Mercia Rocks
OUGS West Midlands Branch Newsletter
Issue No 4 (2013) September 2013
September’s field Trip to Gullet Quarries, Malvern Contents Branch Officers Branch Organiser’s report p 2
Next Field Trip Advert p 3 Branch Organiser – Sandra Morgan Field Trip Report:- Branch Secretary - Vacant Whitmans Hill and Gullet BranchBranch Organiser'sTreasurer- Susan Bit Jackson Quarries Malvern p 4 Newsletter Editor – Susan Jackson Wenlock Tabulate Corals p 7 Branch Committee Field Trip Programme 2013/14 p10 Patrick Joyce, Ian Kelly Other branches items p11 Other items p 12 If you would like to join the Random chippings from the committee please do get in touch Internet p 13 [email protected] Other Society Events p 15
Branch Organiser’s Report
Dear all,
I hope that you had a good summer, and were able to enjoy the sunshine!
In August the OUGS Symposium took place in Dublin, and participants were treated to some
interesting lectures and excellent field trips. Next year’s Symposium will take place on 15-17 August in Canterbury with a theme of marine geology.
Our September field trip to Whitman’s Hill Geological Reserve and Gullet Quarry was interesting and varied. Highlights included bentonite layers, pisolitic limestone, and fossils at Whitman’s Hill, and folded and shattered pre-Cambrian rocks at Gullet Quarry. Our thanks go to Susan Jackson for organising this field trip. See the full report in this newsletter.
Also in September, I went with the OUGS Information Officer, Pauline Kirtley, to represent OUGS at the Science Revision Weekend at Yarnfield. Here we met many OU students, and succeeded in recruiting some of them to OUGS!
Our next field trip takes place on Sunday 6 October. This will be at Ercall, organised and led by Ian Kelly. This location is geologically very interesting, and certainly worth a visit.
Our last event of this year is a geological walk around the campus of Nottingham University followed by a visit to the British Geological Survey at Keyworth. This will take place on Wednesday 20 November.
We are now putting together our programme for 2014: look out for the Day of Lectures on 15 February, and a Warwickshire field trip in March.
Our branch AGM is scheduled for Saturday 18 January 2014 at Birmingham University. It is important that enough members attend, so do come if you can. There will be more information in our next newsletter. If you would like to get involved, as a committee member or in any other way, do contact me – volunteers are always welcome!
Regards
Sandra
Next field trip
Ercall Quarry field trip th 6 October 2013
The Ercall quarries are a group of quarries cut into the lower slopes of the Wrekin, primarily for roadstone, for which Ercall Quartzite was particularly prized.
The site is perfect for beginners and the more experienced, with extrusive and intrusive continental and oceanic volcanics, a very visible strike/slip fault, igneous/sedimentary contact, a half billion year old beach, a great opportunity to do field sketches and lots to think about and discuss!
The site is managed by the Shropshire Wildlife Trust, is well looked after and there is nothing too strenuous. Suitable footwear is highly recommended and hard hats are essential near the quarry face.
The site is accessed in much the same way as The Wrekin nearby; exit the M54 motorway at J7 (last exit) or the last junction of the A5 from Shrewsbury before it becomes the M54. From there The Wrekin is signposted; follow this road until you reach The Wrekin, then follow the sign for the Buckatree Hotel. There is a small car park across the road from the hotel and the entrance is clearly visible. If this car park is full, head back towards the Wrekin and use the Forest Glen car park.
We will be starting at about 10am and should to be finished by about 2.30pm.
If the weather is fine we will be stopping for a break, so you may want to bring a packed lunch. If it’s very wet people may want to bash through it and go home.
Any questions or queries or to book a place please email me [email protected]
Contributions to the Newsletter are very welcome. The subject matter can be anything geological that you think other members would like to read.
