Saturday 30 June 2018

2nd to 8th July 2018

NEXT WEEKS EVENTS

2nd to 8th July 2018

THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXTRACT FROM BRISTOL AND WEST COUNTRY GEOLOGY CALENDARS

MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE BRISTOL AND THE WEST COUNTRY CALENDARS AND ON THE WEB SITES OF THE RELEVANT SOCIETY OR ORGANISATION.

Monday 2nd

Dave Green - Planetary Geology
When
Mon, 2 July, 19:30 – 21:30
Description
Planetary Geology. Monday 16th April, for 10 weeks, until 9th July (not 7th nor 28th May). The state of knowledge of the planets of the solar system has improved vastly in the past 40 years as a result of space missions and improved technology for observation and analysis. The course will examine the results of this activity and evidence for these interpretations in terms of the internal structure, magnetism and geophysics of these bodies; their tectonics and volcanism, the effects of impacting bodies, and the surface conditions –atmospheres, oceans, sedimentary features and biology. Held at Wynstones School, Stroud Road, Whaddon, Gloucester from 7.30-9.30pm on Mondays. Cost £70.

Dave Green, Joys Green Farm, Forge Hill, Lydbrook, Glos GL17 9QU Tel 01594 860858

davegeostudies@gmail.com

Tuesday 3rd

Dave green, Field Course - Geology and Landscape in Gloucestershire
When
Tue, 3 July, 19:00 – 21:00
Where
Meet at the car park for the picnic site at Coaley Peak GR SO 794014 (map)
Description
3rd July  Purton
Where the great Malvern Fault crosses the Severn, it has shifted rocks together of very different 
age. Like other places along its length, this has produced contrasting scenery.  A highly 
atmospheric spot on a summer’s evening, with rocks containing fossils from very different eras 
(Lower Jurassic and Upper Silurian.)
Park along the lane side leading from the canal to the Berkeley Arms on the shore at Purton, GR SO 
692 044
NB You will find WELLINGTONS useful on the Severn shore, which tends towards muddiness!!


Dave Green, Joys Green Farm, Forge Hill, Lydbrook, Glos GL17 9QU Tel 01594 860858

davegeostudies@gmail.com

Wednesday 4th



Thursday 5th

Bath Geol Soc - Lecture
When
Thu, 5 July, 19:30 – 21:00
Where
Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, 16 Queen Square, Bath (map)
Description
Dangerous Earth - or why we should be afraid
Dr Simon Wakefield, Cardiff University
Natural hazards such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, droughts, wildfires, landslides, storms and tsunamis have happened throughout geological time. The difference now is that as the population of the world increases some people are living in areas that maybe are not particularly sensible from a hazard perspective, but they have little choice. For others, the complexity of modern society means that a major event such as Hurricane Harvey can inflict catastrophic economic and social consequences on even the most sophisticated cities in the western world. This talk will examine the causes of consequences of a variety of hazards and show how, looking ahead, the impact of some  such events is likely to increase as climate, population and land use combine to amplify what are in reality entirely natural phenomena.

Friday 6th



Saturday 7th

Western Regional Group July 2018 Fieldtrip
When
Sat, 7 July, 10:00 – 13:00
Where
Roadside near the old toll booth for the Severn Ferry (ST563888, BS35 4BG). Parking on B4461 Aust Wharf road at Old Passage. (map)
Description
This year’s WRGS summer field trip will be led by Dave Green exploring the Aust Cliffs adjacent to the River Severn. The river cliff at Aust is a spectacular outcrop of Mid and Late Triassic to Early Jurassic sedimentary rocks, an impressive geological archive between ca 221 and 195 million years ago. It is one of UK’s few productive Triassic fossil collecting localities. 

Meeting Point: Roadside near the old toll booth for the Severn Ferry (ST563888, BS35 4BG). Parking on B4461 Aust Wharf road at Old Passage.

Date and time: 7th July 2018, starts at 10am, lasting 3 hrs.

