's standard text on the stratigraphy and historical geology of the British Isles. The book is written for undergraduates and other readers who may have only a general acquaintance with the broad principles of geology. An introductory chapter reviews the basic principles of stratigraphy, geochronology and tectonics. The various geological systems found in the British Isles are then considered in turn. A valuable feature of the book is the extensive treatment of different regional areas within the discussion of a particular geological system. In the final chapter the author reviews briefly those major economic resources that are related to stratigraphy. Throughout the text care has been taken to introduce the plate tectonic interpretation of stratigraphic features. Much more is known about the neighbouring continental shelf and the geology of sea floors and this also is included in order to provide a comprehensive integrated account of the geological history of the British Isles.

This text provides a snap-shot of current understanding on the petroleum geology of the East Irish Sea and adjacent areas.