13th January - Science without borders: Unravelling the mysteries of Mt. Paektu Volcano, North Korea

Science without borders: Unravelling the mysteries of Mt. Paektu Volcano, North Korea
Dr. James Hammond, NERC Research Fellow, Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London
Mt. Paektu volcano (otherwise known as Changbaishan in China) is a stratovolcano on the North Korea/China border.  In the 10th century it was responsible for one of the largest eruptions in the last 2000 years, forming a 5 km wide caldera at the volcano summit with ash fall as far away as Japan.  More recently (2002-2005) the volcano showed an increase in activity with a marked increase in the number of earthquakes, measurable volcanic deformation and an increase in gas emissions - all pointing to magma recharge beneath the volcano. However, despite such a dramatic history and recent signs of magma movement, the volcano remains poorly understood.
The volcano’s location on the border of two of the world’s most secretive states is a major factor in limiting understanding of its behaviour.  In 2011 a UK delegation of scientists was invited to North Korea to discuss volcanic hazards and Mt. Paektu volcano with North Korean scientists. This led to a UK-US-North Korean collaboration (the first of its kind) to better understand the volcano.  In August 2013 a team of UK/US scientists deployed seismometers and collected geological samples around the volcano.  The seismic data is used to image magma storage beneath the volcano and this combined with constraints on historical eruptions from dating and characterising previous eruptions allows us to better understand the potential effects of future eruptions. This work, hopefully the first step in a longer lasting collaboration between the UK and North Korea, is allowing us insights into this enigmatic and potentially hazardous volcano.
7.30 p.m. Wills Memorial Building, University of Bristol

WEGA - new website

West of England Geologists' Association (WEGA) has recently launched its new website.
Details of all the lectures and the field meetings organised for 2015 are listed.

9 - 14 June 2013 - Geology of the North Pennines Field Trip

A few places have unexpectedly become available on this trip.
Further into here

15th January - Three talks from Bristol PhD students

WEGA is hosting this event in the Wills Memorial Building, Bristol on 15th January at 7.30 p.m.
Everyone is welcome.

21st October Itchington Lane clearance

John Toller is organising a clear-up of the exposure at Itchington Lane (Nr Thornbury) on Sunday 21st October
Map Ref ST 655877
Simple gardening tools will suffice. Bring gloves, wellies and a drink
The limestone outcrop is next to "Bristol's Time Gap" geological information sign, adjacent to road bridge under M5 motorway.
Please let John know if you may be free - otherwise he can try for an alternative date - email.

WEGA - 24th April

Don’t forget the WEGA AGM is on Tuesday 24th April at 19:30 in Reynolds Theatre, Wills Memorial Building.
Following the AGM, Graeme Churchard will give an illustrated talk about his exploits on his recent round the world trip.
The meeting will end with wine and cheese.

13th March - Medical Origins of the Geological Society

WEGA invite you to - 
Medical origins of the Geological Society
Dr Cherry Lewis - Bristol University
Cherry Lewis' interests lie in the history of geology and she has published a popular science book on the history of dating the age of the Earth entitled: 'The Dating Game: One Man's Search for the Age of the Earth'. Cherry's talk will cover the origins of the Geological Society of London, which was founded on 13 November 1807 - the oldest such society in the world. Founding members include James Parkinson (1755-1824) who gave his name to Parkinson's Disease.
7.30pm Wills Memorial Building, Park Street, Bristol B28 1RJ; followed by Cheese and Wine
Everyone is welcome.