Important Information: 
We recommend safety boots as a minimum. 
Please bring waterproofs and snacks. 
Lunch will be at the White Hart, Littleton-upon-Severn, BS35 1NR (please book a place).
The cost of the trip will be FREE.  Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis to a maximum of 30 places, please email Western Regional Group to reserve your place and indicate whether you would like to book a place for lunch (food will be order and paid for on the day).

Sunday 8th




A child's guide to Mary Anning

Mary Anning for Children

A source brought THIS to my attention. Apparently it is made using sand from the Lyme Regis beach. And it is very good!


Saturday 23 June 2018

Exploring the sea floor

Exploring the Sea Floor

A source brought this programme to my attention. It is "The Life Scientific" programme 19th June with Professor Rachel Mills of Southampton University talking about black smokers and related topics. You can listen to it on the link above or on this page. 

25th June to 1st July 2018

NEXT WEEKS EVENTS
25TH June TO 1st JUly 2018
THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXTRACT FROM BRISTOL AND WEST COUNTRY GEOLOGY CALENDARS

MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE BRISTOL AND THE WEST COUNTRY CALENDARS AND ON THE WEB SITES OF THE RELEVANT SOCIETY OR ORGANISATION.

MONDAY 25TH

Dave Green - Planetary Geology
When
Mon, 25 June, 19:30 – 21:30
Description
Planetary Geology. Monday 16th April, for 10 weeks, until 9th July (not 7th nor 28th May). The state of knowledge of the planets of the solar system has improved vastly in the past 40 years as a result of space missions and improved technology for observation and analysis. The course will examine the results of this activity and evidence for these interpretations in terms of the internal structure, magnetism and geophysics of these bodies; their tectonics and volcanism, the effects of impacting bodies, and the surface conditions –atmospheres, oceans, sedimentary features and biology. Held at Wynstones School, Stroud Road, Whaddon, Gloucester from 7.30-9.30pm on Mondays. Cost £70.

Dave Green, Joys Green Farm, Forge Hill, Lydbrook, Glos GL17 9QU Tel 01594 860858

davegeostudies@gmail.com

Tuesday 26th

Dave green, Field Course - Geology and Landscape in Gloucestershire
When
Tue, 26 June, 19:00 – 21:00
Where
Meet at the car park for the picnic site at Coaley Peak GR SO 794014 (map)
Description
26th June English Bicknor, Rosemary Topping and the River Wye
Lying on the south facing slopes eroded into the Forest of Dean plateau by the River Wye and its tributaries, English Bicknor displays a microcosm of the geology of the western side of the Forest downfold, from Devonian Old Red Sandstone up to the Upper Carboniferous Coal Measures, each unit producing different topography, land use (mining, quarrying, forestry,agriculture) and character. The river, however, ignores these divisions, having been superimposed from the plateau surface 0.5 million years ago?
Meet in the car park behind the village hall GR SO 579 151, from where we will walk a roughly circular route of about 4km, with some short but steep hills.

Dave Green, Joys Green Farm, Forge Hill, Lydbrook, Glos GL17 9QU Tel 01594 860858

davegeostudies@gmail.com

Wednesday 27th



Thursday 28th

WEGA to Seaton
When
Thu, 28 June, 15:00 – 16:00
Description
This is a visit to Seaton Jurassic Visitor Centre on Thurs 28 June 2018.  The event starts at Seaton Jurassic (parking adjacent) at 10.15 (2 hour drive from Bristol) with a guided tour of the exhibit.  After an hour or so, we will have coffee/tea in their meeting room and be joined by Jurassic Coast Ambassador Mike Green. He and I will give a talk about the geology of the Jurassic Coast.  

At c.12.30, we can walk a half-mile onto the sea front promenade and cliff-top gardens.  There is a geology trail here and a good viewpoint – and a place to have a packed lunch.  There are also places to buy ice-creams.  Then we walk along the prom’ a bit more, look at some greensand fossiliferous boulders on the beach (maybe) via Triassic red cliffs  up some steps (a faultline) alongside the Cretaceous and then a gently rising path towards Beer.  We can either descend to Beer and/or turn back.  But Beer is worth the effort to see the massive chalk cliffs.  The whole round trip is 3-4 miles. 

