SCIENTISTVOLUME 29 No. 02 ◆ MARCH 2019 ◆ WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST
GEOThe Fellowship Magazine of the Geological Society of London UK / Overseas where sold to individuals: £3.95 Election special Don’t forget to vote!
CAMBRIAN SUBSTRATE REVOLUTION Catherine Mascord on the importance of shallow burrowers for seafloor oxygenation
ILL-FATED EREBUS GEOSCIENCE IN COURT DE-RISK GEOLOGY Douglas Palmer considers the Alastair Ruffell and colleagues on John Beswick ponders doomed Franklin Expedition the expansion of geoforensics exploration and reputations WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2019 | 1 New Title Alert
Military Aspects of Geology: Fortifi cation, Excavation and Terrain Evaluation Edited by E. P. F. Rose, J. Ehlen and U. L. Lawrence
314 pages Hardback NEW List price: £ 110 Fellow’s price: £ 55 Other societies price: £ 66
This book complements the Geological Society’s Special Publication 362: Military Aspects of AD Hydrogeology.SPACE Generated under the auspices of the Society’s History of Geology and Engineering Groups, it contains papers from authors in the UK, USA, Germany and Austria. Substantial papers describe some innovative engineering activities, infl uenced by geology, undertaken by the armed forces of the opposing nations in World War I. These activities were reactivated and developed in World War II. Examples include trenching from World War I, tunnelling and quarrying from both wars, and the use of geologists to aid German coastal fortifi cation and Allied aerial photographic interpretation in World War II. The extensive introduction and other chapters reveal that ‘military geology’ has a longer history. These chapters relate to pre- twentieth century coastal fortifi cation in the UK and the USA; confl ict in the American Civil War; long-term ‘going’ assessments for German forces; tunnel repair after wartime route denial in Hong Kong; and tunnel detection after recent insurgent improvisation in Iraq.
Find out more online at: www.geolsoc.org.uk/SP473 Or call to purchase a copy + 44 (0) 1225 445 046 WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2019 | 3 GEOSCIENTIST CONTENTS
Geoscientist is the W www.centuryone Fellowship magazine publishing.uk New Title Alert of the Geological Society of London ADVERTISING SALES Alex Killen The Geological Society, T 01727 739 182 Burlington House, Piccadilly, E [email protected] London W1J 0BG T +44 (0)20 7434 9944 ART EDITOR F +44 (0)20 7439 8975 Heena Gudka E [email protected] (Not for Editorial - Please PRINTED BY contact the Editor) Century One Publishing Ltd. Publishing House The Geological Society Copyright Publishing House, Unit 7, The Geological Society of Military Aspects of Geology: Brassmill Enterprise Centre, London is a Registered Charity, Brassmill Lane, Bath number 210161. BA1 3JN ISSN (print) 0961-5628 T 01225 445046 ISSN (online) 2045-1784 Fortifi cation, Excavation and Terrain Evaluation F 01225 442836 The Geological Society of London accepts no responsibility for the views 7 26 Library expressed in any article in this publication. Edited by E. P. F. Rose, J. Ehlen and U. L. Lawrence T +44 (0)20 7432 0999 All views expressed, except where explicitly E [email protected] stated otherwise, represent those of the author, and not The Geological Society of EDITOR-IN-CHIEF London. All All rights reserved. No paragraph Professor Andy Fleet of this publication may be reproduced, 314 pages copied or transmitted save with written DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF permission. Users registered with Copyright Hardback NEW Mr David Shilston Clearance Center: the Journal is registered with CCC, 27 Congress Street, Salem, MA EDITOR 01970, USA. Every effort has been made List price: £ 110 to trace copyright holders of material in this Dr Amy Whitchurch publication. If any rights have been omitted, Fellow’s price: £ 55 E [email protected] the publisher offer their apologies. EDITORIAL BOARD No responsibility is assumed by the Other societies price: £ 66 Mrs Natalyn Ala Publisher for any injury and/or damage to Mr Steve Branch persons or property as a matter of products 12 18 Dr Robin Cocks liability, negligence or otherwise, or from Dr Howard Falcon-Lang any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas contained This book complements the Geological Society’s Prof. Tony Harris in the material herein. All advertising Mr Edmund Nickless material is expected to conform to ethical Special Publication 362: Military Aspects of Dr Alan Roberts and trading standards, and reasonable ON THE COVER: Prof. Peter Styles care is taken to ensure that advertisers are Hydrogeology. Generated under the auspices of Dr Colin Summerhayes reputable and reliable. However, inclusion 12 THE FOSSILS Dr Jan Zalasiewicz in this publication or as an insert does not constitute a guarantee or endorsement the Society’s History of Geology and Engineering Trustees of the of the quality or value of such products OF BELL ISLAND Geological Society or services, or of the claims made by Catherine Mascord investigates Groups, it contains papers from authors in the of London its manufacturer. Geoscientist and the Prof Nick Rogers (President) Geological Society of London can give no assurance that an advertiser will fulfil its the Cambrian Substrate Revolution UK, USA, Germany and Austria. Substantial papers Mr Thomas Backhouse obligation under all circumstances. Mr Andrew Bloodworth describe some innovative engineering activities, Mr John Booth (Vice President) Subscriptions: All correspondence Dr Jason Canning relating to non-member subscriptions Ms Lesley Dunlop should be addresses to the Journals FEATURESFEATURES infl uenced by geology, undertaken by the armed Subscription Department, Geological Mr Graham Goffey (Treasurer) Society Publishing House, Unit 7 Brassmill forces of the opposing nations in World War I. These Dr Sarah Gordon (Secretary, Enterprise Centre, Brassmill Lane, Bath, BA1 18 INSIGHT FROM CATASTROPHE Foreign & External Affairs) 3JN, UK. Tel: 01225 445046. Email: Douglas Palmer on the geological upshots activities were reactivated and developed in World Prof James Griffiths [email protected]. Contact us by Ms Naomi Jordan phone or email for current rates. of the Franklin Expedition Prof Chris King War II. Examples include trenching from World War Dr Robert Larter © 2019 The Geological Society of London I, tunnelling and quarrying from both wars, and the Prof Bryne Ngwenya Dr Colin North (Secretary, Geoscientist is printed on FSC® mixed REGULARS use of geologists to aid German coastal fortifi cation Publications) credit - Mixed source products are a blend Dr Sheila Peacock of FSC 100%, Recycled and/or Controlled 05 WELCOME Amy Whitchurch ponders the role of geoscientists Mr Nicholas Reynolds (Vice fibre. Certified by the Forest Stewardship Council®. in forensics and Allied aerial photographic interpretation in World War II. The extensive introduction and President) Prof Katherine Royse (Secretary, Professional Matters) 06 SOCIETY NEWS What your Society is doing at other chapters reveal that ‘military geology’ has a longer history. These chapters relate to pre- SCIENTISTVOLUME 29 No. 02 ◆ MARCH 2019 ◆ WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST GEOThe Fellowship Magazine of the Geological Society of London UK / Overseas where sold to individuals: £3.95 home and abroad, in London and the regions Mr Keith Seymour (Vice Election special Don’t forget to vote! twentieth century coastal fortifi cation in the UK and the USA; confl ict in the American Civil President) Miss Jessica Smith 11 SOAPBOX Fear shouldn’t prevent geological investigation, War; long-term ‘going’ assessments for German forces; tunnel repair after wartime route denial Dr Helen Smyth argues John Beswick Prof Robin Strachan CAMBRIAN SUBSTRATE Mr John Talbot (Vice President) REVOLUTION 23 CALENDAR Activities this month in Hong Kong; and tunnel detection after recent insurgent improvisation in Iraq. Catherine Mascord on the importance of shallow burrowers Dr Alexander Whittaker for seafloor oxygenation (Secretary, Science) ILL-FATED EREBUS GEOSCIENCE IN COURT DE-RISK GEOLOGY Douglas Palmer considers the Alastair Ruffell and colleagues on John Beswick ponders doomed Franklin Expedition the expansion of geoforensics exploration and reputations WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2019 | 1 24 B OOKS & ARTS Four new books reviewed by Douglas Palmer, Robert Anderson, Jonathan Scafidi and Brent Wilson Published on behalf of Cover image: Rocky cliffs along the George the Geological Society Nomore Walking Trail, Bell Island, Newfoundland of London by: 26 MEETING REPORT Alastair Ruffell and colleagues discuss the global expansion of forensic geoscience Century One Publishing Alban Row, 27–31 Verulam Road, St Albans, Herts, 28 PEOPLE Collaboration as a cure to writer’s block, Find out more online at: www.geolsoc.org.uk/SP473 AL3 4DG the West Midlands Regional Group AGM, and more T 01727 893 894 E enquiries@centuryone 30 OBITUARY Leslie Illing 1920-2018 Or call to purchase a copy + 44 (0) 1225 445 046 publishing.uk WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2019 | 3 The Geological Society Career and Industry Days 2019
Wednesday 20 March 2019 Venue: Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London, UK www.geolsoc.org.uk/careersday18london
The Geological Society Career & Industry Day is an essential meeting place for geoscience students and the geoscience industry, and is the most recognised geoscience careers focused forum in the country.
The day will include short career and industry presentations covering different areas of geology and academia, and there will be an exhibition consisting of industry and professional bodies, and higher education institutions promoting MSc and PhD programmes. There will also be a CV and careers workshop running alongside the talks.
Registration This event is free to attend but there are limited numbers so pre-booking is recommended. Delegates will be required to pre-register to receive a student manual, free packed lunch and free drink at the drinks reception.
