GeoscientistThe Fellowship magazine of The Geological Society of London | www.geolsoc.org.uk | Volume 23 No 2 | March 2013

follow us on twitter ] [www.twitter.com/geoscientistmag SOPWITH SURPRISE The first British geological section? VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! Election issue – full details

LIE OF THE LAND New digital mapping techniques in the flat lands

CONTENTS GEOSCIENTIST

IN THIS ISSUE MARCH 2013

FEATURES 21 SURPRISING SOPWITH Graham Carlisle & Susan Turner find yet another facet of the ever-surprising work of Thomas Sopwith REGULARS 05 WELCOME Ted Nield on the plight of the RI, where past and future collide 06 SOCIETY NEWS What your Society is doing at home and abroad, in London and the regions 14 COVER FEATURE: LIE OF THE LAND 08 ELECTIONS Your full hustings details for the 2013 ballot for Council and President Designate Timothy Farewell, Peter Friend & Martin Whiteley 13 SOAPBOX Gordon Neighbour wonders if it is time for on digital mapping techniques in the flat-lands the Society to weigh into the A level debate 20 CALENDAR Society activities this month 24 BOOK & ARTS Four reviews by Chris Walley, Mark Lee, Rick Brassington and Steve Rowlatt 26 PEOPLE Geoscientists in the news and on the move 28 OBITUARY A distinguished Fellow remembered 29 CROSSWORD Win a special publication of your choice ONLINE SPECIALS n MONISHA AND THE STONE FOREST Nigel Hughes on a pioneering geo-education initiative 21 26 in Bengal, supported by the Society

MARCH 2013 03 Lyell Meeting 2013 The Cambrian Explosion – understanding Earth systems at the origin of modern ecosystems

13 March 2013

A joint meeting of the Geological Society of London, the Palaeontographical Society, the Palaeontological Association and The Micropalaeontological Society

As consensus begins to emerge on the topology of high-level phylogenetic relationships amongst animal groups, molecular clocks are beginning to elucidate the slow fuse versus big bang debate relating to the origin of major animal groups, and it is now clear that the major animal clades diverged tens of millions of years before their first appearance in the fossil record. Understanding this macroevolutionary lag requires a multidisciplinary understanding of Cambrian Earth systems, in which a complex interplay of sea-level change, ocean geochemistry, biomineralisation and ecosystem engineering producing the major evolutionary diversification that characterises the early Cambrian. This involves a change from matground dominated ecosystems in the Ediacaran to the primitive but recognisably modern ecosystems associated with the Cambrian substrate revolution. Contemporaneously, the repeated but approximately synchronous evolution of biomineralisation in animal groups in the early Cambrian led to the first skeletons, and the selective opportunities provided by these novel structures. This meeting will bring together palaeobiologists, ichnologists, geneticists, geochemists and stratigraphers to re-assess the complex, non-uniformitarian processes that operated in ecosystems before, during and after the Cambrian Explosion. One aim will be to examine the varied feedback processes operating in these ecosystems and the changes that occurred across the Ediacaran–Cambrian boundary. In addition, recent suggestions of underlying mechanisms for these changes will be examined, including the Great Unconformity hypothesis that invokes the reworking of continental regolith during early Cambrian sea-level rise, transgression and continental inundation as an environmental trigger for the evolution of biomineralisation. The meeting will be relevant to all who are interested in complex feedback processes within Earth systems, as well as those with a direct interest in the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition.

Conveners: Paul Smith (Oxford) and David Harper (Durham University) Speakers include: Howard Armstrong (Durham University), Kevin Peterson (Dartmouth College), Peter Holland (University of Oxford), Robert Gaines (Pomona College, California), Greg Edgecombe (Natural History Museum), David Harper (Durham University), Further information Duncan McIlroy (Memorial University of Newfoundland), Gabriela Mangano (University of Saskatchewan), Duncan Murdoch (University of Bristol), Nick For further information about the conference, please contact: Butterfield (University of Cambridge) and Martin Brasier (University of Oxford) Naomi Hewbold, Conference Office, The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG Tel: 0207 434 9944 Fax: 0207 494 0579 Email: [email protected] Web: www.geolsoc.org.uk/lyell13 Twitter: #lyell13 Image courtesy of Esben Horn, www.10tons.dk ~ EDITOR’S COMMENT GEOSCIENTIST SUBTLE LANDSCAPES OF ENGLAND’S EASTERN COUNTIES GET A NEW MAPPING TOOL Cover: Ditty_about_ summer / Shutterstock.com~ PAST & FUTURE COLLIDE n 2008 the Royal Institution, just around the Geoscientist is the T 01727 893 894 Fellowship magazine of F 01727 893 895 corner from Burlington House, reopened the Geological Society E enquiries@centuryone its doors after a monumental makeover of London publishing.ltd.uk W www.centuryone inspired by its then Director, neuroscientist, The Geological Society, publishing.ltd.uk sometime author and TV presenter, Baroness Burlington House, Piccadilly, Susan Greenfield. London W1J 0BG ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE T +44 (0)20 7434 9944 Jonathan Knight Music played; waiters plied champagne; a F +44 (0)20 7439 8975 T 01727 739 193 Istall offered oysters. Transformed into a West End E [email protected] E jonathan@centuryone (Not for Editorial) publishing.ltd.uk ‘salon’ for scientists, this holy temple of ancient science and outreach had not just had a paint job; it Publishing House ART EDITOR The Geological Society Heena Gudka had been reimagined – for a cool £22m – complete Publishing House, Unit 7, with stylish restaurant. Brassmill Enterprise Centre, DESIGN & PRODUCTION Brassmill Lane, Bath Sarah Astington But alas, it failed. Venue hire and fine dining BA1 3JN (Mayfair not being exactly short of swanky venues T 01225 445046 PRINTED BY and restaurants) failed to match the income lost F 01225 442836 Century One Publishing Ltd. when, to help pay for it all, the RI sold the properties Library Copyright whose top-dollar rents had long been keeping it T +44 (0)20 7432 0999 The Geological Society of F +44 (0)20 7439 3470 London is a Registered Charity, afloat. Now the building is apparently being E [email protected] number 210161. offered for sale to pay off debts reported to be £7m. ISSN (print) 0961-5628 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ISSN (online) 2045-1784 Sadly, financial planning is not rocket science. Professor Peter Styles FGS Perhaps if it had been, the RI’s Trustees would have The Geological Society of London done a better job. EDITOR accepts no responsibility for the Dr Ted Nield NUJ FGS views expressed in any article in Cue, much gnashing of teeth from science’s retired E [email protected] this publication. All views expressed, except where colonels - none of whose harrumphings have made explicitly stated otherwise, much mention of the RI’s future, or acknowledged EDITORIAL BOARD represent those of the author, and Dr Sue Bowler FGS not The Geological Society of that this fine kettle of fish is one in which the RI Mr Steve Branch FGS London. All rights reserved. No Dr Robin Cocks FGS paragraph of this publication may have pickled themselves. It is nobody’s fault, but Prof. Tony Harris FGS be reproduced, copied or their own. Yet the State, it seems, should now pick Dr Howard Falcon- transmitted save with written permission. Users registered with up the tab, bail them out, and allow the RI to Lang FGS Copyright Clearance Center: the Dr Joe McCall FGS Journal is registered with CCC, continue in the same old way. Nobel prizewinner Dr Jonathan Turner FGS 27 Congress Street, Salem, MA Professor Sir Harry ‘Buckyballs’ Kroto, leading the Dr Jan Zalasiewicz FGS 01970, USA. 0961- 5628/02/$15.00. charge, has likened the potential sale to the Trustees of the Geological Every effort has been made to destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan – an analogy Society of London trace copyright holders of material in this publication. If any that unwittingly casts his fellow scientists in the role Mr D T Shilston (President); rights have been omitted, the Mrs N K Ala; Dr M G publishers offer their apologies. of the Taliban, because it was surely they, and no-one Armitage; Miss S Brough; Professor R A Butler; No responsibility is assumed by else, who set the charges under 21 Albemarle Street. Professor N A Chapman; the Publisher for any injury and/or This ludicrous overstatement neatly illustrates the damage to persons or property as Mr D J Cragg; Professor J a matter of products liability, real, underlying message of this fiasco. Just as Francis (Secretary, Science) negligence or otherwise, or from Professor A J Fraser; any use or operation of any hyperbole is best left to journalists, financial Dr S A Gibson; Mrs M P methods, products, instructions planning should be done by those who understand Henton (Secretary, or ideas contained in the material Professional Matters); herein. Although all advertising it. The RI does not deserve to be saved from itself Dr R A Hughes; Mr D A material is expected to conform to on the strength of the historic achievements of Jones; Dr A Law (Treasurer), ethical (medical) standards, inclusion in this publication does Michael Faraday and Humphry Davy, even if Professor R J Lisle; not constitute a guarantee or Professor A R Lord endorsement of the quality or they were both Fellows of this Society (and the (Secretary, Foreign & value of such product or of the External Affairs); Mr P claims made by its manufacturer. latter a founder); and given its own flopped self- Maliphant (Vice president); reinvention, its future now lies entirely behind it. Subscriptions: All Dr B R Marker OBE; correspondence relating to non- Its current importance to science and outreach is Professor S B Marriott (Vice member subscriptions should be president); Dr G Nichols; addresses to the Journals vestigial - and what there is of the latter, largely Dr C P Summerhayes Subscription Department, outmoded. None of its present activities can (Vice president); Professor J Geological Society Publishing H Tellam; Dr J P Turner House, Unit 7 Brassmill Enterprise reasonably be used to disguise what has become an Centre, Brassmill Lane, Bath, BA1 (Secretary, Publications) 3JN, UK. Tel: 01225 445046. Fax: unseemly wrangle over science’s Holy Places. 01225 442836. Email: Yes, it’s sad, but the building’s not going Published on behalf of [email protected]. The the Geological Society subscription price for Volume 22, anywhere – it’s Grade 1 listed. Move the scientists of London by 2012 (11 issues) to institutions to a university. Move the collections to the Science Century One Publishing and non-members is £108 (UK) Alban Row, 27–31 Verulam or £124 / US$247 (Rest of World). Museum. Above all, move on. Road, St Albans, Herts, © 2013 The Geological Society AL3 4DG of London DR TED NIELD EDITOR