Items for inclusion in the next Newsletter, by email to: [email protected] by 1st December 2013
3 [email protected] Field Trip report Whitmans Hill and Gullet Quarries, Malvern Saturday 14th September 2013
Whitmans Hill Quarry We started our day at Storridge Village Hall car park to the north west of the Malvern Hills where we met our leader for the morning Margaret Rodway before making the short walk up to Whitmans Hill Quarry.
The quarry forms part of a Geodiversity Discovery Venture funded by Natural England through DEFRA's Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund Grant Scheme. In 1999 it was designated a RIGS for its educational value, interesting rock formations and the abundance of fossils. Later in 2005, a ten year lease was obtained by the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Earth Heritage Trust, and following the completion of extensive safety and face clearance works, the site is used as an educational and research resource. It also benefits from being within the Abberley and Malvern Hills European Geopark.
Until 1988, the quarry was the site of limestone extraction, for use as local aggregate. The limestones and mudstones are Silurian (Wenlock) in age - about 425 million years old - and were formed at a time when this area was about 15 degrees south of the equator and the land was covered in warm, shallow seas, like the Seychelles or the Bahamas today.
There are two main rock formations present; 12m of the Coalbrookdale Formation which forms the basal units and 25m of the Much Wenlock Formation which sits above. The boundary between the two units represents a rapid decrease in sea level in the area – shown by the red line on the sites graphic log.
The Coalbrookdale Formation Rivers flowing from the east carried mud and silt which built up in the warm shallow sea eventually forming the mudstones of the Coalbrookdale Formation. Characterised by an olive-grey to dark blue- grey silty mudstones with occasional calcareous limestone nodules and impersistent nodular calcareous beds. Fossils are widespread and contain marine fauna such as brachiopods, trilobites, corals and bivalves.
One of the feature in the quarry we looked at was an example of spheroidal ('onion skin') weathering in the siltstones of the Coalbrookdale Formation. This is the result of enhanced weathering and chemical reactions at joint intersections.
At the bottom of the quarry track we were shown some ball-like structures
from 10cm to over 2m in size T These balls are composed of calcareous cement and in many places exceed the bedding planes. Their composition makes them more resistant to weathering then
4 [email protected] the surrounding siltstones so they stand out. It is believed that these may have grown during the early phase of the rock’s formation as a soft sediment deformation structure
The Much Wenlock Formation With the falling sea level a long period of mainly limestone was deposited and small reefs known as bioherms were formed on what were probably large carbonate platforms some distance from a landmass. These lens-shaped structures (about four metres across and diamond shaped in the rock face) are roughly in the centre of the quarry's east wall. They are similar to a modern-day patch reef, but are mainly made up of algae and stromatoporoids, unlike the corals which primarily comprise today's patch reefs.
Towards the top of the formation the limestones are characterised by pale grey nodular to thinly bedded limestones. These nodular beds are know locally as the ‘Storridge Porridge’ and are found to have a nucleus of shelly material and were probably formed in slightly deeper water .
Importantly at this site preserved within the limestone formation are a number of bentonite layers. During the Silurian sporadic volcanic eruptions where producing a great deal of volcanic ash. This ash sank to the seabed and it was altered chemically and preserved in the sediments. The quarry shows a total of nine bentonite layers varying in thickness. Current research has established the age of the bentonites using Zircon crystals which contain the radioactive element uranium which decays eventually to form lead. By working out the ratio of uranium to radiogenic lead in the zircon crystals they are able to confirm the age of the rocks in the quarry to around 425 million years. This is very similar to research currently being carried out at the Wrens Nest in Dudley where the layers are thinner, suggesting that Whitmans was near the volcanic source; whilst the location is unsure it is thought to be somewhere near Cheltenham or South Wales
Crystals of apatite found in the bentonites can also tell us about the types of magma that came out of the volcanoes. Some of the older bentonites come from an acid magma whilst the younger ones at the top of Whitmans quarry are from less evolved magma with a more mafic/intermediate composition. This does suggest that different volcanoes many have been responsible for forming the different ash layers.