Contact Information Ruth Davey, Conference Office, The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG T: 0207 432 0981 E: [email protected]
#GSLcareers18 Follow these events on Twitter: Background image: Assynt, © Timothy Gregory
Latest news from the Publishing House Mantle plumes and mantle dynamics in the Wilson cycle The geochemistry of oil in Cornish granites By Philip J. Heron By Mas’ud Baba, John Parnell and Stephen Bowden
his review discusses the thermal evolution of the mantle following large-scale tectonic il residues in Variscan granites in Cornwall, SW T activities such as continental collision and continental rifting. About 300 myr ago, OEngland, preserve biomarker data which indicate continental material amalgamated through the large-scale subduction of oceanic seafl oor, an origin from marine source rocks. The biomarkers marking the termination of one or more oceanic basins (e.g. Wilson cycles) and the formation also indicate a thermal maturity that excludes an origin of the supercontinent Pangaea. The present from the Devono-Carboniferous rocks intruded by the day location of the continents is due to the granites, but is similar to that of Jurassic-sourced oil to the east in the Wessex Basin. A suite of fi ve different rifting apart of Pangaea, with the dispersal samples from the South Crofty tin mine are variably of the supercontinent being characterized biodegraded, implying alteration after emplacement of by increased volcanic activity linked to the oil in the granite. These characteristics are compatible generation of deep mantle plumes. The with models for updip fl ow of fl uids from offshore discussion presented here investigates Mesozoic sediments into older granite topographical theories regarding the thermal evolution highs. of the mantle (e.g. mantle temperatures and sub-continental plumes) following the formation of a supercontinent. Rifting, orogenesis and mass eruptions from large igneous provinces change the landscape of the lithosphere, whereas processes related to the initiation and termination of oceanic subduction have a profound impact on deep mantle reservoirs and thermal upwelling through the modifi cation of mantle fl ow. Upwelling and downwelling in mantle convection are dynamically linked and can infl uence processes from the crust to the core, placing the Wilson cycle and the evolution of oceans at the forefront of our dynamic Earth. Read full paper in the Lyell Collection Read full abstract and paper in the Lyell Collection http://pg.lyellcollection.org/content/ http://sp.lyellcollection.org/content/early/2018/11/16/SP470.18 early/2018/12/19/petgeo2018-053
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GEOSCIENTISTS ARE HELPING TO PUT THE RIGOUR BACK INTO FORENSIC SCIENCE ~
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK: Geoscience in the dock
ver the past few decades, forensic science has the usefulness of the geophysical approaches varies experienced something of a crisis. In numerous depending on the style of and time since burial. high-profile cases, people convicted of serious Decomposition fluids from the naked burial generated a crimes were exonerated years later due, in part, low-resistivity anomaly for up to 4 years, but after this time to flawed forensic evidence. the grave became less clear. The wrapped burial could be The severity of the problem was highlighted detected with ground-penetrating radar, yet the naked burial Oin a highly critical 2009 US National Research Council report was difficult to resolve. that called for an overhaul of the entire system. More Such surveys are site-sensitive and while pigs are recently, a 2016 report from the US President’s Council of commonly used as a proxy for humans, they don’t Advisors on Science and Technology emphasised the need to decompose at the same rate. More accurate tests of these establish forensic methods as valid and reliable, while a 2018 geophysical approaches would require a human taphonomy UK Forensic Science Regulator document stressed that only facility (an outdoor centre for research on donated human reliable evidence is admissible in court. Most of the concerns cadavers) in the UK. There are eight such facilities in the US, centre on techniques like DNA, bitemark and hair analyses, one in Australia and one in the Netherlands, but but the problems cast a dark shadow over the whole field. decomposition is highly sensitive to local geology and What does all this have to do with geology? Well, the climate, so findings from abroad can’t be easily extrapolated geosciences have a small but important role to play in to the UK. forensic science. As highlighted in a Meeting Report on page Anna Williams and colleagues argue that these facilities 26 of this issue, an ever-expanding range of geoscientific and help uphold evidentiary standards, and that the lack of one archaeological approaches are used in forensics, and the in the UK puts scientists here at a disadvantage and opens geoscience community is engaged in the robust testing of the possibility of criticism in court (Williams et al., Forensic these techniques and their application to crime scenes. Sci. Internat. 2019). They make a compelling case, but the For example, recent research has shown that LiDAR is topic is a sensitive one with obvious ethical considerations. effective for identifying clandestine graves because pulsed The Human Taphonomy Facility for UK Forensic Science is laser light can penetrate undergrowth to image recently running a survey to gauge public opinion. disturbed ground (Corcoran et al., Forensic Sci. Internat. (http://htf4uk.blogspot.com/p/our-survey.html). 2018). Work is also on-going to test the suitability of Interested Geoscientist readers might want to provide geophysical methods for detecting and characterising graves feedback? in the sub-surface (Pringle et al. J. Forensic Sci. 2012, 2016). Forensic geoscience is a nascent field, but it is clear that a Buried pig cadavers—both naked and wrapped in growing and passionate community is dedicated to ensuring tarpaulin—are monitored using electrical resistivity that geoscientific techniques can robustly aid criminal measurements and ground-penetrating radar. It seems that investigations.
Cave of Swallows in Aquismon Mexico
DR AMY WHITCHURCH, EDITOR - [email protected] @geoscientistmag
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What your society is doing at home and abroad, in SOCIETYNEWS London and the regions
Society Awards 2019 Mentoring Workshop
The Society is delighted to announce the names of the winners of This is the final call for people to register for the workshop planned its medals and funds and offers all its heartiest congratulations. The for March 26th at Burlington House. If fewer than 12 have registered President’s Award winners will be announced at a later date. by March 11th, the Workshop will be cancelled. Please contact the The awards will be presented at President’s Day on 6 June 2019. Chartership Officer [email protected]( ) to register your interest and for further information. Name Affiliation Award Wollaston Prof Edward Stolper Caltech Medal Chartered Fellows Elected Feb 2019
Prof Nicholas Kusznir University of Liverpool Lyell Medal CGeol: Kim Michelle Altinkaynak, Christopher Peter Bailey, Bertrand Raymond Burnet, Anil Kumar Chatterj, Oliver Chrisp, Philip William Murchison Prof Marian Holness University of Cambridge Clare, Samuel John Deeley, Gianluca Dell’Elce, Laura Elsworth, Medal Mario Fornaciari, Maxwell Joseph Foweraker, Malcolm Thomas Camborne School of Mines, William Smith Prof Frances Wall University of Exeter Medal Graham, Jonathan Allan Hunt, Darren Jones, Marianne Hemmet Prestwich McGaughy, David Andrew Pollitt. Dr Anthony Barber retired Medal CSci: Danilo Ricardo Bettosi, Daniela Lagomarsino. Dr Nigel Woodcock University of Cambridge Dewey Medal
Prof Richard Law Virginia Tech Coke Medal National Oceanography Dr Bramley Murton Coke Medal Centre Annual Training Record Form Distinguished The annual reporting form for early career geoscientists NERC National Marine Facility, Mr Colin Day Service National Oceanography Centre working towards Chartership can be found at www.geolsoc. Award org.uk/Membership/Chartership-and-Professional/ Charmouth Heritage R H Worth Coast Centre Award Applicants#chartershiptraining.
Prof Emily Rayfield University of Bristol Bigsby Medal
Eni Upstream & Technical Aberconway Dr Andrea Cozzi Services Medal Council & OGMs 2019 Wollaston Dr Andrew Parsons University of Oxford Fund The dates for meetings of Council and Ordinary General Meetings Dr Sam Giles University of Birmingham Lyell Fund until June 2020 are as follows: Murchison 2019: 17 April, 19 June, 17 September, 20 November. Dr Jonathan Pownall Australian National University Fund 2020: 5 February, 8 April, 17 June Dr Brendan William Smith University of Cambridge McCormick Kilbride Fund
Fellowship Renewals Notification of Officers 2019/2020 At the Annual General Meeting on 6 June 2019, Fellows will be asked Every year at this time, we remind Fellows to renew their to elect the following members of Council as Officers for 2019/2020: Fellowship for the current year, or face being struck off—with the subsequent inconvenience of having to re-apply. For the President Secretaries Society, late payment results each year in additional costs and Prof Nick Rogers Prof Katherine Royse administration. In this economic climate, we must ensure that Prof Rob Strachan optimum use is made of Society resources and we rely on the Vice-Presidents Dr Alex Whittaker support of Fellows to achieve this. Time is running out for you to Mr John Booth renew your Fellowship. To ensure that you continue to support Mr Nicholas Reynolds Secretary, Foreign & External and belong to your professional body, please renew today, Miss Jessica Smith Affairs preferably online via the website; or you can call Burlington Mr John Talbot Dr Sarah Gordon House and ask for the Fellowship Department. Treasurer Richard Hughes, Executive Secretary Mr Graham Goffey
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ELECTIONS TO COUNCIL 2019-2020
The October issue of Geoscientist invited Fellows to nominate and has extensive experience of overseeing ballots for a wide range of new members of Council for election to succeed those who organisations. will be retiring at the Annual General Meeting on 6 June 2019. All Fellows for whom we have an email address should already have Subsequent calls were made in the email newsletter. received voting information direct from ERS. All other Fellows should have received a postal ballot pack. If you have not heard from ERS via Three nominations were received for President-designate, which, in email or post, or would prefer to receive a postal ballot pack, or have accordance with Regulation R/G/11, Council reduced to two. There are any other difficulties casting your vote, please contact Stephanie Jones seven nominations for the remaining five vacancies. The process for ([email protected]) at the Society. the election of members of Council is set out at section 6 of the Bye- Voting closes at 23.59 on Sunday 31 March 2019. Postal ballot forms must laws. The process for the election of President is set out at section 7. be sent to ERS (not to the Society) and must arrive by Sunday 31 March. It is important that Council is representative of the views and diversity of all the Fellowship, so Fellows are urged to participate in the ONLY FELLOWS OF THE SOCIETY ARE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE preliminary ballot, which will determine the list for the formal vote at the The Council elections are your opportunity to choose who should Annual General Meeting. serve on Council to best represent the interests of all Fellows and to shape the future of the Society. Fellows may wish to make their This year we have again commissioned the highly respected Electoral choices having regard to the area of expertise of the continuing mem- Reform Services (ERS) to manage the ballot for Council on behalf of the bers of Council, which are shown on the tables below. Biographies of Society. ERS is the UK’s leading independent ballot services provider, members of Council are at www.geolsoc.org.uk/biographies.
Continuing members of Council 2019-2020 Members of Council retiring at the Annual General Meeting on 6 June 2019 Name Expertise Background Name Expertise Background Mr Thomas Risk / Environmental and Industry Dr Jason Canning Petroleum Geology Industry Backhouse Geological Hazards Sedimentology, Dr Andrew Economic Geology Government Dr Naomi Jordan Palaeontology, Academe Bloodworth Palaeoenvironments Mr John Booth Engineering Geology Industry Dr Robert Larter Marine Geophysics Government Ms Lesley Dunlop Geomorphology Academe Dr Colin North Sedimentology Academe Dr Sarah Gordon Mining, Meteoritics, Risk Industry Dr Sheila Peacock Geophysics Government
Mr Graham Goffey Petroleum Geology Industry Mr Keith Seymour Hydrogeology Retired
Prof James Griffiths Engineering Geology Academe
Prof Chris King Geoscience educator Academe
Prof Bryne Ngwenya Microbial Geochemistry Academe
Contaminated land, Mr Nik Reynolds Industry Geotechnical engineering
Prof Nick Rogers Geochemistry Academe
Prof Katherine Royse Environmental Geology Government
Miss Jessica Smith Engineering Geology Industry
Dr Helen Smyth Petroleum Geology Industry
Prof Robin Strachan Tectonics, Geochronology Academe Geotechnical engineering, Mr John Talbot Retired Engineering Geology Tectonics and Landscape Dr Alex Whittaker Academe Dynamics
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Supporting Statements
Supporting statements for ➤ Dr Michael Daly Supporting statements
President-designate nominees DR MIC As President I would for Council nominees HA E L have three priorities: D A ➤ Prof Jonathan Craig L developing the ➤ Prof Quentin Crowley Y Society’s future by ROF JOH P N To serve as the responding to the PROF QUE I am an Associate AT NT H IN A President of the changing context of Professor in Isotopes N C R
C Geological Society geology in the natural O and the Environment
R W A
L
I
E