We will aim to be back at the carpark for a 4pm departure.  Back in Bristol c.6pm.
 
The guided tour and coffee/biscuits will be £10 per head.

Friday 29th



Saturday 30th

Nick Chidlaw - Field Geology & Opencast Mining of Coal in South Wales
When
30 Jun – 1 Jul 2018
Where
Places in South Wales - TBC (map)
Description

 
June/July – Field Geology of the Late Carboniferous Coal Measures strata in south Wales
 
Lifelong Learning 4 day course:
 
Field Geology & Opencast Mining of Coal in South Wales
 
Two weekends in late June / earliest July: 23rd / 24th and 30th / 1st July
 
10.00 am – 5.00 pm each day. 
This course visits impressive locations, both natural and man-made. We study natural exposures and former quarries in river gorges, large-scale working opencasts, a working sandstone quarry, and a disused opencast site. The course enables examination of much of the full stratigraphic extent of the Coal Measures in the main south Wales coalfield, and an appreciation of their deformation (including thrust faulting) during the Variscan Orogeny.
 
The attached picture shows Margam Opencast (east of Swansea) during the 2000’s. It gives an idea of the scale of these opencast operations and the opportunities they provide to study and collect from strata little-exposed elsewhere.    
 
Please note you will need to make your own travel and accommodation arrangements (tutor will advise), with meeting times and places to be confirmed.
 
The course is organised through Cardiff University. It 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  £165.00 (concessionary fee is available £132.00)
 
Enrolments can be made by phoning 029  2087  0000 or see website www.cardiff.ac.uk/learn 
 
For more information on the course content, contact the tutor Nick Chidlaw nickchidlaw@gmail.com 
---------------------------------------------------------

Teme Valley Geological Society - Excursion
When
Saturday, 30 Jun 2018
Where
Mr Banks house, Hergest Ridge (map)
Description
The museum and surrounds of Mr Banks house, Hergest Ridge, Murchison was based there and there are many artifacts and exposures of interest, run by Woolhope

 Sue Olver 01432 761693 
 

Sunday 1st

OU Geol Soc Wessex - Excursion
When
Sunday, 1 Jul 2018
Where
Valley of the Stones, Dorset (map)
Description
Valley of the Stones, Dorset


One of Dorset's National Nature Reserves with ancient mining and signs of prehistoric and Roman habitation, it is nestled in the pretty limestone valley.


Kelvin Huff taught geography and geology in Sussex and Dorset for nearly 40 years. He is now retired, spending his time on a range of interests, including geology of course! He is the Secretary of both the DGAG and DIGS groups
We shall start by studying the geomorphology and geology of the Valley of the Stones. The walking distance is about 1 mile.
We shall then travel by car to the second location.  From here it is about a 5-mile circular walk over grassland with some stiles.  To examine the chalk downland landscape of the area around Compton Valence, including the Jurassic inlier and features of archaeological interest.  new shall visit the site of a Roman reservoir and aqueduct that supplied water to the town of Dorchester about  11 kilometres away.
The total walking distance for the day is about six miles.

Leader Kelvin Huff

Contact Jeremy Cranmer
wessexdaytrips@ougs.org
tel.  01305 267133



T Rex not rude

Fossil Hyoid Bones

The difference between the popular press (well - The Guardian) and scientific journals is illustrated by these articles covering the same story.

The Guardian - Tongue-tied: T rex couldn't stick out its tongue

PLOS OneConvergent evolution of a mobile bony tongue in flighted dinosaurs and pterosaurs

Both have there place - I would not have seen the PLOS One article if the Guardian had not mentioned it. And it takes less expertise to understand Nicola Davis's piece. She is the Guardian's correspondent.

It seems that if you are a "tear and gulp" eater you do not need a complicated tongue; if you are a picky eater, you do.

The contrast in the illustrations is interesting.

The Guardian


PLOS One


Tuesday 19 June 2018

New land formed in Hawaii

How We Missed Death - by 7¼ Years!