After looking and discussing the various features found in the quarry we had the opportunity of indulging in a little fossil hunting. This was much enhanced by Alan Bates’s extensive knowledge of fossil types and a number of finds have made their way into our member’s collections. We found some good samples of pisolitic limestone, similar to oolitic limestone but with larger grain size, a large semi- circular coral, brachiopods, small Syringopora type corals and Halysites chain corals. Unfortunately the trilobites where hiding for the day.
5 [email protected] After lunch at Storridge village hall we travelled on to our afternoon location - Gullet Quarry
Here we met up with our leader for the afternoon, John Payne who walked us into the quarry and provided some background information. The lake is approximately 5m deep with the quarry face above rising up a further 60 meters. The massive crystalline rocks are 670 million years old and were formed when molten rock deep in the earth solidified in latitudes near the present south-pole. Over the long period of their existence the rocks have been crushed, altered and shifted many times. About 430 million years ago they were finally exposed as a land mass in the tropics fringed by shallow seas. The land was eroded and sediments were deposited on the surrounding sea floor. These sediments now form the rock layers at the top left of the quarry which we visited later. John pointed described the N-S graben had bounded on one side by the East Malvern Fault at the foot of the Malvern Hills. Transverse movement along bends in this fault had resulted in the lifting up of the Malvern Complex. We began our examination of the rock types in the main lower quarry. Much of the Precambrian sequence is exposed in the high vertical faces on its northern side. Here the Malvern complex is very varied with a variety of rock types exposed. The country rock is dominated by a highly deformed diorite into which has been intruded several generations of igneous rocks, including microdiorite dykes, quartz-feldspar pegmatite and pink granite veins. Close inspection showed complex Dykes sheared areas, breccias adjacent to faults.
The complex is also intensely deformed. Almost every boundary between different rock types has been sheared. A prominent NE-trending foliation dips steeply to the south-east, and is gneissose in places; a result of local dynamic metamorphism. Boudinage Structure Gneis This gneissose fabric is s accentuated by intrusions of the thin pink granite veins parallel to the fabric. These have been broken up in places, forming boudinage structures.
The intense shearing affects all lithologies in the Malverns Complex, including the late microdiorite dykes, and so occurred after the Precambrian. It is likely that some deformation is related to the Variscan orogeny; however it is also possible that the area has been affected by even younger deformation associated with the East Malvern Fault.
We then climbed the steep hill to the left of the lake towards Gullet top quarry to examine the Silurian exposure and its unconformity with the Precambrian rock of the quarry The nature of the contact between the Malverns Complex and the overlying Silurian rocks has been a matter of debate for many years, although the balance of opinion now favours an unconformable relationship. Top Gullet Quarry shows a section through the Wyche Formation of the early Silurian, directly overlying the Precambrian Malverns Complex, now tilted by 60 degrees. A conglomerate at the base of the Silurian, resting on the undulating surface of Malverns Complex contains a layer of shelly limestone embedded with pebbles and boulders of Malverns Complex granites, thought to be an ancient beach. A retreating cliff-line with seashore stacks has been visualised as the environment at this time.
Above the unconformity the Silurian sandstones, limestones and shales of the Wyche Formation yield fossils at some levels, especially in the decalcified limestones, and include several species of brachiopod and corals. Two marine fossil communities have been described, which represent a gradual change in the marine environment from shallower to deeper water. The rocks display good sedimentary structures, such as scours, groove casts and impact marks. Occasional layers of ripple drift bedding may also be found, indicating deposition in moving water. Finally we walked up the Gullet valley, formed along a transverse fault to see an early basal conglomerate. This formed in a pit between uplifted Precambrian rocks at the start of the Welsh Basin deposits. Some of the pebbles were sedimentary Malvern quartzite; circular white grains of silicon, 0.6mm diameter, together with beach sand and other quartz pebbles which had been brought by rivers from further away.
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For those of you who went on the trip to Whitmans Hill, Alan has produced the following article on the corals we found which others might find of interest.