G would be a great sciences; bringing my and Director of Y honour. I joined the industrial experience and connections to the Centre for the Society in 1979 while the Society’s significant financial challenges; Environment at Trinity still at University and supporting and challenging the Executive College Dublin (TCD), it has always been Secretary and team. Ireland. I carry out a at the heart of my professional life. I have Core geological disciplines thrive in the wide range of geological and environmental served on the Corporate Membership and Society and in industry. However, less research and contribute to relevant policy. I Books Editorial committees, been Chair of emphasis is placed on these same disciplines collaborate extensively with institutions and the Petroleum Group, edited six Geological in University curricula, largely to allow room agencies in the UK, Ireland and Europe, Society Special Publications, been awarded for other subjects included in the Earth particularly the Irish Centre for Research in the Petroleum Group Medal and currently and Environmental Sciences. Yet the core Applied Geosciences (iCRAG), the BGS, GSI serve on the Awards committee. disciplines remain essential components of and GSNI. My geoscience career has spanned four broad, thematic research themes of societal My research interests include radon, decades, initially with Geomorphological relevance, such as climate change, predicting geochemistry of contemporary environmental Services, Shell and Lasmo and then, since and mitigating natural hazards, sustainable systems, geochemistry and geochronology of 2000, with the global Energy giant Eni, development and the availability of water, gold and porphyry deposits, detrital minerals where I am now the Senior Vice President energy and mineral resources. These big in provenance studies, and biominerals as responsible for global exploration strategy themes attract funding and people, and environmental proxies. and for the 560 exploration and geoscience increasingly represent the frontier of natural Elected FGS in 2006, I was Chief Editor staff worldwide. I also have the privilege science research. For the Society to remain for the Journal of the Geological Society of holding four Honorary Professorships, relevant and thrive, it needs to embrace these for five years up to 2016, and have served at Durham, UCL, Royal Holloway and the changes while nurturing core disciplines. on the Awards, Publications and Science University of Jammu in India, and so am I have an industry and academic Committees. I therefore offer substantial actively involved in teaching, publishing and background. A graduate of UCW experience in operations of the Society, in research. I am a Chartered Geologist. Aberystwyth, I spent 10 years as a Survey particularly of its publications. I am proud of the Society’s long tradition of geologist mapping in central Africa and I completed my BSc in Geology (1994) and supporting geoscience in both industry and completed a PhD in tectonics at Leeds. I PhD (1997) at University College Galway (now academia, but I am conscious that it faces joined BP in 1986 and in 2014 retired after NUIG), followed by post-doctoral research many challenges. To survive and prosper it eight years as head of exploration and a at Keele University and seven years at BGS needs to modernize, to be relevant, useful group executive. I am currently a Visiting Keyworth, before joining TCD in 2008. and accessible to the next generation of Professor at Oxford University researching I am enthusiastic about strengthening geoscientists, to expand its international continental tectonics and resource systems, the Society’s interaction with the geological profile, be more visible to the Public and to and hold director positions in Tullow Oil and community on the island of Ireland, fostering Government and to capitalise on its role as a CGG Geoscience. I joined the Society as geoscience education at all levels, and Professional Body through wider application an undergraduate, have served on Council, promoting informed dialogue on environmental of accreditation and chartership. Addressing co-convened the “Plate Tectonics at 50” issues at a national level. these challenges would be the focus of my conference and co-edited GSL Special Presidency. Publication 472. Proposer: John Walsh Supporters: John Ludden and Michael Young Proposer: Malcolm Brown Proposer: Dan McKenzie Supporters: John Underhill and Richard Fortey Supporters: Ceri Powell and Tracey Radford ➤ Dr Joel Gill
DR JO Geoscientists are EL G IL critical to enabling L sustainable and resilient communities, and the Geological Society has an important role in facilitating this. I
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am standing for election, as I believe my particularly interested in ideas to fix the ➤ Mr Andrew Moore experience and skills can support effective ‘leaky pipeline’. MR A governance of the Society’s work and I have been a Fellow of the Geological NDR I started out in 1989 EW its purpose of serving society. I am an Society and Chartered Geologist since M with a Geology O interdisciplinary geoscientist (BA Natural 2003. I served on the Awards Committee O degree from Kingston R Sciences; MSc Engineering Geology; PhD from 2011-2013, and was Secretary E Polytechnic. My first Geography - Natural Hazards), working in of the Volcanic and Magmatic Studies job was Engineering the BGS international development team Group from 2002-2009. I have also been Geologist with a and researching hazard dynamics and a Mineralogical Society Council Member contractor immersing disasters. My commitment to the social (2007-2009) and General Secretary (2011- me in site investigation value of geoscience led me to found the 2016). I sit on the NERC Peer Review fieldwork, logging and reporting. In 1995, charity Geology for Global Development. College, and am Chair of the Scientific I joined the new Environment Agency I have engaged with and listened to the Advisory Group for the International to pursue an interest in hydrogeological priorities of geoscientists around the Continental Drilling Programme. assessments and develop interpretation, world (including hundreds of early-career risk assessment and regulatory skills. I geoscientists), advocated for geoscience Proposer: Frances Wall moved to environmental consultancy in at national and international gatherings Supporters: Marie Edmonds and Robin Strachan 1998 and managed teams of geoscience (including UN forums), and gained skills professionals. The 90’s was a busy period and experience in charity governance. I gaining experience and achieving milestones have been an active Fellow since 2012. I ➤ Dr Stephen Laubach including MSc Engineering Geology (1992), sit on the External Relations Committee Chartered Geologist (1996) and Chartered ST (2014–), have supported outreach (e.g., DR EPH Laubach provides Engineer (1999). EN L Schools Geology Challenge, New Scientist A decades of experience I am a Technical Director with WSP UK U B
Live) and represented the Society (e.g., A in the science behind promoting technical excellence across the
C
Voice of the Future, IUGS Council Meeting H unconventional Ground Risk Team and supporting clients on 2016). If elected, I look forward to playing resources, and ground risk in infrastructure, property and an increased role in the life of our Society, a useful non-UK industry sectors. I practise in contaminated ensuring a passionate voice for social perspective on the land and have professional qualifications geoscience and early-career geoscientists challenges of use- including Specialist in Contaminated Land on Council. oriented and basic geoscience research and (SiLC), Suitably Qualified Person (SQP) and science publication relevant to the global Qualified Person (QP). Proposer: Nic Bilham transition to a low-carbon economy that will be I have served as committee member to the Supporters: Iain Stewart and Helen Reeves helpful in guiding Society business. Laubach North West Regional Group of the Geological is a senior research scientist at The University Society for over 20 years and held the of Texas Bureau of Economic Geology, in posts of Secretary and Chair. I am an active ➤ Dr Kathryn Goodenough Austin, Texas. His research program, funded mentor, promote careers events, present by industry and the US Department of Energy, lectures and am a scrutineer of candidates KATH DR RYN I am a Principal includes structural diagenesis, fundamentals for Chartership. G O O Geologist with the of fracture development in rock, fractured I am a committed geologist in a modern D E N British Geological and unconventional reservoirs, natural commercial environment, enjoying working
O U
G Survey (BGS) in fracture/hydraulic fracture interaction, and with technical people. I strongly believe in H Edinburgh, where I microstructural methods in structural geology. supporting early career professionals in their have worked for 18 He was a member of the AAPG Executive development of sound scientific assessment years. After a PhD Committee and AAPG Elected Editor from and the ability to provide clear professional studying alkaline 2010-2013 and has also been involved over advice. If I were elected as a member of igneous rocks in Greenland and a first many years organizing conferences and Council, I would like to support and advance job in geo-conservation, I joined BGS, publications with the Society of Petroleum the CPD and Chartership processes initially doing Scottish and international Engineers. Laubach has been a Fellow since ensuring that employers recognise the value field mapping. I now research the the mid-1980s. He served as a Co-opted brought by professional geologists. genesis and geodynamic context of Member of the Petroleum Group Committee mineral deposits, and lead a DFID- of the Geological Society of London from Proposer: Michael Neden funded capacity-building programme that 2008 to 2012 and helped organize GSL Supporters: Stephen Jones and Jeff Shuttleworth partners BGS with geological surveys conferences on unconventional and on in developing countries. Geologists in carbonate reservoirs. The latter conference these countries are in great need of led to Geological Society of London Special ➤ Mrs Sarah Scott professional networks, and if elected to Publication 370. His research over the next MRS SA RA H Council I would like to investigate ways several years on fractures in Scotland and S I am a practising C O
for the Geological Society to collaborate Wales will allow him to attend meetings in T hydrogeologist working
T with, and support the professional London. at the Environment development of, our colleagues Agency for over 28 years, overseas. I am also a strong supporter Proposer: Peter Eichhubl protecting groundwater of the Society’s diversity agenda, and Supporters: Ron Steel and Julia Gale resources and quality. I
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joined as a Fellow in 2005 and became Well, it is true, I am passionate about elected to Council, I will bring experience in chartered in 2012. I am standing for my subject and about getting other Engineering Geology, Ground Investigation Council as I believe hydrogeology and people interested! I would like to use my and New Nuclear Build. effective regulation will continue to grow in energy and experience in service of the I have been on the Western Regional significance for the Society in response to Council. Committee for 5 years; serving 4 years as a changing climate. Programme Coordinator and 2 years as My current focus concerns the Proposer: Rolf Farrell Chairperson, for which I am standing for protection of groundwater from oil and Supporters: Claire Gould and Mark Whiteman re-election in 2019. While on the committee, gas operations. This means I have a real I have restarted our regional heat of the appreciation of the importance of politics Schools Competition; organised multiple and communication when explaining ➤ Ms Gemma Sherwood field trips and lectures and promoted contentious geoscience in ways relevant entrants for the Early Career Geoscientist to the audience, particularly where MS GEM I am a Senior Geologist award. MA S H emotions are running high. I believe this E for EDF Energy, working I am passionate about promoting STEM R would be useful experience to bring W on the construction of subjects, regularly volunteering as a STEM
O O
to Council and help the promotion D Hinkley Point C Nuclear ambassador at schools and science of geological and hydrogeological Power Station. I read festivals, aiming to promote and encourage understanding in the wider world. for a Geology MSci Earth Science careers. I believe that I I have served on the Hydrogeological (Bristol University) can help Council to realise the Geological Group Committee for the past 3 years and later studied Society’s Strategy 2017-2027, particularly as Treasurer, during which I have for a MSc in Geotechnical Engineering engaging with schools and stimulating public streamlined management of the bank (Birmingham University). I became a Fellow awareness. account and modernised access to of the Geological Society in 2008, achieving event registration. Chartered Geologist status in 2016 and was Proposer: Victoria Edmonds I have been accused of turning listed on the RoGEP in 2017. I am proud Supporters: Louisa McAra and Elizabeth every family holiday into a field trip. to have won the Glossop Award in 2017. If Withington Honorary Fellowship Following a proposal from the External Relations Committee, Council recommends the following candidate for election to Honorary Fellowship at a PUBLIC LECTURE SERIES future Ordinary General Meeting.
Professor Eric Onyango Odada Diamond windows Professor Odada has a national and international reputation into the deep Earth in the field of geoscience and sustainable development. As an Honorary Fellow of the Geological Society, we Speaker: Kate Kiseeva, University College Cork, are confident that Professor Odada would continue this Ireland; University of Oxford, UK engagement, and be eager to share his perspectives and Location: Burlington House, London experience in using geoscience to inform international policy Date: 27 March and support society. His advocacy for the role of geoscience Programme in sustainable development, pursuit of excellent environmental change research, ◆ A fternoon talk: 14:30 Tea & Coffee; and investment in building the capacity of others, strongly align with the values of 15:00 Lecture begins; 16:00 Event ends the Geological Society. ◆ E vening talk: 17:30 Tea & Coffee; 18:00 Professor Odada holds a PhD in Applied Geochemistry from Imperial College. Lecture begins; 19:00 Reception He is a Professor of Geology at the University of Nairobi and Regional Director of Global Change Research Programme in Africa. Previously, he served in Kenya as Chief Research Officer, Marine and Freshwater Research Institute and Principal Further Information Geologist with the Mines and Geology Department, Ministry of Environment Please visit www.geolsoc.org.uk/ and Natural Resources. He is an ex-member of the United Nations Secretary gsllondonlectures19. Tickets are now available on General Advisory Board on water and sanitation and currently a member of www.Eventbrite.co.uk and will work on a first come the committee on Freedom and Responsibility in the conduct of science of the first serve basis. The lectures will be available to watch International Council of Science. He is a Fellow of the Kenya National Academy livestreamed at both the 3pm and 6pm lecture. To of Sciences; World Academy of Art and Science and Geological Society of watch, please check the lecture webpage for the link. Kenya. His fundamental endeavour as an Earth scientist has been to study Global Environmental Change as a basic understanding of how the Earth system works. Contact: Patricia Petrovic, The Geological Society, Burlington He is currently undertaking a strategic assessment of water resources vulnerability House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG to environmental change, and working with UNEP-GEF on a study of atmospheric T: +44 (0) 20 7432 0981 E: [email protected] deposition of micronutrients in Rivers and Lakes in equatorial Africa.
