Dinosaur Art Through the Ages
This YouTube video gives a very good trot through the history of dinosaur studies using the illustrations produced at the time. An entertaining introduction to a fascinating topic.
You can see it full size HERE
Tuesday, 31 October 2017
Lava tube skylight
Nice Photo!
This is a photo taken by the USGS in Hawaii in 1996. I like the shapes of the lava above the skylight into the lava tube. The condemned on their way to Hell? |
| Don't Jump!!! |
Monday, 30 October 2017
More about feathered dinosaurs
Dinosaurs and Camouflage
This article deals with the colour patterns of a small, feathered, meat-eating dinosaur called Sinosauropteryx from the Early Cretaceous of China. A remarkable amount can be interpreted from the camouflage pattern. And the author is from Bristol - but given the topic, that is no surprise!
Don't buy property on the Jersey Shore!
Sea Level Rise and Finance
This is a very interesting and detailed article from the Financial Times looking at the effects of Hurricane Sandy in October 2012 and the likelihood of further disastrous (and expensive) storms. The consequences of state flood insurance are also looked at. It is not necessarily a good thing.
As ever with the FT the comments after the article are well worth having a look at.
Saturday, 28 October 2017
Next week 30th October to 5th November 2017
NEXT WEEKS EVents
The following is an extract from Bristol Geology Calendar
More details can be found in the Calendar and on the web sites of the relevant Society or organisation.
All Week (except Monday)
WhenSun, 13 August, 10:00 – 17:00
WhereBristol Museum & Art Gallery (map)
DescriptionTravel back in time 150 million years and dive into Bristol’s Jurassic seas.
We dare you to come face to face with one very special creature – an eight metre long Pliosaurus called Doris.
She’s the ultimate predator and you’ll be awestruck as you touch her skin, listen to her heartbeat and smell her disgusting breath!
Then travel forward to the present day to find out more about this amazing beast. See her actual fossil – one of the world’s most complete – and play games to discover more about her life and death.
All the family can have fun investigating the science that helped us bring her back to life. Ideal for children aged 3-11 years old.
Discovered in Westbury, Wiltshire in 1994, our internationally significant specimen is the world’s only example of a new species of pliosaur – Pliosaurus carpenteri – and will be on public display for the first time. Pliosaurs are so big that it took ten years to prepare all the fossils that were found.
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery opening times:
Tue-Sun: 10am-5pm
Closed Mondays except Bank Holiday Mondays and Mondays during Bristol school holidays: 10am-5pm
Monday 30th
19:30
Dave Green - The Devonian Period
When
Mon, 30 October, 19:30 – 21:30
Where
Wynstones School, Stroud Road, Whaddon, Gloucester
Description
The Devonian Period 419 to 358 million years ago, this period (whose existence was hotly disputed by Sedgwick and Murchison in the 1820s and 30s) saw the amalgamation of two parts of Britain (but strangely not including Devon!), the emergence of widespread land vegetation, closely followed by insects and terrestrial tetrapods. A major extinction, of disputed origin, wiped out a large proportion of life towards the end of the period. Half the world consisted of a vast ocean (Panthalassa), which, like the modern Pacific, was gradually being destroyed by subduction, in favour of the Rheic and PalaeoTethyian Oceans. Starts Mon 18th September for 10 weeks (not 16th or 23rd Oct), until 4th December Held at Wynstones School, Stroud Road, Whaddon, Gloucester from 7.30-9.30pm on Mondays. Cost £70 (including tea, coffee etc at breaktime!).
Contact Dave Green, Joys Green Farm, Forge Hill, Lydbrook, Glos GL17 9QU Tel 01594 860858
davegeostudies@gmail.com
Tuesday 31st
Wednesday 1st
Thursday 2nd
19:15
Bath Geol Soc Lecture - Fossil plankton from drilling the deep sea; stratigraphy, evolution and climate change
When
Thu, 2 November, 19:15 – 20:45
Where
Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, 16 Queen Square, Bath
Description
Latest research on the ‘so called’ Indo-Pacific warm pool
Professor Paul Pearson, School of Earth & Ocean Sciences, Cardiff University
This talk focuses on the use of microscopic fossils from deep sea sediments and how they were used in recent scientific coring expedition to the Indo-Pacific 'warm pool' - the hottest part of the oceans.