I have been interested by the current volcanism in Hawaii for several reasons, but the most important was that we stayed in the area in March 2011. 

In particular we stayed at a rented house right on the coast at Kapoho. HERE is a link to a nearby and similar property (our one is no longer listed) with a sad headline.


Our house at Kapoho at high tide


View north along the coast from our house
View to sea from our house at low tide

You can see where we were on this (annotated) Google Map.



Then, this morning I read that 250 acres of land had been created at Kapoho. And the USGS provides this map which I repeat below, with some annotations. The link gives access to lots of information.


You can correlate between the two using the former coastline and the points I have added to each.

We enjoyed our stay at Kapoho. We were on the 1955 (or possibly the 1960) lava flow so were well aware that things were not permanent. But we were more aware of danger from the sea. Indeed we had to evacuate because of fears of a tsunami following the Fukushima earthquake in Japan. But that had minimal consequences in Hawaii.

The owners of our house presumably still own the land, it is just a little higher in elevation! And possibly a little farther from the sea.

Some people rebuild not long after the lava is solid.



And this being the land of free enterprise, someone will buy the new land from the Feds and try to sell it - and probably succeed.



Saturday 16 June 2018

18th to 24th June 2018

NEXT WEEKS EVENTS
18TH TO 24TH JUNE 2018
THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXTRACT FROM BRISTOL AND WEST COUNTRY GEOLOGY CALENDARS

MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE BRISTOL AND THE WEST COUNTRY CALENDARS AND ON THE WEB SITES OF THE RELEVANT SOCIETY OR ORGANISATION.

MONDAY 18TH

Dave Green - Planetary Geology
When
Mon, 18 June, 19:30 – 21:30
Description
Planetary Geology. Monday 16th April, for 10 weeks, until 9th July (not 7th nor 28th May). The state of knowledge of the planets of the solar system has improved vastly in the past 40 years as a result of space missions and improved technology for observation and analysis. The course will examine the results of this activity and evidence for these interpretations in terms of the internal structure, magnetism and geophysics of these bodies; their tectonics and volcanism, the effects of impacting bodies, and the surface conditions –atmospheres, oceans, sedimentary features and biology. Held at Wynstones School, Stroud Road, Whaddon, Gloucester from 7.30-9.30pm on Mondays. Cost £70.

Dave Green, Joys Green Farm, Forge Hill, Lydbrook, Glos GL17 9QU Tel 01594 860858

davegeostudies@gmail.com

Tuesday 19th

Geol Soc Western - Meeting
When
Tue, 19 June, 18:00 – 21:00
Where
The Hub, 500 Park Avenue, Aztec West, Almondsbury, Bristol, BS32 4RZ (map)
Description

WRG June 2018 Waste Management of Brownfield Sites
Joint presentation between EPUK and WRG
This presentation looks at the practical options for reusing and/or disposing of contaminated and uncontaminated soils. It covers what is and isn’t defined as a waste soil and examines the options for re-using or disposing of soils. This includes defining what is and isn’t a waste soil, and the mechanisms in place for re-use such as waste exemptions, the CL:AIRE Definition of Waste Code of Practice and other options such as re-use as a restoration or recovery operation. Costs for both disposal and reuse are presented and examples are drawn from both large and small developments. 

EPUK is a national charity that provides expert policy analysis and information on air quality, land quality, waste and noise. We aim to promote integrated policies and practices that encourage the use and reuse of land in a way that protects human health and the environment.

Venue: The Hub, 500 Park Avenue, Aztec West, Almondsbury, Bristol, BS32 4RZ

Open to everyone. Booking not required.
------------------------------------------------

Dave green, Field Course - Geology and Landscape in Gloucestershire
When
Tue, 19 June, 19:00 – 21:00
Where
Meet at the car park for the picnic site at Coaley Peak GR SO 794014 (map)
Description
19th June Malmesbury to the Marlborough Downs
Much younger rocks, gently tilted from the horizontal, producing the “scarp-vale” scenery so typical of southern England. A traverse across a number of these features looking at the variations in scenery and rock types, starting on the Cotswold limestone dip slope and ending up on the Upper Chalk at a superb viewpoint .
Meet at the car park of the pub The Somerford Arms, in Little Somerford GR ST 969 845 (just off the B 4042 from Malmesbury to Wootton Bassett). If the car park is full, there is plenty of on-street parking nearby.

