May 1st and May 3rd

Don't forget the Bath Geological Society's lecture this Thursday - 'The finest dinosaur ever found in Britain' by Dr. Tim Ewin, acting Curator of Geology, Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery.
After a cliff fall in 2000 on the beach at Black Ven near Charmouth, Dorset, professional collector David Sole made the discovery of a lifetime. He found the partial remains of a Scelidosaur that turned out to be the finest dinosaur specimen ever found in Britain. Dubbed the Horned Scelidosaur this spectacular, 3-metre (9 foot) specimen has a devilish grin, magnificent body armour and even the contents of its last meal preserved.
Dr Tim Ewin, currently curating a display on the Horned Scelidosaur, will introduce these spectacular British dinosaurs and the world they inhabited and describe the remains of the finest dinosaur ever discovered in Britain.
Scelidosaurs were heavily armoured, quadrapedal, herbivorous dinosaurs the size of a small car that roamed the lush tropical world of the Lower Jurassic some 190 million years ago. This dinosaur specimen will be on public displayed from Spring 2008 in the Dinosaur Gallery at the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery.

Saturday May 3rd - Tim Ewin is leading a tour around the Museum to further illustrate his talk. Please contact admin@bathgeolsoc.org.uk if you wish to be included on this visit.

Bristol Science Cafe

Did you know about this? The Bristol Science Cafe is at Tobacco Factory, Raleigh Road, Southville, Bristol BS3 1TF. It meets on the last Monday of each month at 8.00 p.m. Directions can be found on its website.
April 28th - The speaker is Adam Durant from the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol. His topic is: Volcanoes, dust, and climate.
Small silicate particles suspended in the atmosphere redistribute energy from the sun and surface of the Earth and consequently impact climate. The main sources of these particles are from suspension of surface dust in arid regions, such as the Sahara Desert, and from direct injection by explosive volcanic activity (volcanic ash). The image shown here is from 1991 Pinatubo eruption and shows a volcanic aerosol veil, taken from the space shuttle.
We will discuss the types and origin of particles in the atmosphere, how they interact with solar and terrestrial radiation, how clouds are modified, and ultimately how climate is affected.

April 26th Geology of the Ledbury Hills

This field trip is organised by the Bath Geological Society and will be led by Dave Green, an expert on the area. Dave writes "We will explore the geological history of these beautiful unspoilt hills, largely composed of sedimentary rocks of Silurian age, thrown into folds by the mid to late Carboniferous tectonic movements which formed the Hercynian or Variscan mountain belt between the supercontinents of Laurussia and Gondwana. The geology is faithfully reflected in the scenery, composed of alternating layers of resistant and non-resistant rock, many of which are rich in fossils, which in the case of the lithologically non-diverse Ludlovian have been the method for dividing the sequence into rock units. Large-scale diversion of drainage took place during the Pleistocene with the production and overflow of a pro-glacial lake."
Meet at 10.30 a.m at the large car park at British Camp (G.R. SO 764403). There will be a fairly strenuous climb to the top of the Herefordshire Beacon, if the weather is clear, to gain an overall view of the area, followed by visits to various sites where rocks and structures can be examined.
Strong footwear and waterproofs are required. Bring packed lunch, or it can be purchased at the car park.
Please email the field excursion secretary - admin@bathgeolsoc.org.uk - to add your name to the list.

The image shown here is a 3D view of the geological maps of the Malvern Hills and Ledbury area. It was sent by a colleague from Wootton Bassett and has been produced using OziExplorer3D software. When used 'live' the terrain can be spun around, zoomed in and out and shadows altered.

Mendip Geological Maps and Guidebooks

The British Geological Survey has just launched its new books - Western and Eastern Mendips. They are walkers guides to the geology and landscapes of the two areas and are fabulous!
More details can be seen on the BGS website - click here.

Marie Stopes; sex, lies and fossil plants - April 23rd

Lecture organised by Bristol Naturalists' Society geology section:

Marie Stopes; sex, lies and fossil plants
by Dr. Howard Falcon-Lang
April 23rd 7.30 p.m
University of Bristol
SH Reynolds lecture theatre, G25
Wills Memorial building,
University of Bristol
Everyone is welcome

Avon RIGS

Please check out the new Avon RIGS website - click HERE. The pdfs of the South Gloucestershire geology booklet and all the information panels installed in that Council area, can now be viewed and downloaded. The illustration shows the panel at Aust Cliff.

Coal Measures Geology/Plant Fossils/Variscan Tectonics

GEOLOGY AND OPENCAST MINING OF ANTHRACITE AND BITUMINOUS COAL
Leader: Dr. Nick Chidlaw for University of Bristol
Dates: Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th April.


Level of geological knowledge: no prior knowledge of geology or the locations assumed.
Location: Both in South Wales not far east of Swansea. Operators: Celtic Energy Ltd. Saturday 15th: Margam Opencast: (near Bridgend);
Sunday 16th Selar Opencast (N end of Neath Valley).
Details of how to get to the sites will be provided in a pre-course handout to be sent to
attendees.
Highlights: Extensive clear sections in Coal Measures sedimentology and Variscan tectonics; unrestricted sampling of lithologies, mineral nodules and plant fossils; analysis of coal opencast mining in Britain today - technological / economic / environmental.
Enrolment: Contact Barbara Perks at Bristol University Dept Earth Sciences tel: 0117 954 5438 or email: earth-ce@bristol.ac.uk She can also advise on information for arranging overnight accommodation.