MARCH 2013 05 GEOSCIENTIST SOCIETY NEWS SOCIETYNEWS ELECTION – FELLOWS Society Awards 2013 The following are put forward for election to Fellowship at the OGM on 6 February 2013: The Society is delighted to announce the winners of its medals and funds, and ADAM Andrew; ADAMSON Kate Louise; ADRIASOLA MUNOZ offers all its heartiest congratulations. The Awards will be presented at President’s Alberto Constantino; AISULAMI Sulaiman; AKINLOTAN Oladapo; Day on 5 June 2013. ALLAN Alexander; ALMOND Christopher James; AMICI Wollaston Medal: Kurt Lambeck; Lyell Medal: Paula Reimer; Murchison Medal: Riccardo; ANDERSON Ian George; ARMITAGE Peter Joseph; Peter Kokelaar; William Smith Medal: Martin Jackson; Coke Medal: Ian Sims; AVERY Andrew Michael; AYNSLEY Benjamin James; BALABAN Sorin-Ionut; BARKER Hannah Jayne; BARRATT Rachel; Coke Medal: Robert Thomas; Aberconway Medal: Peter Burgess; Bigsby Medal: BARTLETT Samantha; BASZTYK William Alexander; BEADLE Christopher Jackson; Prestwich Medal: Not awarded; Sue Tyler Friedman: Henry Catriona; BELLIS Alexander Stanyon; BERRYMAN Jake Gordon; Frankel; R H Worth Prize: Hans Hagdorn; Wollaston Fund: James Wookey; BHATTI Tariq Javed; BIGGERSTAFF Andrew Charles; BLACK Martin; BOOTH Douglas; BOSE Rituparna; BOWEN David Adam; William Smith Fund: Marie Edmonds; Lyell Fund: Siwan Davies; Murchison Fund: BRADLEY Alexander John; BRITTON Scott Allan; BROOM- Alison Rust; Distinguished Service Award: Richard Moody; President’s Awards: FENDLEY Sam; BROWN Scarlett; BROWNING John; BUCKELL Nicolas Brantut, Matthew Pound. John Palser; BURKETT Lydia; BUSSEY Andrew Ross; CAHILL Rory; CARRAGHER Peter David; CARROLL Gareth; CARTWRIGHT Thea Grace; CASSIDY Una Therese; CHASTNEY Joshua Henry; CHEUNG Wai Kuen; CHRISTAKIS Eirinios; CHU Chun Tak; CLARKE Ian; CLEGG Roger; COLE Edward James; COLES David John; COLLYER Timothy Eric; COLYER Phillip Mutual society Martyn; CORREA Antonio Claudio De Franca; CRADDOCK Lucy; CROUCH Michael John Collingwood; DASHWOOD Benjamin Bill Gaskarth writes on the mutual recognition of professional Alexander John; DASHWOOD Martin Frederick; DAUNCEY qualifications with overseas professional organisations Graham Philip; DAVIES Alicia; DAVY Thomas; DE FREITAS For several years, the Society has been seeking to conclude Jessica Elizabeth; DEANEY Jack; DEMONTE Philippa Jean; DEVLIN David Patrick; DODD Laura Margaret; DODMAN Alice agreements with a number of overseas professional organisations Rose; DODSON James Campbell; DOERY Roger Henry Clifford; under which we would mutually recognise the equivalence of each DOHERTY Helen Mary; DOWEY Patrick James; DOWLING other’s professional qualification (‘title’). Such agreements have been in place for Damian Patrick James; ENGLISH Joseph; EVANS Ian Jonathan; EVANS Joss; FELIX Thomas; FITZSIMONS Karen; FLEMING some time with the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and with the Marguerite Jane; FOX Richard John; GARDINER Helen Jane; Institute of Geologists of Ireland. Late last year, the Society concluded an GARWOOD Russell James; GEORGE Owen Edward; GIBB agreement with the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG) following Jacqueline Anne; GIBB Robert Kennedy; GIBSON Hazel Laura; a review that established that the aims and objectives of both organisations, and GILBERT Matthew; GILLES Charlotte; GOATER Aaron; GOODMAN William; GOWERS Martin Bernard; GRAY Tanya the peer review processes, although they differ in detail are equally exacting and Natasha; GREEN Jonathan; GREGSON Ian Dean; GRIFFITH- broadly comparable. As a result the two organisations have agreed to recognise SWAIN Ceri; GRINDROD Peter; GUNN Rowena; HACKSHALL the equivalence of the titles of Chartered Geologist (CGeol) and Certified Robin; HAGAN Rachel; HAKES David; HANCOCK Thomas; HANNAH Peter Edward; HARESIGN Eleanor; HARRISON John Professional Geologist (CPG). This agreement can be seen on the Society’s web William; HARVEY Briony Claire; HAWKINS John; HEATHER site at www.geolsoc.org.uk/reciprocal-arrangements. Megan; HENDERSON Paul Joseph Roden; HERON Kyle; HEWITT Nathan Anthony; HINDSON Thomas; HINGSTON Richard; HOAK Thomas; HOUNSOM Nicholas James; HOWE To read more on this story, visit the Online version Stuart Alexander; HOWETT Neil Michael; HYDE Philip; JAMES Iain; JANICZEK Aneta Dominika; JARRELL James Laurence; JERVIS Anthony James; JIMENEZ MUNECAS Ana; JONES Adam; JONES Emily; JUDEN Amy Elizabeth; KAN William; KARMACHARYA Shailesh Kumar; KAZIMOTO Emmanuel Vote! Vote! Vote! Owden; KEARNS Hannah Jade; KENNY Gavin Gary; KING Andrew Hedley; KOENITZER Sven Fred; KURLANDA Hanna; Edmund Nickless, Executive Secretary writes: Can I please encourage you to LAMBERT Christopher David; LAMBLE Andrea; LEE Chun Fai; LEE Ting Jennifer; LEMIN Gary Stuart; LEUNG Ho Sun; LEVELL cast your votes for the President designate and Council? The total number of Daniel; LLANES Pedro; LONG Megge May Eileen; LYNCH Ralph Fellows voting in 2012 was 972 from an electorate of around 10,000. The Victor; MACRO Anna Elise; MADUKWE Chinwe Chioma; candidates have committed to give a considerable amount of their time to serve MALING Adam James; MANDER Daniel Thomas; MARTIN Ben James; ASON Louise; MASON Peter Ian; MCCARTHY Michael the Society if elected – so please, give a very little of your time to vote. Without a James; McCRACKEN Simon John Andrew; MCKIRDY Scott reasonable turnout, it will be difficult to encourage people to stand in future. William; MCLAURIN Alexander Neil; MCSORLEY Jacqueline Glennon Jarvie; MEDLEY Helen Jane; MEREDITH Robert Jon Owen; MESZAROS Judit; METCALFE Megan Louise May; MIDGLEY Nicholas; MILES Gareth David; MILNE Alastair John; MILTON Jack Edward; MONTICONE Benjamin Jean Armand; FUTURE MEETINGS MORGAN Andrew Gethin; MORGAN Daniel Kenneth; Dates for meetings of Council and Ordinary General Meetings MORIARTY Aoife; MUBASHER Abdalla; MURPHY Liam until April 2014 shall be as follows: Stephen; MURRAY Ann; NEPOMUCENO FILHO Francisco; n NIXON Sarah; NOBLE Michael Douglas; NWANNA-NZEWUNWA 2013: 16 April; 26 June; 25 September; 27 November Ikenna Chibuzor; O’LEARY Hugh Arthur Henry O'BRIEN John; n 2014: 5 February (OGM at 3pm); 9 April 2014

06 MARCH 2013 SOCIETY NEWS GEOSCIENTIST

FROM THE LIBRARY The library is open to visitors Monday-Friday 0930-1730. For a list of new acquisitions click the appropriate link from http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/info The Geological Society Club Big spring book sale

The Geological Society Club, structure.) There is a cash bar for the During the week of 8th – 12th April the Library will be successor to the body that gave birth purchase of aperitifs and wine. holding its biggest ever sale of duplicate and out-of- to the Society in 1807, meets monthly scope stock. (except over the field season!) at 18.30 n 2013: 13 March; 10 April (Burlington Come along to Burlington House and browse over 100 for 19.00 in the Athenaeum Club, Pall House); 15 May. titles, many in mint condition and all at lower prices than Mall. Once a year there is also a can be found online. The sale will be in the Central Library, special dinner at Burlington House. Please send cheques, payable to upstairs at Burlington House and is open to all. Visit us this New diners are always welcome, ‘Geological Society Club’, to: Cally April and pick up a bargain! especially from among younger Oldershaw, c/o Shashu Lalji, Fellows. Dinner costs £55 for a four- Department of Earth Sciences, Natural course meal, including coffee and History Museum, Cromwell Road, port. (The Founders' Dinner, in London SW7 5BD. E: cally.oldershaw November, has its own price @btopenworld.com DR

ELECTION – FELLOWS CONTINUED...

The following are put forward for election to Fellowship renewals Fellowship at the OGM on 6 February 2013: Edmund Nickless, Executive made of Society resources and we rely O'MALLEY Matthew; OLDHAM Eleanor Jane; ORMISTON Saul Secretary writes: Every year at this on the support of Fellows to achieve Alasdair Ian; PARSONS Andy PASCOE Thomas Stephen Gundry; time we remind Fellows to renew their this. Time is running out for you to PATRICK Estelle Jayne; PICCIRILLI Daniele; PICKERING Helen; PIKE Mark; PLAIL Melissa; PLETZ Zoe; POOK Geoffrey George; Fellowship for the current year, or face renew your Fellowship. To ensure that POPA Marius; POPE James Owen; POUNDER Malcolm; POVEY being struck off – and the subsequent you continue to support and belong to Danny Keith; POWELL Andrew Paul; PRICE Michael; PROCTOR inconvenience of having to re-apply. your professional body, please renew Matthew; PRYOR Mark James Stuart; PURCELL Peter; QUIGLEY Kieren; QUINLAN Paul Joseph; QUINN Phillip John; For the Society, late payment results today, preferably online via the RAJBONGSHI Biprades; RALPH Madeleine; REDFERN Simon; each year in additional costs and website; or you can call Burlington REES-OWEN Rhian; RITCHIE Sarah; ROBERT Matthew James; administration. In this economic House and ask for the Fellowship ROBERTS-HOLMES Oliver Peter Dyne; RODRIGUEZ Clara Rosa; climate, we ensure that optimum use is Department. ROSCOE Victoria Florence; ROWLANDS Holly Jayne; RUSSILL Jonathan; RUTTER James; SATTAUR David Richard; SAUNDERS Melanie Sarah; SAUNDERS Paul Victor; SEBATO CERALDI Teresa; SHARP Russell; SHEPPARD Neil Michael; SHUN MING Chan; SMITH Charlotte Rebecca; SMITH Kelly Victoria; SMITHELLS Rose Allen SOBCZYK Eugeniusz; Chartership news SOBOTZKI Johannes; SPENCER-PHILLIPS Matthew Leonard; STEEN Ralph Hall; STEWART David John; STOCKALL James; The Society continues to extend have also been accredited. STOIKOVICH Benjamin; STRANG Adam Louis; SWATTON SWINNERTON accreditation to various commercial Accreditation will be extended, and Lucinda Emily Marlene; William Brian; SYMEONIDIS Konstantinos; TANNER Jonathan William; TAVANA company training schemes, writes accreditation certificates awarded, to Mehrdad; TAYLOR Richard Peter; THALASSINOS Stavros; Chartership Officer, Bill Gaskarth other offices of these international THOMAS Samuel Mark; TINDELL Thomas David; TONKINS Gammon Construction Ltd (Hong companies when an application is Matthew; UJJAN Imtiaz Ali; VASSILIOU Marius Simon; VERNAU Gareth Richard; WAINMAN Carmine; WALKER Deborah Ann; Kong) was the first commercial made by each agreeing to follow and WAN Samantha; WARBURTON David Gary; WATSON Raymond company to have its training scheme use the accredited scheme. West; WEIR-JONES Iain; WHITTLEY Neil Andrew; WILDMAN accredited by the Society. They Mark; WILLIAMS John Glynn; WONG Kam Hung; WONG Koon Yui; WRIGHT Philip David Jensen; YEUNG Hoi Yan; ZAMBRANO presently have eight trainees on the A longer version of this article may be Jessica Alejandra. scheme, working viewed online. Information on the towards CGeol. Accreditation scheme may be found in The following Candidate Fellows wish to upgrade Recently, the Membership section of and be elected to fellowship schemes from www.geolsoc.org.uk by following Atkins (UK), BARKER Edward; CARTWRIGHT Lee; CLEMERSON Cedric; ‘Chartership and Professional’ and DENISON Anthony; DENNISON Melissa; ETHERINGTON Bryn Arup (Hong selecting ‘Accreditation of Company James; GREEN David Peter; HARRISON Paul Isaac; HOLLOWAY Kong) and the Training Schemes’. Queries to: Matthew; HOWELL Claire; HUGHES William; INDUNI Allan; KING Hong Kong James; LALE-MONTES Rocio; PEARCE Lauren; PEARCE Sean; Chartership Officer, Bill Gaskarth POORE Kirsty; TOWNSEND Daniel; TRUBY Jennifer; WAYLETT Government E: [email protected] Alice; WILLIAMS Kathryn. (CEDD)