Dave Green, Joys Green Farm, Forge Hill, Lydbrook, Glos GL17 9QU Tel 01594 860858

davegeostudies@gmail.com
-----------------------------------------------

SMFS Evening Meeting
When
Tue, 19 June, 19:30 – 22:00
Where
The Friends' Meeting House, 1A, Ordnance Rd, Southampton. SO15 2AZ (map)
Description
Sophie the Stegosaurus. Presentation by Dr Susannah Maidment.
Members’ Display Table: Minerals & fossils from North America.
-----------------------------------

Wednesday 20th



Thursday 21st

Thornbury Geology Group, 7.30pm, The Chantry, Thornbury
When
Thu, 21 June, 19:00 – 21:30
Description
Thornbury Geology Group, 7.30pm at The Chantry, Thornbury, and every 3rd Thursday in the month.  

Friday 22nd

Bristol Nats - Geology of Tyntesfield
When
Fri, 22 June, 10:30 – 12:30
Where
Meet at 10.30 a.m. in the top North West corner of the car park ST 499 716 (map)
Description
Friday 22nd June, 10.30 a.m.:  The Geology of the Tyntesfield Estate, Wraxall, North Somerset.
Leader: Richard Kefford.
The purpose of this Field meeting is to examine the rocks of the Pembroke Limestone Group (Carboniferous Limestone) and the Mercia Mudstone Marginal Facies (Dolomitic Conglomerate) Brechia exposed in various small quarries on the wider Tyntesfield Estate.

Meet at 10.30 a.m. in the top North West corner of the car park ST 499 716. The entrance road to the estate is signposted on the south side of the B3128 about a mile past Failand.

Members of National Trust please bring membership cards for the car park and entry to the grounds. There are charges payable by non National Trust Members. The route will be outside in the grounds, no access will be sought to the house. The meeting will conclude in time for lunch, which may be had at the National Trust restaurant. Please let the Secretary know if you wish to attend.
--------------------------------------------------

OUGS Wessex - Excursion, Geology of the North Norfolk Coast
When
22 – 23 Jun 2018
Where
Sheringham NR26, UK (map)
Description


Leader: Dr Fiona Hyden
Two places are now available due to an unexpected cancellation. Please contact the organiser for details.  Please act soon. When they are gone - they are gone. 

North Norfolk has many 'text book' locations to explore. The surface deposits and underlying solid rock on the Norfolk coast reveal part of the history of glacial and interglacial processes during the last 2.6 million years and oceanic and biogenic processes during the mid Cretaceous.

The trip itinerary includes the coastal cliffs at Overstrand, West Runton and Hunstanton. The accommodation is in the modern, well-appointed Sheringham Youth Hostel in twin or double rooms. The price will be between £120 and £150, depending on final numbers. More details on geology and accommodation in the application form.
--------------------------------------------------------

Saturday 23rd

Nick Chidlaw - Field Geology & Opencast Mining of Coal in South Wales
When
23 – 24 Jun 2018
Where
Places in South Wales - TBC (map)
Description

 
June/July – Field Geology of the Late Carboniferous Coal Measures strata in south Wales
 
Lifelong Learning 4 day course:
 
Field Geology & Opencast Mining of Coal in South Wales
 
Two weekends in late June / earliest July: 23rd / 24th and 30th / 1st July
 
10.00 am – 5.00 pm each day. 
This course visits impressive locations, both natural and man-made. We study natural exposures and former quarries in river gorges, large-scale working opencasts, a working sandstone quarry, and a disused opencast site. The course enables examination of much of the full stratigraphic extent of the Coal Measures in the main south Wales coalfield, and an appreciation of their deformation (including thrust faulting) during the Variscan Orogeny.
 