Wenlock Tabulate Corals (by an old fossil)
Palaeozoic Corals Palaeozoic corals came in two major groups (or clades in modern terminology). They were first seen in the Ordovician and there was a major period of expansion in the Silurian. Corals were less successful in the Devonian, had an intermittent resurgence in the Carboniferous, and died out in the mass extinction at the end of the Permian. After c. 60 Ma (In the mid Triassic) the modern form or scleractinian coral took over the empty niche and survived the extinctions since then. This
7 [email protected] article will just cover tabulate corals, concentrating on those found in the Much Wenlock Limestone Formation (abbreviated to WEL in the BGS Lexicon).
Tabulate Corals - Background All tabulate corals are colonial unlike rugose corals which can be either colonial or solitary. Rugose corals are often cone or horn-shaped because the coral animals (polyps) grew in size. The polyps in the tabulate fossils live in the top section of thin, parallel-sided tubes of calcite which are rarely more than a few mm across. They stay parallel-sided because the individual polyps stay the same size. The compound coral expands by the polyps extending their tubes and by adding more polyps in their own tubes. A single tube with its associated polyp is referred to as a corallite.
The term Tabulate or Tabulata comes from the tabulae which divide up the tubes transversely. The polyp lives on the top tabula. Imagine a skyscraper. The most desirable location is the penthouse suite at the very top. The polyp lives on the top floor but continues to build moving into the new penthouse suite as the skyscraper gets taller.
Google Images can be used to get pictures of various corals but a useful (but little-known) source is the website of the Tyne and Wear Museum. Corals of shown from all three groups: Tabulata, Rugosa and Scleractinia so check the ages carefully. http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/geofinder/search/
The thumbnails for all corals can be found at (several sheets): http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/geofinder/search/results.php?group=coral&x=24&y=5 The pictures are not of perfect specimens but they do represent good specimens such as the occasional geologist might find.
Identification of Hand specimens in the Field Naming of tabulate coral fossils is based on the various ways the corallites, like a bundle of straws, are packed together.
1. By sharing walls. The separate walls now no longer exist and in place of approximately circular tubes/straws there is an array of irregular polygons. The walls have tiny pores which allow interconnection between the polyps. Viewed in cross section the compound coral will look like a crude honeycomb (bees do it better). Tentative field name: “Honeycomb coral” Typical example: Favosites (Interestingly, beautifully preserved fossils of Favosites have been found in Quebec having calcified polyps with about twelve tentacles thereby confirming these really were corals.)
2. By bunching the straws together and excreting calcite to form a structured mass of tiny polygonal tubes between them. Unlike the larger corallites, these tubes are empty. The individual “straws” are separate from each other and retain a circular cross section. The array of corallites in a hand sample looks like a pin cushion. The comparison is reinforced by the coral mass often being slightly domed. Tentative field name: “Pin cushion coral” Typical example: Heliolites.
8 [email protected] 3. As 2, above, but branching rather than massive. These would help to make a framework for a reef but are said to have been quite fragile. There is a good example in one of the reef mounds at the Wren’s Nest Tentative field name: “Branching coral” Typical Example: Thamnopora cristata (this appears to have several synonyms)
4. By arranging the “straws” side by side and sharing the point contact along the lengths of pairs of tubes. The effect is to look like a palisade when viewed sideways and like a chain when seen in cross section. The links in the chain tend to be oval rather than circular and there can be small tubes within the contact line. The complete structure can be linear or branching with the spaces taken up by the native material. The palisade view can be confused with a ridged piece of shell. Hence the frequent comment, “I never knew there were shells like this in the Silurian”. For an example of “palisade” view of a chain coral , see: http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/geofinder/search/item.php?record=NEWHM:G46.17 Tentative field name: “Chain coral” Typical example: Halisites.
