The Mull Lava Group is a

Palaeogene The Paleogene ( ; also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene; informally Lower Tertiary or Early Tertiary) is a geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period million years ago ( Mya) to the beginning o ...

lithostratigraphic group (a sequence of

rock strata In geology and related fields, a stratum ( : strata) is a layer of rock or sediment characterized by certain lithologic properties or attributes that distinguish it from adjacent layers from which it is separated by visible surfaces known as ei ...

) in the west Highlands of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. The name is derived from the

Isle of Mull The Isle of Mull ( gd, An t-Eilean Muileach ) or just Mull (; gd, Muile, links=no ) is the second-largest island of the Inner Hebrides (after Skye) and lies off the west coast of Scotland in the Council areas of Scotland, council area of Arg ...

where they are most extensively seen, forming the bedrock across much of the island. They extend into the mainland

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

s of Ardnamurchan and

Morvern Morvern, historically also spelt Morven, is a peninsula and traditional district in the Highlands, on the west coast of Scotland. It lies south of the districts of Ardgour and Sunart, and is bounded on the north by Loch Sunart and Glen Tarbert, ...

and also out to sea.

Lithology and stratigraphy

The Group consists of around 1800 m thickness of

lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...

s erupted from the Mull Central Volcanic Complex and display a range of chemistries. The Group includes (in descending order, i.e. oldest last): *Mull Central Lava Formation *Mull Plateau Lava Formation **Ben More Pale Member **Ben More Main Member *Staffa Lava Formation **Ardtun Conglomerate Member **Gribun Mudstone Member (known as the Beinn Iadain Mudstone Formation in Morvern) These three formations were formerly known as the Staffa, Main and Pale ‘suites’ of the Plateau Group

References

{{Reflist Geological groups of the United Kingdom Paleocene Series of Europe Geology of Scotland