Professor Pearson will describe how microfossils are used to date sediment cores recovered from hundreds of metres below the sea bed, stretching back millions of years in time; what can be learned from them about evolution and extinction in the oceans; and how the chemistry of the shells is used to track changes in temperature, the waxing and waning of the ice sheets, and the role of carbon dioxide in shaping earth's climate history.
Friday 3rd
Saturday 4th
10:30
Festival of Geology
When
Sat, 4 November, 10:30 – 16:30
Where
University of London, Gower Street.
Sunday 5th
Thursday, 26 October 2017
Dinosaur feathers
Dinosaurs on the BBC
Radio 4 had a very interesting programme about feathers on dinosaurs this morning. Among the speakers was Mike Benton of Bristol University. You can listen to it HERE.
The worlds first trees
The Earliest Trees were Very Odd!
This article looks at cladoxylopsids, trees which appeared in the Middle Devonian (390 - 380 million years ago). If you wanted to design a tree you would not start with the cladoxylopsids! They are hollow and the xylem is not a continuous ring - it is a ring of individual parallel strands around the outside of the trunk. This leads to problems in growth - an expansion in tree diameter would lead to the insides detaching and the plant collapsing. Modern trees just have a new xylem layer forming on the outside.
This video explains all! And the cladoxylopsids were soon replaced by more sensible ways of being a tree.
This video explains all! And the cladoxylopsids were soon replaced by more sensible ways of being a tree.
Saturday, 21 October 2017
Next week 23rd to 29th October 2017
NEXT WEEKS EVENTS
11th to 17th September 2017
The following is an extract from Bristol Geology Calendar
More details can be found in the Calendar and on the web sites of the relevant Society or organisation.
All Week (except Monday)
WhenSun, 13 August, 10:00 – 17:00
WhereBristol Museum & Art Gallery (map)
DescriptionTravel back in time 150 million years and dive into Bristol’s Jurassic seas.
We dare you to come face to face with one very special creature – an eight metre long Pliosaurus called Doris.
She’s the ultimate predator and you’ll be awestruck as you touch her skin, listen to her heartbeat and smell her disgusting breath!
Then travel forward to the present day to find out more about this amazing beast. See her actual fossil – one of the world’s most complete – and play games to discover more about her life and death.
All the family can have fun investigating the science that helped us bring her back to life. Ideal for children aged 3-11 years old.
Discovered in Westbury, Wiltshire in 1994, our internationally significant specimen is the world’s only example of a new species of pliosaur – Pliosaurus carpenteri – and will be on public display for the first time. Pliosaurs are so big that it took ten years to prepare all the fossils that were found.
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery opening times:
Tue-Sun: 10am-5pm
Closed Mondays except Bank Holiday Mondays and Mondays during Bristol school holidays: 10am-5pm
ROCKTOBER
The annual celebration of Mendip geology is underway. There are far too many individual events to put in the Calendar so here is the flyer which gives lots of information and access to booking details. You can read it here or download and print it out yourself. Click on the next line to download.
Monday 23rd
WhenMonday, 23 Oct 2017
WhereThe Dean Heritage Centre, Soudley, Camp Hill, Cinderford, GL14 2UB. (map)
DescriptionA fun day to discover the local geology and explore the Dean Heritage Centre. Get involved in the many crafts and activities: make your own prehistoric creature, dig for fossils and gems, bring your own specimens for identification and more!
Tuesday 24th
WhenTuesday, 24 Oct 2017
WhereThe Old Prison, Northleach, GL53 3JH. (map)
DescriptionA fun day to discover the local geology and the prison itself. Get involved in the many crafts and activities: make your own prehistoric creature, dig for fossils and gems, bring your own specimens for identification and more!
Wednesday 25th
Thursday 26th
WhenThu, 26 October, 13:00 – 15:00
WhereGloucester Cathedral, (map)
DescriptionRock and Fossil Roadshow!