The attached picture shows Margam Opencast (east of Swansea) during the 2000’s. It gives an idea of the scale of these opencast operations and the opportunities they provide to study and collect from strata little-exposed elsewhere.    
 
Please note you will need to make your own travel and accommodation arrangements (tutor will advise), with meeting times and places to be confirmed.
 
The course is organised through Cardiff University. It 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  £165.00 (concessionary fee is available £132.00)
 
Enrolments can be made by phoning 029  2087  0000 or see website www.cardiff.ac.uk/learn 
 
For more information on the course content, contact the tutor Nick Chidlaw nickchidlaw@gmail.com 
--------------------------------------------------------------
 
Bath Geol Soc - field trip
When
Sat, 23 June, 10:30 – 16:00
Where
Lambourne and Avebury (map)
Description
Bath Geological Society Field Meeting.
Saturday, June 23rd
Lambourne and Avebury
Leader: Isobel Geddes, Wiltshire Geology Group
This trip will examine the sarsen stones and landscape in the region of Fyfield Down.
Meet at 10 AM in the walkers car park up the lane on the north side of the A4 (signed 'Manton' or 'Manton House') just west of Marlborough: Grid ref. 159 700.
We will do a three-hour circular walk of about 5 miles around Fyfield Down looking at sarsen stones, including Clatford Bottom and the Stone Age axe-polishing stone known as 'the polissoir'. 

After a lunch break we will meet in Avebury outside the Red Lion Inn at 2:30 PM and spend an hour or two looking around Avebury and it's building stones. The estimated finish time will be 4 PM.

There is a National trust car park in Avebury (pay & display for non-members) and as well as the pub there is a cage by the tithe barn, so plenty of choice for refreshments.

Sunday 24th

OUGS OXFORD - Headington Municipal Cemetery Headstones
When
Sun, 24 June, 14:30 – 16:00
Where
Headington Municipal Cemetery (map)
Description
Guided lithological tour around the gravestones in the cemetery.

Leaders: Nina Morgan and Philip Powell


Hawaiian crater slumping

Slumping on the Rim of Halema'uma'u Crater

Not so long ago the Halema'uma'u Crater was full of liquid magma. the magma has drained away to create the spectacular fireworks which we have all seen.

The emptied crater has now started to slump inwards as the support given by the magma has gone. The USGS has provided some spectacular photos and video. And this site has some discussion. You can get the Video HERE

 
Slumped blocks at the Halema‘uma‘u crater. Image via the USGS, collected on 12th June 2018


Monday 11 June 2018

More scary animals

Scary Animals - NOT Dinosaurs

Sabre-toothed theraspids dating from about 260 million years ago have been found in Western Russia, as reported HERE

Theraspids are usually described as protomammals and these ones, Gorynychus masyutinae and Nochnitsa geminidens, are headlined in the article as being "Monstrous". A suitably scary illustration is provided.

The newly discovered Gorynychus masyutinae, a top predator, hunting a tree-dwelling herbivore ( Matt Celeskey )

The article is based on THIS ACADEMIC PAPER which is much less exciting. And the paper concerns the description of Nochnitsa and Viatkogorgon, NOT Gorynychus masyutinaeGorynychus masyutinae is described in THIS PAPER.

But that is nit-picking. Most theraspids have been found in South Africa and the Russian specimens are valuable in showing what was happening in the Northern Hemisphere. 

The End-Permian mass extinction killed off many of the theraspids.


Right marginal dentition of Nochnitsa gemenidens
(A) close-up of holotype, KPM 310, with (B) interpretive drawing. Abbreviations: C, upper canine; I, upper incisor; PC, upper postcanine; pc, lower postcanine; rC, replacement upper canine. Scale bar equals 1 cm. Photograph and drawing by Christian F. Kammerer.

Plate tectonics essential for life

Plate Tectonics and the Origin of Life

This long article, brought to my attention by a reliable source, reviews the thesis that plate tectonics is essential for the evolution, if not the origin, of life. It covers many topics but is mostly concerned with how the Earth's crust started moving. And when did it start?

And is there plate tectonics on other planets - research possibilities are endless!