Iain Stewart - tomorrow

Prof Iain Stewart's talk on 'Seismic Faults and Sacred Sancturies' (Horstmann Lecture) will take place on 6th December at 19:30 in the school hall at Chew Valley School (BS40 8QB).
Note the school has a one-way access with the entrance by the B3114. Ample parking is available some 25 m on the left from the entrance. The entrance to the school hall is reached by following the path straight along from the entrance road, between the two buildings at the top right of school site.
The school hall has to be vacated by 21:00, so the normal post-talk wine and cheese will instead be available (for standard £1) prior to the meeting from 19:00.
Further details on the WEGA website

WEGA - change of date and speaker

February 15th - North Pembrokeshire Volcanics – provenance of the Stonehenge Bluestones by Dr. Richard Bevins, Keeper of Geology, National Museum of Wales, Cardiff
The Stonehenge ancient monument is constructed of Sarcens (locally sourced sedimentary rocks) and the so-called Bluestones, comprising principally intrusive, volcanic and pyroclastic rocks, along with minor sandstones. The origin of the Bluestones fuels emotive debate as to where they came from, how they were transported, and why these particular rocks came to be utilised.
Spotted dolerites form a main part of the Bluestones and the consensus is that they are derived from the Mynydd Preseli region in southwest Wales. However some bluestones are of rhyolitic composition and identifying their possible sources has attracted relatively little attention. This is largely because, unlike the coarser grained doleritic rocks, the rhyolites are ?ne-grained and lack any obvious distinctive characters, especially in hand specimen. However, recent work on the chemistry of the accessory mineral zircon in these rocks suggests that it can be used as a diagnostic provenancing tool. Using this approach, some of the rhyolitic Bluestones have been identified as coming from the Ordovician Fishguard Volcanic Group exposed in the Pont Saeson area of north Pembrokeshire. This identification will without doubt lead to fresh debates about the mechanisms of transport of this component of the bluestones to the Stonehenge site.
Further details on the WEGA website

Last minute notice - Triassic Fissures - 12th May

Triassic fissures of Tytherington and Cromhall quarries Field Excursion:
Leader Dr Pam Gill (Earth Sciences, Bristol)
Wednesday 12 May
The fissures of the Bristol Channel are famous for their collections of Late Triassic/Early Jurassic terrestrial vertebrates. These include sphenodonts, tritylodonts and early mammals. A specimen recovered from Tytherington Quarry in the 1970s is known as the Bristol Dinosaur and a recent Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £295,000 will allow this dinosaur to be recovered from the 4 tonnes of rock stored in the Earth Science Dept. This Bristol Dinosaur – The codontosaurus antiquus – is the oldest known dinosaur in Britain and one of the oldest in the world. When it was first discovered in 1834 it was only the fourth dinosaur to be discovered in the world.
For HSE and logistical reasons the numbers attending the trip and number of vehicles need to be known in advance, as well as everyone needing hard hats, Hi-vis vests and goggles to enter the quarry. In addition, the number of vehicles going to the quarries is limited, and travel by minibus by the majority of the group would be preferred.
Thus a booking deadline is needed for this trip:
Deadline for booking attendance on the field excursion, a place on minibus and for required field trip equipment is Monday 3rd May. Approx cost for minibus rental, fuel and field booklet £15; non-minibus participants field booklet cost £5. The trip will depart at 09:30 - details on request. Any person wishing to travel by private vehicle should ensure full occupancy and also provide details of those traveling in the vehicle.
A lunch stop will be made at the Royal Oak pub in Cromhall. If you wish to eat at the pub, please give an indication when booking so that an estimate of numbers can be given.
All enquiries, bookings etc for this trip, and requirements for hard hats etc to be made via gldr@bristol.ac.uk or 07889 338658

Moon Rocks - tonight!

Don't forget the lecture 'Moon Rocks' this evening, organised by WEGA. It will be given by Professor Geoffrey Eglinton, a Professor Emeritus at Bristol and other places, who was one of the NASA researchers who examined the first rocks to come back from the moon 40 years ago.
The lecture will be held in the usual place - the Earth Sciences Lecture Theatre in the Wills Building - and at the usual time - 7:30. There will be a cheese and wine party afterwards.
Everyone is welcome.

Neanderthals in Doggerland

Click here to find out what this is all about!
WEGA suggest this link will help you with your homework for the group's February lecture.

Portland - May 24th

There is still time to join WEGA's trip to Portland this Sunday. All the details are on the WEGA website - go to 'Excursions'. Click on 'About Us' to contact the Secretary if you would like to join the trip.

