Tuesday 22 December 2015

Geology of the Salisbury Cathedral Close

The Wiltshire Geology Group has just produced a new  geological guide for an hour or so self-guided walk round the Salisbury Cathedral Close. It is in a 12 page concertina and laminated form to make it handy and waterproof to carry in the hand. It explores the local geology and how this is reflected in the materials used to construct this exquisite space within the heart of Salisbury.
It is priced at just £2 and available from the Cathedral and Museum shops and the Sarum Bookshop.

7th January - New Dinosaur discoveries

New Dinosaur discoveries
Ben Garrod
7 January 2016, 7.30pm—9pm
Free – donations welcome

New and astounding dinosaur fossils continue to be discovered across the globe, shedding ever more light on what dinosaurs were and how they lived.
Ben Garrod will discuss some of these new findings about animals which were dominant on land for about 135 million years from  the Triassic, through the Jurassic and into the Cretaceous geological periods. He will talk in particular about a recent titanosaur discovery that he’s been following as part of a BBC 1 programme. This has included him helping 3D scan the largest thigh bone he’s ever seen.
Please note, the lecture takes place at Tyndall Lecture Theatre, University of Bristol NOT Bristol Museum & Art Gallery. Parking can be difficult so please arrive an extra 15 minutes to allow plenty of time. Access on foot is via the Royal Fort entrance, along the path and to the left.
Book your free ticket now

Wednesday 9 December 2015

Mount Etna erupts

Sky lights up over Sicily as Mount Etna's Voragine crater erupts

Megastorms that throw boulders over cliffs

This photo shows one of the mysterious boulders on 
the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas  
Charles Ommanney/The Washington Post

Tuesday 1 December 2015

Sunday 29 November 2015

December 3rd - Geology of Anglesey

Bath Geological Society - December 3rd
The Geology of Anglesey

Dave Green, Geostudies
For years the geology of Anglesey has caused controversy amongst those studying its complex arrangement of seemingly unrelated fault blocks, particularly the status of the PreCambrian (or are they?) granites and gneisses, sedimentary extrusive sequence, blueschists, ophiolitic/deep ocean facies and melange. So complex that the very stratigraphy has been completely overhauled and re-interpreted twice during the last 100 years. In comparison, the thin and deformed unconformably overlying Lower Palaeozoic rocks are simple, as are the Upper Palaeozoic sediments, with their excellent environmental indicators. On a final note of controversy - why is Anglesey, composed largely of ancient, resistant rocks, so flat in comparison to the nearby mountains of Snowdonia? This talk and the field trip to follow, will attempt to outline the main elements of the geology of the island and the evidence that has produced such geological controversy.
This talk will be followed by a visit to Anglesey in 2016.
7.30p.m. BRLSI, 16 Queen Square, Bath
Everyone welcome - visitors £4 - free refreshment

Cambrian explosion - amazing new discovery

The Journal of the Geological Society’s series of ‘Review Focus’ articles on fossil Lagerstätten continues with recently discovered fossils from Emu Bay, South Australia, which are casting new light on the early evolution of vision…

Friday 20 November 2015

Royal award for volcanology research by the University of Bristol

The University of Bristol has been awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher Education – the highest accolade for any academic institution – in recognition of its world-leading research in volcanology. 


Researchers from the group played a key advisory role following the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull.  Volcanic hazards are now explicit in the UK National Risk Register and the risk to aviation has been significantly reduced; ash clouds are better understood, monitored and predicted due to the implementation of the group’s research findings.  Their free web tool, PlumeRise, which gives more accurate estimates of the amount of ash injected into the atmosphere during a volcanic eruption, is now used by numerous institutions worldwide.

Large diamond discovered

Second largest gem quality diamond ever found recovered in Botswana


Colour-in Geology Map

Have you seen the Colour-in geology map of the UK and Ireland?


Another brilliant addition to the BGS website.