5. By encrusting a solid matrix such as a piece of rock or another coral mass. Unlike many of the previous forms, these encrusting corals lie prone on the surface in two rather than three dimensions. The corallites are commonly cone shaped with the mouth of the cone turned through a right angle so that it faces away from the solid surface. Further corallites bud off from each other to form an irregular array. Tentative field name: “Encrusting coral” Typical example: Aulopora
6. By the coralites linking to each other in various place along their lengths. The links are like struts and the effect is to form an open bundle of tubes with the rock matrix between them. The tubes of the most common form are larger and more irregular in cross section than Heliolites. Tentative field name: “Organ pipe coral” Typical example: Syringopora
Final notes 1) The above is greatly simplified. Only a few genera and species are referred to and there are several hundred coral species in the WEL. However, the “pin cushion”, “honeycomb”, and “chain” corals are probably those more commonly found. 2) The pedants amongst us will have long since noticed that I have been “sloppy” in naming the species of coral. I have quite deliberately omitted the use of italics for most species names. Learned texts will refer to species that have been clearly defined, such as Halisites catenularius or Favosites gothlandicus forma forbesi (Edwards and Haime). To achieve such a level of precision requires more than just looking at a fossil or using a handlens. Often the detailed internal structure needs to be examined in a polished cross section under a microscope. For example, the number and distribution of tiny pores in the walls produced by the polyps (mural pores) can become vital in distinguishing species within a Genus. It may well be that your specimen is a perfect specimen of Favosites gothlandicus or Heliolites interstinctus or even Halisites catenularius but it could be something quite different. And do not rely on what the literature says is present in a particular area. For example, experts have bemoaned the use of Halisites catenularius for any and all chain corals when there are a dozen or so species in at least two Genera.
9 [email protected] Field Trip Programme 2013
If you would like to attend any WMOUGS events please contact the Trip Organiser for full details. If you have difficulty in getting there please also let the Trip Organiser know as it may be possible to arrange a lift with another participant. There is a nominal fee of £2 on day trips (unless otherwise stated) to cover leader’s expenses. Always wear appropriate clothing and boots and bear in mind that hard hats and yellow jackets may be required in some quarries.
Below are the field trips planned for 2013. Please continue to check the branch’s website (http://ougs.org/index.php?branchcode=wmi) for the most up to date information.
6 Oct Beginner’s Day at the Ercall Quarry, Shropshire The Ercall quarries are cut into the lower slopes of the Wrekin, primarily for roadstone for which Ercall Quartzite was prized. This site is prefect for beginners and the more experienced, with extrusive and intrusive continental and oceanic volcanics, a very visible strike/slip fault, igneous/sedimentary contact, and a half billion year old beach. Contact: Ian Kelly, [email protected]
20 Nov British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottinghamshire In the morning we will be shown by a member of the BGS around the University of Nottingham ‘Rock around the Campus’ geological trail. http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/estates/documents/groundsgeologicalwalk.pdf In the afternoon we will join a guided tour of the BGS to include the Library, the National Geological Repository (core, fossil, petrology collections etc.) the National Geological Records Centre and the new Geological time walk. There will then be time to visit the BGS shop. http://www.bgs.ac.uk/contacts/sites/keyworth/geologicalWalk/home.html Unfortunately the BGS is not open at weekends so this is a mid week tour only. We have a limited number of places remaining on the tour so please register your interest if you are thinking of attending Contact: Susan Jackson, [email protected]
2014 Dates for your diary
Provisional dates for your diary. Further details to follow in future newsletters. 18th Jan Branch AGM – Full details to follow in December’s newsletter
15th Feb Bi-Annual Day of Lectures Dome Lecture Theatre, University of Birmingham. An exciting programme of 5 prominent speakers from a range of geological specialisms. Free for members, £5 for non-members. Register your interest now! Contact: Sandra Morgan – [email protected]
23rd Mar Warwick University Geological Trail Guided walk around the University of Warwick’s geological trail with Martyn Bradley. More details to follow with further locations in the surrounds including possibly the Gibbet Hill erratic and the skerry sandstones in the Tile Hill mudstone at Canley Ford. Contact Patrick Joyce: [email protected]
Each person attending a field meeting does so on the understanding that he/she attends at his/her own risk. The OUGS has Public Liability Insurance Cover for field and indoor meetings, but Personal Accident Cover and Personal L iability Cover remain the responsibility and personal choice of the participant.
