mag31.qxd 17/08/2009 20:08 Page 1 MAGAZINE OF THE …€¦ · world-famous site of Kents Cavern in...

FESTIVAL OF GEOLOGYFestival Field TripsFuture LecturesReport of LecturesRockwatchBook ReviewsFinds at PortisheadLyme Regis FestivalCIRCULAR 980Tell us about yourselfMole Valley CelebrationsCurry Fund support for......Suttona AntiquiorLondon Quaternary LecturesBob Stoneley - thanksPliocene Forest

MAGAZINE OF THE MAGAZINE OF THE GEOLOGISTS’GEOLOGISTS’ ASSOCIAASSOCIATIONTION

VVolume 8 No. 3 September 2009olume 8 No. 3 September 2009

mag31.qxd 17/08/2009 20:08

Published by theGeologists’ Association.Four issues per year.ISSN 1476-7600Production team: JOHN CROCKER,Paula Carey, John Cosgrove,Vanessa Harley, Bill French

Printed by City Print, Milton Keynes

The GEOLOGISTS’ ASSOCIATIONdoes not accept any responsibility forviews and opinions expressed by indi-vidual authors in this magazine.

The Geologists’Association

The Association, founded in 1858, exists tofoster the progress and diffusion of the sci-ence of geology, and to encourageresearch and the development of newmethods. It holds meetings for the readingof papers and the delivery of lectures,organises museum demonstrations, pub-lishes Proceedings and Guides, and con-ducts field meetings. Annual Subscriptions for 2009 are £40.00,Associates £30.00, Joint Members £58.00,Students £18.00.For forms of Proposal for Membership andfurther information, apply to the ExecutiveSecretary, The Geologists’ Association,Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J0DU. E-mail [email protected] Telephone 020 7434 9298 Fax 020 7287 0280Website: http://www.geologistsassocia-tion.org.uk

President: Danielle SchreveExecutive Secretary: SarahStafford

Summer is generally a quiet time fornews and therefore an excellent oppor-tunity to get out and about on fieldworkat home or overseas. I have recentlybecome interested in exploring more ofthe famous fossil-rich Pleistocene cavesin the south-west of England and havejust returned from a couple of weeksexcavating in a new cave in Somersetwhere we are finding abundant fossilmaterial, including wild horse, red deer,mountain hare and many thousands ofrodent remains that date to the veryend of the last Ice Age, around 14,500years ago. The vertebrate assemblagewill provide an important means ofestablishing how the fauna respondedto the high-frequency millennial-scaleclimatic changes known from this peri-od and help us to understand how earlymodern humans in Britain coped withthese dramatic changes. I'm also look-ing forward to participating in newexcavations later this summer at theworld-famous site of Kents Cavern inTorquay. Classified as a geological Siteof Special Scientific Interest and aScheduled Ancient Monument since the1950s, the cave was initially excavatedby William Pengelly and others, and isrenowned for its Palaeolithic archaeolo-gy and the discovery of a jawbone frag-ment dated to around 40 000 years old.The identity of the jawbone's erstwhileowner is currently a mystery as it rep-resents either one of the lastNeanderthals surviving in Britain or oneof the earliest modern humans - eitherway, an exciting question! Whereveryou are this summer, there is usuallysomething of geological relevance with-in a few metres, from building stones tocoastal exposures and if you haven't yetplanned any trips, why not take advan-tage of the excellent series of GAGuides for inspiration?

Looking ahead to the autumn, theBritish Science Festival is taking placeat the University of Surrey in Guildfordfrom 5th-10th September so if you canget along to it, there are many activitiesand talks of interest to geologists,including lectures on evolution and nat-ural selection, Ice Age mammals, theorigins of human creativity and technol-ogy, offshore oil exploration and climatechange (see http://www.britishscience-association.org for further details).Plans for our own Festival of Geology atUniversity College London are also wellunderway, with an exciting programmeof lectures, Rockwatch activities andfieldtrips, as well as stands and presen-tations by our Local Groups. As ever, itpromises to be a highly enjoyable eventso do make sure you have got the date- Saturday 1st November - firmlyinscribed in your diaries! In the mean-time, I wish you all a good summer andlook forward to seeing you again at theautumn lectures and at the Festival.

Magazine of the Geologists’ AssociationVolume 8 No. 3, 2009

© The Geologists’ Association. All rights reserved. No part of this publica-

tion may be reproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem or transmitted, in any form or by

means, without the prior permission in writ-ing of the author and the Geologists’

Association.

LAST Copy dates for theCircular & MagazineMarch Issue January 14th

June Issue April 22ndSeptember Issue July 22nd

December Issue October 21st

Items should be submitted as soon as possi-ble and not targeted on these dates. We wel-come contributions from Members and others.

Closing dates for applications to theCurry Fund for 2009:

August 20 for September 18 meetingNovember 20 for December 11 meeting

Advertising RatesFull Page £360 Half Page £190

Quarter Page £100Other sizes by arrangement.

GA Magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No. 3, 20092

CONTENTS3. The Association 4. FESTIVAL OF GEOLOGY5. Festival Field Trips6. Future Lectures7. Report March/April Lectures8. Rockwatch9. Book Review10. Finds at Portishead

Lyme Regis Festival11. CIRCULAR 98015. Book Review

Tell us about yourself16. Mole Valley 30th Celebrations

Curry Fund support for......17. Report of June Lecture

Suttona Antiquior18. London Fossils book review19. London Quaternary Lecture20. Foss Quarry Update21. Bob Stoneley - thanks22. Pliocene Forest

Cover picture:

Volcanic ash plume overRabaul, Papua New Guinea.Photo: S. Edwards 2006.- see page 6 for lecture details

ADVERTISEMENTSWhile precautions are taken to ensure thevalidity of advertisements the Associationis not responsible for the items offered, forany loss arising or for their compliance with

From the President

mag31.qxd 12/08/2009 16:19

THE ASSOCIATION

GA Magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No. 3, 2009 3

Report from Council

This report covers the June and Julymeetings of Council in which new mem-bers are welcomed on to Council.

The President introduced for Council'sconsideration, an initiative to improvethe efficiency of the GA's operations, inview of the diverse challenges that theAssociation faces. The main issue isthat the GA Council currently serves asa forum for the reporting of activitiesbut that there is relatively little timeavailable in meetings to discuss strate-gy or new ideas in any depth. Ideallywe should develop an annual plan thataddresses the activities and objectivesfor the current year, together with thelong term objectives for theAssociation. These should be reviewedon an annual basis. In addition, thecurrent practice does not currently eas-ily allow for all Council members to con-tribute in areas in which they mighthave particular expertise or interest.The President therefore proposed thecreation of around six committees orworking groups tasked with specificremits, such as finance, membershipand outreach, which will report back toCouncil on a monthly basis. At theOctober meeting Council will considerwhether to implement this initiative andreview the structure and aims ofCouncil. At present Council is ratherreactive to events and a clearer aim forthe coming year is desirable so that itcan be more proactive.

Council has become aware of problemsin finding biographical information onGA members on occasions where anobituary is needed for the magazine orthe Proceedings. It was therefore feltthat if members were willing to supplythis type of information, together with aphotograph, it could be stored at theGA Office. Please see the request forinformation on page 15.

There will be a special joint lecture with

the PESGB in memory of Bob Stoneleywhich will take place on October 1 2010when Professor Dick Selley will talk on"Oil exploration in Dorset". This willrecognise Bob's contribution, not onlyto the GA but also to other organisa-tions such as the GS, PESGB, andJAPEC .

As part of the new publishing deal forPGA, Elsevier have agreed to sponsoran annual scientific meeting of the GA.The first one of these will take place in2010 so, for this year (in view of thelimited time available to make arrange-ments), it was agreed by Council thatthe GA should sponsor the LondonQuaternary Lectures, which will beopen to all GA members. See the noticeon page 19 for further details.

Council received positive feedback frommembers on the Annual Dinner, whichwas held this year after the AGM in theConnaught Hotel, across the road fromBurlington House. Sarah was congratu-lated on arranging this event and theplan is to return there for the 2010Annual Dinner.

John CrockerGeneral Secretary

Curry Fund Report

At its June meeting the Curry Fundreceived five new applications andmade decisions on three matters out-standing and on one request from thePresident.

Of the new applications the LeedsGeological Association was awarded£297.85 for new laminated posterboards for display at events. A novelapplication by Geosuffolk was fundedwith £372 for three extant Pliocene(Coralline Crag age) tree genera asspecimen plants at Sutton Knoll,Suffolk. The site will also display the

Curry Fund plaque. GloucestershireGeology Trust was granted £100towards geodiversity promotion at therecent Three Counties Show which wasdeemed by the applicants to be a greatsuccess. An interest-free loan of£1600, repayable within two years, wasawarded to the Cumberland GeologicalSociety for its book - "Iron Ore Mines ofWest Cumbria". The application fromDr. Blanco of Leeds University wasrefused as it fell outside the Guidelines.

The outstanding applications whichwere funded after supplementary infor-mation was received were from UCLGeology Collections. £3000 was award-ed towards a review, documentationand some preliminary archiving of itsMicropalaeontology collections. DorsetCounty Museum was granted £1500towards the cost of conservation of anichthyosaur specimen and theWarwickshire Geoconservation Grouprequested a "fast track" review of itsgeology leaflet on Leamington and thiswas agreed.

As only two (of three possible) £1,000MSc Curry awards were made this year,the President requested that the unpaid£1,000 be transferred to the new GAawards Scheme. The Curry FundCommittee agreed but stressed thatthis should not be seen as setting aprecedent.

This is a shortened report so thatreports from some applicants that havebeen received as a requirement of thegrants can be shared with you, themagazine readers. We thought that youwould find these interesting and thatthey'd give you a flavour of some of theinnovative work funded by the CurryFund.

Susan BrownCurry Fund Secretary

APPEAL FROM GA ENTERPRISES

If you are doing some late spring-cleaning and have any items of books or specimens you no longerrequire, please donate them to us for the Bring and Buy table at the Festival of Geology on October31st. There is only one meeting between now and then, so please bring them along on October 3rd,

so that we can price them up.

We are also very much in need of help on the stand both at evening meetings and especially at theFestival. If you can spare even half an hour we would be pleased to see you.

Mrs Sue Jacobs

mag31.qxd 12/08/2009 12:45

GA Magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No 3, 20094

FESTIVAL OF GEOLOGYSaturday 31st October 10.30 - 4.30

University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT

This is a fabulous day of Geological fun and an opportunity to meet up with old friends!We have four excellent speakers giving stimulating and diverse talks throughout the day.We have exhibitors from all over the UK including local geological societies, geological

map suppliers, second hand books, fossil and mineral dealers. Stuart Baldwin will be cele-brating 80 years on planet Earth, and 50 Years of exhibiting at the Reunion and Festival, bybringing along many thousands of geological offprints to GIVE AWAY in return for a smalldonation to Cancer Research UK. UCL Museums and Collections will be open for the day

and will be on hand in the Discovery Room.

Rockwatch, our club for young geologists, will also be in the Discovery Room racing trilo-bites, making Jurassic dioramas, sifting sand for fossils, making fossils, and much more.

Bring your mystery rocks and fossils to be identified!

The special series of lectures will take place throughout the day in the Gustave Tuck Lecture Theatre:

Dr Steve Edwards, from the Aon Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre, will examine thehazards in one of the world's most geologically, environmentally and culturally diversefinal frontiers, Papua New Guinea. Dr Danielle Schreve, President of the Geologists' Association and Reader at the Departmentof Geography at Royal Holloway University of London, will give an undoubtedly enthusias-tic and fascinating talk on The Life and Death of the Woolly Rhino. Dr Ruth Siddall, who bridges the gap between archaeology and geology at UniversityCollege London, will talk to us about the minerals and other materials in the paints used todecorate Romano-Egyptian Mummy cases.

We are delighted that Professor Iain Stewart from the outstanding and popular BBC sci-ence series Earth - The Power of the Planet will be talking to us on How Earth Made Us.