T: 07916 138631. ▼

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Elections to Council 2013-2014 [lectures ] The October issue of Geoscientist invited Fellows to nominate new members of Council. There are eight vacancies on Council including President-designate. Shell London Two nominations have been received for the post of President-designate and 10 for the remaining seven places. The results of this preliminary ballot will Lecture Series determine the list for the formal vote at the Annual General Meeting to be held on 5 June 2013. n Jane Francis, Secretary Science, is stepping down from Council before the end of her term due to her workload at the University of Leeds. She stepped down as Secretary, Science after the November 2012 meeting of that Committee. Alastair Fraser, a current member of the Science Committee, succeeded her in that role. n Paul Maliphant, Vice President, chairs the Chartership Committee and is retiring from Council. Council proposes that David Cragg, an existing member of Council who also sits on the Professional Committee, is elected to the office of Vice President at the AGM and takes over the chair of the Chartership Committee. n Susan Marriott, Vice President, has responsibility for the Regional Groups and is retiring from Council. Council proposes that David Jones, an existing Exceptionally Preserved Fossils: member of Council who also sits on the Professional Committee, is elected to Windows on the Evolution of Life the office of Vice President at the Annual General Meeting and takes over this Prof. David Siveter, University of Leicester role. 27 March 2013 n Colin Summerhayes, Vice President with responsibility for the Development & Fundraising Committee, will also be retiring from Council, and as allowed by Our understanding of the history and evolution of life on the bye-laws the President proposes to fill the consequential vacancy from Earth relies heavily on the fossil record and especially one of the existing or to be elected members of Council. n on rare cases of so-called ‘exceptional preservation’, Adam Law, Alan Lord and Jonathan Turner continue in their roles as where the soft parts of animals and entire soft-bodied Treasurer, Secretary, Foreign & External Affairs and Secretary Publications animals are preserved. Such exceptionally preserved respectively. fossils provide unique insights of animal palaeobiology and the true nature of biodiversity. The supporting statements of candidates standing for election follow, together The lecture will illustrate beautifully preserved fossils with a table showing the expertise of the present Council (biographies of the through geological time. It will focus especially on continuing members of Council are at www.geolsoc.org.uk/vote2013). spectacular finds from two of the world’s most important fossil assemblages, from 530 million year old rocks in China and 425 million year old rocks in the VOTING ONLINE Council. Papers with marks Welsh Borderland. Such fossils are crucial in helping to Fellows are encouraged to vote against more than seven names fill gaps in our knowledge of the history of life and in online by logging onto the will be invalid. helping resolve controversies about the relationships of Fellows-only part of the The balloting paper should be animals still alive today. BALLOTING website www.geolsoc.org. placed in the envelope provided, uk/vote2013 Please follow which should be sealed and n Programme – Afternoon talk: 1430 Tea & Coffee: the instructions. returned to reach the Society no 1500 Lecture begins: 1600 Event ends. later than 31 March 2013. n Programme – Evening talk: 1730 Tea & Coffee: POSTAL VOTING Unless we are able to determine 1800 Lecture begins: 1900 Reception. A postal ballot paper is your eligibility to vote the enclosed for those unable to envelope will not be opened and FURTHER INFORMATION vote on-line. Fellows should your vote will be invalid. Please visit www.geolsoc.org.uk/shelllondon make their mark for one of the Consequently you are asked to lectures13. Entry to each lecture is by ticket only. candidates for write your full name on the back To obtain a ticket please contact the Society around President- of the envelope. four weeks before the talk. Due to the popularity of this designate. Please do not lecture series, tickets are allocated in a monthly ballot Fellows should include any other and cannot be guaranteed. also enter a communication mark against whatsoever in Contact: Naomi Newbold, The Geological Society, Burlington the names of the envelope. House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG, T: +44 (0) 20 7432 0981 up to seven NOTE: Fellows E: [email protected] candidates may only vote they are voting once, either for to serve as online or by ordinary returning the members of postal ballot

08 MARCH 2013 SOCIETY NEWS GEOSCIENTIST

dissemination of its position analysis and tectonic geomorphology. SUPPORTING STATEMENTS, statements on contentious issues of I increasingly feel the need for PRESIDENT-DESIGNATE NOMINEES the day. As President I would aim to integrative approaches. maintain this overall strategy of Proposer: H D Johnson n PHILIP ALLEN serving both science and profession, Supporters: I J Fairchild, I Stewart but would in particular like to contribute to a vision for how we n DAVID MANNING foster the broadest possible range of geoscience innovation and communicate it to each other and to society. We need to be scholarly and professional, outward-facing and inclusive, open and participatory. I have been a Fellow of the Society for over 30 years, and have recently The Geological Society means served on Council (2009-12), for two different things to different people. years as Science Secretary. I obtained Some see their main connection a BSc at Aberystwyth, spent two The Geological Society of London is in through the Society’s role in years with BP before studying for a a unique position to address key issues accreditation and PhD at Cambridge, lectured in Cardiff that face the world. Society depends professionalisation, through the and Oxford, and then held Chairs on mined resources, for food and benefits of its publications and overseas in Trinity College Dublin and energy security, and for many raw scientific meetings, or through their ETH-Zürich before returning to the UK materials. We need water, and safe use of its world-class library at Imperial College London. I held a space for construction. Addressing including its maps and electronic Royal Society-Wolfson Research these needs, our profession underpins resources. Others are perhaps more Merit Award (2006-2011) and very significant wealth creation by aware of its outreach to received the Lyell Medal in 2007. I industry, globally, and its ability to schoolchildren, the general public, have published over 100 papers and deliver is founded on the quality of our politicians, civil servants and policy four books, in the sub-disciplines of universities, their research, and the makers, and by the formulation and sedimentology, stratigraphy, basin graduates that they produce. As President, I would represent all sides of the profession to make sure COUNCIL MEMBERS that our collective value is articulated and realised. Present Council (2012-2013) Nominees for new Council (2013-2014) I became a Fellow in 1977. During the 35 years that have elapsed since PRESIDENT Mr D T Shilston Mr D T Shilston then the world has changed, and VICE PRESIDENTS Mr P Maliphant Mr D J Cragg geology has changed. I became a Dr S Marriott Mr D A Jones Dr C P Summerhayes Chartered Geologist in 1993, Chartered Scientist in 2005 and European SECRETARIES Professor J E Francis (Science) Professor A J Fraser (Science) Geologist in 2005. Professor A R Lord (Foreign & External Affairs) Professor A R Lord (Foreign & External Affairs) Mrs M P Henton (Professional) Mrs M P Henton (Secretary, Professional Matters) Having started as an experimental Dr J P Turner (Publications) Dr J P Turner (Publications) petrologist, I worked on petroleum reservoir diagenesis and am now TREASURER Dr A Law Dr A Law Newcastle University’s Professor of Soil OTHER MEMBERS Mrs N K Ala Mrs N K Ala Science. I was Director of Mineral OF COUNCIL Dr M G Armitage Dr M G Armitage Miss S Brough Professor R W H Butler Solutions Ltd for 10 years, employing Professor R W H Butler Professor N A Chapman around 30 staff in mining due diligence, Professor N A Chapman Professor R J Lisle consultancy and manufacturing/selling Mr D J Cragg Dr B R Marker OBE Professor J E Francis Dr G Nichols mineral-based products. Professor A J Fraser I have served the Society in many Dr S A Gibson Nominations for President-designate capacities. Following committee service, Dr R A Hughes Professor P Allen Mr D A Jones Professor D A C Manning I was Chair of the Mineral Deposits Professor R J Lisle Studies Group (1985-88), and Chair of Dr B R Marker OBE Nominations for Council Dr G Nichols Dr A L Coe the North West Regional Group (1998- Professor J H Tellam Dr A S Cohen 2000). I served on Council from 2004– Mr J A Coppard 07, and was Professional Secretary from Retiring members of Council Mrs J Dottridge Miss S Brough Mr C S Eccles 2008-11, during which time I Professor J E Francis Dr M Edmonds implemented the current process for Dr S A Gibson Professor K M Hiscock gaining Chartership. I currently serve as Dr R A Hughes Dr M Rogerson Mr P Maliphant Dr L Slater the Society’s delegate on the Council of Professor S B Marriott Mr M E Young the European Federation of Geologists. Dr C P Summerhayes Professor J H Tellam Proposer: B Cheshire

Supporters: J Davidson, F C Brassington ▼

MARCH 2013 09 GEOSCIENTIST SOCIETY NEWS

industry and academic geologists make to the International Association SUPPORTING STATEMENTS FOR dealing with society’s key challenges: of Hydrogeologists from COUNCIL NOMINEES energy sustainability, provision of food and 2006-11. I have been a member water, natural hazards, and anthropogenic of the Accreditation Committee n ANGELA COE environmental change. and both a scrutineer and a Proposer: N W Rogers mentor for Chartered Geologists. I am standing for election Supporters: J E Iliffe, I J Fairchild I was Assistant Editor of QJEGH because I believe that the from 2001-06. Geological Society forms the I would like to support the Society’s backbone of the geoscience n JIM COPPARD involvement in geological education and community in the UK. I can I am a mineral exploration training at all levels, encourage greater offer expertise in teaching, geologist with over 22 years participation in the Society from consulting research, postgraduate management, and of field and management geologists and more interaction between publishing as well as energy and experience. the Society and hydrogeologists and enthusiasm. I am passionate about Earth I have been an contaminated land professionals. Sciences together with supporting and independent Geological Proposer: A Carruthers inspiring new generations of scientists. I am Consultant and have worked for the highly Supporters: M G Winter, P Younger a stratigrapher and sedimentologist with successful exploration teams of Rio Tinto particular expertise in sequence stratigraphy, and Anglo American - where I am the fieldwork and palaeoclimate change. I have Regional Head of Exploration. I completed n CHRIS ECCLES published two popular textbooks as well as my MSc, DIC in Mineral Exploration at the I am a director of journal articles on wide- ranging topics RSM in 1988. I have been a Fellow of the TerraConsult Ltd. with 25 including the geological timescale, climate Society for 20 years, and am also a years’ experience of working change, stratigraphic evidence for human Chartered Geologist and European in engineering geology, activity and new environmental proxies. I Geologist. I have a great passion for geotechnics and have worked on academic and oil industry geology and discovery, the latter having contaminated land. I hold a led research projects. I am currently a Senior been recognised by my peers through BSc (Hons) in Engineering Geology Lecturer at the Open University this brings international awards. I act as a scrutineer (Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 1987) and an MSc me into contact with hundreds of Earth for Chartered Geologist candidates and I in Soil Mechanics (Imperial College, 1990). I Science undergraduates every year from a also mentor young geologists (something have been a Fellow of the Society since wide variety of backgrounds. I have been a that was crucial in my early career). I am a 1987 and became a Chartered Geologist in Fellow of the Geological Society for over 25 stalwart of the Mineral Deposit Studies 1994. I am also a Chartered Scientist, years and I currently serve on the Group, and was previously its Industry European Geologist, Chartered Stratigraphy Commission. I am also a Representative. Environmentalist, Specialist in Land voting member of the International I strongly believe in enhancing the Condition and a UK Registered Ground Commission for Jurassic Stratigraphy and a professional status of geoscientists and that Engineering Adviser. member of the NERC peer review college. I the Geological Society is the right place to I have been serving the Society and the have a BSc in Geology and Geophysics lead this initiative. wider geoscience profession over many from Durham University and a D.Phil. from As geoscientists, we need to encourage years, having been the secretary of the Oxford University. young people to feel the passion for South East Regional Group, committee Proposer: H Rymer geology and its related subjects. We need member of the British Geotechnical Supporters: J Mather, P Logan to enhance science education and Association and Treasurer then Chairman of programs like 'Rockwatch': these young the North West Geotechnical Group. I have n ANTHONY COHEN people will be our future geoscientists. been a scrutineer of applications for Since gaining my first degree Proposer: R Herrington chartered status since 1999 and I have in Earth Sciences and a PhD Supporters: R H Sillitoe, G M Brown been a member of the Society’s Chartership in Geochemistry, both from Committee since 2008. Cambridge University, and an n JANE DOTTRIDGE As a member of the Council I would MSc from Leeds University, I I am a hydrogeologist with promote the value of professionalism and have worked as an Earth 35 years’ experience in chartered status both within the Society Scientist for over 30 years in academia groundwater and and externally. Currently the majority of (Cambridge and The Open University) and contaminated land. I am a Chartered members work in hydrogeology, industry (Johnson Matthey). I am currently a Chartered Geologist and engineering geology, geotechnics and Senior Research Fellow and Head of Earth a Specialist in Land contaminated land. I would seek to increase Sciences at The Open University. I have Condition (SiLC), with a degree in Natural the range of Chartered Geologists and been a FGS for four years, although I have Sciences from Cambridge University and Scientists in other areas other areas such contributed to GS activities for much longer. an MSc in Hydrogeology from the University as academia and the petroleum industry. A I was a JGS subject editor from 2000-04 of Birmingham. further objective would be to promote the and editor of a set of JGS thematic papers I am currently a Technical Director at role and importance of geology to the world on ‘Black Shales’ in 2004. In 2010, I served Mott MacDonald, and have spent most of showing how our profession can contribute on the GS committee that wrote the my career in consulting, working on wide to current and future challenges to society. Society’s statement on Climate Change. I range of UK and international projects. I Proposer: N Robinson was a joint-convener of the GS-sponsored have maintained an active interest in Supporters: D Norbury, G Tuckwell meetings on Carbon Isotope Excursions education and training of geologists and (2010) and Source Rocks (2011). In March hydrogeologists, and spent seven years as n MARIE EDMONDS 2011, I gave two public lectures at an academic at UCL, focusing on teaching I am a lecturer in the Earth Burlington House on ‘Rocks, carbon and and research in hydrogeology. Recently I Sciences Department at the climate’ as part of the Society’s contribution was external examiner for the MSc in University of Cambridge, to National Climate Week. If elected to Hydrogeology at Leeds University. with research interests in Council, I would continue to promote the I chaired the Hydrogeological Group volcanology, natural essential and unique contributions that from 1994-98 and the British chapter of hazards, igneous petrology