Wednesday 4 November 2015

17th November - 3D ground models for offshore wind farms

Western Regional Group 
3D ground models for offshore wind farms:
Integrated teams for integrated models
Sean Pearce 
S.H Reynolds Lecture Theatre, Bristol University, Bristol.  
6:30pm Start - everyone welcome

Dinosaur with tail feathers and skin tissue

Astonishingly well-preserved dinosaur found with fossilized tail feathers and skin tissue.
 Credit: Julius Csotonyi
 An illustration of Ornithomimus based on the findings of preserved tail feathers and soft tissue. While studying at the University of Alberta, a first-year palaeontology student stumbled across a surprisingly well-preserved dinosaur fossil, with its tail feathers and some soft tissue remarkably intact. This Ornithomimus ('bird mimic') dinosaur, existed in the Late Cretaceous period in what is now modern-day North America.

Tuesday 27 October 2015

November 5th - Decorative & Building Stones / November 7th - Geologists' Association Festival

November 5th - The Geology of Decorative and Building Stones at Kingston Lacy; the William Bankes Palladian Mansion and Park, near Wimborne, Dorset.
Peter Bath, Dorset Geologists' Association Group
Kingston Lacy Hall is a major, but little known, competitor to Chatsworth for decorative polished stone; notably for foreign stones of Grand Tour Provenance. Two dozen notable rocks from the African Precambrian basement, Mesozoic Sediments and many resulting from the Alpine and Apennine Orogenies have been used extensively. They will be named, described and their provenance explored.
Further details - Bath Geological Society
7.30p.m. at BRLSI 16 Queen Square, Bath - everyone welcome - visitors £4 - free refreshment

November 7th - Geologists' Association Festival


Thursday 15 October 2015

Rock clearance day at Saltford - 20th November

Rock clearance day at Saltford
Friday 20 November 
Meet: 10:30am at the clearance site. Finish at 4pm.
Simon Carpenter is organising a rock clearance day on Friday 20 November to clean up a late Triassic/White Lias site close to the Railway Path at Saltford ST 691668. The site will eventually be part of a new geology trail around the village and I need your help.
The rock outcrop occurs along the rim of the cutting and I need a team to help clear ivy and vegetation covering the current rock face as well as removing a substantial talus slope that covers and obscures the lower part of the exposure. It should be possible to complete this work in one day.
If you are interested (volunteer days can be real fun, especially if the weather is nice), please ring or email me to register your interest: 01373 474086 and/or simonccarpenter@gmail.com
You will need to bring a spade, thick work gloves, secateurs and or loppers - some extra tools will be available if you don't have any of your own.  Bring packed lunch or there is the Bird in Hand pub a short distance away.  Bring lots to drink and warm clothing, if it's cold. 
There is a regular bus service to Saltford (X39) from Bath and Bristol or the site can be reached by bicycle of walking.  There is some car parking near the River Avon at 'The Shallows' and the rock exposure can be reached from here by a short walk.  There will be signs placed on the railway path adjacent to the rock exposure so that you don't miss it.  

Wednesday 7 October 2015

Field trip to Anglesey, May 2016 - Lecture December 3rd 2015

Bath Geological Society
Field trip to Anglesey, Cemaes Bay in north Anglesey
27th to 30th May 2016
Dave Green, Geostudies
The course will start at 7.30 pm on 27th and is based at the Harbour Hotel in Cemaes Bay. The course ends at lunch time on 30th May near the Menai Straits bridge, but details will be given of other sites to visit for those who wish to stay on.
The cost for tuition is £40 of which only £20 is refundable.
Transport is by private car to the location. Sharing is advisable during the course due to narrow roads. Book your own accommodation, but if you do not stay at the Harbour Hotel, please be nearby and be prepared to eat the evening meal there, to enable discussion in the evening session.

3rd December this year, Dave Green is giving a talk on the complex and controversial geology of Anglesey. 
Firm expressions of interest are requested after that date, with payment shortly after (cheques to Bath Geological Society). There is a maximum of 20 places on the course.
Further details from the secretary.