There may be an element of appropriate cover included in house insurance or in travel insurance: although OUGS activities are not particularly dangerous, members are advised to check whether exclusions apply to activities in which they plan to participate in case they wish to arrange further cover. An annual travel insurance may be the best solution for any member who regularly attends field evens: this again is a matter of personal choice.
Other OUGS branches’ items
East Midlands Branch Are holding a Day of Talks on the theme of Geohazards Saturday 7 December 2013, 9:30am to 3pm British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham
Programme 9:30 Registration 10:00- 10:45 Dr Lorraine Field, Nyamuragira and Nyiragongo: British Geological Survey deadly and dangerous 10:45 – 11:15 Coffee break 11:15 - 12:00 Prof. Dave Tappin, The “Age of Tsunamis”? British Geological Survey and University College London 12:00 – 12:45 Dr Vanessa Banks, Environmental change and British Geological Survey shallow geohazards 12:45 - 13:30 Lunch (included) and a chance to stock up at the BGS Geology Shop 13:30 - 14:15 Mr Ekbal Hussein, Istanbul: On the Brink of a University of Leeds Mega-Disaster 14:15 - 15:00 Dr Amy Donovan, Communicating uncertainty University of Cambridge around volcanic hazards to decision makers Cost: £7 per person (including buffet lunch) Please help by telling us you plan to attend by 4 December Contact either - David Litchfield [email protected] Don Cameron [email protected]
11 [email protected] Other items
This new Geology Centre is situated close to the Wyche Cutting in the Malvern Hills. It was opened by Chris Darmon on Saturday 1st June, along with the launch of the 2013 'GeoFest'. It is the official visitor information centre for the Geopark Way, situated on the western slopes of the Hills, providing information about the Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark, the Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the Malverns.
Wall maps in the Centre show the Geopark and its geology, the Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Malvern Hills and Commons. iPads mounted on "ipad trees" allow visitors to access a wealth of information, and a large video wall shows panoramas and videos of the region. It is open every day except Wednesday, and offers spectacular views and a cafe! For more information: www.geocentre.co.uk tel: 01684 252414.
Geologists' Association Festival of Geology
Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd November 2013
Entrance Free !
10.30 am - 4.30 pm, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT
Exhibitors: ...from the World of Geology. Fossil and mineral displays, stonecraft, books, maps and geological equipment, jewellery, beads and more...
Discovery Room: Rockwatch with activities for children of all ages with fossils, racing trilobites, Jurassic dioramas and more....
Geological Talks: Prof lain Stewart - University of Plymouth Prof Jane Francis - Director of British Antarctic Survey (from Oct 2013) Dr Susanne Schwezner - Open University Dr Maria McNamara - University of Bristol
RandomWalks and Field chippings Trips: Saturday from 2nd November: the Dr Internet Ruth Siddall - byLocal Alanbuilding Batesstone walks Sunday 3 November: Field Trip to Riddlesdown Chalk Pit near Croydon - Prof Rory Mortimore Building Stone Walk in the City - Diana Smith Walk down the lost river Tyburn - Diana Clements
Amateur Photographic Competition: Any geological topic 1st Prize ￡100 2nd Prize ￡50 3rd Prize ￡25
Further Festival details: www.geologistsassociation.org.uk www.rockwatch.org.uk 020 7434 9298 e: [email protected]
12 [email protected] The latest issue of the free Earth Heritage magazine is now available (issue 40)
‘Earth Heritage is a magazine produced twice yearly to stimulate interest in geodiversity and a broad range of geological and landscape conservation issues within the UK and further afield. It is free to download in pdf format from the Downloads section of their site and should interest geological conservation specialists, and those involved in studying Earth and environmental sciences in universities, colleges and secondary education’. Go to www.earthheritage.org.uk There are two articles of local interst:- P 3 ‘Volcanic Master piece is new SSSI’ Relates to the Dudley Volcano at Barrow Hill and Tansey Green
P16 ‘Building Stone Origins in survey spotlight’ BookRelates recommendationto the Hereford and Worcester Earth Heritage Trust building stones project
Following our field trip to Whitmans Hill Alan Bates has recommended this book for those interested in Palaeontology.