9th March - Obsidians

WEGA invites you to a lecture on 9th March - 'Obsidians' by Dr. Alison Rust. Alison will have some specimens to show at the cheese and wine party after her talk.
SH Reynolds Lecture Theatre,
Wills Memorial Building
Queens Road,
Bristol at 7.30 p.m.

Canada - September 2009

WEGA is organising a trip to Canada in 2009. Here are some initial details:-
Dates :- Tues. 8 September - o/n Wed./Thurs. 16/17 September 09
Airline :- Air Canada (London (LHR) - Halifax) Cost c.£500 pp. return (Group rate)
Field Trip :-
- 4 nights in Nova Scotia (Wolfville and Parrsboro) on the Bay of Fundy
- 1 night in New Brunswick (Mirimichi) en route to SE Quebec
- 3 nights in Gaspe, Quebec (Carleton and Gaspe town) Appalachian geology
- Last night o/n Halifax to LHR. Plane leaves at 11.30 pm
Motels :- Average $120 per room per night (based on 2 sharing) = $960 (£480) or £240 pp.
Car rentals + Petrol :- Based on 4/5 cars (4 sharing per car) = $360 or £180 pp.
So - totalling Air Tick./Motels/ Cars = £920 pp. (don't forget this is a rough cost and does not include food on the trip [allow Can.$ 30 -40] per day or the huge volume of books people will buy!!!). We visit two amazing World Heritage Centres (there are only 7 geo - heritage sites in the world!) and Joggins and Miguasha. Guide books have already been prepared.
Obviously if people want to combine this field trip with a holiday in North America that's fine except to note that the Trip will start at 4.00 pm at Halifax Airport on Tues. 8 Sept. and finish at Halifax Airport at 7.00 pm. on Wed. 16 Sept. 09.
If you are interested please contact WEGA.

Fancy a trip to Edinburgh?

Fancy a trip to Edinburgh? Stuart Monro, WEGA's Horstmann Lecturer of 2007, and Scientific Director of Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, has agreed to show us the Geological Sights.
At the moment the programme is -
1. Meet at Dynamic Earth on the morning of Saturday 25th October for a tour of the Dynamic Earth galleries under the guidance of Stuart.
2. After lunch, a geological excursion round Arthur's Seat. This is an ancient volcano which abuts Dynamic Earth. This will be led by Stuart and will include the section where Hutton proved the intrusive nature of igneous rocks.
3. On Sunday morning, 26th October, an excursion to a nearby locality - maybe North Berwick or Dunbar and, hopefully, by public transport.
The best bet for transport seems to be Easyjet. You can get to Edinburgh and back again for £88 (including most of the "extras"). National Express coaches take about 12 hours and cost about £70. The train takes the strain for £131.
There is a wide variety of accommodation in Edinburgh, varying from the cheap and cheerful to the luxurious. Google Edinburgh Accommodation and make your choice. Remember that there are more than geological reasons for visiting the Scottish Capital. Your partner may want to visit the galleries or the shops or take in a concert or theatre on the Saturday evening. It is not necessary to attend all that I have arranged with Stuart.
Contact WEGA if you are interested; (go to 'About us' at the top of the WEGA home page for email addresses).

Lady required by WEGA - sorry gentlemen

A female person has pulled out of WEGA's trip to Northumberland. Would you be interested in filling the gap?
The dates are Saturday 13th September to Saturday 20th September 2008. It would cost £550 for the week. You would be sharing a twin-bedded room with some other lady in a hotel where we will be staying on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis. Click here for details of the hotel. The £550 includes the hotel, transport in a superior minibus, including from and to Bristol, and tuition by Andrew Bell, a well known Open University lecturer.
The geology is also rather superior - mainly Carboniferous but lots of other stuff, including (at a small additional expense) a boat trip to see Siccar Point - the most important unconformity in the world!
If you could give a response soon WEGA would be very grateful - email