Tuesday 6 October 2015

Mystery object found on the Bath GS Manor Farm trip


The object above was found at Borrow Pit, Manor Farm, Aust - a Triassic mystery.  An expert's opinion is as follows:-
"My interpretation of this is that it lacks the symmetry and detail to be a fossil animal in its own right, though algal activity may have played a part in producing the lumps on the surface.  It has a slightly laminated appearance and I believe it to be a sedimentary accretion.  Whether it has a nucleus of any kind could only be resolved by sectioning and polishing it, but I did notice the tell-tale signs of pyrite decay products around the edge of the central lamina.
Pyrite is widespread in the Westbury Formation.  It exists as individual cubes, clusters (framboids) and granules, and is largely responsible for the bluish black colour of the sediment. It arose as a result of the reaction between iron hydroxide gels (these are excreted by algal blooms) and sulphur liberated by sulphur-reducing bacteria sourced from organic matter such as coprolites or decaying plant material. The effect of one of these FeS clusters (they only need to be a few microns in diameter) at the sediment/water interface is to create a patch wherein the pH of the pore seawater is considerably reduced in relation to its surroundings; an acid bubble, if you like. Trapped within the sediment, this can have the effect of attracting, dissolving and then precipitating any calcareous material suspended in the seawater.
Bear in mind that the environment at this time was in the process of changing from the brackish marine conditions of the first Upper Triassic incursion, to the fluvial channel conditions of the much more calcareous Cotham Member, and ultimately culminated in the lagoonal, nodular calcareous mudstone strings of the pre "White Lias"  After the desert conditions of the Keuper, things became more and more propitious for shelled marine life, so it sort of fed off itself and there would have been more and more calcareous material present in the water, starting from small beginnings. Rhythmic precipitation of this sort, discussed by Tony Hallam in about 1966 I think, responds to seasonal and even diurnal temperature and salinity changes and proceeds from small pea-sized "nummular" nodules to gradually bigger ones and finally coalescing into continuous beds. Hope this helps."
It certainly does, thank you!

Wednesday 30 September 2015

Good lectures - October 1st and October 7th

October 1st
A Bug’s Life: The role of micropalaeontology in industrial problem solving
Professor Malcolm Hart, Emeritus Professor of Micropalaeontology at the University of Plymouth
Micropalaeontology is the study of microscopic fossils and has been used extensively by the hydrocarbons industry for the stratigraphical correlation of rock successions (especially recovered in boreholes). In many quarrying or engineering projects stratigraphical “control” is also required and this will be explained using the site investigation for the Thames Barrier and the construction of the Channel Tunnel as the leading examples.
Bath Geological Society for details

Wednesday October 7th
William Smith Bicentenary: Visualising Landscapes and Geology, Past, Present and Future
Professor Iain Stewart, University of Plymouth
The Geological Society of London, Wills Memorial Building, University of Bristol

New duck-billed, plant eating dinosaur

Click here to read story and watch video

Friday 28 August 2015

Geosites mobile app

With just over three weeks left to enter the 100 Great Geosites photo competition, it’s now easier than ever to find a geosite near you! This week saw the launch of the 100 Great Geosites mobile app, created in partnership with mapping and analytics company Esri UK, which allows users to search for their nearest site and plan a visit.

Rare Nautilus sighted for the first time in three decades

Nautilus pompilius (left) swimming next to a rare 
Allonautilus scrobiculatus (right) off
Ndrova Island in Papua New Guinea.
Photo: Peter Ward

Friday 21 August 2015

Dates to note in September

3rd September - Geological evolution of N American cordillera
Dr Doug Robinson
7.30 BRLSI, 16 Queen Square, Bath
Bath Geological Society

9th September 2015 - Tour of Redcliffe Caves, Bristol.
7pm at the Ostrich Pub - BS1 6TJ
Western Region, The Geological Society
 
19th September - Aust Cliff & Manor Farm, South Gloucestershire
Simon Carpenter
Bath Geological Society

Friday 14 August 2015

Survey of footpaths in UK


The Big Pathwatch is an ambitious campaign by the Ramblers to survey the condition of every footpath in the country. Because of the scale of this project, we acknowledge that we will not be able to do this on our own, and are therefore inviting every member of the public who likes walking to help us.
To take part sign in here.