THIS IS A FREE EVENT. No need tobook - just come along and bring your

friends. Suitable for all ages. More details on:

www.geologistsassociation.org.uk

In addition there is a PhotographicCompetition with prizes of £100, £50

and £25Contact Sarah in the GA Office for appli-

cation forms

How to get to UCL

mag31.qxd 12/08/2009 12:45


GA Festival of Geology 2009Make a weekend of it by extending the GA Festival to Sunday 1st November by joining one ofthe 3 Trips. Non-GA Members and Beginners welcome.

1. London Building Stones WalkLeader Eric Robinson

We are delighted that Eric Robinson has agreed to lead another of his Building Stone walksfor us. This walk will be around the Imperial War Museum. Meet at 10.30 outside LambethNorth Underground station on the Bakerloo Line. The walk will be around 11/2 hours.

2. Cretaceous Geology in the Surrey Hills - an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Leader Graham Williams

Starting at Shere near Guildford the day is divided into two geowalks with apub lunch at the White Horse in Shere. Each geowalk is about 3 km andcovers the area around Shere, St. Martha's and Albury Down. We will showhow to map areas with few outcrops or 'Rabbit Hole Geology in the SurreyHills'!. Building stones in Shere's 15th to 18th century buildings provide fur-ther clues. The day begins at Shere at 10 am. The trip is car-based (park-ing is free).

3. Visit to Walton-on-the-Naze, EssexLeader Gerald Lucy

The Naze cliffs provide a spectacular section through the 50 million year oldLondon Clay (Eocene) and 2 million year old Red Crag (now reclassified asearly Pleistocene). Find out what Essex was like during two very differentgeological periods. Fossils are abundant. The trip will begin by the NazeTower at 11 am (time subject to confirmation).

Gerald Lucy was recently been awarded the Foulerton Award by the

Geologists' Association for his work on the Geology of Essex.

4. An introduction to the fossiliferous rocks of Folkestone, Kent Leader - Robert B. Chandler

The Cretaceous rocks exposed on the shore and sea cliffs near Folkestone havelong been a source of abundant fossil remains of marine organisms includingammonites, bivalves, crustaceans and rare vertebrate material. This excursion isintended for those who want an introduction to the geology and palaeontology ofthe area and some tips on finding and developing the fossils found. The level willbe for those who have limited previous knowledge of the area.Participitants must be capable of walking about a mile along a boulder strewnbeach with some slippery surfaces and undertake some hill climbing at East WearBay in the afternoon. Meet at the cafe car park near Copt Point at 10am.

To register for any of the above trips please send a cheque for £5 to Sarah Stafford at the GA Office, The Geologists'Association, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0DU. Please include your name, postal and email addressesand telephone numbers (including mobiles). Also an emergency phone number where different. State which trip youare wishing to attend. It would also be very useful to know if you would be willing to give a lift if required Or do yourequire a lift ?

Eric Robinson outsideWestminster Abbey one

cold February day

The Surrey Hills

Foreshore Walton on the Naze

Foreshore at Folkestone

mag31.qxd 12/08/2009 12:43

GA Magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No 3, 20096

October Meeting

The geology of impact cratersand ejecta deposits, newinsights into a fundamentalprocess

Dr Scott ThackreyUniversity of Aberdeen

Friday 2 October 2009Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1V 0JUat 6.00pm, tea at 5.30pm

Impact cratering is an essential geologicalprocess that in most academic institutions isoverlooked. This significant process can beappreciated when observing the moon, forexample, where its surface is littered withcraters that vary in size (from 100's of Kmdown to several cm) and age. Early obser-vations of the moon highlighted the pres-ence of rays emanating from craters. Theserays are ejecta deposits. Ejecta deposits arecommon round all craters and can vary incharacter that reflects their emplacementmechanism. Through the most recentresearch conducted at the University of

Aberdeen and other institutions our under-standing of impact ejecta processes isimproving all the time. Here, I will be pre-senting what ejecta is, how its formed anddeposited, how recent research has provid-ed insights in to emplacement mechanismsand the future for research in the field ofimpact cratering and impact ejecta.

November Meeting - Festival of Geology

Friday October 30 at Burlington House Meeting of Local Groups

Saturday October 31 Festival of Geology at University College London with Local Groups, Rockwatch, Dealers etc.,etc.

Sunday November 1 - Field Trips

December Meeting

AVERTING DISASTER

Dr Stephen EdwardsAon Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre, University College London

Friday December 4 2009Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1V 0JUat 6.00pm, tea at 5.30pm

Natural disasters are often spectacular events that capture the inter-est of the public and the media. However, it must not be forgotten thatthese events cause great losses, both human and financial, andappear to be on the increase. Disasters still take us by surprise andthe management of these events is often responsive through the pro-vision of post-disaster assistance. This approach is slowly changing,as it becomes recognised that society must become better prepared and more resilient to disasters. Earth science and scientists have afundamental role to play here, particularly in identifying, assessing andmonitoring disaster risks and enhancing early warning, as was evidentduring the Pinatubo volcanic crisis in the Philippines in 1991. Througha number of case studies, the talk will explore some of the challenges

and opportunities for Earth science as disaster risk reduction becomesmore prominent on national and international agendas.

Volcanic ash plume over Rabaul, Papua New Guinea.

Photo: S. Edwards 2006.

mag31.qxd 12/08/2009 12:42


The Making and BreakingMountains Dr Tom ArglesOpen University

Dr Argles presented a review of whatmight constitute a mountain, and of thevarious ways in which it might arise anddisappear. His didactic discourse waselevated by fine illustrations and philo-sophical insights, and peppered bysome delightful comic set-pieces.

He stressed that nature itself bothmakes and breaks mountains, and thatthis constitutes a rich field of study. Herecalled that hills and mountains wereonce defined by altitude, as celebratedby the Hugh Grant film about the sur-veyor who climbed one and descendedthe other. Mountain-ness as been cate-gorised in the public imagination bysteepness, pointedness or having snowon the top - but one decider was that ifyour mother had climbed it, it was ahill. In fact, many of the land massesin the region of Tibet lack all of thoseclassic attributes, but they nonethelessdwarf many of the mountaineers' icons,

and indeed if their roots were consid-ered, they would outreach them all.

Nature's methods for mountain build-ing can include vulcanism (when themagma is viscous enough),Metamorphosis, or tectonic activity - inmany cases constituting recycling of thecrust, often in a far from simple way.Argles urged us to consider the imageof the iceberg, with its nine-tenthsbelow the sea's surface. In a similarway, the weight of the mountaindepresses the underlying mantle. Theroots, he explained, are a crucial part ofany mountain system. The Andies, theRockies, the Himalayas and the Tibetanranges all demonstrate subduction intheir provenance. In the latter, in par-ticular, the presence of Eclogites nearthe surface provide evidence of isostat-ic recovery following rapid exhumationduring the main orogenic episodes.

He closed with a word picture of aprocess, evidenced in the westernMediterranean, and perhaps older beltsin Russia and Finland, in which a classicmountain form existed, on a massivebase, but then the overall weight of therock pushed the relatively cold rootdownwards to a level at which the lower

part of it became unstable, detached,and sank into the underlying asthenos-phere. Hot asthenosphere thenreplaced the detached root, initiallycausing rapid uplift. However, subse-quently the asthenosphere cooled, andthe mountain belt, having lost its root,subsided - in the case of the westernMediteanean, 7km below sea level

Tony Iles

Evening Lecture March 2009

Tectonic versus Climate inRiver DevelopmentProfessor Lynne Frostick University of Hull

Professor Frostick gave us a dynamicand very clear lecture, explaining thatthe morphology of river systems variedaccording to the effects of many differ-ent external factors, but by far themost significant movers were the cli-mate in their catchment areas and theirtectonic settings.

Mechanisms such as hydrology, gradi-ent, water and sediment supply, andecology, all militate to develop the finalcharacteristics of watercourses.

She described how operational mech-anisms might often be recognised fromthe preserved river deposits of earliertimes, which can provide some insightinto past changes.

Experience had shown that factorssuch as Uplift & Subsidence, Gradient, Water and Sediment supply, and thecharacteristics of the River Bank, are allliable to be influenced by both tectonics& climate. Vegetation stabilises riverbanks. It is interesting to reflect that inthe Pre-Cambrian there was no vegeta-tion.

Plate tectonics are particularly impor-tant, and this in turn affects climate.

Professor Frostick presented a num-ber of examples and illustrations fromher research experience in various

African regions. She described a clearpoint in the geology of offshoreNamibia, at which microfossils werefound to have changed from huge warmwater forms to small cold water ones -the result of a major tectonic move-ment that created the Atlantic and fun-nelled cold water northwards to theAntarctic in the Benguels current. Thisin turn created the skeleton coast.

Uplift & Subsidence are particularlyimportant, as they control streampower, and the rivers will reflect thegradients that are developing.

The Red Sea coast is crossed by manyrivers as a result of it being an arid areawhere rainfall is intense requiring lotsof drainage. At the river mouths thesize of the fans relies on the geology ofthe drainage basin for its essential, cre-ating classic fans where there are softrocks, but none at all where the rocksare hard. Bank character is clearlyrelated to climate, but also to tectonicsand gradient with the resulting watercourses ranging in plan form frombraided to single and straight.

Changes in the course of a river maystill be evident many years afterwards,such as the radial patterns of rivers,which resulted from domal uplift asplate tectonic movements took SouthAmerica away from Africa.

The Dead Sea is a pull-apart basinthat separates Israel from Jordan andcreated by northward movement of theArabian Plate. Its creation disruptedrivers which previously flowed to the

Mediterranean, reversing their flowdirection.

Studies in the African Rift have shownthat the rifting is very asymmetric, withthe major faults flipping from one sideto the other along transfer zones. Thesetransfer zones have proved to beimportant for the occurrence of oil. Thisbrings about commercial interest, asthe North Sea structures, which containoil and gas, are very similar to this.

Tony Iles

Evening Lecture April 2009

mag31.qxd 12/08/2009 12:42

8 GA Magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No. 3, 2009

Our 2009 field trip season started with an amazingly var-ied series of new and exciting sites. The first was to theCotswold Water Park and the Colne Gravel Quarry withNeville Hollingworth. This is a superb site where MiddleJurassic deposits (175 - 155 million years old) are overlain byIce Age Gravels which were laid down by a major river sys-tem between 350,000 and 40,000 years ago. And, on top ofthe gravels are recent floodplain silts, where a Romano-British site is currently being excavated! Lots of superb fos-sils were found from the Jurassic sediments such as

ammonites (including Kosmosceras the Rockwatch logo),corals, belemnites and a magnificent section of the jaw of thecrocodile, Steneosaurus. Sadly, no Ice Age fossils, but a fewdiscarded pieces of Roman pottery were prize exhibits forsome to take into school as part of their projects on theRomans. What a bonus from a Rockwatch field trip!

The geology on the train trip from London (Marylebone) toWarwick with Martyn Bradley was a great success. Martynbrought along geological maps and specimens of the rocksand fossils we would pass on the way. Rockwatchers and theirparents were kept busy identifying the outcrops as the trainsped westwards, marking up their own maps on the way.After a picnic lunch in Warwick, Martyn led a geological walkthrough the city exploring its locally distinctive buildingstones, and raising awareness of the importance of geodi-versity en route! And, there were lots of sleepy Rockwatcherson the train journey back to London!