10 MARCH 2013 SOCIETY NEWS GEOSCIENTIST

in addressing the challenges presented by worked as a geophysicist in the oil industry Left: Fellows are global environmental change, I would encouraged to for the last 16 years. Working for super- welcome the opportunity to serve as a vote online at majors through to start-ups, I value the Council member to represent the applied and www.geolsoc.org. influence of large organisations and the environmental interests of academic and uk/vote2013 dynamism of small groups. I want to serve professional geoscientists. on Council to inspire future Earth scientists Proposer: J Andrews and to strengthen industry-academia links. Supporters: J Alexander, J Barclay Proposer: L E Frostick Supporters: R Hardman, G Goffey n MIKE ROGERSON The University of Hull recently n MICHAEL YOUNG reconstituted its Earth Science I am Director of the unit (within the larger Geological Survey of and Department of Geography, Northern Ireland, an office of magmatic Environment and Earth the Northern Ireland degassing. After completing my Science) and from September government that advises on undergraduate (BA in Natural Sciences) and 2013 will offer a BSc degree in Geology with the full range of geoscience PhD degrees at Cambridge, I spent the Physical Geography for the first time since issues. Mineral and hydrocarbons early part of my career working as a the Earth Science Review. We therefore exploration, geothermal exploration, energy volcanologist in volcano observatories in the represent the newest research-led Geology storage, groundwater management, land- Caribbean and in Hawaii, with the British department delivering degree-level content use planning, and the development of geo- and the United States Geological Surveys in the UK. tourism are all active issues for GSNI. I am respectively. Natural hazards are of As the major architect of these changes, I enthusiastic about expanding the Society’s increasing concern in society as our can provide a unique perspective on the role influence in Northern Ireland and population grows. My research is at the the GSL plays in supporting the HE sector to strengthening links between Northern forefront of volcanology, and involves deliver the research and education urgently Ireland’s geoscience community and those developing new methods to measure needed by national and international of GB and the Republic of Ireland. I am volatiles in gases and magmas, volcano organisations. Ongoing expansion of the keen to promote dialogue and research into monitoring techniques, and our industrial geoscience sector makes these the policy issues now surrounding the understanding of what triggers magmas to needs ever more acute, and the UK must development of natural resources. I joined erupt. The Geological Society takes a expand and diversify HE provision in GSNI (and BGS) in 2004 to manage the prominent role in supporting and promoting geoscience if it is to play its part in meeting Tellus survey programme, through which I research into volcanic hazards, the effects these needs. As a researcher, I have received have already advanced links between the of volcanic activity on climate and the risks substantial funding from industry (including Surveys and university geoscience arising from natural hazards in general. I the petroleum, minerals, steel and geothermal communities in Northern Ireland, GB and have been a Fellow of the Society since sectors) and can bring this wide experience the Republic. 2009. I gave a public lecture on the climate to the service of the GSL council, in addition As a geophysicist I previously specialised in effects of volcanic eruptions as part of the to my experience of geosciences in HE. I will mineral and groundwater exploration and Shell Lecture Series in 2010. I was be proud to serve the GSL in a capacity that regional geoscience mapping, with committee member for a Geological Society addresses the recruitment, retention and operational experience in 20 countries, in Specialist Group: the Volcanic and interaction of school-level students through to industry and consultancy. I graduated in Magmatic Studies Group, during 2008-12. employment in senior capacities within physics at Bristol University, have an MSc in Proposer: N Woodcock Geoscience sector industries. geophysics (RSM, Imperial) and an MBA Supporters: M Bickle, D Pyle Proposer: L E Frostick (Warwick). I was elected FGS, CGeol in Supporters: D Parsons, H M Pedley 1992. I sit on the Geosciences Committee n KEVIN HISCOCK of the Royal Irish Academy and am Past- I am a Chartered Geologist n LUCY SLATER President of the Belfast Geologists’ Society. and Professor of I want to serve on Council to Proposer: R A B Bazley Environmental Sciences at inspire future Earth scientists Supporters: D Peach, J D Floyd the University of East Anglia and to strengthen industry- where I teach and have academia links. Most children BACKGROUND OF CONTINUING MEMBERS OF COUNCIL research interests in are fascinated by rocks, sand, Name Expertise Sector hydrogeology and hydrochemistry. I mud, water… but by the time currently chair the East Anglian Regional they are making decisions about university Natalyn Ala Hydrogeology Industry Group of the Geological Society and degrees they have lost their natural Mike Armitage Mining Industry previously served the Society as Chair of connection with the Earth and many will not Rob Butler Structural Geology Academe the Hydrogeology Group and as a member be aware of Earth science or know about the Neil Chapman Radioactive Waste Industry of the Awards Committee. I was the fantastic career a geoscientist can have. I Management Society’s recipient of the William Smith want to serve on Council to help continue and David Cragg Engineering Geology Industry Fund in 2000 and the Whitaker Medal in build on the Society’s work to inspire the next Al Fraser Petroleum Geology Academe/Industry 2011. I am also a member of the generation of Earth scientists. As a member of Tricia Henton Environmental Geology Government (retired) Committee of Heads of University the oil industry with a strong academic David Jones Hydrogeology Government Geosciences Departments which, in background I can help also to forge stronger Adam Law Petroleum Geology Industry conjunction with other national bodies, links between industry and academia. Richard Lisle Structural Geology Academe Alan Lord Micropalaeontology including the Geological Society, provides As a member of the Society since the Museum Brian Marker OBE Environmental Geology insight to the development of geosciences early 90s, and of the Petroleum Group, I Retired Gary Nichols Sedimentology teaching and research at a national level. have regularly benefited from excellent Academe David Shilston Engineering Geology With my extensive experience of conferences and workshops hosted by the Industry Jonathan Turner Structural/Petroleum Industry/Academe postgraduate provision in hydrogeology and Society. I studied Earth Sciences at Durham Geology understanding of the role of Earth Sciences and have a PhD from Cambridge. I have

MARCH 2013 11

SOAPBOX GEOSCIENTIST

Advancing geology?

WRITTEN BY GORDON NEIGHBOUR Gordon Neighbour * wonders if now is the time for the Society to become involved in developing a new Advanced level qualification in geology

SOAPBOX CALLING! With the proposed review of both GCSE and develop their geoscience skills, it is still very A level examinations, it would seem the much the hard-working band of teachers of Soapbox is open to ideal time for the Geological Society to ‘A’-level and GCSE Geology that inspires so contributions from all Fellows. become more involved in the development many students to develop an interest in the You can always write a letter to of the Geology qualifications. We have seen subject. That first taste of the wonders and the Editor, of course: but ample evidence from Chris King and Fiona diversity of our science has for years perhaps you feel you need Hyden (‘Reasons to be cheerful?’ Geoscientist ‘hooked’ students – I myself was introduced more space? 21.05 June 2012), showing that the uptake of to it by an enthusiastic geography teacher students taking Geology qualifications has while still at school. If you can write it entertainingly in been increasing over the past few years – I 500 words, the Editor would like am sure that all fellows of the Society would MINIMUM STANDARD to hear from you. see that this is good news. However we Universities and the Society should now have the perennial argument concerning the decide what they think the “minimum Email your piece, and a self- “worth” of the qualification, and the standard” should be, in terms of the skills portrait, to ted.nield@geolsoc. suggestion that perhaps we ought to be that any potential geology student should org.uk. Copy can only be encouraging students to pursue only possess before embarking on their studies in accepted electronically. No mathematics, physics and chemistry if they higher education. What are the skills diagrams, tables or other want to follow a geology course in higher required of a successful geoscientist in the illustrations please. education. 21st Century? If mathematics, physics and chemistry are seen as ‘vital’ components, Pictures should be of print REVIEW should a new specification concentrate on quality – as a rule of thumb, So when the qualifications are reviewed, developing those skills in a geosciences anything over a few hundred should the Geological Society follow the context? kilobytes should do. lead of the Institute of Physics campaign I always argue that geology is the (‘Advancing Physics’) and work with “perfect” science; I do not currently teach it Precedence will always be given examination boards and the Earth Science in my own school, but I do try to develop to more topical contributions.

Teachers Association to develop a new the skills of my students with many extra- Any one contributor may not

Advanced Level course that satisfies all curricular opportunities, so that they are appear more often than once per parties and the standards required from a enthused by the subject. With enhanced volume (once every 12 months). professional body? support from the professional body it would ~ It is pleasing to see the Geological Society be easier to encourage more senior leaders developing more and more online resources, to teach the course in their schools – and with the ‘Rock-Cycle’ and ‘Plate Tectonics’, perhaps also bring benefits to recruitment to WITH THE as well as the Schools Affiliate scheme, the Society! PROPOSED REVIEW which is gaining momentum all the time. Over to you colleagues – how about But one thing is very clear: despite the “Advancing Geology”? OF BOTH GCSE AND A excellent work already being undertaken by LEVEL EXAMINATIONS, the Society with the Geoscience Education *Gordon Neighbour is Head of Computing and IT, and IT WOULD SEEM THE Academy, helping non-specialist teachers Head of Learning Support, Torquay Girls’ Grammar School IDEAL TIME FOR THE Image: Eduard Kyslynskyy / Shutterstock.com GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY TO BECOME MORE INVOLVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GEOLOGY QUALIFICATIONS Gordon Neighbour Time for the Society to break ~ surface on ‘A’ Level syllabus?

MARCH 2013 13 Background image: David Crosbie / Shutterstock.com GEOSCIENTIST FEATURE

eologists living and working shaded digital terrain model (DTM) in the subtle landscapes of derived from the Ordnance Survey the eastern counties of Opendata Panorama dataset. This England are used to combination of datasets has allowed geological mapping that is intuitive visualisation and discussion of based on rare outcrops of the relationships between landscapes, Gbedrock, linked by very low regional dips geology and soils. and layer-cake stratigraphy. We three authors all work in this area and have INTERPRETATION become convinced that systematic Figure 1 covers the counties of detailed analysis of landscape topography Bedfordshire (in the SW) and can add new and powerful tools in Cambridgeshire (in the NE), plus the research and also provide a key to much Borough of Milton Keynes. The long better general public understanding. dimension (from SW to NE) of the area Some initial studies of this approach mapped is about 100 km. The map were used in recent New Naturalist books presents an elevation model in metres by one of our number - Peter Friend1,2. with a vertical exaggeration of 20, using We are all three involved in local elevation colouring and hill-shading to research and geoconservation work, and pick out major topographic features. decided to test these ideas by compiling We draw attention to some of these maps using widely available digital data features using flag-labels and the red for the adjoining counties of Bedfordshire rectangle around Bedford locates the and Cambridgeshire. Support was area represented in Figures 4-6. provided by a small grant from Natural Figure 2 covers the same area and England that was administered with uses the same elevation portrayal, but the help of Geo-East, an informal with the addition of a layer representing association of organisations in the six bedrock geology. This extra layer counties of Bedfordshire, involved some merging and Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, rationalisation of data to provide Norfolk and Suffolk. A version of our consistent coverage across the two report was produced for various websites counties. The map shows the SW-NE within the Geo-East network3, but this trend of the bedrock units that is typical article is the first ‘published on paper’ of this region of England. Flag-labels account of our work. identify different stratigraphic units of We have selected six maps, at two Jurassic and Cretaceous age that underlie different scales, to illustrate the types of superficial deposits and are normally visualisation we have been testing. obscured at the surface. Notice that most Using ESRI’s ArcGIS Geographical of the topographic features of the Information System software, we have landscape do not correspond closely, overlain 1:50,000 scale geology mapping on this scale, to the trend of the bedrock (British Geological Survey, 2011) and units, except where the Chalk hills 1:250,000 scale soil mapping (National provide the highest elevations along