Thursday 26 October 1.00pm -3.00pm
Hands on drop-in workshop run by Dr Alice Kennedy of Gloucestershire Geology Trust. An educational and fun way of engaging children with geology, the study of the earth and the processes which shape it. This specially developed roadshow combines a range of activities from plaster-cast fossils to badge making and other prehistoric arts and crafts!
Friday 27th
WhenFriday, 27 Oct 2017
WhereMuseum of Gloucester Brunswick Road Gloucester GL1 1HP Tel: 01452 396131 (map)
DescriptionThe day in the life of a palaeontologist
Palaeontologist
Saturday 28th
Sunday 29th
Thursday, 19 October 2017
Atlas of the Underworld
Atlas of the Underworld
This intriguing title is actually a very serious cataloguing of subducted plates in the Earth's mantle. You can find it HERE. They identify 94 (!) different subducted plates. And that is only those from the last 300 million years! (After about 250 million years the subducted slab has come to the same temperature as the mantle and therefore cannot be distinguished by seismic tomography.)
There is a vast amount of data on the site and it is well worth looking at.
There is a vast amount of data on the site and it is well worth looking at.
Google Earth map of the subducted plates. Click on the top right symbol to get the map in a larger form; click on the top left symbol to access even more data.
Tuesday, 17 October 2017
A new look at Old Faithful
The Plumbing of Old Faithful
This article looks at current work on the geology of the Old Faitful geyser in Yellowstone National Park.
 |
| Old Faithful in action |
To look at the subsurface they used portable seismometers and the seismic source used was not hitting the ground with a hammer but the hydrothermal features themselves.
It turns out that Old Faithful's reservoir is much larger than was thought and extends some distance from the geyser and under several buildings in the area including the iconic Old Faithful Inn!
Saturday, 14 October 2017
Next week 16th to 23rd October 2017
NEXT WEEKS EVENTS
11th to 17th September 2017
The following is an extract from Bristol Geology Calendar
More details can be found in the Calendar and on the web sites of the relevant Society or organisation.
All Week (except Monday)
WhenSun, 13 August, 10:00 – 17:00
WhereBristol Museum & Art Gallery (map)
DescriptionTravel back in time 150 million years and dive into Bristol’s Jurassic seas.
We dare you to come face to face with one very special creature – an eight metre long Pliosaurus called Doris.
She’s the ultimate predator and you’ll be awestruck as you touch her skin, listen to her heartbeat and smell her disgusting breath!
Then travel forward to the present day to find out more about this amazing beast. See her actual fossil – one of the world’s most complete – and play games to discover more about her life and death.
All the family can have fun investigating the science that helped us bring her back to life. Ideal for children aged 3-11 years old.
Discovered in Westbury, Wiltshire in 1994, our internationally significant specimen is the world’s only example of a new species of pliosaur – Pliosaurus carpenteri – and will be on public display for the first time. Pliosaurs are so big that it took ten years to prepare all the fossils that were found.
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery opening times:
Tue-Sun: 10am-5pm
Closed Mondays except Bank Holiday Mondays and Mondays during Bristol school holidays: 10am-5pm
ROCKTOBER
The annual celebration of Mendip geology is underway. There are far too many individual events to put in the Calendar so here is the flyer which gives lots of information and access to booking details. You can read it here or download and print it out yourself. Click on the next line to download.
Monday
Teme Valley Geological Society Lecture - Mountain Building
WhenMon, 16 October, 10:00 – 11:00
Where
Description
Tuesday
Geol Soc Western - Lecture
WhenTue, 17 October, 18:00 – 20:00
Where
Description
SMFS Evening Meeting
WhenTue, 17 October, 19:30 – 22:00
Where
Description
Wednesday
Thursday
Thornbury Geology Group meeting
WhenThu, 19 October, 19:30 – 20:30
Description
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Friday, 13 October 2017
Map art
Geophysical Maps as Art
We all know that maps can be beautiful. This article shows some particularly beautiful ones. All the maps are fascinating. I had a couple of favourites.
This one is particularly good, if not strictly a map.
You can get this video full screen if you access it from this link.
 |
| This map takes false colour (actually hyperspectral imaging) to a new level - and its useful! |
How to run a geothermal field
Geothermal power - Good but not easy!
This article describes the geology and engineering needed to exploit the geothermal field at Rotorua in New Zealand in a sustainable way. I had no idea of the complications and difficulties involved. It is a long article but well worth reading.
Wednesday, 11 October 2017
Two courses
2 Courses on Offer
Nick Chidlaw is offering two courses to run in mid November. He gives full details below.
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I am proposing to run the above in mid November, if there is sufficient interest and availability to make the courses viable. I have run both of them / versions of them several times in the past, and I have been gratified that attendees have indicated they enjoyed the proceedings and learned a lot.
These courses are located in south-west and north-west Gloucestershire. Some people who live a substantial distance from this area may be interested in both, and the courses are therefore being offered on the same weekend to allow attending to be more workable; both courses are independent of each other, so either or both courses can be enrolled on, depending on people’s particular interests and availability. As the courses are being offered at this particular time of year, it will be necessary to run them an hour earlier than most other field courses I run, to avoid darkness early in the evenings. These November courses would have meeting times of 8.30 – 8.45 am, registration and introduction 8.45 – 9.00 am, and course running times of 9.00 am – 4.00 pm.
Each course has a fee of £27.00 per person.
If you /anybody else you know would like to attend one or both of these courses, please forward a cheque payable to me to:
Dr N. Chidlaw,
8, Silver Street,
Dursley,
Glos.
GL11 4ND.
Please provide me with your postal address – I will then be able to send you your course handout in good time before the course/courses run.
The deadline for the minimum number (10) of enrolments for each course is Wednesday 1st November (just over 2 weeks before the courses are proposed to run). Maximum number of attendees for each course 30. If the minimum number of enrolments is reached by this deadline, the arrangements will continue; if not, the courses will be cancelled, and fees received will be returned to those who sent them in, soon after. If the courses reach viability by 1st November, enrolments can continue up to 1 week (Friday 10th November) before the courses are due to run.
Please see details of the two field courses below. I hope this proposal is of interest to you and to hear from you soon.
Regards,
NICK CHIDLAW.
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STUDY THE NEW RED DESERT
 |
| Part of the cliff of the River Leadon near the village of Redmarley D’Abitot, exposing fluviatile deposits of the Bromsgrove Sandstone (Early/Middle Triassic) |
Date: Saturday 18th November 9.00 am – 4.00 pm
This field course is located in north-west Gloucestershire; it visits a number of exposures in Permian and Triassic continental strata deposited under an arid tropical climate, part of the ‘New Red Sandstone Supergroup’. The course takes attendees up through the succession from oldest to youngest, examining key changes in the sedimentary environment over time. These deposits include upland screes and dune sandstones, river sandstones and gravels, and lake deposits; you’ll see evidence for sporadic marine incursions into the desert, which became increasingly common over time. No prior geological knowledge or of the study area would be assumed.
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THE EBB AND FLOOD OF AN ANCIENT SEA
 |
| A view down part of the exposures at Tintern Quarry on the Wye gorge; the strata seen in this image are mostly ‘peritidal’ deposits containing stromatolites, mudflake breccias, oncolites and palaeokarst |
Date: Sunday 19th November 9.00 – 4.00 pm
This course is located in south-west Gloucestershire on the gorge of the River Wye c. 3 miles N of Chepstow; extensive exposures would be examined in a large disused quarry and along track cuttings in adjacent woodland throughout the day. This is known as ‘Tintern Quarry’, and is located by Tidenham Chase. The village of Tintern is c. 2 miles to the NW.
An examination of the earth’s geological record indicates the distribution of land and sea has been far from constant. Movements of the crust have caused land areas to rise above and fall below the sea, and global sea levels have varied with the waxing and waning of polar ice sheets, and uplift of ocean spreading ridges when particularly active. On this course, you will be shown how to interpret an episode of marine retreat and replacement by rivers, then a subsequent re-advance by the sea, in the Early Carboniferous strata exposed. No prior knowledge of geology or the study area would be assumed.
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For each course, a handout outlining the day’s programme, including location sketch maps, optional reading list, geological history, written or graphic 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 (and accommodation such as B&B if you live beyond commuting distance – tutor can advise)
· 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 when below overhead rock faces (we will often be examining natural cliffs / quarry faces). If you do not possess a hard hat, 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.
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