Another great first for us was a trip to Alderley Edge, on abrilliantly sunny day, to explore of one of the UK's ancientcopper mines. Chris Carlon led the trip, starting with a walkalong the Edge to work out how these Permo-Triassic sedi-ments of the Cheshire-Shropshire basin were formed. We

talked about the processes that lifted these rocks high abovethe Cheshire plain, far below where we stood! We looked atthe surface features of a long extinct Lower Triassic river sys-

tem that flowed through the area some 240 million years agoand saw evidence of mineralization that we would explorelater underground. The exploration of Wood Mine was fan-tastic! Chris, with colleagues from the Derbyshire CavingClub, told amazing tales of mining in the area over some

40,000 years! The high point came when we had to crawl,snake-like, some 5 metres along a very tiny tunnel - and yes,I did it too! Beautiful copper deposits shimmering in our hel-met lights were the best any of us had ever seen! Somebelieved they saw footprints in the mine roof of three-toeddinosaurs, which lived here during the Triassic - others weresomewhat sceptical! There's more work to be done on thatfor budding geologists!

Our first trip to The Chalk of southern England, led by Rory

Rockwatch News

Rory explaining the finer points of the stratigraphy of the chalk

Rockwatchers in Alderley Edge mine

Superb copper deposits in the mine at Alderley

Martyn explaining the geology from he train

Sam’s Steneosaurus jaw

mag31.qxd 12/08/2009 12:42


Mortimore, was superb. We met on the cliffs to the west ofEastbourne and walked along the cliff top to Cow Gap. On theway we looked at a range of geological features including clifferosion and slope stability which is a real and on-going prob-lem in the area. Once down on the beach we walked along asfar as Falling Sands at Beachy Head, collecting fossils on the

way. We explored the changes in depositional environmentsfrom the Gault, Upper Greensand to The Chalk, as we tracedthrough the exposed sediments seen on the shore at low tideand up on the cliffs above us. Everyone found lots of splendidfossils including echinoids, corals, brachiopods, ammonitesand sponges. Many were beautifully preserved, some wereperfectly silicified - a great find! After a picnic lunch and asteep walk back to the cars we drove round to Beachy Headwhere Rory explained some of the work he was doing therepredicting slope stability - important for the safety of visitorsto the area!

A weekend visit to South Wales was the area for our firsttrilobite hunting trip. It was a huge success and everyone

found some trilobites to take home, even though many werein excruciatingly difficult sites to access - more exciting forthe hunters, I think! John Davies, recently retired from theCountryside Council for Wales, led the trip, helped by SteveHowe from the National Museum & Galleries of Wales and me.John gave us a superb overview of the Ordovician and Silurianenvironments of the Llandeilo area before we set off to findtrilobites. Many of the sites were seriously overgrown so wehad a degree of site clearance to do before the first trilobiteswere found, but once people "got their eye in" trilobites evenseemed to be staring back at the searchers! The trip wassomewhat unusual for Rockwatch in that we visited threesites each day, necessitating a significant amount of driving,but we did not lose anyone from the convoy and, rainnotwithstanding (well, it is Wales!), we saw many of the for-mations that John had set the scene with at the start of theday.

The second day dawned warm and sunny and we concen-trated on Carboniferous environments, finding some splendidlimestone fauna in the two quarries we visited. Lots of bra-chiopods, crinoids, corals and some wonderful calcite crystalswere found. There were also some stray pieces of coal fromthe nearby northern rim of the South Wales coalfield lurkingin the quarry which caused some considerable interest.

At the end of May, we once again joined the Lyme RegisFossil Festival for a weekend extravaganza. We had hundredsof visitors sharing in our activities making Jurassic dioramas,learning about the Dorset geological environments with asplendid fossil collection from the area, handling a range offossils from different geological periods and much more. Itwas a very hot, sunny weekend which certainly drew in thecrowds and in spite of the many helpers we were fortunate tohave over the weekend, we were all kept constantly busy.

Just before the end of the summer term we spent a day ata Macclesfield Primary School which was immersed in itsScience Week project. The children were thrilled to have thechance to handle the rocks and fossils brought in and I wasamazed at their not inconsiderable knowledge. We talkedabout the rock cycle and the formation of soils and fossils -what they are, how they might be formed and what use theyare. It was good to see that many of the children are reallyquite observant and are able to make valid deductions fromtheir observation and questioning. It was a most enjoyableday.

These activities give a flavour of some of the exciting placeswe've explored with Rockwatch recently and illustrate someof the public events we support. We are really lucky have somany generous people who give up their time and share theirexpertise to help Rockwatch members and the public, tounderstand a bit more of the world around them. We thankyou all.

Susan Brown

Another trilobite

Rockwatch at Macclesfield Primary School

Some superb fossils in the chalk

Rockwatch at Lyme Regis

mag31.qxd 12/08/2009 12:41


A recent field trip to Portishead witha group of GCSE geology students fromAll Saint's School, Weymouth came upwith an interesting find. We werestudying the sections either side of thepark area which overlooks the SevernEstuary and had reached the area justsouth of Battery Point where theCarboniferous Limestone is exposedwith numerous small scale fold struc-tures. One of the students found aspecimen of limestone with bright redmineral clusters on the surface (Fig.1).I did not know what these werealthough I should have rememberedthat cinnabar is bright red but whatwas it doing here!

I took the specimen home and askeda friend knowledgeable about mineralswhat it was. He did some qualitativeanalysis and proved mercury was pres-ent and identified cinnabar as well ascalomel. He also took some picturesunder the microscope and showed thatthe cinnabar had replaced some colo-nial coral material (Fig.2). The brokensurface of the specimen shows what

appear to be corallites (Fig.3). I havenot seen anything like this before and Iwondered if any G.A. members canshed light on this and hope they mightbe interested in this chance find.

Alan Holiday

An interesting find on the beach at Portishead, Somerset

Fig.2

Fig.3

Fig. 1

Evolution Rocks! was the fourthLyme Regis Fossil Festival and stagedover five days between 20th and 24thMay 2009 and designed to shareknowledge, fire the imagination andleave people of all ages wanting toknow more. Part of the nationalDarwin200 Celebrations, EvolutionRocks! the opportunity to look into 180million years of the earth’s history inways that provide insights into con-temporary natural sciences.

Evolution Rocks! kicked off with theUK National Commission for UNESCOstaging their World Heritage EducationConference and Youth Conference inLyme Regis on the first two days whichbrought representatives from theother UK sites to discuss future educa-tional collaboration. On Friday 22ndMay over eighty students from UKschools linked to UNESCO includingparties from The St Kilda's, Wales,Bath, Bermuda, Avebury, London,Darwin's Landscape, Chatham,Hadrian's Wall and Lake District.Professor Walter Erdelen, UNESCO(Paris) Assistant Director-General for

Natural Sciences launched EvolutionRocks! where he gave a key notespeech on the theme of Darwin andevolution, which was followed the nextday by the opening of the YouthSummit.

The Evolution Rocks! Festival wasattended by approximately ten thou-sand people of whom six hundred werestudents attending the School's Dayalso held on Friday 22nd May.Participative activities were offered byscience organisations includingRockwatch, the Geologists'Association, the Natural HistoryMuseum and the British AntarcticSurvey, who joined forces with univer-sities, Museums including NationalMuseum of Wales and Royal AlbertMemorial Museum. The community ofLyme Regis are also key partners andparticipated with activities staged byLyme Regis Museum, CharmouthHeritage Coast Centre and local fossilcollectors and experts.

Evolution Rocks! was not just for sci-entists and fossil hunters, there wasplenty going on to excite and provoke

creative and artisticminds as well. The Festival includedtheatre, street performance and artworkshops and demonstrations forchildren and adults alike.

Evolution Rocks! underpins a broad-er regeneration strategy to positionLyme Regis and Charmouth as aninternationally significant educationdestination and home to the plannedJurassic Coast Studies Centre.

Evolution Rocks! is grateful tothe Curry Fund for its support forthis event.

Marcus DixonLyme Regis

Development Trust

Evolution Rocks! - Lyme Regis Fossil Festival 2009Report To The Curry Fund

mag31.qxd 12/08/2009 12:40


PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION FOR FIELDMEETINGS ENQUIRIES & BOOKINGS

Geoff Swann organises day and weekend meetings in the UK.Michael Ridd is responsible for overseas and longer excursions.Sarah Stafford at the GA office is responsible for bookings, paymentsand general administration.

You must book through the GA office to confirm attendance. Pleasedo not contact the field meeting leader directly. Meeting times andlocations will be confirmed on booking. These are not normally adver-tised in advance, as there have been problems with members turningup without booking or paying and maximum numbers being exceed-ed. Field meetings are open to non-members although attendance bynon-members is subject to a £5 surcharge on top of the normaladministration fee. Some meetings may have restrictions on age(especially for under 16s) or be physically demanding. If you areuncertain, please ask. PAYMENTS for day and weekend meetings must be made beforeattending any field meeting. Cheques should be made out toGeologists' Association Field Meetings. If making multiple bookings,please enclose a separate cheque for each meeting unless you havefirst confirmed that there are places available. A stamped addressedenvelope is appreciated. Please give a contact telephone numberand, if possible, an email address and provide the names of any otherpersons that you are including in your booking. PLEASE ALSO PRO-VIDE AN EMERGENCY CONTACT NAME AND TELEPHONE NUM-BER AT THE TIME OF BOOKING.

There are separate arrangements for overseas meetings.TRANSPORT is normally via private car unless otherwise advertised.If you are a rail traveller, it may be possible for the GA office to

arrange for another member to provide a lift or collect you from thenearest railway station. This service cannot be guaranteed, butplease ask before booking.PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE for field meetings is provided butpersonal accident cover remains the responsibility of the participant.Further details are available on request from the GA office.SAFETY is taken very seriously. Should you be unsure about eitherthe risks involved or your ability to participate, you must seek advicefrom the GA office before booking. Please make sure that you studythe risk assessment prepared for all GA field meetings and that youhave all the safety equipment specified. You must declare, at the timeof booking, any disabilities or medical conditions that may affect yourability to safely attend a field meeting. You may be asked to providefurther information on any prescription drugs etc that you may usewhilst attending a field meeting. In order to ensure the safety of allparticipants, the GA reserves the right to limit or refuse attendance atfield meetings. EMERGENCY CONTACT: if you are lost or late for the start of ameeting, an emergency contact is available during UK field meetingsby calling the GA mobile phone (07724 133290). PLEASE NOTETHIS NEW NUMBER. The mobile phone will only be switched on justbefore and during field meetings. For routine enquiries please call theGA office on the usual number. TRAVEL REGULATIONS are observed. The GA acts as a retailagent for ATOL holders in respect of air flights included in field meet-ings. All flights are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority (seeGA Circular No. 942, October 2000 for further details). Field meetingsof more than 24 hours duration or including accommodation are sub-ject to the Package Travel Regulations 1992. The information provid-ed does not constitute a brochure under these Regulations.

CIRCULAR No. 980 SEPTEMBER 2009

FIELD MEETINGS IN 2009

We are hoping to arrange additional fossilcollecting opportunities during the year.There may not be time to advertise these inthe Circular so if you would like detailswhen they become available contact SarahStafford at the GA office.

ON THE CHILTERN LINE TO WARWICK-SHIRE Leader: Dr Martyn BradleySunday 20th September 2009

The rail journey from Marylebone toWarwick cuts across the strike of Tertiary,Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic strata.From the train we can follow the land-scapes as we travel down the geologicalsuccession. On arrival in Leamington Spawe will view a small river cliff by the Leambefore visiting the Royal Pump Rooms forcoffee(or lunch) with an opportunity to sam-ple the mineral rich waters. A walk via theelephant wash and riverside Jephson gar-dens will continue up the parade notingbuilding and ornamental stones. Thosewho wish may continue on to Warwick andits castle, built of and on fine exposures ofBromsgrove Sandstone. There is ArdenSandstone and Marlstone in Warwick build-ings too.

If there is sufficient demand the itinerarycan be run in reverse on Saturday 19thSeptember.

Equipment: The BGS solid 1:625,000 southgeological map will be useful.

Cost & booking: Numbers will be limited to14 each way. Further details will be avail-able from Sarah Stafford at the GA office.Register with Sarah sending an administra-tion fee of £5 per person to confirm yourplace.

POT LUCKLeader: Dr Mick OatesSeptember/October 2008

Once again, a trip not to be missed withinteresting geology and lots of fossils tokeep the collector happy. Date and loca-tions are still to be arranged.