Soil Resources Institute, 2011) on a hill- the SE boundaries of both counties. ▼

LIE OF THE LAND Timothy Farewell, Peter Friend and Martin Whiteley* explore new digital mapping techniques in the flat-lands of Eastern England Figure 1 (shown on tablet computer) Regional topography of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Milton Keynes GEOSCIENTIST FEATURE

▼ Other approaches are obviously required to shed light on what has influenced the local landscape. Figure 3 is similar to Figure 2, except that an additional layer of shading represents surface (or superficial) geological deposits, essentially of Quaternary age. Surface deposits obscure most of the underlying bedrock, with the silty and peaty Fen deposits in the NE showing up particularly clearly, as does a widespread capping of glacial till on areas of higher ground. This till is a clay- and pebble-rich deposit, formed by deposition from ice sheets. There is disagreement4,5 about the correlation of tills of Mid Pleistocene age across the Figure 2: Eastern Counties, and all agree that more Regional local work is needed. Meanwhile we bedrock geology of Bedfordshire, simplify our overview by accepting that Cambridgeshire the local till was deposited during the and Milton Anglian Stage (Marine Isotope Stage 12) Keynes (NB. For reasons and estimating that this took place of space Figures between 480 and 425Ka. 1 through 6 have been narrowed The till is now preserved only on the to fit and are no higher hills and plateaux where it has longer in correct not been removed by river and slope proportion) erosion. This distribution provides time constraints that help in the understanding of landscape evolution because it generally shows a much closer correspondence with topography than does the pattern of the bedrock units. The remaining three maps (Figures 4- 6) illustrate the local area centred on the town of Bedford as outlined on Figure 1. The map boundary represents an area 25km from north to south, and 20km west to east. We focus on Marston Vale, a remarkably large and relatively flat- floored landform with an average elevation of about 30m above sea-level. It has a pronounced elliptical form (the ‘Bedford Bite’1) that is elongated SW-NE. The River Great Ouse enters the Vale from the NW, emerging from a highly meandering upstream valley that is incised into Middle Jurassic bedrock, much of which is limestone. After flowing through Bedford, the Great Ouse flows NE towards the sea. The hills to the NW of Marston Vale have been eroded in Upper Jurassic mudstones, mainly the Oxford Clay. On the floor of the Vale, numerous old pits that exploited the lower horizons of the Oxford Clay for brick-making have left their mark, and obliterate any original Figure 3: drainage patterns. The southern and SE Regional margins of Marston Vale are particularly surface deposits clearly defined and rise 60-100m above of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire the floor; here they have been eroded in and Milton relatively resistant Lower Cretaceous Keynes

16 MARCH 2013 FEATURE GEOSCIENTIST

sandstone (Woburn Sands Formation or ‘Greensand’). The marginal slopes of the Vale are either smooth or locally distinctly ‘fluted’. We believe that this reflects contrasts in the slope failure patterns due to differences in the local geological materials. The most important feature shown on Figure 5 is the extensive cover of most of the higher ground by glacial till, known locally as the Oadby Till, and considered to be Mid Pleistocene in age (see above). It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the whole of Marston Vale has been created by erosion of parts of a continuous sheet of this glacial deposit, and that this erosion must have happened since the melting of the Anglian ice sheet. The ‘fluted’ margins in the south of the Vale, where the layers of bedrock have slumped and been incised by small streams, have formed under a range of post-Anglian climates that include very Figure 4: Local bedrock prolonged and repetitive spells of geology of the periglacial conditions. So too have the Bedford area closely-spaced ‘flutes’ to the north of the River Great Ouse, although they have formed in the clay-rich till. DENUDATION It is not easy to evaluate the relative importance of fluvial erosion by a highly mobile River Great Ouse, no longer constrained within its upstream meander belt, and slope-generated erosion under conditions of periglacial ground mobilisation. Our current thinking is that both contributed substantially to the evolution of Marston Vale. Slope retreat due to repeated freeze-thaw cycles, along with the development of thaw-lakes, would have initiated landscape lowering. Efficient removal of the mobilised and slumped material must have depended on the ancestral River Great Ouse. Our conclusion that Marston Vale is primarily a Quaternary landscape feature implies high rates of denudation, an observation that has wider implications because similar processes are likely to have been active together in other parts of eastern England, such as the Fens. It is well established that soil development is a function of climate, relief, parent material (geology), organisms, and time6. In the context of Marston Vale we see relief and parent material (which are themselves often Figure 5: linked) as the dominant local drivers for Local surface deposits of the the differences in types and properties

Bedford area between the soils (Figure 6). ▼

MARCH 2013 17 GEOSCIENTIST FEATURE

▼ The soils dataset (NSRI, 2011) used in this map have been overlain on the same hill-shaded digital terrain model used previously. Displayed here are different soil associations (e.g. Evesham, Hanslope, Denchworth & Moreton), which are groupings of taxonomic soil series7 commonly found in association

with each other in the landscape. Over Commons via Wikimedia Image: Mike Wilkinson 700 soil series have been mapped in England and Wales. These are differentiated on the basis of their drainage characteristics, texture (% sand, silt, clay, organic matter) and parent material. Within Marston Vale heavy, poorly-drained soils form on clay-rich substrates, regardless of whether they are Jurassic or Pleistocene in age. In contrast, better-drained loamy soils characterise Marston Vale, Bedfordshire, looking south from areas that are underlain by porous Cranfield footpath towards Rectory Farm bedrock or fluvial sands and gravels.

RATES OF CHANGE illustrates how the Vale may have formed. treated with caution, our estimate is that Long gone are the days when people It is clear from detailed mapping8 that the the initial excavation of Marston Vale viewed landscapes as permanent features pre-glacial landscape contained began with very high denudation rates (or of a non-evolving Earth. We all now significant topography that would have about 13-19 centimetres every thousand accept that landscapes change. The influenced the thickness of the till that years) under predominantly periglacial advantage of our detailed map-based was later deposited over it9. When the till conditions and localised seasonal surface approach is that it helps us to understand was deposited across the area now drainage. Many other river terrace better the interaction of the different occupied by the Vale, an escarpment systems throughout north-west Europe processes that have fashioned those capped by the Woburn Sands is likely to have been attributed to similarly high changes. have caused a thinning of the till cover in ‘uplift rates’12. The area of Figures 1 to 3 provides a that area. Soon after the ice sheet Our observations suggest there were sample of part of the SW-NE trending vanished, erosion would have tended marked contrasts in the denudation rates scarp-and-vale topography that is to remove the till, re-exposing the that prevailed during the Cenozoic typical of central and eastern England. Woburn Sands escarpment and perhaps generally and the Pleistocene in eastern The gentle, overall tilting of the Jurassic localising the course of the ancestral River England (Figure 8). The remarkable and Cretaceous strata that underpin this Great Ouse as it flowed eastwards efficiency of Pleistocene periglacial topography has occurred during towards the sea. processes13 had a major role in removing Cenozoic times, the last 65 million years. Anglian till to reveal an exhumed The extent to which this crustal TERRACE GRAVELS landscape, though we feel that the speed movement has been caused by thermal Preserved in a meander loop some three of this suggests climate change doming of NW or Western Britain early kilometres upstream from Bedford, the modification of surface processes more in the Cenozoic, or erosional isostasy is Biddenham Member is the oldest river than tectonic movement. In the Bedford debatable. They resulted in the complete terrace deposit, the first relict of the area, the River Great Ouse acted as an removal of some 300m of Upper ancestral River Great Ouse. It is efficient remover of newly eroded Cretaceous Chalk from the Bedford area considered to be of Marine Isotope Stages sediment and Marston Vale was (Figs. 4-6), suggesting an average 9 age10,11 and probably represents several carved out very rapidly during Mid denudation rate of 300m over 65 million phases of sediment aggradation under Pleistocene times. years or about half a centimetre per fluctuating fluvial conditions. On this Using map-based data of many thousand years. The removal of the basis, the terrace gravels formed c. 320Ka types has provided us with new Chalk revealed the underlying rocks, and were deposited directly on Jurassic perspectives on the evolution of this with their different weathering rocks, indicating that at Biddenham the remarkable landscape. n characteristics: weak (Gault and cover of Anglian till had been completely Jurassic) clays formed low-lying vales eroded away before the terrace formed. separated by a more resistant (Woburn) Elsewhere in Bedfordshire preserved * Timothy Farewell National Soil Resources sandstone scarp. Where remnants of the thicknesses of till usually exceed 30m so it Institute, Department of Environmental Science and once continuous Chalk cover remain is not unreasonable to suggest that >20 m Technology, School of Applied Sciences, Bullock further south, they too form a prominent of till was eroded away during a very Building, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedfordshire scarp feature. short time period (ca.105-160 Ka) MK43 0AL; Peter Friend Friends of the Sedgwick A cross-section through the western immediately following Anglian de- Museum, Department of Earth Sciences, University end of Marston Vale, in the Bedford area, glaciation. of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 along with some conjectural Although denudation rates averaged 3EQ; Martin Whiteley Bedfordshire Geology Group, reconstructed surfaces (Figure 7), over uncertain periods of time have to be Bedford Museum, Castle Lane, Bedford MK40 3XD

18 MARCH 2013 FEATURE GEOSCIENTIST

REFERENCES

1 Friend, P F 2008 Southern England: Looking at the Natural Landscapes. The New Naturalist Library 108, HarperCollins, London 414pp 2 Friend, P F 2012 Scotland: Looking at the Natural Landscapes. The New Naturalist Library 119, HarperCollins, London 466pp 3 Farewell, T S, Friend, P F, Whiteley, M J & Zawadzka, J 2011 The mapping of landscapes, geology and soils of Bedfordshire & Cambridgeshire. Available via wwwgeo- eastorguk/publicationshtm 4 Lee, J R, Rose, J, Hamblin, R J O, Moorlock, B S P, Riding, J B, Phillips, E, Barendregt, R W & Candy, I 2011 The Glacial History of the British Isles during the Early and Middle Pleistocene: Implications for the long-term development of the British Ice Sheet. Developments in Quaternary Science, 15, 59-74 Figure 6: 5 Gibbard, P L & Clark, C D 2011 Local soils of the Pleistocene Glaciation Limits in Great Britain. Bedford area Developments in Quaternary Science, 15, 75- 93 6 Jenny, H 1941 Factors of soil formation - A Figure 7: Cross- system of quantitative pedology. McGraw-Hill, section through New York 281pp the western end 7 Clayden, B & Hollis, J M 1984 Criteria for of Marston Vale. The red dashed differentiating soil series. Soil Survey of line represents England and Wales - Technical Monograph 17, the conjectural Harpenden Cenozoic 8 Barron, A J M, Sumbler, M G, Morigi, A N, landscape that Reeves, H J, Benham, A J, Entwisle, D C & influenced the form and Gale, I N 2010 Geology of the Bedford district thickness of the – a brief explanation of the geological map, Anglian till cover Sheet 203. Explanation of the British (blue dotted Geological Survey, 1:50 000 Sheet 203, line), now mainly (England and Wales). B&B Press Ltd, eroded away Rotherham 9 Horton, A 1970 The drift sequence and subglacial topography in parts of the Ouse and Nene basin. Report 70/9, Institute of Geological Sciences, Natural Environmental Council 10Harding, P, Bridgland, D R, Keen, D H & Rogerson, R J 1991 A Palaeolithic site rediscovered at Biddenham, Bedfordshire. Figure 8: Bedfordshire Archaeology, 19, 87-90 Diagram 11Allen, P, Lewis, S, Keen, D H, Shennan, I, comparing denudation rates Maddy, D & Bridgland, D R Quaternary of over long (and East Anglia and the Midlands. Geological uncertain) time Conservation Review, in prep. periods during 12 Bridgland, D R 2000 River terrace systems the Cenozoic with order-of- in north-west Europe: an archive of magnitude- environmental change, uplift and human higher local occupation. Quaternary Science Reviews, 19, rates in Marston 1293-1303 Vale during the 13 Ballantyne, CK & Harris, C 1994 The Pleistocene Image: Autumnsonata via Flickr.com periglaciation of Great Britain. Cambridge University Press 330pp Maps n British Geological Survey. 2011. Digital Geological Map of Great Britain 1:50 000 scale (DiGMapGB-50), Version 2.11 ed., British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham. n National Soil Research Institute. 2011. The Digital National Soil Map – NATMAPvector. The River Great Ouse, Tyringham, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedfordshire. Buckinghamshire

MARCH 2013 19 GEOSCIENTIST CALENDAR Can’t find your meeting? VISIT www.geolsoc.org.uk/listings] [full, accurate, up-to-date

ENDORSED TRAINING/CPD

Course Date Venue and details

Geohazard Risk Analysis and 11-15 March Five day course. Venue: University of Sussex. Fee: £1160, 10% discount for Fellows. Convener: Prof. Roger Communication Moore FGS. Contact details on website, or at www.sussex.ac.uk/geography/pgstudy.