Amazon Book Description Publication Date: 26 Jan 1989 This is a revised and updated version of Rhona Black's successful and highly acclaimed textbook. Aimed at students approaching the subject for the first time, The Elements of Palaeontology achieves an approach simple enough for beginning students, yet with sufficient depth and breadth of coverage for those wishing to delve further into the early history of life. The author deals systematically with all the groups of fossilised organisms: invertebrates and vertebrates, microfossils, plants and trace fossils, describing their morphology and dealing briefly with the biological aspects of palaeontology. The relevant technical terms are clearly defined and a glossary is included for each of the main invertebrate groups. In this second edition, a chapter on trace fossils has been added, the chapter on microfossils expanded, and a section on pollens included with the plants. In each case the superb illustrations have been added to, with the inclusion of many new electron micrographs.
Does anyone else have a book recommendation – please let the newsletter know [email protected]
Random chippings from the Internet by Alan Bates
Where is this? (Answer shortly but see if you can work it out yourself) It is a small area in the West Midlands. While it is believed by many to be the highest point in its County, it fails by 7 metres. It does, however, have the highest pub in the County. Clearly, it gets its priorities correct! On a clear day it is said to provide one of the best views in England – but it is often cold, wet and misty. It is the site of one of the earliest hydroelectric schemes in the world. It is also home to sheep, coal mining and radar for air traffic control and detection of cloud precipitation: rain to you and me! Going back millennia, there is a major Bronze and Iron Age hill fort. For centuries it was so isolated that its population developed their own language.
13 [email protected] The geology of the area made it an important site in the early development of the industrial revolution. The buildings (now in ruins) were some of the first examples of the use of reinforced concrete.
O.K. Have you guessed the answer?
Titterstone Clee Hill in Shropshire. (Yes. I know I cheated a bit by not referring to the extensive dolerite quarries but that would have made it too easy!) For those who do not know it, Titterstone Clee Hill is in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. A few miles to the North lies Brown Clee Hill – the highest in Shropshire but less impressive from a distance than its shorter neighbour. The main access road is the A4117 between Cleobury Mortimer and Ludlow.
Google is your friend (maybe) but for a general heritage background try the website of the Titterstone Clee Heritage Trust: http://www.thecleehilltrust.co.uk/ This site was new to me when I was researching this article and is well worth exploring – succinct articles and plenty of photographs along with detailed grid references to places of interest. For a more geological approach try: http://www.shropshiregeology.org.uk/shrop geol/tittclee/tittcleemaindetailed.html and click/right click at the end of the line starting: “A detailed geological trail …” This downloads a pdf file with a background to the geology of Titterstone Clee Hill along with a brief mention of Brown Clee Hill. The geological trail information is excellent, as you would expect from the Shropshire Geological Society. Just a note to protect the unwary (I speak from experience). The full trail on a single day is likely to be beyond the physical abilities of most members and, at best, would be a route march rather than an enjoyable walk. (Image - Shropshire Geological Society Special Publication Geological Trail for Titterstone Clee and Clee Hill)
Three things to remember: What goes down must come up again and many of the slopes are steep. Good footware is strongly advised. The hill is open space and hard hats are not needed (unless you have a Chicken Little Complex). The local climate is different on the two sides of the hills. And it is always breezy and exposed at the top. Beware sunburn and snow showers on the same day! The comment about mist and poor visibility is not for fun. A compass and a good map (1:25,000 OS Explorer Series, Ludlow, 203) might not seem necessary when you start on a clear day but having the items (and the ability to use them) may save you a lot of trouble if/when the weather changes.
Enjoy!
Gemology - The What and Why of Gems.
Recently I needed to have some information about a particular mineral and its gemstone variety. I had bought a polished piece of Iolite and wanted to be sure what I’d got! I soon found out it was a form of Cordierite and that the spelling of Iolite seemed to be confused with some web sites using “Iolite” and some Lolite. The difference appears to be in the similarity in many fonts between upper case I “eye” and lower case l “el” (see what I mean?).
Iolite has an interesting history based on its optical properties that you can easily find from Google. The link with this article was that I got to thinking (this does happen occasionally so I take advantage of these rare events). Where can I find a site that summarises the different types of gem stones and how their colours are produced? I found a site many years ago and to my surprise it is still available: http://nature.berkeley.edu/classes/eps2/ This is an internet-based course originally developed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is available for academic credit for students of University of California-Berkeley. All the internet- based material is available free and without password protection.
The course covers: Processes leading to the formation of gems in the Earth, How gems are identified Factors that affect the appearance and value of gems Processes used to enhance the appearance of gems Materials used to simulate common gemstones. Information about each of the main gem groups is provided.
Non-internet support is missing and there are no chat rooms or discussion groups. It is not going to achieve credit at the OU or elsewhere. It does, however, provide an easy to read background to understanding gems and gemstones.
Other Events in the West Midlands
Black Country Geological Society For further details go to www.bcgs.info Lecture meetings are held at Dudley Museum & Art Gallery, St James’s Road, Dudley, DY1 1HU, 7.30 for 8 o’clock start unless stated otherwise. Those wishing to attend field meetings please contact the Field Secretary, Andy Harrison email: [email protected]) Sunday 20th October: Charnwood Forest, Part II, leader Mike Allen. Monday 28th October (Indoor meeting): 'Of fossils and fracking – a palaeontologist's guide to shale gas'. Speaker: Dr Liam Herringshaw
15 [email protected] Shropshire Geological Society Further details and to book a place go to:- www.shropshiregeology.org.uk/SGS/SGSintro.html Lectures are held at Shire Hall, Shrewsbury, commencing at 7.15pm for 7.30pm A nominal charge is levied for attendance by non-Members. Wednesday 9 October: Impact of volcanic eruptions in Iceland 2010 (guest speaker: Prof Andy Russell) Wednesday 13 November: Through the lens of the Geologists Association (guest speaker: Dr Jonathan Larwood)
Warwickshire Geological Conservation Group Further details go to www.wgcg.co.uk/ Lectures are held monthly from September to April, Starting at 7.00pm free to WGCG members with non-members £2.00 per lecture. Wednesday 20 November: Greats of Midlands Geology :Prof. Peter Worsley will speak about Fred Shotton and Dr Jon Clatworthy about Leonard (Jack) Wills Wednesday 15 January: Hugh Jones (Warwick) Mud: a guide to drilling for Oil Wednesday 19 February: Prof. Paul Smith (Director, Oxford University Museum of Natural History) The Cambrian Explosion: news from the far North Wednesday 19 March: Dr Ian Williamson (ex-BGS and Natural England) The Palaeocene Lava Fields of NW Scotland Monotonous Piles of Old, Cold, and very Boring Basalt?
North Staffordshire Group of the Geologists’ Association For further details go to www.esci.keele.ac.uk/nsgga NSGGA is the regional group of the Geologist Association North Staffordshire. The winter lecture programme takes place on the second Thursday of the month from October to March at 7.30pm. All talks are held in the William Smith Building, Keele University. Field meetings are held at approximately monthly intervals over the spring and summer. 10 October Dr Richard Waller (Keele) Skeiðarárjökull 14 November Prof. Danielle Schreve (Royal Holloway) The Thirteenth Wolverson Cope Lecture Where the woolly rhinos roam: vertebrate faunal and environmental change during the last ice age 9 January Keith Nicholls (Chester) The Big Chill ... Life, death, and destruction, a story from the end of the Ordovician 13 February Dr Sarah Davies (Leicester) Rebuilding terrestrial ecosystems after the end-Devonian mass extinction: a major turning point in terrestrial evolution.
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