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De-risking UK geology
We cannot let fear of being proved wrong prevent deep geological investigations, argues John Beswick
am prompted to reflect on the always focus on areas of interest for interesting article by Nadia Narayan geothermal development or other sub- SOAPBOX and colleagues (Geoscientist 28 (9), surface interests and is also itself risk 2018) about karst geothermal resources averse at times. The UK’s deep geology is and their potential source of hot water. complex, which prompts the question of CALLING! II am an engineer, but I have been a member of why there is now no national investment the Geological Society for 40 years or in more deep-stratigraphy so. During my education and boreholes to give ground truth Soapbox is open to contributions career, I have obtained a lick of to all the indirect methods from all Fellows. You can always geology to justify my for interpreting deep write a letter to the Editor, of membership, but I always feel geology? The last deep course, but perhaps you feel you subordinate to the real stratigraphic borehole was need more space? geologists. In terms of the Winterbourne geothermal energy, however, Kingston in Dorset, drilled If you can write it entertainingly in I am regularly asked about in 1976. This begs the 500 words, the Editor would like projects that seem attractive on question, are the geologists to hear from you. Email your piece, paper based on a geological of today frightened of and a self-portrait, to prognosis, but are still very risky for damaging their reputations by [email protected]. an investor. pursuing some real exploration in terms of Copy can only be accepted deep drilled and cored boreholes, electronically. No diagrams, tables Confusion strategically sited to help untangle some of or other illustrations please. Interpretation of deep geology, and these conundrums and create a better- particularly hydrogeology, from maps, quality database? Pictures should be of print sections, geophysical data and outcrops Of course, this is the probably the quality – please take photographs usually results in various eloquent prognoses bailiwick of the British Geological Survey on the largest setting on your by geologists. However, the more you ask and other academic institutions, so can camera, with a plain background. about the detail or the more geologists you they be brave enough to ask for the ask, nice as they are, the more confused you necessary funds from the various funding Precedence will always be given to get. Advising clients on the commercial agencies, and not just a few bob for a field more topical contributions. viability, therefore, in most cases is trip armed with rucksack, hammer and Any one contributor may not impossible. pub guide, that results in a report or appear more often than once per Some potential geothermal resources are paper, but funds for geological exploration volume (once every 12 months). focused in buried Carboniferous Limestone that can de-risk some of the key questions areas. If the formations were karstic, a about the UK’s deep geology? Some of geothermal well might tap significant these geologists, a few of whom sit behind quantities of hot water that could have a real computers playing with visualisations, ARE THE benefit for some industries that need heat, or have spent years studying particular GEOLOGISTS OF for homes and business premises—and at the topics and may be proved wrong—that same time help replace the need for fossil may deter the faint hearted! However, the TODAY FRIGHTENED fuels. venture is worth it if there are potentially OF DAMAGING THEIR Conversely, they may not. In terms of significant commercial benefits on offer REPUTATIONS BY hydrogeology, the actual compared with the that would allow investors to seriously prognosis can be very different. think again about geothermal and other PURSUING SOME REAL projects. EXPLORATION…? Reputational damage? JOHN BESWICK The oil-and-gas industry provides some data that are important for understanding John Beswick, Director, Marriott Drilling Group; the deep geology, but the industry doesn’t E: [email protected]
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Rare sunny days showed off the cliff sedimentology, which was not always accessible without a boat. Freshwater Cove, was only accessible by climbing down a stream bed and using an abandoned fence (visible to the left) as a makeshift ladder Image: Yerko Espinoza/shutterstock.com
n the surface, Bell Island, of the subsurface and the evolution of Burrowing animals Newfoundland appears the animal-dominated seafloor we helped kill off ancient unremarkable in geological know today. terms. The island is relatively To better understand this record, I spent seafloor matgrounds. O flat with few hills or other two weeks of fieldwork, in June 2018, dramatic geography, and most of the examining the island’s geology, using the Catherine Mascord rocky outcrops are limited to the cliffs research funding provided by the along the island’s coastline. Geological Society. From the information reports on the role Throughout much of the early 20th gathered during the trip it seems that century the island was host to one of the shallow burrowing animals were key to of shallow burrowers most productive iron ore mines in Canada. opening up the ocean substrate to more Today the mines are decommissioned, but complex animals. with links to the the island’s rocks still hold a great deal of oxygenated surface scientific interest because they preserve a Subsurface reform record of one of the most important events For much of Earth’s history life on the in initiating this in the history of life on Earth, the marine seafloor was very different to the Cambrian Substrate Revolution. The animal-dominated communities we process revolution saw the transition from a know today. seafloor lined with microbial mats and A typical healthy, modern seafloor is limited burrowing by animals, to more home to a large number of burrowing extensive vertical burrowing, oxygenation organisms. These animals, particularly
12 | MARCH 2019 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2019 | 13 The fossils and trace fossils preserved in the Precambrian and Cambrian are very different from one another. Precambrian (Ediacaran) fossils (left) include simple Rangeomorph (frond-like) animals, shallow surface trails and elephant skin textures produced by microbial mats on the sediment surface. By the Cambrian (right) the Rangeomorphs had disappeared, replaced by other, more complex animals such as Trilobites. The trace fossils were also more complex because animals capable of deep burrowing had evolved
those capable of producing deep burrows, animals, the seafloor was blanketed in a in the Precambrian fossil record. However, are vital for maintaining oxygen levels in community of single-celled organisms between 540 and 530 million years ago the sediment and recycling deposited known as a microbial matground. there was rapid transition from a material, because they mix oxygen and Matgrounds are formed when bacteria matground-dominated seafloor to suspended material from the water and other microbes stick themselves, and oxygenated, animal-dominated column into the sediment as they burrow the host sediment together, using a conditions. This transition—the Cambrian (McIlroy & Logan, PALAIOS 1999). biological glue (Parsons et al., Geophys. Substrate Revolution—is preserved in the However, most burrowing animals did not Res. Lett. 2016), allowing them to form a fossil record as a rapid decline in fossilised evolve until the early to mid-Cambrian, cohesive mass on the sediment surface. microbial fabrics, and an increase in the about 530 million years ago. The few Despite the microscopic size of their number and diversity of trace fossils burrowers around in the Precambrian constituents, matgrounds, if left (Fedonkin, Paleont. Jour. 1978; Crimes & were rarely capable of burrowing more undisturbed, can reach thicknesses of a Droser, Ann. Rev. Ecol., Evol. & Syst. 1992; than a few millimetres into the surface few cm or more. By gluing themselves Jensen, Int. & Comp. Biology 2003). sediment (Gehling, PALAIOS 1999; together, the bacteria also increase their From the late Cambrian and to the Droser et al., PNAS 2002; Pecoits et al., resistance to erosion and can further present-day, matground communities are Science 2012). facilitate sediment anoxia by limiting rare, limited to anoxic, nutrient-deficient Without the oxygenating effects of sediment mixing by wave action. or polluted areas of the sea and lakes, burrowing animals, the ancient seafloor Matground traces or microbial-induced where burrowing animals can’t survive was characterised by widespread anoxia sedimentary structures, such as in large numbers. This is partly because (a low oxygen concentration) (McIlroy & stromatolites, elephant skin fabrics and burrowing animals will break a Logan, PALAIOS 1999) and in the place of wrinkle structures, are relatively common matground apart as they burrow, and can
12 | MARCH 2019 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2019 | 13 feed on the microbes themselves, mass-extinction (Feng et al., Earth Sci. future conservation efforts, as global killing off the microbial community. Rev. 2018; Buatois et al., Geobiology climate change has led to an increase However, matground-dominated 2013), where oceanic oxygen in oceanic dead-zones that may allow seafloors, and thus the microbial- stagnation (Hotinski et al., Geology matgrounds to regain a foothold induced fabrics they create, do see a 2001) likely led to a die-off of today. However, matground few resurgences in the fossil record burrowing animals allowing resurgence and decline, particularly after mass extinctions (Gerbersdorf et matgrounds to thrive. in the context of the Cambrian al., J. Soils & Seds. 2009; Mata & Understanding the mechanisms Substrate Revolution, is poorly Bottjer, Geobiology 2012), most behind matground resurgence and understood. For example, it is unclear notably after the End-Permian decline could prove important to how early burrowing animals, which
Located in Northern Newfoundland, Bell Island is part of the Wabana and Bell Island Groups, dating from 490 to 470 million years ago. The geology is based on the published map by King, A.F. (1988).
The change in the seafloor environment from the Precambrian to the Cambrian. In the Precambrian (late Ediacaran 580-540 million years ago) the seafloor was blanketed by a microbial mat, with the few burrowing animals present only able to burrow into the top few millimetres of sediment. By the middle Cambrian (about 510 million years ago), the matgrounds had been replaced by a diverse community of burrowing organisms mixed oxygen and other dissolved material into the sediment
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To a sedimentologist the island’s coastline holds a wealth of information, with the interlayered sands and muds preserving a record of the ancient tides. It also preserves a history of the island’s mining activity with bands of red ironstone, visible at the base of the stack, and rusted equipment and mine outlets dotted along the cliffs
are likely to have lacked many of the more planes, recording an ancient community We identified five main accessible field complex adaptations to anoxia, survived where both complex animals and sites, some with fantastic coastal in the anoxic sediments of the matgrounds lived together. This rock geography, including rock columns and Precambrian. archive therefore presents a unique bedding platforms extending out to sea. opportunity to examine the Cambrian At each site we looked at the components Extraordinary interaction Substrate Revolution because it allows us of the fossil and trace fossil assemblages Most of Bell Island is made up of to study an in-situ interaction between a (communities of different species), as well interlayered sandstones, mudstones and well-established Precambrian-like as how these assemblages are distributed thick ironstones, deposited in a shallow matground and relatively complex relative to one another, both in terms of sea just after the Cambrian Substrate burrowing animals—something that is their position in the stratigraphy and their Revolution, 490 to 470 million years ago, rare in nature today. relative locations on the bedding planes. during the Upper Cambrian and into the Early Ordovician. Like many sedimentary Field days Fossil assemblages rocks deposited in marine environments Braving the cold rain and high winds of Broadly speaking, Bell Island’s fossils can they preserve ripples and cross bedding the North Atlantic summer, I found myself be divided into three main assemblages produced by wave and current action. spending much of June, 2018, nose (communities): microbial mats, simple What makes Bell Island important to the pressed against the coastal rocks, hand- shallow-burrowers and complex deep- understanding of the Cambrian Substrate lens at the ready, examining ancient burrowers. These assemblages may occur Revolution is the fossil community it trace fossils. alone in a bedding plane or together, preserves. These fossils are not the shells Accommodation on the island was particularly in the case of the microbial and bodily remains you would normally limited for most of our time in mats and the shallow-burrowers. think of when fossils are mentioned— Newfoundland, so most days we caught The matgrounds are preserved either as indeed, Bell Island has surprisingly few an early morning ferry from the mainland wrinkle structures or as elephant skin body fossils—instead, the island’s rocks across the short stretch of the Labrador fabrics. The two textures can be seen on are characterised by a diverse community Sea to reach the island. The ferry trips the same bedding plane and can blend of trace fossils (fossils produced by the gave us fantastic views of the island and laterally into one another, indicating that behaviour of an organism). its geology. The island has near- they form part of the same matground Bell Island’s trace fossil communities are continuous exposure along the coastline, community. These matgrounds may be unusual because they preserve both and even from a distance the sedimentary crisscrossed by simple surface trails (trace complex fossil burrows and microbial- layering of the cliffs was visible, however fossils) that rarely penetrate deeper than a induced sedimentary fabrics in the same many of the island’s outcrops are few mm into the sediment. succession and on the same bedding inaccessible without a boat. The simple, shallow-burrowing
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assemblages are mostly made up of methodological sediment removal. may also have been exploiting ‘waste’ horizontally oriented burrows, which oxygen produced by reach a maximum depth of 20 mm. More Essential surface connections photosynthesising microorganisms in complex burrows are also present in these Judging by these initial data, it seems that the matground itself (Meyer et al., assemblages, albeit much rarer. These more complex, deep-tier burrowers were Palaeo3 2014). By exploiting near include U-shaped burrows, and larger, unable to survive in, or were less effective surface oxygen, simpler organisms horizontally oriented, branching burrow at colonising, matground sediments. So, could have acted as one of the key networks. While the shallow-tier the Precambrian matgrounds were likely pioneers in the Cambrian Substrate community can occur on its own on a to have initially been invaded by simpler, Revolution, breaking up the microbial bedding plane, it is more commonly shallow-tier burrowers. Alternatively, the sediment and opening up new found concentrated around the edge of, simple trace fossils we see associated with ecological niches for more complex or directly beneath, the microbial mats. the matground may have been produced animals. When in proximity to a matground, these by deeper-tier burrowers that modified Today shallow-tier burrowers may shallow-tier communities form intense their burrowing behaviour in response to be critical for preventing microbial bioturbation zones—areas with a high the presence of the matground. Either way, matgrounds from re-establishing burrow density. the trace fossils indicate that burrowing themselves on the modern seafloor as Deeper-tier trace fossils are usually organisms that remain close to the modern climate change continues to limited to layers well above the sediment surface and the oxygenated affect the global marine environment. ◆ sandstones that preserve microbial water column are more likely to survive textures (wrinkle structures and elephant in, and effectively exploit, matground ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS skin fabrics). These deeper-tier communities. communities include simple, horizontally Close proximity to the sediment Many thanks to my supervisors, Dr Liam Herringshaw, oriented burrows similar to those seen in surface may have been the factor that Dr Krysia Mazik and Prof Dan Parsons, at the the shallow-burrowing assemblage, allowed shallow burrowers to survive University of Hull, and Dr Duncan McIlroy at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, and to the however they also include vertically in the anoxic conditions and break- Geological Society of London for their support via the oriented burrows produced by organisms apart the matgrounds. By maintaining Elspeth Matthews Fund. capable of deep burrowing and producing easy access to the oxygenated water more complex burrow morphologies. column above, these animals could Catherine Mascord is a PhD Student at the University These vertical burrows include simple ‘dive’ into the anoxic sediment for brief of Hull; e-mail: [email protected]. Catherine non-branching forms and complex periods of time, allowing them to feed was a 2018 recipient of the Geological Society of branching burrows produced by before resurfacing for oxygen. They London’s Elspeth Matthews Fund.