The Geology of Spain 12-23 March Field excursion. Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews Venue: St Andrews, Fife and central Spain. £1500, 10% discount for Fellows. Contact: Catherine Brown. Details on website.

Geology of Scotland and its 13-21 March Venue: St Andrews, Fife and the Scottish Highlands. Fee: £700, with 10% discount for Fellows. Economic Earth Resources Contact: Catherine Brown. Details on website.

Onshore Cone Penetration Testing 22 March Venue: Warrington, Cheshire, England. Organised by: FUGRO. Free. Contact: Steve Poulter, Fugro Engineering Services, T: 0870 402 1400. Full contact details on website.

Lapworth’s Logs n/a ‘Lapworth’s Logs’ are a series of e-courses involving practical exercises of increasing complexity. Contact: [email protected]. Lapworth’s Logs is produced by Michael de Freitas and Andrew Thompson.

DIARY OF MEETINGS MARCH 2012

Meeting Date Venue and details

Black Sea Oil and Gas Forum 2013 5 March Venue: Sheraton Sofia Balkan, Sofia, Bulgaria. Convener: Laurence Allen. See Website. Gastech Further information and registration: www.blackseaoilgas.com.

GeoCareers Fair 6 March Venue: Plymouth University. Contact: Jonathan King. E: [email protected] South West Regional

Chartership Workshop 12 March Speaker: Bill Gaskarth. Venue TBC. Contact: David Boon E: [email protected] East Midlands Regional

Glasgow’s Mining Legacy 12 March Venue: Strathclyde University. Speaker: Donald Lin. Time: 1745 for 1800. Contact: Lesley Central Scotland Regional McLellan. E: [email protected]

The British Gas Industry: Considerations for the 12 March Venue: Building MA, Wulfruna Street, University of Wolverhampton, Room MA 202. Speaker: Dr Use of Environmental Forensics Russell Thomas (Technical Director, Parsons Brinckerhoff). Time: 1800 for 1830. Contact: West Midlands Regional Daniel Welch. E: [email protected]

Lyell Meeting 2013: The Cambrian Explosion – 13 March Venue: Burlington House. Please register online. Free to Fellows of sponsoring societies (left). understanding Earth systems at the origin of Charges otherwise. Please register online. Contact: Naomi Newbold E: modern ecosystems, Geological Society, [email protected]. T: 020 7432 0981 Palaeontological Association, Micropalaeontological Society, Palaeontographical Society

Estimating and Reporting Mineral Resources 13 March Venue: Room 1.25, Earth Sciences, Main Building, Cardiff University. Speaker: Dr Lucy Roberts Southern Wales Regional (SRK). Time: 1730 for 1800. Contact: [email protected]

Schools Competition Final 13 March Venue: Plymouth University. Details on website. Time: from 1830 (Tea) Contact: Gordon South West Regional Neighbour. E: [email protected]

Research in Progress Meeting 14 March Venue: Open University, Milton Keynes. For details, abstract submission n and registration, see Geochemistry Group, Mineralogical Society website. Contact: Christina Manning E: [email protected]

School Geology Challenge 2013 19 March Venue: Gower College Swansea (Gorseinon Campus), Belgrave Road, Gorseinon. See website. Southern Wales Regional Contact: [email protected]

Recovery from the Greatest Mass 20 March Venue: Burrell Theatre at Truro School, Truro, Cornwall. Evening meeting. Speaker: Prof. Mike Extinction of All Time Benton. Contact: Danielle Pullen E: [email protected] South West Regional

Volcanism Impacts and Mass Extinctions Causes 27 - 29 March Venue: Natural History Museum, London. See website or go to: massextinction.princeton.edu. and Effects Contact: Professor Gerta Keller E: [email protected] Natural History Museum

Exceptionally Preserved Fossils: Windows on the 27 March Venue: Burlington House. A Shell Lecture. See p.8 Evolution of Life Geological Society, Shell UK

20 MARCH 2013 Image: Andrew Bowden via Flickr.com

SOPWITH’S SECTION Graham Carlisle* and Susan Turner examine yet another newly rediscovered facet of the ever-surprising work of Thomas Sopwith...

new find on the when he came across what has newly listed; an immediate Above: View across auction circuit fit for the Pennine Hills, turned out to be one of the earliest decision was required. And so Jubilee Year (2012) was backbone of geological cross-sections of Britain. Graham bought a black, tubular northern England an original manuscript and stomping The item on offer was listed as: tin container. production by ground of Thomas ‘Antique Map - limestone strata North Thomas Sopwith FRS Sopwith of England 1839’. The seller had ENGRAVERS FGSA (1803-1879). Graham Carlisle, provided many images of what he Graham has no geoscience collector of 19th Century considered to be a very large ‘print’ background. His field of interest is illustrations of north-eastern of “limestone strata”. A ‘print’, at the illustrative work of engravers, leapt at the opportunity an advertised length of “around 40 northeastern engravers working in without being sure of its historical feet” (~13m) and dated 1839 the period from1760 to 1860, and it context or accuracy. But from what seemed an unlikely object to has often led him down a few he could see, this object was Graham – unlikely, but not random by-ways. What then, was without doubt an astonishing impossible. “Something at the he to make of this? What he had labour of love and work of art. back of my mind recalled the acquired was beyond his One of the better-known auction purchase, with associated publicity, expectations - and so he sought websites has an antique seller of a very large ‘printed’ geological some geological help from Sopwith facility called: “buy it now”. Early item of great importance” he says. researchers in an attempt to in May, Graham was periodically Was this a geological map? A wall- understand more about his find. checking for old maps on mounted educational tool perhaps? Graham, it turned out, had

Northumberland and Durham This particular ‘antique map’ was become the proud possessor of one ▼

MARCH 2013 21 ▼ of the first, and certainly the most extensive, hand-drawn coloured cross-sections of the geology of Britain. It covers the ground from Cross Fell to Hownes Gill in Co. Durham, a length given as ‘28 miles 12 chains 60 links’. And that

Image © G Carlisle amazingly precise work was The 1839 carried out by Thomas Sopwith, Sopwith Strata Section with the one of the early 19th Century’s black circular unsung heroes of geology, a man tin container in whose grandson (of the same the foreground name) far outshines him in fame and internet materials these days - think Sopwith Camel and Pup and Hawker and Armstrong Siddeley. We think it is more than high time that we gave TS Senior his due for his early geological endeavours. Sopwith did become a Fellow of the Geological Society in late 1835 and his faithful constancy in recording 19th Century events has been of enormous use to more than one historian of science. APPRENTICE Sopwith, coming from a Newcastle upon Tyne family of cabinet makers, became a young Far left: Early apprentice under J & T Dickinson, map of the operators of lead mines in the mining districts of Alston Moor, North of England. It was by Thomas undoubtedly then that he first Sopwith (1833) devoured Westgarth Forster's Left: Thomas (1809, 1821 2nd Ed.) classic section Sopwith's from Newcastle to Cross Fell, cartoon sketch showing the underground of William Buckland in structure. Forster had been the 1840 first to provide a stratigraphic column, although 18th Century cross-sections are known, from the work of White Watson and John Farey. Sopwith produced his own first book with sections in 1829, based on his apprenticeship years, when he spent much of his time walking the hills and dales learning by observation. We are not yet sure why exactly he made this section, through the Carboniferous Limestone in the Lead Mining Districts of the North of England; but in 1839 (or possibly Close-ups of the year before) he was working on parts of the a model of part of Alston Moor 1839 Sopwith Strata Section lead mines and Nentsbury lead showing detail mines, Cumberland, (model XVI,

Image © G Carlisle of colour and illustrated in Turner & Dearman structure 1982). Sopwith exhibited on the Inset: Font style Alston Moor strata at the 1838 of the 1839 Sopwith Strata British Association for the Section title Advancement of Science (BAAS FEATURE GEOSCIENTIST

1839) and on 6 November 1839 lectured to Durham University students about plans, sections, geological drawings, and models. Since the 1820s Sopwith had honed his skills in isometric drawing and made sections (and a large one-off geological model) to show the structure of set areas, while in the late 1830s he had Image © G Carlisle begun to think about making the smaller models (which have now become extremely collectable). We know however that he did exhibit his 1839 Strata Section at the British Association meeting in Newcastle in 1840. This was a Above: The grade thick blank drawing paper uncoloured. Colour coding was pivotal meeting for him, as he met Sopwith Section, in (This would have been very one of Sopwith's fortés but this so many of the important all its 42-foot glory expensive; even more reason for example predates his later work at geologists of the day and - at Below: Young the great care taken by TS). the W B Lead Mines. William Buckland's advice - Thomas Sopwith in Probably because of the fractional We have found references to proceeded to create and produce his formative years differences in height for the the Crossfell to Hownes Gill (photo by S. Turner some of the most important three- of painting in supplied sheets (they might come Section in Sopwith's diary (via a dimensional models of geological possession and with a ‘deckle’, because of the quotation in Richardson's 1891 with permission of structure, which were Robert Sopwith). manufacturing process), they have biography). It reads: “On January subsequently sold all over the been trimmed. Therefore, 25th [1841]… Professor Sedgwick world. This was when he penned accounting for this and the also called and examined the large the famous sketch of William overlap, the sheet size as measured section of the strata from Howne’s Buckland en route with Louis is now 51.5 x 29.5 inches. Gill to the summit of Crossfell, which Agassiz to look for evidence of Sheets of drawing paper at this he honoured with the appellation of glaciations (picture). period were woven, and no this ‘gorgeous section.’…” watermark is present. At some Clark and Hughes in their SPECTACULAR stage in its long life the section was Life and Letters of Sedgwick make This spectacularly beautiful new cut into two parts: length one is no mention of the meeting, but discovery measures a massive 42 14 feet 11 inches long; length two that signifies nothing. Sopwith, feet long by 2 feet 5 inches deep 27 feet and 3.5 inches long. unlike many, was one to note backed onto heavy linen (pictures). Sopwith worked with patience and down every detail of his life - The horizontal section is drawn at care. Every tiny change in especially his meetings with a scale of 300 feet to the inch, and direction of every single sequence eminent persons - as he was the vertical section at 100 feet to is mapped out by the minutest of clearly a man on the rise. Sopwith the inch. It is in pen (Indian ink) pinpricks - a magnifying glass is later (1864) lectured on the and has been hand coloured, with needed to see them. section, and probably exhibited it. the length made up of just fewer From a distance the Section has Wendy Cawthorne (Assistant than 10 (9.73, to be precise), every appearance of being printed; Librarian, Geological Society) has individual sheets of paper pasted the ‘title’ is indicative of high- informed us that the Society onto a continuous, unbroken quality wood engraved lettering. seems not to have a copy. linen mount. Each sheet overlaps The ‘font size’ is attractively However, we will be very happy its neighbour by about balanced between each line within to hear from any reader who is an inch. the title. There is a giveaway able to provide information that Technically, the though; some of the lettering throws greater light upon this sheets are of 19th crosses the join of consecutive remarkable section. n Century sheets in a manner that would 'Antiquarian' never have been practical in print. FURTHER INFORMATION size (52.5 Examination of the section shows For more on TS - see http://www. inches wide by that it was coloured after facebook.com/ThomasSopwith 30.5 inches mounting onto the linen backing. AppreciationSociety deep). Graham believes that the Sopwith For further reading please see online Sopwith must Strata Section should properly be www.geolsoc.org.uk/en/Geoscientist have placed an considered as unfinished. order (to which Although there are faint pencil supplier, we do notes (presumably by Sopwith) * Graham Carlisle is a collector of 19th not as yet know) regarding colours to be used, one Century illustrations. Dr Susan Turner is a for the entire part of the Section carries only a palaeontologist, museum designer and length of high- pencil outline that remains historian of science, based in Australia

