Monday 11 October 2010

Day Courses October and November 2010

These courses are run by Dr. Nicholas Chidlaw and cost £23.00 per person - further details by email. Pre-course handouts will be available.

Mendip Volcanoes

Dayschool. Saturday 30th October. 10.00 – 5.00 pm.
In the eastern Mendips, and where these hills meet the Bristol Channel, occur rocks erupted from volcanoes during the Silurian and Carboniferous periods. On this field course, examples from both these times will be examined, enabling you to recognise ancient lavas (including submarine ‘pillow’ flows) and beds of rock once laid down as ash. Controversial lava bombs and vent rocks will be studied and discussed. A pre-course handout covering all necessary logistical and geological background information will be sent in good time to those enrolled. No prior knowledge of geology or the area will be assumed.

Study the New Red Desert
Dayschool. Saturday 20th November. 9.00 am – 4.00 pm.
This field-based course will visit several exposures of Permian and Triassic continental strata formed under an arid climate, traditionally known as the ‘New Red Sandstone’. The course aims to take attendees up through the succession from oldest to youngest, examining key changes that occurred in the sedimentary environment over time. These changes include mountain screes, dune sandstones, river sandstones and gravels, and lake deposits. You will be shown evidence for sporadic marine incursions into the desert, which became increasingly common as geological time progressed. A pre-course handout covering all necessary logistical and geological background information will be sent in good time before the course to those enrolled. No prior knowledge of geology or the area will be assumed. Located in the countryside between Gloucester and the Malvern Hills.

These privately run sessions replace those previously offered by the Lifelong Learning Centre of the University of Bristol which closed in 2009.

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