Wrinkle structures, here cross cut by simple fossils trails, (left) and Elephant skin fabrics (right) are microbial-induced sedimentary features produced by the binding of sediment (due to the secretion of a biological glue) and decay of a microbial matground
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The microbial textures, wrinkle structures & elephant skin fabrics were often best preserved on the boundary between the sandstones and mudstones, with the microbial texture preserved on the top of the sands. As a result, outcrops like these containing multiple sandstone layers were some of the best places to find microbial textures
Even in the overcast and rainy weather typical of the North Atlantic, the near continuous exposure of rock along Bell Island’s coastline is apparent from the mainland, with the sandstone-mudstone layering particularly visible on the right of the photograph ▼
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Floating ice field in the North-West Passage
18 | MARCH 2019 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2019 | 19 Douglas Palmer ponders some of the geological upshots of the doomed Franklin Expedition
ir John Franklin’s ill-fated Alaska on September 14th. expedition on HMS Erebus, to Whilst waiting for its depot ship HMS find the North-West Passage Plover to arrive, Kellett and his naturalist, between the Atlantic and the German-born Berthold Seemann, took S Pacific Oceans, has often the opportunity to explore the nearby been in the news—most recently thanks frozen ice cliffs of Eschscholtz Bay. Kellett to Michael Palin’s new book, ‘Erebus: the and Seemann were aware that in 1816, a story of a ship’ (see book review on Russian expedition led by Captain Kotzebue page 24). had discovered what became Kotzebue And the story is an extraordinary one. Sound and the fossil-bearing ice cliffs of The ship disappeared in 1845. Successive Eschscholtz Bay—named after Kotzebue’s searches throughout the 19th century found naturalist Johann von Eschscholtz. The artefacts and human remains, but it was cliffs had also been investigated in 1826 by not until 2014 that the wreck of HMS a British naval expedition led by Captain Erebus was eventually found in cold Arctic Frederick Beechey, an investigation that waters. While the searches for survivors again turned up the bones of large animals. were initially fruitless, the search parties Whilst Kellett did not find any trace of did discover a number of interesting Franklin, he did find a spectacular cache of geological artefacts. well-preserved mammoth tusks and other bones. As Berthold Seemann later wrote Lady Franklin’s Lament in his published Narrative of the Voyage “Alas, she cried, all my life I’ll mourn, of H.M.S. Herald … ‘In 1848 we collected Since Franklin seems never to return” eight tusks of the antediluvian elephant, And so she did and so it was. The the largest of which, though broken at the traditional ballad ‘Lady Franklin’s lament’ point, was eleven feet six inches long, one was sung from the 1850s onwards to the foot nine inches in circumference at the present, commemorating the loss of Sir John base, and weighed 243 lbs. The tusks were Franklin and 129 seamen. They were the accompanied by molar teeth, thigh bones, doomed crews of HMS Erebus and her sister ribs, and … a great number of … bones, ship HMS Terror, which was also part of the were disinterred.’ Altogether, extinct species expedition that aimed to navigate the North- of mammoth, horse, musk ox and bison West Passage in the Canadian Arctic. were found, along with those of living Lady Jane Franklin’s determination to moose and reindeer species. find the missing expedition and the offer of a substantial reward of 20,000 pounds Antediluvian beasts for doing so resulted in a succession of Seemann’s 1853 account included comments search parties. In 1847, under pressure by the Scottish surgeon and naturalist Sir from the press and Lady Franklin, the John Richardson who, along with John Admiralty launched a major search from Rae, had navigated the Mackenzie River in three directions. One led by Admiral John search of Franklin. Richardson wrote that Ross was by sea through the Canadian ‘The animals whose osseus remains now Arctic Archipelago; another led by Sir John engage our attention ranged while living Richardson and John Rae went down the to the shore of an icy sea, and that by some MacKenzie River to the Canadian Arctic sudden deluge …were swept from their coast and the third led by Henry Kellett was pasture grounds ….we have evidence of from the Pacific through the Bering Strait. diluvial action extending from the ultima Thule of the American polar sea so far Kellett’s mammoth tusk southwards in the valley of the Mississippi.’ In 1848, Henry Kellett, captain of HMS This was the common explanation given at Herald, had been surveying the Pacific coast the time and was little more than a version of North America. On May 9th the Herald of the biblical Flood story. left Panama and sailed north through the However, Richardson, like many of Bering Strait, reaching Kotzebue Sound, his contemporaries realized that such
18 | MARCH 2019 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2019 | 19 Illustration of Sir John Franklin’s North Arctic exploration. Created by Grandsire and Laly, an explanation was becoming published on Le Tour du Monde, Paris, 1860 increasingly untenable. As he went on ..‘I find it difficult, however, to account for the introduction of fossil remains in such quantity…the excellent state of preservation…the recent decay of animal matter shown by the existing odour, quantities of hair found in contact with a mammoth’s skull, the occurrence of the outer sheaths of bison horns, and the finding of vertebrae of bovine animals lying in their proper order of sequence, render it probable that entire carcasses were there deposited, and that congelation followed close upon their entombment.’ Within a decade or so there was a revolution in thinking about the antediluvian animals and deposits, which are so common across the landscapes of North America, northern Europe and Asia. A Swiss geologist Louis Agassiz, who had first-hand experience of the effects of glaciation in the Swiss Alps, persuaded British geologists, such as Adam Sedgwick in Cambridge and William Buckland in Oxford, that many features of upland Britain were the result of the action of ice rather than flood waters. Missing the connection with their supply ship HMS Plover and with winter approaching, Captain Kellett was unable to pursue his search for Franklin. HMS Heritage returned to England via Hawaii, Hong Kong and South Africa. They arrived back in June 1851 and Captain Kellett dispersed his wonderful finds from the ice cliffs of Eschscholtz Bay to various museums, including the Sedgwick Museum in Cambridge.
Illustration of objects from the Franklin expedition found after the disaster. Created by Lancelot, published on Le Tour du Monde, Paris, 1860
20 | MARCH 2019 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2019 | 21 Engraved portrait of Sir John Franklin. Finding Franklin today Created by Morin and Trichon, published on Eventually, thanks to the combined efforts of the Canadian Le Tour du Monde, Paris, 1860 Coast Guard, Ice Service, Navy, the Government of Nanavut and Parks Canada, along with modern technology, such as sonar and remotely operated vehicles, the wreck of Franklin’s ship, HMS Erebus was found in 2014 in Victoria Strait offshore from King William Island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Two years later the consortium found HMS Terror some distance away in Terror Bay. Divers have recovered large numbers of artefacts, which are now being conserved at a new research facility on King William Island. Climate Change in the Arctic The ice cliffs of Eschscholtz Bay and their fossil bones, including Captain Kellett’s mammoth tusk, can now be seen as evidence for changing climate within the Ice Age. With lowered sea levels during cold glacials, Asia was connected to North America across the Bering Strait. And, when climates permitted, huge numbers of animals migrated back and forth across this landbridge. At times, animal populations in Alaska were decimated by phases of intense cold and the remains became incorporated into the freezing deposits of the permafrost. Much of that permafrost remains, but is being thawed out by today’s rising temperatures. During the brief summer thaw, melting of the surface of the ice cliffs exposes occasional animal remains that were frozen and preserved in the mud and silt deposits formed during the Ice Age. ◆
Douglas Palmer is Communications Officer at the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, Cambridge; e-mail: [email protected]
FURTHER READING
◆ Narrative of the voyage of H.M.S. Herald during the years 1845-51 under the command of Captain Henry Kellett, R.N., C.B., by Berthold Seeman. Reeve and Co., London, 1853. 348 pp.
Kellet’s tusk. Held here by Museum staff, the tusk is now on display as part of the Sedgwick Museum’s new exhibit on the ‘Ice Age’.
20 | MARCH 2019 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2019 | 21 Corporate Corporate Supporters: Registration Open Supporters: Call for Abstracts – Deadline: 29 March 2019 Hydrocarbons in Capturing Geoscience in Geomodels Space and Time 26-27 June 2019 Convenors: 9-11 April 2019 Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen Owen Sutcliffe Halliburton The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London Frans van Buchem Halliburton Mark Houchen The global endowment of hydrocarbons is Shell markedly uneven both spatially and temporally. Convenors: Bruce Levell In the 1990s, several key papers recognised that Matt Jameson Oxford University distinct stratigraphic and paleogeographic trends Glencore Hannah Steaggles exist and that this knowledge was an important Gwilym Lynn BP guide to successful exploration. So, what has Shell Mike Simmons changed in 30 years? Leigh Truelove Halliburton Schlumberger The industry has moved into new frontiers and Ingrid Demaerschalk Over recent years the construction of 3D static and dynamic reservoir models has become Invited Speakers: basins, drilled deeper, found new plays and Tullow increasingly complex. With the availability of extensive tools and technology it is important not to forget the objective of the modelling process. Jeroen Kenter gone through a revolution that has brought Alun Griffiths Rockhopper Total unconventional resources to the fore. It is As we develop our hydrocarbon fields it is essential that 3D Static Models be built with fit-for- Ole Martinsen therefore timely to consider how our knowledge Catherine Tonge purpose geological models, honouring the geological, geophysical and petrophysical data that Shell Equinor of the distribution of hydrocarbons in time and they are created from. David Hulme Harry Posamentier space has changed. What new insights have Equinor This two-day conference will explore how geoscience information should be used to best effect, Consultant we gained? Can this new understanding be Tom Marsh and how to identify when geoscience data may no longer add value. Sessions will include the Meg Coleman used to be better at predicting new hydrocarbon Rock Flow Dynamics following themes: EIA discoveries? James Aguas • Data integration: seismic, well log, sedimentological, core dynamic data and beyond Jeremy Owens Halliburton Florida State University This 3-day conference will seek to share recent advances and case studies and will be built around • Capturing conceptual geology in reservoir modelling for different settings and depositional four main themes: environments • The known global heterogeneity of hydrocarbon resources – including source rocks • Scale: geology vs model vs data Sponsored by: • The controls on heterogeneity – including palaeoclimates and geodynamics • Uncertainty: dealing with geological uncertainty in modelling and understanding its benefits and • The geological and data science tools to aid prediction Sponsored by: limitations • Embracing new modelling technology and approaches. • What our present understanding means for future exploration Event to be accompanied by a post-conference field trip to the Wessex Basin. Call for Abstracts: Please submit talk or poster abstract to [email protected] by 29 March 2019. For further information please contact: For further information please contact: Sarah Woodcock, The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG. Tel: +44 (0)20 7434 9944 or email: [email protected] Sarah Woodcock, The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG. Tel: +44 (0)20 7434 9944 Web: https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/PG-Hydrocarbons-in-Space-and-Time
At the forefront of petroleum geoscience At the forefront of petroleum geoscience www.geolsoc.org.uk/petroleum Lyell poster 2019 v1_ART 14-9-18_Lyell leaflet 16/09/2018 18:45 Page 1 www.geolsoc.org.uk/petroleum #PGHydrocarbons19
Lyell Meeting 2019 Carbon: geochemical and Petroleum Group Medal & palaeobiological perspectives Young Petroleum Geoscientist Award Nominations 28 June 2019 The Geological Society, Burlington House
Nominations for the Petroleum Group's annual awards are now open. The fundamental building block
of life as we know it, carbon, is Petroleum Group Medal Award critical to the Earth system. The Petroleum Group Medal (formerly Silver Medal) is an annual award presented to individuals Traditionally biological and with a geoscience background who have made outstanding contributions to the petroleum chemical approaches to industry. It can be awarded for excellence in petroleum geoscience and/or management of oil- understanding carbon dynamics finding activities. The winner will be presented with the medal at the Petroleum Group Annual in the geological past have been Dinner on 20th June 2019. considered in relative isolation.
For the 2019 Lyell Meeting we Early Career Petroleum Geoscientist Award will to bring together a broad The Early Career Petroleum Geoscientist Award is an annual award presented to recognise spectrum of scientists that Petroleum Geoscientists in the early stages of their career. Nominees must be within ten years address the big picture of carbon (full time equivalent i.e. it does not have to be consecutive years) of the award of their first in the Earth system, drawing on expertise in degree in geoscience or a cognate subject, and either have already made a significant Convenors: palaeontology, geochemistry, palaeobotany, atmospheric contribution to the understanding of petroleum geoscience or be an emerging talent who is Barry Lomax (Nottingham University) processes, deep-Earth processes, and anthropogenic making a significant impact in the field. Those nominated do not have to be Fellows of the Society. WT Fraser (Oxford Brookes University) impacts. Current Members of the Petroleum Group Committee or the Geological Society Council are not Further information: eligible for nomination. For further information about the conference This meeting seeks to foster conversation between please contact: Ruth Davey, Conference Office, The these disparate communities to facilitate a more holistic Geological Society, Burlington House, approach to considering carbon, and how it cycles nd Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG Submissions must be made by 22 March 2019 T: 0207 434 9944 between Earth’s organic and inorganic reservoirs. E: [email protected] Web: www.geolsoc.org.uk/lyell19 Call for Abstracts For further details please visit the Petroleum Group web pages: Follow this event on Twitter #lyell19 https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/pg_awards or contact Sarah Woodcock We invite oral and poster abstract submissions for ([email protected]) the meeting, and these should be sent in a Word document to [email protected] by 25th March 2019. Abstracts should be approximately At the forefront of petroleum geoscience 250 words and include a title and acknowledgement of authors and their www.geolsoc.org.uk/petroleum affiliations.
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MEETING DATE VENUE AND DETAILS
Training. ‘Lapworth’s Logs’ is a series of e-courses involving practical exercises of increasing complexity. Contact: Michael de Freitas or Lapworth’s Logs n/a Andrew Thompson (First Steps Ltd) E: [email protected] (mention Lapworth’s Logs as the subject)
CPD course/lecture Venue: Green Park Hotel, Pitlochry Geology of Britain: An Overview 25 Feb-1 Mar E: [email protected] W: www.geolsoc.org.uk/Higham-Hall-Geology-of-Britain-Course-GPH_Feb19
PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE ARE MANY MORE MEETINGS FOR WHICH WE DO NOT HAVE SPACE. EVENTS ALWAYS CHECK WITH WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/LISTINGS
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Venue: Burlington House, London Engineering Group: The 2nd Annual 13 Mar E: [email protected] Engineering Group’s early Careers Evening W: www.geolsoc.org.uk/EG-Early-careers-event
Venue: Stockholm, Sweden The Geoscience and Society Summit 18-21 Mar W: connect.agu.org/gss/home
Venue: Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London The Geological Society Careers 20 Mar E: [email protected] and Industry Days W: www.geolsoc.org.uk/careersday18london
9th International Conference on Venue: Leuven, Belgium 20-22 Mar Environment Science and Engineering W: http://www.icese.org/
22 | MARCH 2019 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2019 | 23 BOOKS & ARTS
Erebus: The Story with honours for many subsequent to the regional tectonic setting of central achievements in botany and palaeobotany, Asia. of a Ship McCormick has largely slipped from view. Limited information for this area is He is mainly remembered for abandoning available in English, although some Michael Palin’s Erebus HMS Beagle at Rio de Janiero in 1832, translations are available. In addition, is not only a good complaining that Captain Fitzroy favoured access to parts of this area is restricted read, but also a well- Darwin and provided him with greater by either a lack of infrastructure or researched account of opportunities for collecting. by conflict. Fortunately, an overview a remarkable vessel, Palin quotes Hooker recounting to his is provided that helps the reader get which helped pioneer father how McCormick ‘…takes no interest an overall limited understanding of the exploration of but in bird shooting and collecting rocks. I the geology, tectonics and theory on polar regions in the am nolens volens the Naturalist for which the evolution of the region, from the mid-19th century. Today, H.M.S. Erebus is I enjoy no other advantage other than the Paleozoic to the Quaternary. This most famous for its tragic loss in the late Captain’s cabin, and think myself amply introductory paper is followed by 1840s, along with its sister ship HMS Terror, repaid’. Like Darwin, McCormick was an several more focused papers that help their 129-strong crews and leader Sir John excellent shot. On his return to England, the fill in questions about the geologic Franklin, whilst searching for the North unfortunate McCormick tried repeatedly for history and evolution of select West Passage between the Atlantic and advancement in the Navy and eventually, central Asian basins and the western Pacific oceans. in 1859 became Deputy Inspector of Tien Shan Range, as well as their However, as Palin vividly recounts, over Hospitals. He even had to privately structural and tectonic setting. Parts of a four-year period from 1839 to 1843, Erebus publish his account of his polar and global Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Terror had successfully taken James seafaring, but this has been republished Afghanistan and northwestern China, Clark Ross and his expedition repeatedly in recent years (Voyages of Discovery in including basins associated with the into Antarctic waters from an over- Arctic and Antarctic Seas, and Round the Caspian and Aral seas, are covered. wintering base in Tasmania and brought World, by R. McCormick 1884 reprint 2014, The different basins discussed in the them safely back to Britain. In our typically Cambridge University Press, 2 vols. ISBN volume have undergone varying levels British way, Franklin’s ‘glorious’ failure 9781108071710). of exploration, mainly for oil or gas. In is hugely celebrated, whilst Ross’s great Fortunately, Palin resists the temptation some areas there has been little or no scientific achievement is largely ignored. to recount the tale as one of his famous basin-wide exploration, including field Hopefully, Palin’s Erebus will help restore ‘Ripping Yarns’, but at times it is difficult mapping at scales that are helpful to the balance. not to view the ultimately tragic tale of evaluate the potential for oil and gas For geologists it is the Antarctic part of Franklin, Erebus and Terror as another or mineral exploitation. This reflects the Erebus story that is perhaps of most ‘Ripping Yarn’. the title of the volume and meets the interest. The 1838 British Association for reader’s expectations. In addition, the Advancement of Science meeting Reviewed by: Douglas Palmer some basins have many lithologic had recognized the need to measure complexes that are highly heterogenous terrestrial magnetism. Scientists such as the EREBUS: THE STORY OF A SHIP over short distances, making accurate by Michael Palin, 2018. Published by: Random House Books, astronomer John Herschel [1792-1871] and 352 pp. (hbk.) ISBN 978184120. mapping difficult. Fortunately, remote the soldier-turned-geophysicist Edward List Price: £20.00 W: www.penguin.co.uk sensing data sets, when available, have Sabine [1788-1883] successfully prevailed been useful in large-scale analysis of upon Lord Melbourne [1779-1848], the prime subsurface and surficial targets. While minister, to support a magnetic survey limited in extent, the volume contains a of Antarctica. For the task, the Admiralty Geological Evolution of number of examples of seismic surveys refitted two ‘retired’ warships, HMSErebus conducted in the region. and HMS Terror. Known as bomb-ships, Central Asian Basins Overall, the volume is a helpful their small size, shallow draught and and the Western Tien general resource for descriptions of the reinforced hulls to withstand the recoil geology, tectonic setting and evolution from their armament of siege mortars and Shan Range of select central Asian basins and the cannon, proved well-suited for tackling icy western Tien Shan Range. polar seas. This volume is made Under the captaincy of James up of 17 papers Reviewed by: Robert Anderson Clark Ross [1800-1862], the aim of the divided into four voyage was to help establish a system sections. Each paper GEOLOGICAL EVOLUTION OF THE CENTRAL of magnetic observatories across the is written to be able BASINS AND THE WESTERN TIEN SHAN RANGE by Brunet, M.- F., McCann, T. & Sobel, E.R. (eds), 2017. southern hemisphere. Scientifically, Ross to stand alone. The Published by The Geological Society SP427, 605 pp. (hbk). was supported by his surgeon, Robert subject area of the ISBN: 978-1-86239-738-5 McCormick [1800-1890], and the assistant volume is large, List Price: £120.00 Fellow’s Price: £60.00 surgeon Joseph Dalton Hooker [1817-1911]. rugged and remote. The region’s location W: https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SP427 Whilst Hooker was knighted and showered and evolution are explained with respect
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The Epochs of Nature Nature hark back to an era of trying to mapping the remnant forest types of the dominate the wilderness, rather than protect Chesapeake drainage basin (“watershed” This is the first it, so perhaps he might have approved of the in American parlance). She and her co- translation into English current situation. workers identified 18 forest types using of this influential A must-read for those interested in the indicator species, and documented these text. It was initially evolution of scientific thinking, particularly forests’ relationships with rock and soil published in 1778, that most complex and interpretive science substrates. This information proved and is introduced by of the Earth, without which many of us valuable for interpreting palaeoecological the translators and would be out of a job. studies of the Bay, which incorporated accompanied by a much evidence from pollen and seeds, as brief essay on Leclerc’s life and work. The Reviewed by: Jonathan Scafidi well as other microscopic remains. Work first thing that strikes me is the literary on cores documented the extirpation acrobatics that are performed to avoid THE EPOCHS OF NATURE of the American chestnut in the 1930s by Georges-Louis Leclerc & Le Comte De Buffon, translated a direct collision with the church. The and edited by Jan Zalasiewicz, Anne-Sophie Milon & Mateusz and of the American elm more recently. creation story is masterfully examined Zalasiewicz, with an introduction by Jan Zalasiewicz, Sverker These core studies showed also that the Sörlin, Libby Robin & Jacques Grinevald, 2018. Published word-by-word in a valiant attempt to by: The University of Chicago Press 190pp (hbk) ISBN: increasing flux of nutrients (especially from reconcile the science and religion of the 9780226395432 List Price: £34.00. sewage and fertilizer) led to an increase day in such a charming way that it would W: www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/ in the abundance of diatoms, but this chicago/E/bo27847512.html be difficult not to be convinced. This style was accompanied by a decrease in their of thorough investigation, discussion, and diversity. The foraminifera Elphidium, persuasion is found throughout The Epochs which favours clear water because it of Nature. Decoding the Deep obtains nutrients from chloroplasts derived As the first attempt at a geological from consumed diatoms, does not occur history of the Earth, and bearing in mind Sediments: The in post-Colonial sediment. Populations the level of knowledge of the day, this Ecological History of of polychaete worms (documented using is an impressive feat. Leclerc realises their fossilised jaws) declined dramatically, the significance of different rock types Chesapeake Bay leading to declines in carnivorous fish and interprets them to be indicative of species. environmental and sea-level changes. It was once suggested Brush’s work has contributed to That he correctly deduces that certain to me that there are restoration efforts since 1985. This work marine organisms produce their shells two times when most has been led primarily by appropriate from substances within seawater is quite academics might write reforestation. It is anticipated that as staggering. Extinct species also appear in reviews: as a graduate the water becomes clearer and cleaner, the book—before general acceptance of student, and towards the estuarine ecosystem will gradually the idea that a species could even become their career’s end, reorganise and restore itself. extinct. Everything is supported with when they show how Brush’s monograph concludes with a extensive notes, letters, and references to their lifetime’s work fits into the bigger chapter on the challenges facing women museum collections in the justifying notes picture of their field’s developments. In in palaeocological research. She notes at the end of the book. this short book, aimed at members of the especially the problem of juggling research As we now know, there are substantial public, Grace Brush looks back on her work and childcare (and its costs). One wonders errors in Leclerc’s interpretation of events. on the later Holocene of Chesapeake Bay. if that situation has changed appreciably This is easy to say now that we have This paperback spans her life from the mid- nowadays. radiometric dating techniques and the 1950s, when she was a graduate student at theory of plate tectonics, however one can’t Harvard University, to her ongoing work. Reviewed by: Brent Wilson help but feel that Leclerc was close. If he had The estuarine Chesapeake Bay has in gone down the route of cyclicity rather than post-Colonial times been greatly impacted Decoding the Deep Sediments: The Ecological History of Chesapeake Bay beginning, middle and end he could have by human activities on the surrounding Grace Brush, 2017. Published by Maryland Sea Grant come close to something resembling our land. There is little evidence that the small College, 72 pp. pbk. ISBN 978-0-943676-76-0, modern ideas on Earth’s history. US Price: $12.95 W: https://ww2.mdsg.umd.edu/ numbers of pre-Colonial Native Americans store/books/cp/ He does lay the foundation for one of our caused major changes. Thus, when modern ideas: the Anthropocene. Leclerc Europeans arrived in the late 17th century, realised the impact that humans were the land was primarily forested. These BOOKS FOR REVIEW having on the environment and certainly forests were cleared for cropland, buildings, guessed that we were capable of affecting firewood, roads, and other needs, such that Please contact [email protected] if you regional temperatures. Little did he know 20% had been cleared by the 18th century, would like to supply a review. You will be invited to keep the review copy. See a full up-to-date list at that the industrial revolution in which he and 80% by the late 19th century. As the www.geolsoc.org.uk/reviews wrote The Epochs of Nature would set into land changed, so did the Bay’s estuarine motion much greater climatic changes. Yet, ecosystem. See full list online his views on brute Nature and civilised Grace Brush’s work has included
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The long arm of the (geoforensics) law
A recent meeting in London Initiative on Forensic Geology (IUGS- remote sensing techniques meant that considered both the conventional IFG) and the two groups are now closely remains could be distinguished from the and unusual applications of linked. seafloor topography and other debris, and enabled the successful recovery geoscience to forensic investigation. Scope of the remains of many of the victims. Alastair Ruffell, Jamie Pringle and Forensic geology emerged in the 19th The research also highlighted just Ruth Morgan discuss the global and 20th centuries with the application how little we currently know about the expansion of forensic geoscience, of analyses of traces of sand, sediment decomposition of human remains in the and how this field is central to and soil to criminal investigations. The marine environment compared to the keeping geoscience at the forefront main questions answered by forensic terrestrial. The challenges of working in of science and public interest. geologists were in establishing whether these ‘extreme’ environments is further a suspect could have been at a crime compounded when the complexity of The term forensic geoscience often scene, or their alibi locations, and assessing the taphonomic processes draws to mind images of a scientist this type of analysis continues today. and establishing a post-mortem analysing dirt on a crime suspect’s However, geoscientific techniques have submersion interval (PMSI) in marine shoes. Important though such analyses also long been deployed in the search environments is addressed. Research are, the field has moved far beyond for buried or sunken items, as well as in in this study sought to establish the key these humble beginnings and now the sampling of inorganic materials at variables in play in this highly variable includes work on spacecraft surfaces, crime scenes. Thus, in the last five years, environment (such as type of clothing, remote sensing of mass graves relating forensic geology has evolved into the level of trauma pre.- and post- mortem, to humanitarian crimes and much application of geoscience techniques and activity levels of scavengers) and more. The Environmental & Criminal to the ‘search, scene and sample’. This assess how understanding them better Forensics meeting, held at Burlington broadening of definitions and applications can contribute to an evidence base for House, London in December 2018, was aptly reflected in the presentations at establishing a PMSI. explored how the regular ‘dirt-on-shoes’ the December 2018 meeting. Geoscientific techniques have assisted type analyses have advanced, but also investigations into wildlife crimes, such revealed the fascinating widening scope Oceans, wildlife and fraud as badger baiting or the theft of bird’s of forensic geology. Geologists have long been involved in eggs, since the early 2000s. Typically oceanography, but less so for forensic in such cases, geochemical analyses Global popularity applications. A stunning presentation are used to compare trace materials The first two meetings on forensic by Agathe Ribéreau-Gayon (University on equipment used in the crime with geology took place at Burlington House College London) and colleagues traces from the crime scene. However, in the early 2000s and opened many eyes discussed the difficulties in searching for Kris Wisniewski (Keele University & to the uses of geology in serious criminal human remains on the Atlantic Ocean Staffordshire University) and colleagues investigations. The importance and floor, from a sunken commercial airline showed that geophysical techniques popularity of the field led to the formation flight that tragically crashed in June can provide important insights too. of the Forensic Geoscience (specialist) 2009. The use of geospatial technology They used ground-penetrating radar Group (FGG) —with the emphasis now to accurately locate the crash site, to plot the location of badger setts and on ‘geoscience’ to reflect the widening as well as individual human remains determine which of the setts might have interest and participation in the subject. at such great depths depended on been intentionally— Since 2011 The International Union accurate oceanographic surveying. of Geological Sciences (IUGS) has also A combination of recognised forensic geology, with the creation of the IUGS
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and illegally—filled in with slurry in an (Alastair Ruffell, Queen’s University, and and analysing soil samples from crime scenes attempt to harm the badgers. Such data colleagues); the use of drones as a cost- in Brazil. The analytical procedures involve has the potential to serve as evidence effective approach to aerial photography and investigation of the soil’s physical, chemical, in an investigation that can build a case remote sensing in the search for clandestine mineralogical and organic profile. that allows crime enforcement officers to graves (Rykker Evers and Peter Masters, The talks wrapped up with Lorna Dawson prosecute suspects. Cranfield University); the use of satellite and (James Hutton Institute) and colleagues Investigations into mineral, metal and aerial image analysis, geophysical surveys discussing ‘geo-ethics’ and the essential need rare earth element fraud have increased and groundwater geochemical analysis to for ethics training and accreditation systems in past decades, due to the financing of aid the interpretation of signals given by for anyone working in the field of forensic guerrilla warfare, the need for electronics cadaver, or victim recovery dogs in the search geoscience. Lorna presented a white paper components, and simple stock market for unmarked homicide graves (Laurance outlining the many potential pitfalls in the use manipulation. Examples that come to mind Donnelly, IUGS, and colleagues); and the of geoforensics from crime scene to court and are blood diamonds mined in war zones how a set of guidelines could help prevent and then sold to finance an invading army potential bias and unethical practices. or insurgence, as well as the Bre-X scandal FORENSIC GEOLOGY Several professional and innovative talks and of the 1990s, where Bre-X Minerals Ltd. posters were presented by research students. claimed to have discovered vast gold HAS EVOLVED INTO THE Their work extends the scientific and global reserves in Borneo, sending stock prices APPLICATION OF GEOSCIENCE reach of the field and represents the future of soaring before the gold samples were TECHNIQUES TO THE forensic geoscience. The visually-impactful found to be falsified. Nelson Eby (UMass, poster of Rachael Carew (University College Lowell, USA) and colleagues highlighted ‘SEARCH, SCENE London) and colleagues on 3D Printing in this issue in a discussion of the trace AND SAMPLE’ Forensic Archaeology, which even included element techniques that allow the source miniature 3D-printed models of human for emeralds to be traced, while Laurance skeletons, was awarded the Best Student Donnelly (IUGS) and colleagues provided a analysis of unusual materials—in one case Poster. synopsis of the role forensic geology has in dog faeces—to establish intelligence in such cases. forensic reconstructions (Alastair Ruffell, Alastair Ruffell ([email protected]) is a Queen’s university). Reader and Jamie Pringle (j.k.pringle@keele. Drones, faeces and ethics Samara Testoni (Federal University of Paraná, ac.uk) is a Senior Lecturer in Geoscience at If the examples above are not enough Brazil and James Hutton Institute, Scotland) Queen’s Belfast and Keele, respectively; Ruth to convey the widening remit of forensic and colleagues described the great advances Morgan ([email protected]) is geology, other presentations at the being made in forensic soil science in Brazil, Professor of Crime and Forensic Science at meeting discussed the use of geodetic and including the creation of a standard operating University College, London. geophysical near-surface surveys to identify procedure, which describes the required not just the location of illegally buried toxic steps for collecting waste, but also the volume and distribution relative to landownership
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DISTANT THUNDER Pen to paper
Geologist and science writer academic and professional papers read several English publishers who believed Nina Morgan provides some at the meetings intelligible to the layman. it would be “impossible to make a advice on how to cure localised book pay”. Rather than allow writer’s block Perfect pair their work to be wasted, Kendall and In his quest to promote geology for all, Wroot had it printed privately in Vienna Nothing can induce more panic in the Wroot found his ideal geologist and co- in 1924. The book, intended for all heart of many a geologist than the author in Kendall. Born in Clerkenwell, interested in the landscape, geology combination of a looming text deadline Kendall, a studious reader, naturalist and scenery of Yorkshire, whether and the sight of a blank page. If that’s and collector, never went to school, but amateur, academic or professional you, take heart. You are not alone. Percy later studied at what is now Imperial geologist, serves both as a geological Fry Kendall [1856-1936], Professor of College London and the Royal School and a ‘tourist’ guide to the county. Geology at the University of Leeds from of Mines. Among his teachers were the Along with geology, it also features 1906-1902, felt exactly the same. geologists Jonathan Sollas [1849-1936] sections such as ‘Yorkshire from a Writing to Herbert E. Wroot [1869- and J.W. Judd [1840-1916], as well as railway carriage window’ and ‘Specimen 1939], Honorary Secretary of the the biologist T.H. Huxley [1825-1895]. In days in Yorkshire’. Yorkshire Geological Society, in October 1891 he became a part-time lecturer at Although it’s not clear who actually 1928 he confessed: Yorkshire College, Leeds and then, in did all the writing, the fact that this “While you objurgate I wrestle with 1906, Professor of Geology when the readable book, running to 995 pages my task. I’m sure it is difficult for the College attained full university status. and weighing in at nearly 2 kg, came practised writer to realise the loathing Academically, Kendall is perhaps best out at all suggests that Kendall really did for the pen that fills the unpractised. I sit known for his work on glaciology, but find the perfect way to conquer writer’s down and with many sighs take up the he also carried out important research block. dreaded implement and after scanning on the Carboniferous Coal Measures, the last previous attempt decide that it as well as studies of underground water End notes: Thanks to Duncan won’t do, so make a fresh start – almost in the Carboniferous Limestone in the Hawley for drawing my attention day by day the same irritating round...” Craven Uplands and the source of the to the letter from Kendall to Wroot, River Aire. In addition, he contributed which can be found at https://www. The answer to work on water supplies to villages bradfordmuseums.org/blog/kendall- Kendall’s solution? Find a good and towns. He remained at Leeds wroot-digitization-project/. Other collaborator. And in this quest, he was University until his retirement in 1922. sources for this vignette include the lucky enough to team up with Wroot, In 1924 he was elected a Fellow of the obituaries for Herbert Wroot, which a writer who joined the staff of the Royal Society and in 1926 the University appeared in Proceedings of the Yorkshire Post in 1920 and contributed of Leeds awarded him an honorary Yorkshire Geological Society, 24, 71-75, a much-loved weekly Nature Lover’s doctorate. 1 January 1938 and Brontë Society Diary, written, as one reader described For ten years, from 1912 to 1922 Transactions, 9:4, 257—259, 1939; a it “... with charm and exactness ...” Kendall and Wroot often met on Sunday biographical article about Percy Fry Although interested in natural history, mornings, when Wroot listened to Kendall by David Rowe available at Wroot was not a trained geologist. He Kendall discuss his knowledge of the www.ypsyork.org/resources/yorkshire- had a broad scope of interests in other geology of Yorkshire. The upshot, notes scientists-and-innovatior/kendall; and fields, including history and literature, Wroot’s obituarist in the Proceedings the obituary of Kendall that appeared in and published several studies related to of the Yorkshire Geological Society, Nature, 137, 692 – 693, 1936. the Brontës and edited the publications was that Wroot “came to a better of the Brontë Society for six years, in understanding of geology through a the early 20th century. Wroot was also knowledge of the life of those who were one of the founders of the Yorkshire engaged in it.” Dialect Society. He joined the Yorkshire Geological Society in 1909 and was Weighing in made both Secretary and Editor in 1917. The product of these fruitful discussions * Nina Morgan is a geologist and science writer He was celebrated as Secretary for his was a hefty tome, The Geology based near Oxford. Her latest book, The Geology encouragement of amateur geologists of Yorkshire. The manuscript was of Oxford Gravestones, is available via and as Editor for his work to make the completed by 1922, but declined by www.gravestonegeology.uk
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Geoscientists in the news and on the move in the UK, Europe and worldwide
West Midlands Regional Group AGM
The West Midlands Regional Group (WMRG) proposed at a regional group meeting at held its annual general meeting in December Burlington House. The WMRG also awarded 2018, at the Birmingham Midland Institute, him with an inscribed glass memento for his the current home for the monthly lectures. dedicated services. The committee for 2019 was elected. Stepping As his last duty as serving Chairman, Dan down was the chairman, Dan Welch, who had the honour of presenting WMRG awards The Society notes with served on the committee for six years and to the 2019 field trip leaders in recognition of sadness the passing of: had led the group for the past four. 2018 was the time and effort taken to plan and lead the a very active year for the group with ten widely applauded trips. Receiving the awards Barber, Peter Marriott Barnes, Barry * evening meetings, four field meetings and were Julie Schroder for leading two walks Blanche, James Bruce * a representation with promotional poster looking at the building stones of Birmingham Bott, Martin Harold Phillips at the GA conference at the University of city centre, Andrew Harrison for his Cooke, Herbert Basil * Cornes, Barbara Charlotte * Birmingham. leadership role examining the Palaeozoic of Dobson, Margaret * Befittingly, Dan received the very first The West Midlands, and Graham Worton for Ireland, Richard * Certificate of Recognition award from his leadership around the Wren’s Nest Nature Kempton, Nicholas Hugh Lambert, John F * the Geological Society—an award he had Reserve, a site of special scientific interest. Manning, Aubrey —Ray Pratt, Chairman WMRG Moores, Eldridge * Okada, Hakuyu Shrimpton, Godfrey * Simpson, Ian Morven Veevers, John James White, Owen * Whyatt, Stephen John *
In the interests of recording its Fellows’ work for posterity, the Society publishes obituaries online, and in Geoscientist. The most recent additions to the list are Julie Schroder, Andrew Harrison and Graham Worton Dan Welch with his Geological Society Certificate of in shown in bold. Fellows for whom no receiving their inscribed 2018 field trip leader awards Recognition and his award for four years’ service as obituarist has yet been commissioned are from the WMRG WMRG Chairman marked with an asterisk (*). The symbol § indicates that biographical material has been lodged with the Society.
If you would like to contribute an obituary, please email amy.whitchurch@geolsoc. org.uk to be commissioned. You can read the guidance for authors at www. geolsoc.org.uk/obituaries. To save yourself unnecessary work, please do not write anything until you have received a commissioning letter.
Deceased Fellows for whom no obituary is forthcoming have their names and dates recorded in a Roll of Honour at www.geolsoc.org.uk/obituaries.
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 accurate commemoration. Please send your CV, publications list and a photograph to Amy Whitchurch at the Society.
Staff matters Angela Edwards, Facilities Manager, Janine Benn, Fellowship Secretary, and Will Foreman, Education Assistant, left the Society last month. The Society wishes them all well for the future and thanks them for their valuable contribution to its work over the years.
28 | MARCH 2019 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2019 | 29 GEOSCIENTIST OBITUARY The PESGB’s national public outreach initiative Although the Kimmeridge Clay is one of the most highly studied of the world’s hydrocarbon source rocks, over the past 100 years its macrofossils have been somewhat neglected. In fact, the Kimmeridge Clay Formation was once described as the ‘least interesting suite of rocks’ to collect Leslie Illing 1920-2018 from for palaeontologists studying the Jurassic OBITUARY Period. Dorset, home to the complete Jurassic GEOLiteracy TOUR succession, is a mecca for fossil collectors and many of the major national natural history museums Pioneer of modern carbonate sedimentology who joined 14-16 MAY 2019 eslie was born in PESGB contain material collected from this area. But 35 his father’s firm and worked with many other greats on November 1920 In addition to his consulting years ago, when Steve Etches first began collecting the dolomitization problem in Wimbledon. and research work, Leslie from the Late Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay, he soon He attended the was a keen supporter of L realised that these strata had been underexplored, City of London Freemen’s the Petroleum Exploration School, Ashtead and Epson Society of Great Britain underrepresented and specimens had been poorly College. He studied geology (PESGB). He served on its documented and recorded. His great journey began. at Sydney Sussex College committee, was its Chairman Cambridge, but his studies in 1975 and represented the Kimmeridge Bay, East and West, has the finest suite were interrupted by the war society on the Organising of Kimmeridge Clay rocks anywhere in the world when he served in the Royal Committee of the first Air Force. Later he spent two two North Sea Geological and the Upper Kimmeridge Clay succession has terms at the Royal School Conferences of 1974 and been assigned the International Type Section for of Mines, before returning 1980. Together with the late these strata. The bay lies along one of the most to finish his studies at Douglas Hobson (his father’s remote areas of the Dorset Coast. Access may Cambridge with First Class old colleague), he edited the only be made at beach level within Kimmeridge Bay Honours in 1947. proceedings of the latter. itself, and for 2.5 miles to the east, sections of the The Society honoured him Plumbing the Bahamas by making him an honorary beach are cut off at high tide by sheer cliffs and He joined Seismic Services member. Depths of the steep headlands. West of Kimmeridge Bay, the Corporation, Venezuela Leslie was a quietly coastline falls within the MOD ranges and access and during a survey of the spoken, very kind, courteous Kimmeridge Clay is restricted much of the time by live fire practise. Bahamas collected bottom person, always willing There is no vehicular access and the logistics samples at each shot point— to listen critically to new of collecting along this section are difficult and the material for his future ideas. He had a formidable With Dr Steve Etches MBE PhD studies at Cambridge task following such an dangerous. For all these reasons, it was apparent with Maurice Black, which he eminent father, but he did LONDON | BIRMINGHAM | ABERDEEN to Steve, that collecting from this locality had not completed in 1949. Mississippian rocks was In the 1960s Leslie, John this with great success. previously been carried out in a scientific, ordered, Leslie’s work on the produced by movements of Taylor and Roger McQueen Leslie must be considered, bed by bed manner. He made the decision to Bahamas, together with that fluids through a chain of investigated, together in view of his Bahaman collect from these strata exclusively, to fill this of Newell and Purdy and reefs. He thus introduced the with Alan Wells and Vic and Persian/Arabian Gulf palaeontological void. that of Robert Ginsburg in concept of dolomitization by Colter of Shell, the modern work, as one of the pioneers Florida Bay and the reef tract, escaping compaction waters. dolomitization in the saline of modern carbonate lead to a surge in interest intertidal-flat deposits of sedimentology whose work Steve’s talk focuses on the diversity of his in carbonate sediments and V C Illing & Partners Qatar, Persian/Arabian Gulf. led to a more sophisticated collection: the stunning specimens, with many world the interpretation of ancient In 1960, Leslie, with his wife The association of dolomite interpretation of ancient firsts and specimens still undescribed, and their carbonate sequences. and four sons, returned to and evaporite was reminiscent carbonate sequences. His scientific importance. And, more importantly, the After completion of his PhD, the UK to join his father’s of many of the rocks Leslie death in January 2018 was stories around the finds, their painstaking extraction Leslie joined Pemex (Petroleos company V.C. Illing & had studied previously: the preceded by that of his Mexicanos) and studied the Partners and assumed control Mississippian of Western wife Edith in 2017 and he is and preparation, to reveal the secrets of these Tambara limestone of Poza of its management in 1968. Canada, the Jurassic of Mexico survived by four sons, four amazing fossils, how they lived, bred and died in the Rica, Mexico. Later, he studied Here he continued his work and the Middle East, the grandchildren and one great seas of Kimmeridge, 157 million years ago. the Cretaceous sequence on carbonate sequences. Cretaceous of Guatemala and grandchild. of Guarico Venezuela for Among other surveys, the Tertiary rocks of Libya. Caracas Petroleum and the together with J.C.M. Taylor, The reduction of exploration Paleozoic carbonate sequences Leslie made a comprehensive by oil companies, after the ➤ By Graham Evans of Western Canada for Shell. survey of the Zechstein collapse of oil prices, led to (The full original piece can be Register now for only £20 at He argued the change from carbonates of the North Sea V.C. Illing and Partners closing read online. Editor) limestone to dolomite in the for BP. in 1987. pesgb.org.uk/events
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 Amy Whitchurch at the Society. /geoliteracy-tour-2019/
30 | MARCH 2019 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST
GEOLiteracy- Geoscientist full page advert.indd 1 04/02/2019 17:07:14 The PESGB’s national public outreach initiative Although the Kimmeridge Clay is one of the most highly studied of the world’s hydrocarbon source rocks, over the past 100 years its macrofossils have been somewhat neglected. In fact, the Kimmeridge Clay Formation was once described as the ‘least interesting suite of rocks’ to collect from for palaeontologists studying the Jurassic Period. Dorset, home to the complete Jurassic GEOLiteracy TOUR succession, is a mecca for fossil collectors and 14-16 MAY 2019 many of the major national natural history museums contain material collected from this area. But 35 years ago, when Steve Etches first began collecting from the Late Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay, he soon realised that these strata had been underexplored, underrepresented and specimens had been poorly documented and recorded. His great journey began.
Kimmeridge Bay, East and West, has the finest suite of Kimmeridge Clay rocks anywhere in the world and the Upper Kimmeridge Clay succession has been assigned the International Type Section for these strata. The bay lies along one of the most remote areas of the Dorset Coast. Access may only be made at beach level within Kimmeridge Bay Plumbing the itself, and for 2.5 miles to the east, sections of the beach are cut off at high tide by sheer cliffs and Depths of the steep headlands. West of Kimmeridge Bay, the coastline falls within the MOD ranges and access Kimmeridge ClayAD SPACEis restricted much of the time by live fire practise. There is no vehicular access and the logistics With Dr Steve Etches MBE of collecting along this section are difficult and dangerous. For all these reasons, it was apparent LONDON | BIRMINGHAM | ABERDEEN to Steve, that collecting from this locality had not previously been carried out in a scientific, ordered, bed by bed manner. He made the decision to collect from these strata exclusively, to fill this palaeontological void.
Steve’s talk focuses on the diversity of his collection: the stunning specimens, with many world firsts and specimens still undescribed, and their scientific importance. And, more importantly, the stories around the finds, their painstaking extraction and preparation, to reveal the secrets of these amazing fossils, how they lived, bred and died in the seas of Kimmeridge, 157 million years ago.
Register now for only £20 at pesgb.org.uk/events /geoliteracy-tour-2019/
30 | MARCH 2019 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST
GEOLiteracy- Geoscientist full page advert.indd 1 04/02/2019 17:07:14 Click and collect a better career
AD2 hours ago SPACE
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