MARCH 2013 23 GEOSCIENTIST BOOKS & ARTS

never intended as Earth history anyway. power of the sea, Agatha Christie and Another regret is the slightly distanced Jane Austen. Chapters follow in much treatment of Young Earth Creationists. the same vein, on coastal defences and the They remain remote figures. Why they trouble that they can cause (‘defending believe as they do is not fully explained. the indefensible’), and the reasons why This is a badly needed, engaging and Scotland is different from England (clue: even-handed book deserving the widest it’s something to do with the geology). possible circulation. Order a copy for Chapter six focuses on the 21st your local library. Century conflicts and solutions, managed retreat, shoreline management plans and Reviewed by Chris Walley Donald Trump’s golf course. The final The Rocks Don't Lie chapter poses the question ‘is my house If the public opinion polls are correct THE ROCKS DON'T LIE; A GEOLOGIST with its sea view safe?’ and manages to INVESTIGATES NOAH'S FLOOD around a third of people in Britain and DAVID R MONTGOMERY, Published by: WW Norton and convince me otherwise, even though I live nearly a half in the US consider it Company, 2012, ISBN 9780393082395 35 miles from the sea. At 185 pages, this probable at least that the Earth was List price: £17.99 is a pleasure to read, not too long-winded created in the last 10,000 years. Of these a or bogged down by unwelcome technical considerable proportion would explain detail. the rock record in terms of the year-long The diversions into English literature, flood of Genesis. The uncomfortable history and popular culture are a real joy truth is that a belief universally left for and make the book stand out from the dead nearly two centuries ago is alive crowd. The layout and illustrations are and well in the popular consciousness. adequate, some of the photographs look Although originally intended as a like they have been taken from old slides response to the ‘Flood Geology’ of Young and the binding should be good enough Earth Creationism, Montgomery - a to survive a good few reads. If you like geomorphologist at the University of your geology with a touch of human Washington - has written a very readable interest, then this book will appeal to you. book that covers the complex interactions between geological science and the idea Reviewed by Mark Lee of a global flood over the centuries. This Shrinking Land Montgomery makes many good points. Hang on to your hats! Britain may not be THIS SHRINKING LAND: CLIMATE He demonstrates that the progress of such a safe place to live after all. This CHANGE AND BRITAIN'S COASTS ROBERT DUCK, Published by Dundee University Press, science cannot be simply reduced to wise book starts at a cracking pace, describing 2011. ISBN: 978 1 84586 118 6 hbk 208pp. sceptical scientists triumphing over naive a catalogue of major tsunamis and storm List price: £20.00 fools in dog collars. He points out that surge disasters, mythical submerged Christians have not always invoked landmasses and lost villages - mixing either a literal seven-day creation or a facts, speculations and poems, and only year-long global flood. He tells us that, pausing to take breath and ask the big far from representing mainstream question ‘why us?’. Christianity, Flood Geology is a barely Chapter two begins to provide an 100 years old and arises from an unholy explanation through Holocene sea-level union of unorthodox theology and rise and global warming, before being geological illiteracy. Throughout the text diverted by the history of the curling are scattered gentle but valid reminders Grand Match, the Tay Bridge disaster and that flood geology multiplies the the two-year exile of the boozy Lady inconceivable by the impossible. Grange on Hesker in the Outer Hebrides. Inevitably one wishes some things This, as you may have gathered, is no were done better. Montgomery tells us ordinary science textbook on coastal that a key failing of Wegener’s theory processes; it is a book with humour, Military Uses of was the inability of the crust to sustain anecdotes, strange facts and oddities the required lateral forces, but neglects to jostling to be heard alongside the Hydrogeology tell us how this objection was answered technical background. Napoleon famously said an “army (by the lithospheric plate). A more The power of waves is introduced in marches on its stomach”, but when it pressing problem in a polemic against Chapter three, not with Airy or Stokes comes to water there’s more to it than fundamentalism is his handling of Bible wave theory, but with 2600 tonne blocks that - and the rest can be summed up interpretation, where he makes much of lost from harbour breakwaters, the 1849 simply as “mud!” This publication the possibility of multiple sources within breaching of Spurn (caused by excessive describes how the military needs Genesis. The attention of biblical scholars gravel extraction), the loss of Dunwich hydrogeological expertise both to find has shifted from debating how Genesis port and even Shakespeare’s Sonnet 64 water and predict ground conditions. was formed to how the book in its final (‘when I have seen the hungry ocean gain Twelve of this collection of 20 papers state is to be interpreted. He only very advantage on the kingdom of the shore’ – I originated from a meeting at Burlington briefly alludes to those interpretations of was a Stratford boy and learnt this well!). House (November 2009) held jointly Genesis 1 and 2 which suggest that it was The chapter ends with the seductive between the History of Geology and

24 MARCH 2013 BOOKS & ARTS GEOSCIENTIST

Hydrogeological Groups, and the Reviewed by Steve Rowlatt Institution of Royal Engineers. It starts with two papers covering pre 20th NATURAL HAZARDS ATLAS OF JAMAICA PARRIS LYEW-AYEE JR & RAFI AHMAD, Published by Century history, with Paul Younger’s University of the West Indies Press, 2012. Mona amusing description of how a knowledge GeoInformatics Institute, University of the West Indies, of local groundwater conditions was Mona Hardback ISBN 978-976-640- 259-4 150pp fundamental in two battles between the List price: £35 www.uwipress.com, www.monagis.com English and the Scots, and John Mather on how the eastern coastal defences were supplied with water during the 18th REVIEWS: COPIES AVAILABLE Century. Remaining papers cover Natural Hazards Atlas warfare fromWW1 to Iraq and of Jamaica We have received the following books. Afghanistan. Please contact [email protected] if Papers are presented from both sides This book has a large format and many you would like to supply a review. You will be invited to keep the review copy. See in both World Wars; the more recent excellent plates and useful maps and Geoscientist Online for an up-to-date German involvement in Somalia, Kosovo diagrams. It is well bound and suitable for version of this list. and Afghanistan; hydrogeological anyone interested in Jamaica and the support to the US military 1917-2010; the effects of its associated natural hazards. It n NEW! Glaciogenic Reservoirs and US military’s investments in is ideal for anyone with a general interest Hydrdocarbon Systems. (2012) Edited by hydrogeology; and the tensions between in this subject and students from GCSE to Huuse et al. Geological Society Special Palatine and Israel over West Bank water professional level. It is written in a jargon- Publication 368. hbk resources. I was particularly pleased to free style and good value at £35. see mention of the Wartime Pamphlets – Listing first the natural hazards typical n NEW! Geology and Hydrocarbon a collection of well records put together of the area (floods (coastal and inland), Potential of Neoproterozoic-Cambrian in the 1940s - of great value to those of us landslides, earthquakes, hurricanes, Basins in Asia. (2012) Edited by Bhat et al. who developed what is now the tropical storms and tsunamis) it proceeds Geological Society Special Publication Environment Agency’s observation to explain them in detail. The authors 366.hbk borehole network. show how secondary effects (e.g. n NEW! Sustainable Development and This is not the first Society publication liquefaction during earthquakes and Management of the Shallow Subsurface. on military geology with Geology and floods during hurricanes) interact with the (2012) Edited by de Mulder et al. Geological Warfare (Eds. Rose and Nathaniel, 2000) local physical environment as dictated by Society, IUGS. hbk. and a number of papers in both other the geology (various types of limestone, Special Publications and QJEGH in recent ‘volcaniclastics’ and alluvial deposits) in n NEW! Earthworks in Europe. (2012) years. A brief Internet search shows that the landscapes typically associated with Edited by Radford, T A. Geological Society the subject also attracts attention outside these rocks (e.g. karst and alluvial plains). Engineering Geology SPecial Publication No GSL meetings and publications at The book contains many plates 26. hbk. international symposia held over many showing the local areas (especially the n NEW! Faulting, Fracturing and Igneous years, and by other UK geological effects of the hazards on them), many Intrusion in the Earth's Crust. (2012) Edited societies. This publication has added large maps and informative diagrams by Healy et al. Geolgocal Society Special significantly to the growing literature on detailing features such as publication 367. hbk. this subject and is recommended to those hydrostratigraphy, rainfall, geology, interested in the history of our science landslide engineering effort and coastal n NEW! Advances in Carbonate and its military applications. flooding. Of particular interest are Exploration and Reservoir Analysis. (2012) detailed maps of hurricane tracks, wind Edited by Garland et al. Geological Society Reviewed by Rick Brassington strengths and associated tables showing Special Publication 370. hbk return periods. n Mechanics of Fluid Flow by Basniev, MILITARY USES OF HYDROGEOLOGY The authors move on to consider TED ROSE & JOHN MATHER, GSL Special Publication 362 Dmitriev and Chilingar. John Wiley, Scrivener ISBN: 978-1-86239-340-0 (hbk) Published: 29 March Jamaica parish by parish, looking at the hbk.,568pp 2012. 376pp human geography, physical geography and List price: £110.00 hazard profiles of each. The book looks at n South of Scotland – British Regional coastal and inland flooding; both sudden Geology (4th Edn.) - Stone et al. bRitish and catastrophic (e.g. from storm surges Geological Survey (NERC) 248pp, with map. and tsunamis) and gradual (from coastal n Disaster Deferred - a new view of erosion or sea level rise). It also lists the Earthquake Hazards in the New Madrid dates of the most significant hurricanes and Seismic Zone. (2012) by Seth Stein. earthquakes since the 19th Century. Columbia University Press pbk, 282pp The authors have supplied a useful glossary of terms used in the text and a list n Continuum Mechanics in the Earth of references and some suggestions for Sciences by William I Newman Cambridge further reading. This is essentially a University Press general book for everyone rather than a n Theory of Reflectance and Emittance detailed text book for the specialist. It is Spectroscopy (2nd Edn) by Bruce Hapke. however very interesting for all and can be Cambridge University Press. recommended most strongly.

MARCH 2013 25 GEOSCIENTIST PEOPLE

Geoscientists in the news and on the move in the UK, PEOPLE Europe and worldwide CAROUSEL Earth Model Award 2012 All fellows of the Society are entitled to entires in this column. Please email Neftex announces the second round of Society-supported [email protected], quoting your Fellowship number. awards for UK Masters students, writes Adler deWind

Winners of the 2012 Awards: first place, Adam Pacey n (not pictured), second place; Daniel Collins (left) and JON COOKE jointly in third place; Madeleine Ralph and Sean Bale Jon Cooke has joined the Board of Directors at consultants ES International Ltd. Jon is an Engineering Geologist and an expert in geo-environmental risk management, with a background working for major international multidisciplinary consultancies and a wealth of experience in leading and managing multidisciplinary teams. n BOB WHITE Bob White FRS, Professor of Geophysics in the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Neftex, an Earth science research related to integrated global Cambridge, has been named company providing geoscience geosciences, who are currently working Harold Jeffreys Lecturer 2013 products and services to the towards an Earth science Masters. The by the Royal Astronomical Society. The exploration industry, has announced awards are now in their second year Harold Jeffreys Lecture is given annually on the Earth Model Awards for 2013. and are supported by The Geological a topic in solid Earth geophysics. The award Prizes of £2000, £1000 and £500 are Society of London. recognises his outstanding record of offered to the students who present research and leadership in a career that has the most innovative and forward- To register visit www.neftex.com/earth focused on the use of state-of-the-art thinking research projects. Matching modelaward. Expressions of interest seismic data to investigate the structure of sums also go to their host department. deadline: 26 May 2013. Final projects to be those parts of the Earth’s crust formed by The award is open to all UK-based submitted by 16 September 2013. Winners melting of the mantle at mid-ocean ridges, geoscience students, with a project announced - November 2013 continental rifts and hot spots.