Wednesday 12 August 2015

19th September - Aust Cliff and Manor Farm

Bath Geological Society
Saturday 19 September 2015
Aust Cliff and Manor Farm, South Gloucestershire
Leader: Simon Carpenter
This field trip visits two important Upper Triassic sites in South Gloucestershire representing arid coastal, shallow marine and lagoonal environments. There is an abundant marine fauna, particularly bivalves and the Westbury beds are renowned for their fish and reptile remains - particularly isolated teeth and bones. The National Grid will be undertaking repair works on their pylon during mid-September and removing talus from the Aust cliff section alongside the concrete causeway - so there may be some disruption to our visit. Simon will bring material from his own collection that he has found at both sites.
It may be muddy, so please bring boots. Packed lunch or optional pub visit (Boars Head, Aust). Bring hammers and collecting bags.
Meet 10:30a.m. at the old Aust ferry jetty (ST 564889).
There is some parking along the roadside close to this point.
Finish at 3:30pm. The route to Aust (M5) is very busy on a Saturday so leave plenty of time for your journey.
Please Register for the Field trip with the Field Secretary

Tuesday 11 August 2015

Field Geology in Pembrokeshire (Part 1)

Lifelong Learning 4 day course
Field Geology in Pembrokeshire (Part 1) 
Two weekends in October: 10th, 11th and 24th, 25th
10.00 am – 5.00 pm each day


The Pembrokeshire landscape differs from much of Wales in that it is largely unmountainous, with extensive areas forming plateaux lying below 183m (600 ft). This course will visit a number of key locations, mostly coastal and in the north of the county, examining rocks formed during Precambrian, Cambrian and Ordovician times.
The course is divided into two weekends to maximise safe tidal access and extent of rock exposures on beaches.
No prior knowledge of the area or geology is assumed.
Please note you will need to make your own travel and accommodation arrangements, with meeting times and places to be confirmed.  
The course is organised through Cardiff University. If carries assessment, which is very difficult to fail! Attendees usually find assessment on these courses useful for consolidating what they have learned.
Tuition fee is £152.00  (concessionary fee available £122.00).
Enrolments can be made by ‘phoning 029  2087  0000  or see website
For more information on course content and specific locations, contact tutor. 

Monday 10 August 2015

Bath Geological Society - CHANGES

Please note the following changes to our lecture and field trip programme
September 3rd
Geological evolution of N American cordillera
Dr Doug Robinson

The North American Cordilleran mountain chain runs N-S along western North America, and reaches up to ~ 500 km in width. The chain consists of a number of mountain ranges such as the Rocky Mountains and Coast Ranges, along with a variety of geological entities including the Basin and Range Province, Colorado plateau, Cascade volcanic arc, Columbia flood basalts and the Yellowstone plateau. These different regions record a remarkable geological evolution over a period greater than the entire Phanerozoic. This evolution records the change of the western coast from a passive margin, marking the breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent in the late Precambrian, to an active subducting margin culminating in the Larimide orogeny and the formation of the Cordilleran mountain belts. The Tertiary evolution marks the orogenic collapse phase, with the plate boundary between the Pacific and North American plates changing from a destructive margin to one involving the two transcurrent faults of the San Andreas and Queen Charlotte zones, separated by the remnant of the destructive margin that has given rise to the Cascades volcanic chain.

Saturday September 19th (changed from the 12th)
Aust Cliff
Simon Carpenter

Details to follow within the next few days. To register for the trip, please email.

Sunday 2 August 2015

Wiltshire Geology Group AGM - August 10th

Wiltshire Geology Group AGM
Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, Devizes
Monday 10th August 2015 at 7pm.
Please contact the secretary if you wish to receive the agenda or minutes from 2014. Nominations for the roles of chairman, secretary or treasurer must be received prior to the AGM.
If the door to the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is locked when you arrive for the AGM, or if you arrive slightly late, please follow the directions on the front door, where there will be a mobile 'phone number.
Wiltshire Wildlife Trust
Elm Tree Court
Long Street
Devizes
SN10 1NJ

Tuesday 28 July 2015

The Geological Evolution of the NW USA.

The Geological Evolution of the NW USA.
Leader: Dr Doug Robinson
Saturday 28 May - Sunday June 12th 2016
The trip will occupy 14 nights, flying into Seattle in Washington State and out of Denver in Colorado.
The weather can be expected to be very variable; temperatures should range from low 60s to lows 70s during the day. The western NW USA usually has its driest period during the summer, but the Yellowstone, and Rocky Mt region near Denver are at high altitude and it is not unknown for snow to fall in summer/early autumn.
There are 15 places available
Transport will be using three rental 7-seat vehicles driven by members of the group.
A provisional cost including return flights, twin shared accommodation each night (in Best Western type motels) and rental of vehicles is £2,375 (+/-5%) per person. Additional costs include: travel to/from LHR; all meals; insurance; shared fuel (~£60); shared passes for park entry (~£25). Optional cost for trips e.g. 20 min helicopter tour of Mt St Helens (~£110).
If you are interested, please contact Doug Robinson.

BRLSI - Strawberry Bank Fossils

BRLSI collections  
- remarkable fossils from Strawberry Bank, Ilminster, Somerset...

Lego Geology

Research Geology In Action!
Please help support this project to show other STEM research opportunities!
Click here

"I'm a female research geologist with a love of lego- this is a sample of my career. The scene here shows research geologists discovering minerals in a limestone rock formation and the characterization of the minerals in the laboratory.
The entire project has 213 pieces total.
Field geology: A female and male geologist with a dog (there's always the obligatory geology dog) exploring a crystal cave system complete with stratigraphic layers. Accessory pieces include:  compass/brunton, rock hammer, shovel, and a geology dog.
Petrographic laboratory: Petrographic laboratory: Mineral analysis performed with a light microscope and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) complete with an electron backscatter detector to distinguish phases and an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) to determine elemental composition using
microanalysis software."

Thursday 16 July 2015

Petrological microscopes for sale

Disposal of surplus teaching microscopes: £100 each
The Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford has a number of former teaching Swift polarizing microscopes to dispose of. Each microscope has been regularly serviced, with optics cleaned and aligned and annually electrically tested (expires end of June 2015).
The cost of each microscope is £100 (collection free, shipping extra).
Viewing instruments prior to purchase is recommended.

 Prior-Swift MP81: sliding analyser and betrand lens, 3 objectives (x4, x10, x40), centering screws, instruction booklet. Weight 6kg
Swift MP120 (the last all British made polarising microscope): sliding analyser and betrand lens, 3 objectives (x4, x10, x40), objective centering screws, instruction booklet. Weight 6.5kg
For further information on availability contact:
Owen Green
Geological Facilities Manager
Department of Earth Sciences
University of Oxford
South Parks Road
Oxford, OX1 3AN
Tel: 01865 272071 or email

Pluto








Read more

Tuesday 14 July 2015

Ancient underwater volcanic range may explain why Australia and New Zealand separated

A chance discovery by an Australian scientific vessel searching for lobster larvae has uncovered a range of underwater volcanoes that have remained inactive, and unknown, for an estimated  50 million years.
While scanning the seabed more than 150 miles off the coast of Sydney, scientists found a cluster of volcanoes sitting three miles beneath the ocean’s surface. In all there were four extinct volcanoes, the largest nearly a mile wide and rising some 2,000ft above the sea floor.
The volcanoes, now calderas which form after the eruption when the land around them collapses, may reveal why Australia and New Zealand separated between 40 and 80 million years ago.
Read more

Wednesday 8 July 2015

Moroccan fossils




Spectacular Moroccan fossils 
redefine evolutionary timelines

Click here

Geological Wealth of Wales

Venue            
Atkins, The Hub (Ground Floor), 500 Park Avenue, Aztec West, Almondsbury, Bristol, BS32 4RZ.
Click here for download

Tuesday 30 June 2015

What's really warming the world?


Read more

Significance of bizarre exteinct creature revealed

A bizarre extinct creature that has mystified scientists since its 500m-year fossil was first unearthed more than a century ago has finally revealed its teeth – placing it centre stage in the evolution of many complex life-forms living today.
Hallucigenia, which owes its name to its unworldly appearance, was so odd that scientists initially confused its top from its bottom and its head from its tail. However, a study has now unequivocally identified its mouth, complete with a fearsome ring of sharp teeth.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge have also identified a pair of simple eyes on Hallucigenia’s head and have determined that it was a close relative of the last common ancestor of everything from tiny velvet roundworms to huge lobsters.
Read more

Wednesday 24 June 2015

June 27th - Bicentenary celebration of William Smith and local history, Timsbury



July 2nd - Global greenhouse event 55 million years ago

The Paleocene - Eocene thermal maximum: a geological insight into what is to come?
Dr. Stephen Grimes, School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Plymouth University
July 2nd, 7.30p.m.
The Paleocene - Eocene thermal maximum is a global greenhouse event that happened approximately 55 million years ago. This talk will explore the causes of this event and the impact it had upon the global biota and whether it can provide insights into what may happen if current global climate change continues unchecked.
7.30 p.m. BRLSI, 16 Queen Square, Bath
Everyone welcome, visitors £4, free refreshments
Bath Geological Society

Mini ice age?

Mini Ice Age may be heading our way! Met Office issues warning that temperatures could plummet as Sun enters cooler phase. The last big chill was felt hundreds of years ago when Frost Fairs were held on the frozen River Thames. The prediction is based on counting sun spots – dark patches on the sun – that are hot spots and signs of increased solar activity.
Read more

Monday 22 June 2015

William Smith Bicentenary Lectures

FREE tickets for lectures at Bristol Uni are now available to book - click here
William Smith Bicentenary Lectures
Great Hall, Will Memorial Building, University of Bristol

Lectures are free, but tickets must be pre-booked
7 October 2015 - Professor Iain Stewart, 7pm
Underground Britain: the story of what's under our feet, and why it matters
14 October 2015 - Simon Winchester, 7pm
21 October 2015 - Professor John Grotzinger, 7pm
Geological Mapping of Mars with Orbiters and the Curiosity Rover
28 October 2015 - Professor Richard Fortey, 7pm

Tuesday 9 June 2015

July 4th - Black Mountain, western Brecon Beacons

Just a few places left on the coach for this exciting Bath Geological Society field trip to be led by one of our favourite leaders, Dr. Geraint Owen from Swansea University!
The coach is picking up as follows:-
7.55 am. Leave Keynsham Football Club
8.05 am. Leave Bath Newbridge Park and Ride
8.10 am Leave Bath Queens Square
8.30 am  Leave Box Pharmacy
10.45 am ETA Brynammom:
3.30 Anticipated Return
Please email the field secretary to book your place as soon as possible.
Cost £25
The Black Mountain (Mynydd Du) is the western part of the Brecon Beacons. It lies within the Fforest Fawr Geopark and the Brecon Beacons National Park and is traversed by the Beacons Way. The geology comprises gently southward-dipping Palaeozoic strata on the north side (“North Crop”) of the South Wales Coalfield, ranging in age from late Silurian to late Carboniferous. As befits its location within the National Park, the area is scenically attractive, with extensive views to the south over the industrialised South Wales Coalfield and to the north into rural mid Wales. Although outside the area of coal-bearing rocks, the area contains an important legacy of extractive industries and associated infrastructure.
Several sites will be visited and the ground conditions may be rough and wet underfoot in places. Bring warm, waterproof clothing and sturdy, waterproof footwear. Please bring a packed lunch. Safety helmets are advisable at one site.
Further details and suggested reading list are available on request from the Society.

Vallis Vale, de la Beche unconformity SSSI

Alan Holiday and a couple of others from the Dorset Group did some conservation work on the de la Beche site in Vallis Vale, near Frome.



As you can see they did an incredibly good job.
Alan writes that as they were there there were at least a dozen young people camping. They were curious as to what we were doing and had no idea about the geology or the significance of the site. It seems strange that there is no indication this is an SSSI and its geological importance so people might treat the site with more respect. Needless to say they cleared up a some rubbish.
Those of us who use the site are indebted to them; thank you all!

Sunday 7 June 2015

9th June - 24th July - Geology and Landscape of Gloucestershire and surroundings

Geology and Landscape of Gloucestershire and surroundings
A weekly field-based introductory course.
No previous knowledge of geology is assumed
Tuesday evenings 9th June to 21st July 2015
Gloucestershire is one of the most geologically diverse counties in Britain.
The aim of this field-based course is to take you towards an understanding of local scenery.  We will look at the components, the highly diverse rocks and their structure; and processes, weathering, slope forming and erosion which have combined to produce this equally varied landscape, the materials from which the scenery has been sculpted and the processes that have acted upon them since the area emerged from the sea 65 million years ago (about the same time that the dinosaurs became extinct).
No special equipment is necessary, apart from stout footwear and possibly waterproofs - although we will hopefully have six balmy  summer evenings! Meetings are held on Tuesdays each week, meeting at 7.00 pm, finishing at 9.00 pm or later (whenever the party feels in need of refreshment !!) at the following meeting points (see over)
Cost: £50 for 7 week course or £9 per session
For further details telephone Dave Green on 01594 860858 or email.

Friday 5 June 2015

June 14th - Geology of Box, Wiltshire

Box: landscape, rocks and fossils with Elizabeth Devon
14th June, 2.15 Selwyn Hall car park, Box.
The walk will start from the Selwyn Hall car park in Box. After a visit to the nearby Box Rock Circus, we will make our way to the River Bybrook and so to St. Thomas a Becket Church. We shall then walk through the village identifying rocks and fossils en route. We then proceed (slowly) up the sequence of rock types in the valley to Quarry Woods. The views are spectacular and the geology is very clear. In Quarry Woods we will consider the quarrying industry. From here, our walk will take us down over fields to the Millennium sculpture in Lacy Wood and then to the view point of Brunel's famous Box Tunnel. We shall return via footpaths to the recreation ground and so to the Selwyn Hall car park. If time allows, we shall then use the 'Climate through Time' poster to put what we have seen on the walk into perspective. Copies of the poster and a hand-out will be available.
Booking essential - Corsham Walking Festival

Wednesday 3 June 2015

William Smith celebrations in Bath

4th June - lecture at BRLSI by Prof. Hugh Torrens for Bath Geological Society
6th June - field trip led by Prof. Hugh Torrens for the Geologists' Association
13th June - field trip led by Dr. David Workman for Bath Geological Society

Sunday 17 May 2015

11th & 12th July - Two independent field courses - South Malverns & Jurassic of Cotswolds

Dr. Nick Chidlaw is organising the following two courses; they are independent of each other: both courses can be attended, or either course, according to your particular interest / availability. 
Each course has a fee of £25.00 per person.
Contact Nick if you are interested in either or both.

THE SOUTH MALVERNS AND ADJACENT AREAS: a circular geological walk
Saturday 11th July 10.00 am – 5.00 pm.
The dramatic ridge of the Malvern Hills has attracted the curiosity of geologists and naturalists, and drawn walkers for generations. This field day will take you on a gently-paced, circular walk across part of the high south Malverns, and the lower ‘hogs back’ and scarp country to the west, Frequent stops will allow landforms, both near and distant, and their underlying geology to be explained, and rock exposures examined en route. A variety of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks will be studied of Late Precambrian and Silurian age, revealing a legacy from two major episodes of plate tectonic collision and intervening tropical coral-rich seas. The walk is approximately 4 miles long, and no prior knowledge of geology or the area is assumed.

Gullet Quarry and Swinyard Hill just beyond

JURASSIC CONTRASTS OF THE COTSWOLDS: muddy rift basin seas and clear limestone shoals 
Sunday 12th July 10.00 am – 5.00 pm
During the Jurassic period (c. 200 – 145 million years ago), the North Atlantic Ocean basin was only just beginning to open between what is now the United States and NW Africa, and had not yet done so from Newfoundland and Iberia northwards. This latter area, which included the British Isles, was characterised by unstable crustal tension within which the remainder of the ocean basin would eventually open. This unstable crust, overlain by shelf seas and islands, comprised a mosaic of rift basins, each with their own history of subsidence and eventual stabilisation. The area of crust that became the British Isles at this time lay about 40 degrees N and had a humid, sub-tropical climate.  The Cotswolds are located in one of these formerly-active rift basins, and are characterised by strata that indicate repeated rifting and infilling by mostly muddy sediments in the Early Jurassic, and much greater crustal stabilisation, when mostly clear very shallow waters and the deposition of limestones prevailed, in the Middle Jurassic. No prior knowledge of geology or the area is assumed.

  Tuffley Brickpit

Leckhampton Hill Quarries

For each course, a handout outlining the day’s programme, including location sketch maps, optional reading list, geological history, and graphic / written logs detailing the rocks to be studied, will be forwarded in advance of the course to those enrolled.
Please note that for each course you will need to:
- Arrange your own transport
- Bring your own packed lunch, and any refreshments (e.g. flask of coffee, fruit juice, mineral water etc.)
- Wear strong footwear with good tread and ankle support, and have waterproof clothing with you in case weather is poor.
- Wear a hard hat (we will often be close to overhead quarry/cliff faces) – if you do not possess one of these, let me know in advance and I will provide you with one for the day.
You would be insured against accident for the duration of each course.

19th May - Near Surface Geophysics


Friday 8 May 2015

June - William Smith lecture and field trip / July - field trip

June 4th
William Smith's earliest career to 1810 (and thus his time in the Bath area)
Professor Hugh Torrens, Keele University
Further details on Bath GS website

Saturday 13th June
William Smith day: from Tucking Mill along the Somerset Coal Canal
Dr. David Workman, Bath Geological Society
We will walk down to Tucking Mill and follow the canal from there to the Combe Hay lock flight and then back up the hill to Southstoke 
Meet at 10.30 a.m. at Holy Trinity Church, Combe Down. Accessible by bus and there is street parking in the area. We shall finish the walk at Southstoke where some cars will be parked. Strong footwear and packed lunch will be needed.
Contact the field secretary for more information


4th July - Geology of the Black Mountain, western Brecon Beacons
Bath Geological Society is planning to book a coach for this exciting field trip to be led by one of our favourite leaders - 
Dr. Geraint Owen from Swansea University
The coach will start in Box at 8.00 a.m. and then pick up in Bath and Bristol en route. The cost will be £25.
Please email the field secretary to book your place as soon as possible - only a few seats left.

Wednesday 29 April 2015

May 7th - Numerical modelling of sedimentary systems

Bath Geological Society - May lecture
Numbers, models and layered rocks: what can we learn from numerical modelling of sedimentary systems?
Professor Peter Burgess, Head of Department of Earth Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London
While many other areas of science, for example physics and chemistry, can use experiments to help understand how physical systems work, sedimentary geology has for most of its history been limited to observation of natural systems recorded in outcrop and beneath the surface in sedimentary basins. This has been especially problematic for our understanding of how sediments from modern depositional systems, for example deltas and shallow carbonate seas, are incorporated into the stratigraphic record and preserved as layered rocks or strata. An understanding of how sediments are deposited and preserved as strata is key to our understanding of Earth surface systems, and also of significant economic interest for water and hydrocarbon resource exploitation. New developments in the numerical modelling of sedimentary systems have much potential to address many of these issues. This talk will focus on examples of numerical computer modelling and attempt to show how results from these models are changing how we think about the nature of strata. Perhaps most importantly, the examples demonstrate how new hypotheses can be generated from these models, to drive a new generation of data collection from sedimentary rocks in outcrop and in the subsurface.
7.30 p.m. 16 Queen Square, Bath
Everyone welcome - visitors £4 - free refreshment