You must have suitable footwear, a highvisibility jacket and hard hat.

Cost & booking: Further details will beavailable from Sarah Stafford at the GAoffice. Register with Sarah sending anadministration fee of £5 per person to con-firm your place.

SEDGEWICK MUSEUM OF EARTH SCIENCES, CAMBRIDGELeader: Dr Liz HarperSaturday 7th November 2009

This is an opportunity to visit this worldfamous museum with its magnificent col-lections.

Cost & booking: Further details will beavailable from Sarah Stafford at the GAoffice. Register with Sarah sending anadministration fee of £5 per person to con-firm your place. Please note that there is anadditional donation of £1 per person to the

museum to be collected on the day.

FURTHER AFIELD IN 2009

PROPOSED FIELD EXCURSION TOLYBIA AUTUMN 2009

Leader: Professor Richard Moody

Approximate dates: Wednesday 21stOctober - Sunday 1st November 2009

Approximate cost (assuming 15 partici-pants): £1800

This excursion will provide an exceptionalopportunity to examine the varied geologyof Libya, from Lower Palaeozoic to Tertiary,sedimentary rocks and volcanics. The itin-erary includes the deep Sahara with spec-tacular sand-seas, mountain scenery andprehistoric rock-art, as well as some of thefinest Roman antiquities on theMediterranean coast at Sbratha and LeptisMagna.

The provisional itinerary includes Tripoli,Nalut, Jado, Ghadames, Yiffran, Sbratha,Sebha, Birak and the 'Great Man-madeRiver', Germa, Mandara Lake,Matchandosh, Akakus Mountains, Tadrart,Alawynat, Ghat, and Leptis Magna.

To register your interest, please contactSarah at the GA Office.

mag31.qxd 12/08/2009 12:39

GA Magazine of the Geologists’Association Vol. 8, No. 3, 200912

WORKSHOP ON RECENTFORAMINIFERA IN BRITISH AND IRISHSHELL SANDS

Leader: Dr. Adrian RundleSaturday 13th February, 2010 from 10.30a.m.The next microfossil workshop in this seriesis on Recent Foraminifera. The principlesfor collecting good recent shell sands andhow to separate the Foraminifera from min-eral grains will be covered, as well as howto sort residues under the microscope andmount selected specimens on slides. Abooklet will be supplied covering aspects ofthe study of Recent Foraminifera, includinga key to the most commonly encounteredspecies. During the morning the bookletand two slides (with 64 named species) willbe used in the introduction. In the after-noon there will be a chance to study the lit-erature, process samples and make yourown slides. The main aim of the workshopis to enthuse participants and to enablethem to continue their studies afterwards.Meet: At the leader's house, 55 DancerRoad, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4LB (mapreference TQ 191759, location map avail-able on request).Equipment: If you have a suitable binocu-lar microscope (about x20 to x40) pleasebring it along together with its light source.Bring a packed lunch. Tea and coffee willbe provided.Cost: £8, to cover materials and adminis-tration.It is essential to register with Adrian (tele-phone 0208 878 6645) for the workshop asnumbers must be limited to 12 per day. Aback up on Sunday 14th February can bearranged if needed and later dates if morethan 24 express an interest.

NORTH GERMANY

Leaders: Profs. Volker Wilde and Alan Lord 20th - 29th August 2010 (provisional)Provisional programme:Day 1. Fly London Heathrow toLeipzig/Halle, arriving early to mid after-noon, coach to hotel; short evening briefingotherwise free time in Halle (birthplace ofG.F. Händel).Day 2. Geology of Halle - 'Saline' saltworks, Market Fault, Geiseltal Museum; Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte (StateMuseum for Prehistory) to see the Himmelsscheibe von Nebra (Sky Disk ofNebra).Day 3. South of Halle - Geiseltal (formeropencast browncoal mine and classicMiddle Eocene fossil locality), Amsdorf(working opencast browncoal mine),Sangerhausen (mine in Upper Permian'Kupferschiefer'; Pleistocene mammothskeleton).Day 4. North of Halle along Saale valley -Wettin (Permian porphyry; Stephaniancoal), Dobis (Weisse Wand - UpperPermian Zechstein transgression),Bernburg (Triassic Muschelkalk quarry;

castle museum with Harz minerals andTriassic [Buntsandstein] amphibians),Wettin to Bernburg - Permian/Triassicboundary.Day 5. Halle to Helmstedt (change hotel) -Kyffhäuser (Rotliegend [Lower-MiddlePermian] sandstone with silicified trees),Ilfeld (Rabensteiner Stollen - historicalStephanian coal mine) and nearby LangeWand (Rotliegend porphyry overlain byZechstein sediments), Nordhausen (karstphenomena in Zechstein evaporites), driveacross Harz Mountains.Day 6. Quedlinburg area - Hamwarte(Barremian [Lower Cretaceous] nonmarine sandstones with plants), Neinstedt(Teufelsmauer 'Devils Wall', Santonian[Upper Cretaceous] marine sandstones;Harz foreland tectonics), Upper Cretaceousclays with plants; cultural afternoon inQuedlinburg old town.Day 7. Schöningen opencast browncoalmine - ?Paleocene to Eocene nonmarinesequence; archaeological site (oldestknown spears); preserved section of formerfrontier between east and west Germany.Day 8. Harz Mountains - steam train toBrocken, highest point of Harz; botanicalgarden of mountain plants; local sectionsas time permits.Day 9. Königslutter - Visitor Centre andmuseum for Geopark Harz-Braunschweiger Land-Ostfalen, König -slutter Dom (cathedral), Muschelkalk quar-ry; Heeseberg - type locality of stromato-lites (Triassic); Seinstedt - Rhaetian (UpperTriassic) plants, insects and fish; Helmstedtold town.Equipment:Members will need to providetheir own helmets; high visibilityjackets/tabards are not obligatory butshould be brought if members already ownthem. Stout footware necessary; normalfieldboots are fine even in the browncoalmines (unless it rains, which is unlikely inlate August).

The leaders are currently negotiatinghotels in Halle and Helmstedt. In the latterwe hope to be accommodated in BurgWarberg, a converted castle. Single roomswill be limited in number.

The itinerary includes a number of itemsof cultural interest, including a free after-noon in Quedlinburg (Day 6). The Mayor ofSchöningen has already invited the party toa reception in the local castle and theremay well be other invitations.

The provisional cost will be about £700per person (at the present euro/sterlingexchange rate) plus the air fare which isunder negotiation but not expected toexceed £198.

GA members interested in participating inthis field meeting should inform SarahStafford at the GA office.

GEOLOGISTS' ASSOCIATION LOCAL GROUPS

Cambridgeshire Geology ClubSeptember 14 The Pleistocene Geology

and Fauna of the River Trent - Tom WhiteContact - Alan Murphy on 07768 821385 Email: [email protected] Dorset Local GroupAugust 8 Fossil and Mineral Fair at theAllendale Centre Wimborne.August 17-24 Joint trip with West OUGS toIreland.Contact Doreen Smith 01300 320811. Email: [email protected] GroupSeptember 2 Unusual Microfossils - DrAdrian Rundle.October 7 Geology in the Deserts - Dr PeterBush.November 4 Fossils and Drugs - Dr ChrisDuffin.December 2 Members evening.Contact Dr Trevor Greensmith 01268785404Farnham Geological SocietySeptember 11 Dolerite Emplacement andContinental Breakup: the TheronMountains, Antarctica - Donny Hutton.October 4 Watership Down - Romans rab-biting around in the Cretaceous - DrGraham Williams and Mike Rubra.October 9 Brick making and Chalk MiningHazards in Reading - James Ford.November 13 Ice Age England - Dr JulianMurtonDecember 11 The star of Bethlehem - DrPaul Olver.Contact - Mrs Shirley Stephens tel: 01252680215Field Trip Contact - Dr Graham Williams tel:01483 573802 Email [email protected]:farnhamgeosoc.org.uk.Harrow & Hillingdon Geological SocietySeptember 9 Diamonds Through Time -Prof. Andy Fleet.October 14 From Mud wrestling to meta-morphism - Steve Hirons.November 11 Rapid catastrophic weather-ing of limestones within the historic walls ofOxford - Dr Heather Viles.December 9 Giant Cu-Au deposits ofCentral Asia - Dr Reimar Seltmann.Contact: Jean Sippy 020 8422 1859 Email: [email protected] Fieldtrip information Allan Wheeler 01344455451.www.hhgs.org.uk Kent Geologists Group15 September Geological drawing work-shop - Fred Clouter.October 20 The Oxford Clay - CliffordNicklin.November 17 Highlights of the geology andscenery of South Wales.Contact information www.kgg.org.ukThe Kirkaldy Society (Alumni of QueenMary College)Contact: Tony Iles: 020 88664348;[email protected] David Greenwood 0208449 6614email:[email protected] Acting Secretary Jennifer Rhodes01204 811203

mag31.qxd 12/08/2009 12:39

13GA Magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No. 3, 2009

Email:[email protected] Valley Geological SocietySeptember 10 Cretaceous Greensand tidaldunes of Western Surrey.September 27 Field trip: The Bargates ofGuildford and Godalming - Dr GrahamWilliams.October 8 AGM and Dinner.November 12 Supercontinent - our onceand future World - Dr Ted Nield.December 10 Soiree with members lec-turettes and mince pies.www.dendron.net/mvgs. Email: RichardHiggs [email protected] Staffordshire GroupSeptember 26 Field trip: Churnet ValleyGeotrail - Dr Richard Waller.Contact for details Eileen Fraser 01260271505 Contact Field trips: Gerard Ford01630 673409.Oxford Geology Groupwww.oum.ox.ac.uk/ogg.htm. or call pro-gramme secretary 01865 272960.Ravensbourne Geological SocietySeptember 8 The driest place on Earth -Chris Carlton.October 13 AGM followed by Membersevening.November 10 Computer ModellingTechonics and Sedimentation - DavidWaltham.December 8 Xmas Festivities - My favouriteSpecimen & Quiz.Contact Carole McCarthy Secretary: 0208854 9138 email: [email protected] Vernon Marks: 020 8460 2354.North Wales - Cymdeithas DaearegGogledd CymruContact Jonathan Wilkins 01492 583052Email [email protected] www.ampyx.org.uk/cdgcSouth Wales GroupCymdeithas Y Daearegwyr Grwp DeCymruSeptember 19 Field trip: St Davids,Pembrokeshire - Dyfed Elis GruffyddOctober 24 Field trip: Cwm Gwrelech andSdelar Opencast, Neath ValleyBen Evans (BIGC).Full details to follow. Contact Lynda Garfieldat [email protected] of EnglandOctober 20 Australia - Douglas RobinsonNovember 17 Moon Rocks - GeoffreyEglinton.December 8 Darwin as a Geologist - PaulPearson.Contact Graeme Churchard 0117 967 1066.www.wega.org.uk West Sussex Geological SocietySeptember 18 Magnetite, Apatite & relatedcopper deposits in Sweden & Kazakhstan -Dr Martin Smith. October 11 Mapping the chalk in theCissbury and Chanctonbury area - Prof.Rory Mortimore.October 16 A Geological Transect acrossthe Himalaya - Dr Chris Duffin. October 18 Winchester Building Stones - DiSmithNovember 20 Scientists throught

Coelacanth eyes - Dr Peter Forey.December 18 Member Xmas meeting.Contact Betty Steel 01903 209140 Email: [email protected]

AFFILIATED SOCIETIES

Amateur Geological SocietyQuartz the most precious mineral? - DrMonica PriceJanuary 13 AGM and New year Party.Enquiries: Julia Daniels 020 8346 1056. Bath Geological SocietySeptember 3 Club evening. Members talksand recent finds.October 1 Global Warming and Climatechange (Eocene and Oligocene epochs) -Dr Paul Pearson.November 5 Observations on OrdovicianOceans - Dr James Wheeley.December 3 Fossilized embryos from thedawn of animal evolution - Dr JohnCunningham.Contact Elizabeth Devon: Email:[email protected] Belfast Geologists' SocietySeptember 18 -21 The Yorkshire DinosaurCoastContact [email protected] Contact Peter Millar 9064 2886.Black Country Geological SocietySeptember 19-20 Dudley Rock and FossilFestival at Dudley Concert Hall and DudleyMuseum & Art Gallery.For information contact Barbara Russell01902 650168. www.bcgs.infoBrighton & Hove Geological SocietyContact John Cooper 01273 292780 email:[email protected] Naturalists' Society Contact 01373 474086Email: [email protected] Brea Mining SocietyOctober 20 A personal view of South Crofty,1970-1974 - Jon Nurhonen.November 17 Quarrying, the past presentand future, by Graham Hicks, OperationsManager Bardon Aggregates.December 8 Members medley.Contact Lincoln James 01326 311420Cheltenham Mineral and GeologicalSocietySeptember 5 Field trip to Taff Well Quarry -Kath Vickers.September 11 Whittington Quarry - anUnderground Walk of ½ mile or more -Arthur J. Price.September 13 Equipment workshop andJunior workshop - Ann Kent.September 13 Guided walk: Geology of theMalverns - Dave GreenOctober 9 Decorative Stone - Monica Price.November 13 Equipment workshop andjunior workshop. For more details contactAnn Kent 01452 610375For more information on lectures: contactKath Vickers 01453 827007Contact Alan McKay 01452 547255. Craven & Pendle Geological SocietyNigel Mountney Ph.D., University of Leeds

Contact: [email protected] orwww.cpgs.org.ukCumberland Geological SocietyMeet at the car park behind the BlencathraCentre, Threlkeld at 10.00am NY303257Sunday - Rocks & landforms alongthe shores of Derwentwater. Meet in publiccar park (pay & display) at The Theatre bythe Lake, Keswick at 10.00am NY 265229Contact Susan Beale 016974 [email protected] Devonshire Association (GeologySection)September 19-26 Field trip to Brittany - DrJohn Renouf.October 17 Field trip to Torbay Geopark - DrElaine Burt.November 14 10.30 at the Boniface CentreCrediton. Marie Stopes: Passionate aboutPalaeobotany - Dr Howard Falcon- Lang.Contact John Dangerfield 01297 33326email [email protected] Dinosaur Societywww. Dinosaursociety.com. Contact: ProfRichard Moody [email protected] Natural History & ArchaeologySocietyContact Jenny Cripps email:[email protected] Geological SocietySeptember 5 Field meeting: North EskPentlands - Dr Euan Clarkson and CeliaTaylor.September 6 LABRIGS Barns Ness OpenDay.September 19-20 Weekend Excursion.September 26 British Geological SurveyOpen Day.www.edinburghgeolsoc.orgEarth Science Teachers AssociationAnnual Conference 18-19 September at theUniversity of Southampton.For membership contact: Hamish Ross POBox 23672 Edinburgh EH3 9XQ Tel: 0131651 6410Email:[email protected] website www.esta-uk.org.East Herts Geology ClubNovember 24 Iceland - Chris Darmon.Check website for venue or contact DianaPerkins 01920 463755.www.ehgc.org.uk email: [email protected] Visitors most welcome - £2East Midlands Geological SocietySeptember 27 Field afternoon visit toChatsworth House - Ian Thomas.October 18 Field trip: The Geology of theMatlock Gorge area - Lynn Willies.Contact Secretary Janet Slater [email protected] Rock and Mineral SocietySeptember 8 The Icy Moons of Saturn -Gerry Workman.September 13 Field visit: Station Quarry,Blockley, Glos. - Bob Higgins.September 27 Field visit: Harwich andWrabness, Essex - Bill George and GrahamWard.

mag31.qxd 12/08/2009 12:39


October 13 Gems and Crystals - IanMercer.October 17 Visit to Colchester NaturalHistory Mseum - Jerry Bowdrey.November 10 AGM.December 8 Annual Social.Graham Ward for Lectures 01277 218473.www.erms.orgFriends of the Sedgwick Museum,CambridgeContact: Dr Peter Friend 01223-333400. Geological Society of GlasgowContact Dr Iain Allison email:[email protected] Society of NorfolkContact Email: [email protected] and District Geological SocietyDecember 14 AGM and Christmas party.Contact Diana Williams email:[email protected] Geological SocietySeptember 5 Field visit to DenbiesVineyard. - Prof Richard Selley.October 10 Field visit to Brighton - ColinWhiteman.November 12 Mount Vesuvius - Dr ChrisKilburn.December 3 The hydrogeology ofHertfordshire - Robert Sage.www.hertsgeolsoc.ology.org.ukContact Linda Hamling 01279 423815.Horsham Geological Field ClubSeptember 9 Stones of Sussex, RogerBirch, Collyers 6th Form CollegeOctober 14 How to Make and Break anAsteroid - Prof Hilary Downes.November 11 Space - Dr GraziellaBranduardi, Mullard Space Laboratory.December 5 Christmas Party.Contact Mrs Gill Woodhatch 01403 250371Hull Geological SocietySeptember 6 Field meeting: to Quaternarygeology of Dane's Dyke and South Landing- Ian Heppenstall.September (dtc) Field Meeting to the Baysof the Flamborough Headland - MikeHorne.October 24 Joint meeting with YorkshireGeological Society The Last GlacialMaximum - Mike Rogerson Paul Hildreth,Speakers include Dick Mol, and IanHeppenstall.October 25 Joint field meeting with theYorkshire Geological SocietyContact Mike Horne 01482 346784Email:[email protected] http://go.to/hullgeolsocThe Jurassic CoastDetails are available on the web site atwww. Jurassiccoast.com. Leicester Literary & PhilosophicalSociety (Geology)September 5 Whitmans Hill Quarry,Storridge, Malvern and the Abberley &Malvern European Geopark -Sue Edwards.September 26 Field meeting Boon'sQuarry, Hartshill, Warks. Joint Excursionwith the Warwickshire GeologicalConservation Group to view thePrecambrian/Cambrian unconformity -

Martyn Bradley & John Crossling.October 10 National Coal Mining Museum,Wakefield.Contact Andrew Swift 0116 2523646; email [email protected] Geological AssociationOctober 15 Deglaciation in the Tyne Valley- Dr Linda Yorke.November 12 Plate Tectonics and HumanEvolution - Prof Geoffrey Bailey.December 10 AGM and Conversazione.Enquiries [email protected] Geological SocietyContact: Joe Crossley: 0151 426 1324 oremail [email protected] Geological AssociationSeptember 18 -20 Field trip to SouthernLake District - Chris Arkwright.October 10 Field trip: Building Stones ofManchester University and itsEnvironments - Norma Rothwell.October 14 Spiders: The UltimatePredators - 400 Million Years of EvolutionDr. David Penney.November 21 Darwin and the Voyage of theBeagleCharles Darwin: Gentleman Geologistaboard H.M.S. Beagle - Dr. Bob Callow,University of ManchesterOn the Geological Origins of DarwinianTheory: Charles Lyell, Charles Darwin andAlfred Russel Wallace - Professor JonHodge, University of Leeds, Darwin inTierra del Fuego - Professor Peter Worsley,University of Reading, The BeagleCollection - Dr. Lyall Anderson, SedgwickMuseum, University of CambridgeThe Rough Guide to Darwin - ProfessorMark Pallen, University of Birmingham.December 12 Volcanoes and VolcanicHazards - Dr Peter Floyd, Dr JohnStevenson, Dr Roger Suthren..Contact Nick Snowden 07932 927040 ,N i c k _ s n o w d e n @ m a n c a t . a c . u kemail:[email protected] meetings in the Williamson Building,University of Manchester. Mid Wales Minerals, Fossils andGeology ClubContact Bill Bagley 01686 412679.Norfolk Mineral & Lapidary SocietyMeetings at St Georges Church HallChurchfield Green, Norwich. 19.30hrsevery first Tuesday of the Month [email protected] Eastern Geological SocietyAugust 9 Field trip: Penshaw to CastleEden Dean: Pemian - Dr Eric Johnson.September 6 Field trip: A fluvia conundrumat Saughtree, Roxburgh - Gordon Liddle.October 25 Field trip: Westgate inWeardale - Brian Young.www.northeast-geolsoc.50megs.comEmail: [email protected] or 01207545907www.dur.ac.uk/g.r.foulger/NEGS.htmlOpen University Geological SocietyOver 200 events every year throughout the

UK and abroad listed on the web-siteougs.org Events Officer Dr ChristineArkwright [email protected] 01772335316"Reading Geological Society

Contact Christine Hooper- for lectures0118 9471597 email: [email protected] David Ward - for field trips 01344483563The Russell SocietyEmail Frank [email protected] Geological SocietySeptember 13 Open day at SnailbeachMine.December 9 AGM and LectureContact Karen Whitaker - [email protected] Sidcup Lapidary and Mineral SocietyMeets every Monday evening at SidcupArts Centre.Contact Audrey Tampling 020 8303 9610Email: [email protected] Mineral and Fossil SocietyHampshire Mineral & Fossil Show - 5th September time 10:00 to 16:30Venue:Lyndhurst Community Centre, High St.,Lyndhurst, Hants.Admission: Adults £1,accompanied children under 14 andRockWatch members freeContact: Gary Morse, 01489 787300 Email:[email protected] site:http://members.lycos.co.uk/SMFS/smf-sshow.htmContact Gary Morse 01489 787300.Stamford and District GeologicalSocietyContact: Bill Learoyd on 01780 752915.Ussher SocietyContact Clive Nicholas 01392 271761.Warwickshire Geological ConservationGroupSeptember 12 Field trip to Boons Quarry -Martyn Bradley.Contact: Chris Hodgeson 01926 511097.Contact Martyn Bradley 01926 428835.Email: [email protected] Lapidary and Mineral SocietyContact Pat Maxwell 02380 891890 email:[email protected] Geological SocietyContact [email protected] Woolhope Naturalists' Field ClubOctober 3 Field excursion to the NorthMalvern area - Richard Edwards.November 5 Talk on Mercury - new insightsinto the Sun's innermost planet - Dr DavidRothery.December 4th Members evening.Contact Sue Hay on 01432 357138 orsvh.gabbros@btinternet .comYorkshire Geological SocietyContact Trevor Morse 01833 638893www.yorksgeolsoc.org.uk

mag31.qxd 12/08/2009 12:39


The Last Two Glaciations of EastLincolnshire,Straw, A. 2008 46 pp. £6.50Published by Louth Naturalists'Antiquarian and Literary Society,Louth Museum, 4 Broadbank,Louth, Lincs, LN11 0EQ, UK. [email protected].

This booklet is one of two publishedby Allan Straw on the Quaternary his-tory and geomorphology ofLincolnshire. The first (Straw, 2005)deals with the evidence for earlierglaciations in the area; this deals withthe evidence for glaciation in theregion since the Last Interglacial (c.125,000 years ago). The book hastwo parts. The first provides adetailed description of the glacial sur-faces, moraine ridges and meltwaterchannels that characterise the region.The second part considers the varioushypotheses that have been proposedfor the formation of these features.The book is well illustrated with colourphotographs of sites and sectionsdescribed in the text, and a colourmap showing the location and distri-bution of the glacial features and theice limits proposed from the interpre-tation of these features. The text issupported by a reference list and aglossary of terms used.

The descriptive section works fromthe north to the south of the countydescribing the glaciogenic landformsin a way that they can be located andstudied by the reader. Particularattention is given to the distributionand distinctiveness of the glacial ter-rain, so that reference is made towhether it is possible to recognise dis-tinct moraine ridges or undulatingrelief, or that the glacial signaturesimply remains a thin soil residue,what Straw calls a 'drift-residual' soil.Similarly attention is given to themeltwater channels in terms of their

channel-side slope angles, their ele-vation on the hillside and direction ofslope of the valley bottom. The con-clusion that is presented from thiswork is that there have been twoglaciations: the first and most exten-sive is characterised by the 'drift-residual' soils and degraded meltwa-ter channels; the second which is lessextensive, except in the south of thecounty, and this is characterised byhummocky terrain and 'fresh', clearlydefined meltwater channels.

In the part of the text that explainsthe various hypotheses proposed toexplain this evidence, Straw sets outhis own interpretation: that both setsof features formed during theDevensian Glaciation (the last glacialstage in Britain), that the earlierglaciation occurred around 50,000years ago and the second glaciationoccurred during the Last GlacialMaximum (LGM) about 20,000 yearsago. Straw then discusses the rela-tionship of this scheme to the conven-tional scheme that proposes only oneglaciation (LGM) about 20,000 yearsago (Evans et al., 2005). In this dis-cussion he brings together relevantinformation about former ice-dammedlakes in the Trent and Fen Basins, theformer history of drainage throughthe Lincoln Gap and the stratigraphicand dating evidence for the regionand the topic. Naturally he concludesin favour of his own model, but heprovides a very enlightening insightinto the many theories that have beenproposed for the region and the manyproblems that arise around a study ofthis kind.

Overall this is a very nice piece ofwork and a very useful guide. Interms of the field detail provided, it isin the model of GA Field Guides, pro-viding the information needed tolocate and interpret the field evi-dence. It allows the reader to engagewith some of the debates that havedeveloped around the last glaciation

in eastern England, and it allows us tosee, in a coherent fashion the veryimportant work that was done byAllan Straw in this part of Britain, overthe last half century, since his firstcited publication in 1957.

Evans, D.J.A., Clark, C.D., andMitchell, W.A. 2005. The last BritishIce Sheet: a review of the evidenceutilized in the compilation of theGlacial Map of Britain. Earth ScienceReviews, 70, 253-312.Straw, A. 1957. Some glacial featuresin east Lincolnshire. East MidlandGeographer, 1, 41-48.Straw, A. 2005. Glacial and pre-gla-cial deposits at Welton-le-Wold,Lincolnshire. Studio PublishingServices, Exeter, 33 pp.

Jim RoseDepartment of Geography,

Royal Holloway University of [email protected]

Book Review

Every member of the Geologists'Association is entitled to an obituaryfollowing their death. But few obitu-aries get written and one of the rea-sons is that too little documentarymaterial exists about that person'slife. And so to encourage obituariststo come forward, and to help them,Council is asking every member towrite a brief account of their life andto send it to the GA office where it

will be filed. Whether a professional or an ama-

teur geologist, every member isrequested to shun modesty and putpen to paper. A single page will beenough, but several pages will bebetter. As a minimum, pleaseinclude date and place of birth, edu-cation, career highlights, how youbecame interested in geology, peo-ple who were influential in your life,

any geological highlights, otherinterests, family information.

You may transmit your piece tothe GA office electronically or hand-written on paper. And if you have aphotograph of yourself please attachit, making sure that if it is of morethan one person, you are clearlyidentified.

Please tell us about yourself

mag31.qxd 12/08/2009 12:39


I can report that the event was agreat success and that the standshared between ourselves,Gloucestershire Geology Trust (GGT),and our partner group, Herefordshireand Worcestershire Earth HeritageTrust (H&WEHT) narrowly missed outon a commendation from the eventjudges. We hadn't realised that standswere being judged and the judgesturned up at 10.00 am on the first day(Friday 19th June). We hadn't quitefinished setting up by this time so wereineligible for a commendation, as therules stated that displays must becomplete prior to judging. Next timewe will know, and will get there anhour earlier. But, the judges were veryimpressed with the information andactivities we offered.

We had a large area 8m x 8m mar-quee to work in. H&WEHT have slight-ly larger than life size Velociraptorskeleton made from plywood (namedVernon) who occupied the centre ofthe stand, with his head poking out ofthe tent. A scale model of a T-rex skull,owned by GGT took guard of the otherside of the entrance. Both creaturesserved as an almost irresistible attrac-tion to any passing child (only tem-pered by their parents enthusiasm toreach the nearby flower show).Displays inside the marquee includedthe GA banner, information on GGT &H&WEHT work including Abberley andMalvern Hills and the Cotswold HillsGeoparks. Trail guides and publicationsfrom both trusts were on sale, as well

as racks and tables with free leaflets,LGAPs and brochures, including thosefrom the GA. Many people asked howtheir children could learn more aboutrocks and fossils, as "they are totallyobsessed with dinosaurs", so a lot ofRockwatch leaflets were handed out.

We had a selection of activities forchildren, including badge making, fos-sil painting and making jointeddinosaur skeletons. Parents, mean-while, made the most of the chairsprovided, looked at the displays andinformation, and chatted to our staffand volunteers about our activities anddisplays. Specimens included rocksfrom the Malvern Hills (especiallyappropriate as the hills were the back-drop to the whole event), a wonderfulslab of Wenlock Limestone, packedwith all sorts of fossils, and aMegalosaur tooth from a quarry in theCotswolds.

The stand was manned by staff andvolunteers from both Trusts and in allfifteen different people helped to runthe event over the three days of theshow. One question that we were allasked several times was "where can

we go to find fossils, and where can wetake the kids?" This has prompted usto start considerations for a 'fossilhunting in Gloucestershire' book.This event was a great success, and

we were already discussing how to doeven better next year before we hadfinished taking everything down thistime. I'm sure our presence at theshow has done much to raise aware-ness of geodiversity and to inform peo-ple that there are organisations suchas our Trusts, Rockwatch and the GAwho are actively promoting geodiversi-ty. It has reinforced our belief thatthere are a great many people from allwalks of life, who want to know moreabout our subject, and are keen toparticipate but just need to know howto do it, and who to do it with.

On behalf of GGT, I would like to offerour sincere thanks to the Curry Fundfor its support in this project, and inothers, and look forward to workingwith the GA again in the future.

David OwenHead of Geology,

The Curry Fund support for "Three Counties Show: geodiversity promotion"

The Mole Valley Geological Society, aGA Local Group, celebrated its 30thbirthday on the 4th of July with a partyat the Box Hill Village Hall. On a brightsunny day some 60 members andguests attended, including 9 of the sur-

viving founder members. The GAPresident Danielle Schreve was theGuest of Honour, attending en famillewith her partner, son and dog. Theevent began with a talk by MurielWoolven, one of the founders. Sheexplained how the MVGS began afterthe local council ceased to fund a longrunning course of geology lectures. Theclass metamorphosed itself en masseinto the Mole Valley Geological Society.Their lecturer, the late Richard Butler,

was elected President. After Muriel'stalk there was an opportunity to viewthe extensive club archives that docu-ment its history with illustrated reportsof lectures and field trips extendingback over 30 years. Meanwhile therewas a continuous slide show in the hallof the society's activities. On the lawnoutside there was a 'GeoQuiz'. Thisgave members an opportunity to trytheir skills at identifying a selection ofrocks, minerals and fossils. The winnersof the dinosaur cake competition werethen announced. The Ladies' Class was

won by Rose Wait, and the Mens' byMark Spencer. The cakes were then cer-emonially cut by Danielle. She thenproposed a toast to the health of thesociety in a glass of local sparkling wine(from Denbies, naturally). A splendidtea was then enjoyed by all, providingample opportunity for old members torenew friendships, and for recent mem-bers to make new ones. Though 30years is nothing to a geologist it wasagreed that the party had been a greatsuccess, and members look forward tothe next million years.Thanks are due to the MVGS committeefor all their hard work in organising theevent, and to the GA for generousfinancial assistance

Clare Hill

THE MOLE VALLEY GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY CELEBRATES ITS 30TH BIRTHDAY

Danielle Shcreve cuts the cake

The GeoQuiz

mag31.qxd 12/08/2009 12:39

GA magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No. 3, 2009 17

Postcards from the Amazing MudFactory - Multimillion-year under-ground transformations of fossils andstrata in the Welsh Basin

Dr Jan Zalasiewicz of LeicesterUniversity

Dr Zalasiewicz entertained us withhis summary of what had gone intobuilding up the huge, and apparentlyrelatively featureless content of theWelsh Basin - 90 per cent of which wasMud, but which 50 million years laterbecame the Welsh Mountains.

During the late Ordovician and theSilurian times, mud sediments heavilydominated the Basin, but they werepunctuated by turbidites. Dr.Zalasiewicz pointed out that once aturbidite had started running, it oftenwent on and on, with mud providingthe transient lubricant for the process.Some rock-flows originating well out-side the area were drawn down sub-marine canyons, to emerge finally asturbidite fans. He mentioned thatLapworth had published a good paperin 1900, not mentioning turbidites, asthey were only invented 50 yearslater! The deposition alternatedbetween anoxic sea floors, bearingorganic plankton matter - spectacular-ly including graptolites - and oxy-genated sea floors sporting burrowingorganisms, though with scarcely anyshelled creatures.

The alternating lithologies help to

reference the stratigraphy of theregion, particularly indicating greaterand lesser amounts of carbon. Theseformations were once a significantsink, with up to 16 per cent carbon -with now only a per cent or so remain-ing. The Ocean alternately took thecarbon out, and later returned it,mainly as dead animals. It is nowrecognised that life forms flourished inthe ocean shelfs, while the water waspoisoned below 100 fathoms, so thatthe organic remains floated down andlay unpredated in the anoxic areasbelow. This condition was world-wideduring the Ordovician, but is repre-sented today mainly only in the BlackSea.

Pyrite quite quickly started formingin the rhabdosomes of graptolites inthe anoxic horizons, while apatitecement layers were precipitated justbelow the sea floor during the oxy-genated periods. Both these process-es helped to preserve the fossil andmineral matter from the deformationof the subsequent Acadian Orogeny.

The deposits were at considerabledepth during the formation of oil andgas, which leached away during therock's erosion, but in the process facil-itated wide distributions of rare earthelements, including millions of charac-teristic tiny monazite nodules - phos-phatic concretions - common in gran-ites, but here occurring in sediments,forming useful dating markers. Boththis, and the dissemination of stron-tium isotopes within the rock, provide

means of accurate dating for theprocesses that occurred deep under-ground. The subduction process willhave destroyed the early developmen-tal evidence, as with all of the olderformations.

Later, the tectonic compression fromthe building of the Welsh Mountainscaused extensive slate formation, andthe development of chlorite micastacks, while fresh mica grew aroundgraptolites from clay-organic interac-tions. This provides yet a further dat-ing system for the Acadian orogony, aswell as indications of the complexity ofits progress. Dr Zalasiewicz, in his live-ly but very clear and engaging stylegave a sense of the perpetual motionin this huge area, citing the distinctivedetritus from these processes nowbeing washed down into the Irish Sea,which will become markers for thestrata of the future.

TONY ILES

GA Evening Lecture 5 June 2009

Dr Jan Zalasiewicz mimes the action of theWelsh Turbidites

Inspired by the famous 1831 DuriaAntiquior of Henry De la Beche recon-structing life in the Liassic sea, studentartist Louis Wood has created his ownwater colour illustration showing whatlife was like around 'The PlioceneIsland' at Sutton Knoll, Suffolk - anisland of Coralline Crag during RedCrag sea times, about 2 ½ millionyears ago.

Boulders of Coralline Crag have fall-en from the low cliff, which is slowlybeing eroded away to form a steeplydipping wave-cut platform. The boul-ders provide shelter for molluscs, bra-chiopods and other invertebrates tolive. Banded Carpet Shells and RazorShells burrow into pockets of softsand; and Necklace Shells and a vari-ety of different whelk species predateand scavenge.

Mussels and barnacles are growing inprofusion on the exposed rocky tidalshore; Piddocks burrow into the under-lying London Clay surface, scouredclean by the strong currents. Periodic

storms sweep these shells out to sea.Offshore, shell debris is accumulatingin migrating sand waves, driven south-westwards by strong currents. DogCockle and Trough Shell communitiesdevelop their own epifauna of corals,bryozoans and nestling Pea Urchins.Sharks, fish (such as ray, cod and eel)and Cetaceans swim the temperatesea, while gulls and a lonely albatrosscruise overhead. Seals cavort and frol-ic happily on the island itself.

Talented 18 year-old Louis is study-ing art A-level at Saffron WaldenCounty High School, together withEnglish, Philosophy and History. He isparticularly interested in illustrationsand water colours, and after a degreecourse in art at Bournemouth hopes tobecome a professional illustrator. HisA-level coursework certainly demon-strates his abilities. Suttona antiquioris his first commissioned work, execut-ed during his final year in the VIthform. He estimates that he tookaround 50 hours to paint the A1 sizewater colour, after preparing the out-line sketch. The geology of the RedCrag at Sutton (Rockhall Wood SSSI,TM305441) has benefited from muchrecent site interpretation by members

of the GeoSuffolk group and Louis hasused this as his guide. And some of hisfriends study A-level geology, provid-ing 'useful tips'!

A geological interpretive panel pre-pared by GeoSuffolk has been installedadjacent to the public footpath thatruns alongside the Sutton Knoll site.Suttona antiquior was first revealed tothe public at the panel unveiling cere-mony on May 14th.

Roger Dixon

SUTTONAANTIQUIOR

mag31.qxd 12/08/2009 12:39

GA magazine of the Geologists’ Association Issue 8,vol.3, 200918

BOOK REVIEWLondon Clay Fossils of Kentand EssexBy David Rayner, Tony Mitchell, Martin Raynerand Fred ClouterISBN 978-0-9538243-1-1

In 2000, these four London Clay col-lectors jointly produced the 100 page,A4 format London Clay Fossils of theIsle of Sheppey. It was an immediatesuccess and is now out of print. Ratherthan reprint they have now gone sev-eral steps further with their newLondon Clay Fossils of Kent and Essex.This 228-page book published by theMedway Fossil and Mineral Societyembraces a much wider geographicalarea and illustrates far more fossilsthan previously, including the additionof new groups (foraminifera, crinoidsand plants).

Most of the book is dedicated to pho-tographs of the London Clay fossils,but the introductory pages help to setthe scene and include pages appropri-ate to those only just seriously startingon fossil collecting. Notes on collectingtechniques, cleaning and preservation(very important to prevent pyritedecay), and storage include some use-ful tips. The London Clay stratigraphyand palaeogeography with maps andreconstructions are well explained andhelp to put the sites and their fossilsinto a broader context

The cover illustration of the mudflatsat Burnham-on-Crouch, photographedon a dull, grey day, is highly reminis-cent of so many of my own fossil-col-lecting trips and how unrewardingsome of these localities appear at first

glance. The fossil illustration, though,shows just what can be found at theclassic London Clay localities, such asthe Isle of Sheppey, but also lesserknown sites. Clear maps are provided,with detailed descriptions backed upby photographs of the sites, so no col-lector can be excused for being in thewrong place. For the adventurous,some lesser known sites requiring skilland patience are also described.

The full colour fossil photographs,which are mostly shades of brown,grey and black, are excellent and areprobably the prime reason for anybodybuying this book. Invertebrates, verte-brates and plants are all covered butwatch out for the 'miscellaneous spec-imens' at the end, added after themain text had been finalised. The pho-tographs are of such quality that it iseasy to criticise the few that don'tcome up to the same high standard,such as the slightly out of focusHyracotherium ('dawn horse') jaw.Whilst it is not possible to illustrateexhaustively every fossil species, I amsure that the book covers the mostcommon plus the unusual and spectac-ular specimens that every collectorreally hopes to find. A few, moreunusual, specimens caught my eye.These included the trace fossils, suchas coprolites (fossil dung) and a lob-ster burrow, the head section of a wee-vil at only 0.9mm in actual size, and acrocodile skeleton complete with'stomach stones'.

Each section starts with a referenceillustration and very useful descriptionof the terminology used in describingand identifying the fossils.Unfortunately, a rather random selec-tion of illustrations has been used -ranging from real fossils to an appar-ently modern gastropod shell to line

drawings. It is a shame that a moreconsistent approach could not havebeen used. My attention was drawn tothis by the use of a Venericor planicos-ta shell from the Bracklesham beds inSussex to illustrate bivalves. The linedrawing used for bird terminology iscopied from an unacknowledgedsource and is out of focus. But this is aminor issue that only slightly detractsfrom an otherwise excellent publica-tion. Even if you have the earlierLondon Clay Fossils of the Isle ofSheppey, you should purchase a copyof this book, even at the somewhathefty price of £25. It represents a lotof thorough work that is well repro-duced and eminently accessible.

David Bone

Earthlearningidea - an initiative forthe International Year of PlanetEarth and beyond

“Earthlearningidea has been a source of inspi-

ration for both my pupils and myself.”

Earthlearningidea, www.earth-learningidea.com, is a voluntary initia-tive which brought a new Earth learningidea to Earth science educators acrossthe world every week during 2008, theInternational Year of Planet Earth. Theproject continues with a monthly activ-ity throughout 2009 and all previousactivities remain live on the site.

The ideas are aimed primarily atclassrooms with few or no resourcesand at pre-service teacher educators(to reach wide audiences). Global dis-cussion around each idea is encouragedthrough a blog, www.earth-learningidea.blogspot.com. By July2009, 64 different activities had beenposted. The Earthlearningidea refrainis:

• an Earth science teaching idea at reg-ular intervals;

• at minimal cost, with minimalresources;

• for teacher educators and teachers ofEarth science through school-level sci-ence or geography;

• an online discussion around everyidea;

• to develop a global network.

Interested educators from around theworld subscribe free of charge andreceive email updates when new itemsappear on the website. A list of key-words on the website means that asearch can be made for particular top-ics. A list of supporters offering geo-science or educational expertise, isposted on the website. A separate listof those who have offered moral sup-port is also maintained.

Activities range from simple investi-gations, such as ‘Earthquake prediction– when will the earthquake strike?’,using a pile of bricks and a piece ofelastic, to ‘A landslide through the win-dow’, where pupils are asked to envis-age the scene if such an event should

happen within range of their classroom.

Thanks to voluntary translatorsacross the world, the activities arebeing regularly translated into Spanish,Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin Chineseand Portuguese.

Since the website was established inMay 2007, it has received over 15,500‘hits’ from over 140 countries(www.earthlearningidea.com/home/ELI_around_the_world.html) and the blogis being well patronised, with com-ments and ideas for extension work.

All activities are free to download.Do have a look at the site and con-tribute your own ideas to the blog.

Chris King,

Peter Kennett and Elizabeth Devon

Earth Science Education Unit,

Keele University, U.K.

mag31.qxd 12/08/2009 12:38

GA magazine of the Geologists’ Association Issue 8, vol. 3, 2009 19

The Geologists' Association will this year be sponsoring the London Quaternary Lectures, which willtake place in the:

Department of Geography at Royal Holloway

(University of London) on Wednesday 25th November 2009.This sponsorship has generously been provided by Elsevier, as part of our new publishing deal for the

Proceedings of the Geologists' Association. The meeting is free to members of the GA. The LondonQuaternary Lectures have been running since 1979 and are designed to appeal to a wide interdisciplinaryaudience, including geologists, palaeoecologists and archaeologists. Previous internationally-renownedspeakers have included Nick Shackleton, Bill Ruddiman and Nick McCave. The programme for this year'sevent is as follows:

16.30 Dr Maria-Fernanda Sanchez-Goni (Université Bordeaux 1): Pollen from the sea: improved under-standing of the climate system through marine-continental correlations

17.30-18.00 Tea

18.00 Professor Francesco d'Errico (Université Bordeaux 1): The possible role of climate change in cultur-al innovations19.00 Close

The lectures will take place in the Queen's Lecture Theatre in the Geography Department (Queen's Building,no. 35 on the campus map). Maps and travel directions can be downloaded athttp://www.rhul.ac.uk/Visitors-Guide/. There is ample car parking for visitors in Car Park 4 on the cam-pus plan, or adjacent to the department in Car Park 5. Alternatively, there are frequent trains to Eghamfrom London Waterloo (about 40 minutes journey time). The university is a short taxi ride away, or approx-imately 15 minutes on foot.

We look forward to seeing you there!

The annual Stevenson Science Lecture* will be held at Royal Holloway, University of London at 6.00 p.m. on 6th October,2009, and this year will be presented by:

William F. Ruddiman of the University of Virginia, USA. His topic will be:

"Did Early Farming Prevent a New Ice Age? Answer: Yes".

Bill is extremely well known for his 'Overdue Glaciation Hypothesis' which, as expanded in the notes below, envisagesthat humans began to modify climate several thousand years ago.

The lecture will take place in the Windsor Building Auditorium (the Windsor Building is no. 2 on the campus map).Maps and travel directions can be downloaded at http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Visitors-Guide/. There is ample car parking forvisitors in Car Parks 2, 4 and 12 on the campus plan, and there are frequent trains (every 30 minutes) to Egham fromLondon Waterloo (about 40 minutes journey time). The university is a short taxi ride away, or approximately 15 min-utes on foot, from Egham Railway Station.

We look forward to seeing you at the event.

NotesWe are familiar with the concept of 'global warming' and the notion that increased industrial activity during the past 300years may have led to significant increases in 'greenhouse gases' in the atmosphere. However, Bill Ruddiman claimsthat humans began to interfere with the natural atmospheric gas balance by a much earlier date - perhaps as early as7,000 years ago. In a series of papers and an award-winning book**, he points to evidence in the geological recordfor significant increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels from about 7,000 years ago, and in methane from 5,000years ago. These run counter to natural cyclical variations, and suggest the impact of a new player in the system. Theobserved changes coincide with records of the emergence of farming, of widespread burning of vegetation and thedevelopment of rice paddy cultivation, as well other impacts of increasingly versatile Homo sapiens. Ruddiman makesa further bold and controversial claim: that were it not for these activities and their inadvertent gas emissions, theworld would by now have entered the early stages of the next 'Ice Age', if left to the mercy of natural environmentalrhythms. If true, this thesis has major implications for understanding our past environmental history, for predictingfuture climatic developments, for global environmental management and the concept of 'environmental sustainability'.In his 2009 Stevenson Science Lecture, Bill Ruddiman will outline the basis of his theory and speculate on its key impli-cations. This will be followed by an open debate on the subject.

** W.F. Ruddiman, 2006: Plows, Plagues and Petroleum: How Humans Took Control of Climate, published by PrincetonUniversity Press: awarded the 2006 Phi Beta Kappa Science Book Award.

* The Stevenson Science Lecture was inaugurated in memory of Miss Margaret May Stevenson, a member of the CollegeCouncil who died in 1922 and left a small legacy to endow a lecture. In recent years high profile speakers have includ-ed Professor Chris Stringer, Sir Peter Crane, Sir John Sulston, Professor Kay Davies and Professor Uta Frith.

mag31.qxd 12/08/2009 12:38

GA magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol.8,No. 3 200920

Foss Cross Quarry is an historically famous site, locatednorth-east of Cirencester in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds, onland owned by Gloucestershire County Council.

It is one of the most important exposures of the BathonianWhite Limestone Formation in Gloucestershire, with well-developed sedimentary structures, hardgrounds and abun-dant fauna, including bivalves, brachiopods, gastropods,corals, echinoids, zonally diagnostic ammonites and the fossilred alga Solenopora jurassica. Through contrast and compar-ison with related sites, Foss Cross Quarry has provided crucialdata for the reconstruction of palaeoenvironments that exist-ed in the warm, shallow sea that covered much of present dayGloucestershire and Oxfordshire during the middle Jurassicperiod.

The quarry was established just west of the old Cirencesterto Andoversford railway and was worked for limestone ballastin the first half of the twentieth century. The pit was subse-quently used for tipping, but a 200m section of the rock facewas preserved as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)on geological grounds alone. Landfill activity ceased in themid 1990s leaving the SSSI as a quiet hollow, isolated at thecentre of a large grassy field of made ground. While the land-fill site was monitored, the SSSI was completely neglected forwell over a decade, and the remaining quarry section filled tooverflowing with briars, nettles and crumbling rock.

Happily, in 2007 - 2008, Gloucestershire Geology Trust(GGT) obtained funding from the Aggregates LevySustainability Fund to renovate and publicise several linkedsites in the Cotswolds. With the approval of the county coun-cil and support from Natural England, Foss Cross was select-ed as one of these, and the fortunes of the quarry werereversed at last.

The initial aim was to clear and conserve just the southernthird of the quarry, open that part to the public and producea simple guide to the geology. These objectives wereachieved, and furthermore, through careful use of the ALSFbudget and substantial practical and material assistance fromthe county council and the Cotswolds Conservation Board(CCB) volunteers, it also became possible to clear an accessroute through the whole of the site and start construction of apath and viewing area on the landfill slope opposite the cen-tral section of the cliff face.

The guide to the geology was written and printed, as partof the popular series of "Gloucestershire Uncovered" land-scape and geology trail leaflets. These are aimed at bothamateur geologists and the general public, encouraging themto venture off the beaten tourist track to appreciate the rocksthat underlie the whole character of the natural and built land-scape.

At this stage, in summer 2008, with a glossy guide on saleat tourist outlets, a team of enthusiastic volunteers on hand,and the potential for the remainder of the site apparent, fund-ing ran out. Thankfully, the Geologist's Association cameto the rescue!

During the last year, a grant of £1300 from the Curry Fundhas enabled materials to be purchased and the following workto be done by GGT and CCB volunteers:- a long ramp has been built at the north end of the quarry,

allowing "nose to the rockface" access to the whole succes-sion,- the framework of the perimeter path and viewing area has

been completed (and will be filled with stone or bark chippingsthis summer),- trees and bushes have been planted,- grass and wild flower seed has been purchased (to be sownon the landfill slope later this year).

Meanwhile, Gloucestershire County Council has continued toshow its commitment to the renovation of the site by payingfor their skilled horticulturalists to take a raised platform intothe quarry to treat all vegetation and remove loose rock fromthe cliff face. By autumn this year, they will also have spreadand stabilised a new layer of soil on the landfill slope, andsown the grass seed purchased with money from the CurryFund.

Foss Cross Quarry will remain a work in progress for some

time to come, as the landscaping work is completed and hope-fully, as educational materials are developed.

Fossils and structures at the quarry have been the subjectof academic research on several occasions in the past, but theimproved accessibility of the site has allowed local profession-al geologist, sequence stratigrapher and Jurassic carbonatespecialist, Dr Christopher Toland, to log the whole exposure indetail and take samples for thin section. It is hoped that hiscurrent research will shed more light on the palaeo-environ-mental setting, including water depth and palaeosalinity.

Members of the public can already visit the southern sectionof the site, as described in the Gloucestershire Uncoveredguide. Access is via the household recycling yard on the laneto the village of Calmsden from the A429 (Fosse Way), andvisitors must sign in and read the safety instructions at thesite office before walking to the quarry. Once the landfill sloperenovation work is complete, the whole site will be open to thepublic. Meanwhile, group visits can be arranged by contact-ing Gloucestershire Geology Trust (seewww.glosgeotrust.org.uk).

Foss Cross Quarry is now a quiet, pretty place, especially inSpring, when daffodils, apple blossom and snowdrops com-plement the honey-coloured rock and birdsong fills the air. Itis looking cared for again - and that is what geoconservationis all about. This transformation has been brought aboutthrough the cooperative work of many people, fromGloucestershire Geology Trust, Gloucestershire CountyCouncil, Natural England, May Gurney household recyclingyard and the Cotswolds Conservation Board. GloucestershireGeology Trust thanks the Aggergates Levy SustainabilityFund, Gloucestershire County Council and the Geologist'sAssociation Curry Fund for their financial support.

Julie Harrald GloucestershireGeology Trust

Foss Quarry upgrade - work supported in part by the Curry Fund

A Six Day Fieldtrip: 25TH-30TH OCTOBER 2009

Led by Professor Donny Hutton BSc, MA, PhD

With full board accommodation and cuisine provided by Wiz Clift

PUT YOURSELF IN THE HANDS OF THE EXPERTS!Top level tuition on the continental collision

process from an international research scientist.Superb cuisine and beautiful gite accommodation

from a top level chef and host.A relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere based in

Haute-Provence.

Prices include: tuition, accommodation, food, wine andlocal transport.

For more information go to:www.wizinfrance.com

mag31.qxd 12/08/2009 12:38

GA magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No. 3, 2009 21

Somerset Earth ScienceCentre

Having organised a number ofRockwatch field trips to the old EastMendip Study Centre at WhatleyQuarry, it was a great pleasure to beinvited to the official opening of itssuperb replacement. On an incrediblyrainy July day, HRH The Princess Royalofficially opened this state of the art,carbon neutral, Earth Science Centreat Moons Hill Quarry near Stoke St.Michael, Somerset. The Centre offers arange of curriculum friendly topicsthrough Key Stages 1 - 4 and also forfurther and higher education students.Topics can include quarrying, geology,river management, sustainable devel-opment, environmental impact man-

agement and many others, to suitgroup requirements. Splendid use ismade of local stone to line the walls ofthe Centre, so introducing visitors toone of the important aspects of geolo-gy as soon as they set foot inside thebuilding!

The classroom at the centre is wellequipped with all the latest teachingaids and has facilities for those withdisabilities and special needs.Teaching takes place in the centreclassroom, around the site's lake andwoodlands and additional field trips tonearby sites of relevance and interest.Staff are all experienced and highlymotivated. During term-time, the cen-tre is fully booked by schools but inthe evenings and during school holi-days it is available for wider communi-ty use. Rockwatch is already organis-

ing its first field trip to this superb newcentre!

The Centre, like the old East MendipStudy Centre, is supported, fundedand managed by the Mendips QuarryProducers (MQP). The MQP securedgrants from the Somerset MineralsForum for a feasibility study and fromthe Somerset CC's Aggregates LevySustainability Fund. Many local quar-rying companies helped and supportthe project to drive the dream toreality.

Details for booking, e-mail:[email protected] or tel:01749 840 274

Susan Brown

mag31.qxd 17/08/2009 20:06

GA magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No. 3, 200922

The site at Sutton Knoll (RockhallWood SSSI) has been actively main-tained by GeoSuffolk members since2003. Sutton Knoll is arguably Suffolk'spremier geological site, famous as a'fossil island' of Coralline Crag duringRed Crag times, and recent work hasenabled a better understanding of thesite. Sutton Knoll has thus become anideal location for educational visits andmany field groups have come to theKnoll in recent years. Not only are theLondon Clay (sometimes), CorallineCrag and Red Crag to be seen, but alsoevidence of the Kesgrave Sands &Gravel proto-Thames deposits.Sedimentology, palaeontology, indus-trial/economic geology (the C19thcoprolite industry), building stones,history of geology, Miocene Boxstonesare all relevant to this unique site. Andto encourage lay interest GeoSuffolkhave this year installed an explanatoryand interpretive panel adjacent to thepublic footpath on the northern bound-ary of the SSSI.

To enhance the site further as aneducational tool, as part of a continu-ing programme of site development,the idea arose of creating a 'Plioceneplantation'. Pollen analyses are uncom-mon for the Crags - preservation isvery poor (if at all) in the coarse, oxi-dised sediments, and British PlioceneCrag floras are still relatively poorlyknown. However, pollen analyses fromthe Coralline Crag, including at Sutton,have shown Pinus-dominated assem-blages with Sequoia, Picea,Sciadopitys, Abies, Tsuga and others,including Liquidambar and Juniper,with heathers and grasses. They indi-cate a nearby Pliocene landscape dom-inated by forests containing a signifi-cant number of exotic species fromEastern Asia and North America.

With advice from Professor RichardWest, GeoSuffolk have planted fourextant Coralline Crag trees:Sciadopitys verticillata, Liquidambarstyraciflua, Tsuga canadensis and nearthe explanatory panel. The projectwas funded by the Curry Fund ofthe Geologists' Association.

GeoSuffolk member Barry Hall, ahorticulturalist by profession andresponsible for the maintenance of theSutton Knoll site, conceptualised theproject and guided the work on "ThePliocene Forest". Deer and rabbits area very real problem and major threatto the plants in their early years; thismeant the erection of protective fenc-ing, creating a safe enclosure andmaking use of remnants of an old ani-mal pen. Although on shelly Cragdeposits, ph tests consistently gaveresults in the 6.3-6.4 range - well suit-ed to these plants. A special manure-based compost and weathered bonfire

ash was used at each planting site toimprove water retention and soil struc-ture of the free-draining sandy soil.Continued nurturing and maintenance- watering and weeding - is neededuntil the plants become truly estab-lished.

Barry's concept envisaged the use of2m 'standards' to provide immediatevisual impact:1. Sciadopitys verticillata (JapaneseUmbrella Pine) is the most unusual,having a fossil record that goes backsome 230Ma and already in decline by

the mid-Cretaceous. Endemic to Japan,where it was worshipped since theearly C14th, and with vulnerable con-servation status, it has no close rela-tives and is the sole representative ofits own family. A slow-growing ever-green, it reaches 20-30m in height andis noted for bearing long green clado-des composed of stem tissue, whichperform the function of leaves.2. Liquidambar styraciflua

(Sweetgum), a common hardwoodnative to the south-eastern states ofNorth America, is a popular ornamen-tal tree grown for its intense yellow,red and purple autumn colours andusually 20-35m tall. A similar form isfound in the Miocene of Europe. Theform grown at Sutton is 'Worplesdon',a cutleaf cultivar.3. Tsuga heterophylla (WesternHemlock) can grow to 80m in its nativeNorth American west coast habitat andhas both medicinal and edible uses. Itslong drooping branch tips make it afavourite evergreen conifer for gardensand parks.4. Tsuga canadensis (EasternHemlock) 'Jeddeloh', one of over 300

cultivars of the species, is a dwarfshrub form reaching 2m in width. Thisspecies also has extensive medicinaland edible uses.

This is just the beginning of thePliocene Forest. It will grow in time,both upwards and sideways as moreplanting takes place. Already the red-leaved annual Atriplex hortensis var.rubra (Red Orach) has joined the trees,the first of others in the family to beplanted at Sutton; it self-seeds freely -so next year ...

To steal a line from Barry, "If alwayshaving something to look forward to isthe secret of a long life, then plantingout a 'Pliocene Forest' surely fits thebill most admirably".

Your chance to win a realSciadopitys verticillata: theGeoSuffolk raffle at the GA Festivalof Geology on October 31st - comeand see our stand!

Roger Dixon

THE PLIOCENE FORESTGreen shoots from GeoSuffolk and the Curry Fund

Sciadopitys in the foreground, Tsuga

Canadensis is the low shrub, purple Atriplex isunder the Liquidambar and Barry is tending

the T. Heteropylla.

Barry and the GA Curry Fund plaque just installed.

Demonstrating the finer points of Sciadopitys toa field group.

Coralline Crag, the 'Pliocene Forest' enclo-sure and the Deben Estuary beyond.

The GeoSuffolk interpretive panel and the'Pliocene Forest' enclosure on the flank of Sutton

Knoll.

mag31.qxd 17/08/2009 20:05

GA magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No. 3 , 2009 23

mag31.qxd 17/08/2009 20:05

AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION

mag31.qxd 12/08/2009 12:35

mag31.qxd 17/08/2009 20:08 Page 1 MAGAZINE OF THE …€¦ · world-famous site of Kents Cavern in...

Documents

Transcript of mag31.qxd 17/08/2009 20:08 Page 1 MAGAZINE OF THE …€¦ · world-famous site of Kents Cavern in...