26 MARCH 2013 PEOPLE GEOSCIENTIST

HELP YOUR OBITUARIST The Society operates a scheme for Fellows to deposit biographical material. The object is to assist obituarists by providing contacts, dates and other information, and thus ensure that Fellows’ lives are accorded appropriate and accurate commemoration. Please send your CV and a photograph to Ted Nield at the Society.

IN MEMORIAM WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/OBITUARIES

THE SOCIETY NOTES WITH SADNESS THE PASSING OF: commissioned are marked with an asterisk (*). The symbol § indicates that biographical material has been lodged with the Society. Bailey, Kenneth * Jones, Brian Lloyd * If you would like to contribute an obituary, please email Blackburn, James Kirk * Middleton, John * [email protected] to be commissioned. You can read the Bowler, Christopher Michael Lance * Million, Ronald * guidance for authors at www.geolsoc.org.uk/obituaries. To save Chapman, W T * Williams, Colin L * yourself unnecessary work, please do not write anything until Doughty, Philip Willis, John Humfrey A. you have received a commissioning letter. Hobson, David M Zwart, Hendrik * Deceased Fellows for whom no obituary is In the interests of recording its Fellows' work for posterity, the Society forthcoming have their names and dates publishes obituaries online, and in Geoscientist. The most recent additions recorded in a Roll of Honour at to the list are shown in bold. Fellows for whom no obituarist has yet been www.geolsoc.org.uk/obituaries.

DISTANT THUNDER Chat lines No Valentines this year? Cheer up. Nina Morgan* has some ideas on meeting the perfect partner...

Although in the early days of geological understanding (q.v. where in Dorsetshire, and reading might well have been pleased to geology it was often the men who Distant Thunder, Geoscientist a new and weighty book of know that his book provided got the credit, most would 22.01 February 2012). Cuvier’s which he had just such an effective introduction to acknowledge that they could never But in those pre-internet days received from the publisher; a lady what became real a marriage of have achieved their great finding – and wooing – the perfect was also in the coach, and true minds. breakthroughs without the partner was usually achieved more amongst her books was this Below left: Professor and Mrs Buckland intellectual, emotional and practical by chance than design. Some, identical one, which Cuvier had and son Frank. Taken from Elizabeth support of a good woman. like Roderick Murchison (1792 – sent her. They got into Gordon's (1894) The Life and correspondence of William Buckland, For those who never married, like 1871), were introduced to their conversation, the drift of which London: John Murray, p103 the geologist John Phillips future wives by friends. Others, for was so peculiar that Dr Buckland (1800 – 1874), first Professor of example Richard Owen (1804- at last exclaimed, ‘you must be ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Geology at Oxford University, it 1892), first encountered their Miss Morland, to whom I am Sources for this vignette include: was a sister, Annie, who provided beloved through work. Owen, a about to deliver a letter of Life of Sir Roderick I. Murchison this crucial backup – a fact he was medically-trained anatomist and introduction.’ He was right and Based on his Journals and Letters proud to acknowledge both in palaeontologist and the driving she soon became Mrs Buckland.” by Archibald Giekie, John Murray, private and in print. force behind the founding of what The couple were married on 31 1875; Almost more than love, the For example, in the 1848 Survey is now the Natural History December 1835. A talented artist marriage of Richard Owen and Memoir and elsewhere he credits Museum in London, met the love and admirable fossil geologist, Caroline Clift by Karolyn Shindler, her with the discovery of a crucial of his life when he was called in to Mrs Buckland proved to be, in the Evolve, issue 6, winter 2011, pp. bit of evidence that revealed the treat her for an injury. Still others, words of Roderick Murchison, 57-61; The Life and origin of the Malvern Hills. But for like William Buckland (1784-1856), “a truly excellent and intellectual Correspondence of William many others, it was a devoted, the first Reader in geology at woman, who, aiding her husband Buckland, DD, FRS, by his daughter well educated and intelligent wife Oxford University, met their life in several of his most difficult Mrs Gordon, John Murray, 1894; who drove them on their partners purely by chance. researches has laboured well in and John Phillips, The Malvern Hills quest for greater In a journal entry for October 8 her vocation to render her children compared with the Palaeozoic 1839, the worthy of their father’s name.” districts of Abberley, Woolhope, diarist Although the story of the May Hill, Tortworth and Usk. Caroline Fox Bucklands’ first meeting is Memoir of the Geological Survey of records how: possibly apocryphal, it does Great Britain and of the Museum of “…Dr demonstrate the value of a good Practical Geology in London: Buckland chat-up line. And although not Longman, London, 1848. was once noted for his sense of humour, the travelling French naturalist and zoologist * Nina Morgan is a geologist and some- Georges Cuvier (1769-1832) science writer based near Oxford

MARCH 2013 27 GEOSCIENTIST OBITUARY

OBITUARY‘

ISLES STRACHAN 1924-2012 Distinguished graptolite palaeontologist who was also a talented mathematician and linguist

sles was born at on to Selwyn College, Huttagraptus strachani and graptolites in particular, he Loanhead, Edinburgh, Cambridge, where he gained Streptograptus strachani. He was given an Honorary on 12 March 1924. He his PhD in 1951. made a big contribution with position at St. Andrews attended the Royal his two synoptic supplements University, where he

I High School, GRAPTOLITES to the Elles and Wood contributed to the teaching Edinburgh, where he was In the same year he was monographs on graptolites. In courses for Geology the Tullis Medal Dux in appointed to a Lectureship in 1957 he spent a year in Illinois Honours students, offering Mathematics for 1942. He Geology at Birmingham on a Fulbright~ Scholarship. lectures and practicals on went to Edinburgh University where he spent the graptolites. In later life he University where he studied rest of his academic career, set himself the task of Geology, Botany, Zoology rising to Senior Lecturer. ISLES translating Robert Sibbald’s and Astronomy. His studies During his time there, he SPECIALISED IN ‘Scotia Illustrata’ (1684) from were interrupted due to a specialised in graptolites; Latin into English. bout of ill-health, but in their morphology and their GRAPTOLITES; THEIR When the graptolite spite of this he was awarded use in stratigraphy. His MORPHOLOGY AND community was informed of the medal for Advanced diligent work was recognised THEIR USE IN his death, a number of Palaeontology in 1946 and with the naming of three responses were received. graduated BSc Geology in graptolites after him: STRATIGRAPHY One in particular summed December 1946. He moved Huttagraptus praestrachani, ~ up Isles’ achievements. During his time at Chen Xu of Nanjing wrote Birmingham he founded the “he was a good friend of Lapworth Museum, in our Chinese graptolite honour of the pioneering workers. We will remember geologist and former his outstanding contribution Professor of Geology at to the fine structures of Birmingham, Charles graptolites.” Another co- Lapworth. He taught himself worker said ”Isles' to read Russian and Chinese, Palaeontographical Society and he attended the monographs continue to be International Congress in extensively used by all Prague in August 1968 when graptolite workers all of the Russians invaded whom owe him a Czechoslovakia. He had considerable debt of always hoped to go to China gratitude for the huge but this never materialised. amount of time and effort However, he did dine at that went into their the Chinese Embassy in production.” London at the invitation of During his time in the Consul in recognition of Birmingham, he attended the help he had given to Weoley Hill Church in Selly Chinese students. Oak. It was there he met and married Peggy LATIN Thompson. They had one Isles retired to St Andrews daughter, Margaret Isles. with his family in 1984, Both survive him. because he wanted to live close to a university library By Richard A Batchelor (with where he could continue his contributions from Jan studies. Given his expertise in Zalasiewicz, David Loydell and palaeontology in general, and Denis Bates)

28 MARCH 2013 CROSSWORD GEOSCIENTIST

CROSSWORD NO. 167 SET BY PLATYPUS WIN A SPECIAL PUBLICATION

The winner of the Dec/Jan Crossword puzzle prize draw was Dr Richard Batchelor of St Andrews.

All correct solutions will be placed in the draw, and the winner’s name printed in the May issue. The Editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Closing date - 20 March.

The competition is open to all Fellows, Candidate Fellows and Friends of the Geological Society who are not current Society employees, officers or trustees. This exclusion does not apply to officers of joint associations, specialist or regional groups.

Please return your completed crossword to Burlington House, marking your envelope “Crossword”. Do not enclose any other matter with your solution. Overseas Fellows are encouraged to scan the signed form and email it as a PDF to [email protected]

Name ...... ACROSS DOWN Membership number ...... Address for correspondence ...... 1 Turbidite sequencer (5) 1 Type of volcanic bomb with a cracked exterior (10) ...... 4 Hindu philosophical texts (9) 2 Funerary receptacle (3) 9 Raising to a higher plane, my ...... Lord (9) 3 18th Century apartment complex, next door to Burlington House, where according to ...... 10 Gravitationally curved path of Wilde, Mr Ernest Worthing had a set (Act 1, an object around a point in ...... Scene 1) (6) space (5) 4 Atom capable of forming a single bond (9) ...... 11 State of the uninvolved, uncommitted, and 5 Primitive photosynthetic autotrophs, ranging ...... unconnected (14) from unicellular to gigantic (5) ...... 14 Hazard to shipping (4) 6 Condition of compounds having similar molecular but different structural formulae (8) 15 Destinctive characteristic ...... useful in naming and data 7 Dwelling places (11) retrieval (10) Postcode ...... 8 Information (4) 18 Property exhibited by igneous 12 Image showing a range of frequencies from low rock with neither excess nor to high, and perhaps its variation with time (11) deficiency of silica (10) SOLUTIONS DEC/JAN 13 Change in orientation of a rotational axis (10) 19 Open-ended neck-ring (4) ACROSS: 16 Large aquatic tetrapod diapsid, apparently 21 Dentists particularly concerned 1 Mafic 4 Marmoreal 9 Table Land 10 Excel immune to end-Cretaceous meteorites (9) with malocclusive biting (13) 11 Room and Pillar 14 Trap 15 Protoplasm 17 Caves - how picturesque (8) 24 Latin backside (5) 18 Overridden 19 Silt 21 Computational 20 Relating to the fundamental building blocks of 24 Fungi 25 Arresting 27 Oversteps 28 Smelt 25 Powerful men in government matter (6) who enjoy a threesome (9) 22 Exceed another in performance (5) DOWN: 27 Rock comprising more than 1 Maturation 2 Fib 3 Coeval 4 Meandered 50% calcium carbonate (9) 23 Cricketing ellipse (4) 5 Radii 6 Overlaps 7 Excoriation 8 Lull 28 Castrated rooster (5) 26 Mythological being - lesser demon (3) 12 Opalescance 13 Emits Light 16 Thesaurus 17 Drumlins 20 Biases 22 Usage 23 Afro 26 Ire

MARCH 2013 29 RECRUITMENT

30 MARCH 2013

CELEBRATINGC E L E B R A T I N G 11000 0 YYEARSE A R S OOFF OOILI L TTECHNOLOGYE C H N O L O G Y AATT IIMPERIALM P E R I A L CCOLLEGEO L L E G E

101000 YearsYYeears andand BBeyond:eyond: FFutureuture PPetroleumetroleum SSciencecience & TTechnologyechnology DDriversrivers

Date: 23-24 September 2013 Venue: Imperial College London

This 2-day meeting will celebrate 100 years of petroleum-related science and engineering education at Imperial College. With a list of distinguished speakers, we aim to mark this landmark achievement by looking forward to the next 100 years, with emphasis on discussing key future drivers and related energy supply issues. The meeting will be wide-ranging, with presentations covering global energy trends, future geoscience and engineering technologies, unconventional hydrocarbon resources, carbon sequestration and climate change.

We have an outstanding group of confirmed speakers, including: • Lord Ron Oxburgh • Lord John Browne • Professor Scott Tinker (Director, Bureau of Economic Geology, Texas) • Dr. Bruce Levell (VP Emerging Technologies, Shell) • Malcolm Brown (Senior VP Exploration, BG Group) • Bryan Lovell (former President, Geological Society of London) • Professor Joe Cartwright (University of Oxford) • Emeritus Professor John Woods (Imperial College & the 2007 Joint Nobel Peace Prize Winner) • Mike Daly (VP Exploration, BP)

Further information and registration details: Further information and registration details can be found at: www.geolsoc.org.uk/oilcentenary13 or contact Steve Whalley at the Geological Society, using the following email address: [email protected]

The meeting is jointly convened by Imperial College London and by The Geological Society of London, supported by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, The Society of Petroleum Engineers and by the Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH