SCIENTISTVOLUME 25 NO 2 u MARCH 2015 u WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST

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MIOCENE IN BRITAIN ELECTIONS 2015 SMITH ARCHIVE Society funds new research Your chance to choose Council Nina Morgan opens the packing into the UK’s rarest rocks members and President Designate case that changed the world 32nd Earth Science and GIS Software ANNIVERSARY

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06 24

14 20

FEATURES

20 in Britain IN THIS ISSUE... Matthew Pound and James Riding on a little-known unit in the southern Peak District of Derbyshire

REGULARS

05 Welcome Ted Nield contemplates the prospects for leaving the carbon in the ground 06 Society news What your Society is doing at home ON THE COVER: and abroad, in London and the regions 14 Neutrons for geology 12 Calendar Society activities this month Martin Dove explores the use of neutron sources 13 Soapbox Jim Whiteley thinks there should be more to elucidate a wide range of geological problems funding sources like the Distinguished Geologists’ in the deep Earth, and other planetary bodies Memorial Trust 24 Books and arts Four new books reviewed by Bernard Leake, John Allen, Gill Hackman and Peter Treolar

ONLINE SPECIALS Jim Whiteley Jim Whiteley 26 People Geoscientists in the news and on the move (author of this month’s Soapbox) reflects on lessons learned at the 2014 Athens meeting on Near Surface 28 Obituary Martin Elliott Wright 1949-2013 Geophysics, which he attended with Society support 29 Crossword Win a special publication of your choice

WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2015 | 03 Sustainable exploitation of the subsurface

20-2120-21 May 20152015 The Geological Society, Burlington House, London

Sustainable exploitation of the subsurface: the geology, engineering and environment of our underground asset

It has long been recognized that the underground development. Critical to subsurface is a complex, scarce and accommodating this is a requirement valuable resource. With urbanisation, for a good understanding of the society is now becoming more subsurface beneath our feet and reliant on using the subsurface for importantly how the ground will Convenors physical infrastructure (e.g. respond now and in the future to underground networks such as Lead Convenor: Helen Reeves various events (e.g. climate change (British Geological Survey) utilities & transport) and for the &/or increased urbanization). storage and containment of Co-Convenor: Ian Jefferson A two day meeting coordinated by (University of Birmingham) resources (energy & water) and the Geological Society of London waste (CO2 & Radioactive Waste), Further information in order to provide the essential & the UK IAEG National group will For further information about support to a well-functioning aim to bring together current the conference please contact: society. With this development thinking of the role the ground Jess Aries, comes increased pressure on space plays in providing a resilient Conference Office, and resources and increasingly, underground resource. The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG T: 0207 432 0983 CallCall fforor AAbstractsbstracts E: [email protected] )ROORZWKLVHYHQW  :HZHOFRPHERWKSRVWHUDQGRUDOSUHVHQWDWLRQFRQWULEXWLRQVIRU WKLV RQ7ZLWWHU PHHWLQJFRYHULQJDQ\RIWKHIROORZLQJ H[SORLWVXEVXUIDFH • 6XEVXUIDFHLQYHVWLJDWLRQFDVHVWXGLHVGHPRQVWUDWLQJWHFKQRORJLHV  \HDURIPXG WHFKQLTXHVWKDWVXSSRUWJHRORJLFDOFKDUDFWHULVDWLRQ   • 6XEVXUIDFHFRQVWUXFWLRQFDVHVWXGLHVGHPRQVWUDWLQJWHFKQRORJLHV  WHFKQLTXHV • 3ODQQLQJUHJXODWLQJ GHFRPPLVVLRQLQJRIWKHVXEVXUIDFHIRUYDULRXV UHVRXUFHVDQGXVHV HJZDWHUHQHUJ\XWLOLWLHVWUDQVSRUWZ      DVWH

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GEOSCIENTIST WELCOME Geoscientist is the ADVERTISING SALES ~ Fellowship magazine of Ollie Kirkman THE HUMBLE NEUTRON IS FAST the Geological Society T 01727 739 184 of London E ollie@centuryone BECOMING A VALUABLE TOOL IN MODELLING publishing.uk The Geological Society, THE INNER WORKINGS OF OUR PLANET Burlington House, Piccadilly, ART EDITOR Front cover: Cienpies Design / Shutterstock.com London W1J 0BG Heena Gudka ~ T +44 (0)20 7434 9944 F +44 (0)20 7439 8975 DESIGN & PRODUCTION E [email protected] Sarah Astington (Not for Editorial - Please contact the Editor) PRINTED BY Century One Publishing House Publishing Ltd. The Geological Society Publishing House, Unit 7, Copyright Brassmill Enterprise Centre, The Geological Society of Brassmill Lane, Bath London is a Registered BA1 3JN Charity, number 210161. T 01225 445046 ISSN (print) 0961-5628 F 01225 442836 ISSN (online) 2045-1784

Library The Geological Society of London FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK: T +44 (0)20 7432 0999 accepts no responsibility for the F +44 (0)20 7439 3470 views expressed in any article in this publication. All views expressed, E [email protected] except where explicitly stated otherwise, represent those of the EDITOR-IN-CHIEF author, and not The Geological Burning issue Professor Society of London. All rights reserved. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, EDITOR copied or transmitted save with Dr Ted Nield written permission. Users registered scar Wilde said he could of fossil fuel reserves, because the clear E [email protected] with Copyright Clearance Center: the Journal is registered with CCC, 27 resist everything except necessity to leave them unused will Congress Street, Salem, MA 01970, EDITORIAL BOARD USA. 0961-5628/02/$15.00. Every temptation. So what about land them with overvalued reserves – Dr Sue Bowler effort has been made to trace the rest of us? Pretty much ‘stranded assets’, in the jargon – and Mr Steve Branch copyright holders of material in Dr this publication. If any rights have the same is my guess. that since we will never make progress Prof. Tony Harris been omitted, the publishers offer their apologies. OGlobal resources of fossil fuels are unless there is agreement, future Dr Howard Falcon-Lang Dr Jonathan Turner No responsibility is assumed by the currently thought to equal the regulatory frameworks must include Dr Jan Zalasiewicz Publisher for any injury and/or equivalent (burned) of 11,000 Gt of compensation. But when bottom-up damage to persons or property as a Trustees of the matter of products liability, CO2. Yet a recent review* estimates pressure for ‘development’ so negligence or otherwise, or from any Geological Society use or operation of any methods, that, if we are to limit global greatly exceeds the top-down political of London products, instructions or ideas Prof David Manning contained in the material herein. warming to 2°C, between 2011 and will to limit, or slow it down (by (President); Although all advertising material is 2050 we can burn no more than a making it sustainable and therefore Mrs Natalyn Ala expected to conform to ethical (Secretary, (medical) standards, inclusion in this maximum of 1240 Gt. more expensive), how realistic are Professional Matters); publication does not constitute a Dr Mike Armitage (Vice guarantee or endorsement of the That would mean leaving 80% of these assumptions? president); Dr Nigel quality or value of such product or of coal, 50% of gas, and 30% of oil The innumerable bicycles of India Cassidy; Prof Neil the claims made by its manufacturer. underground. The Middle East would and the Far East have already given Chapman; Dr Angela Coe; Subscriptions: All correspondence Mr Jim Coppard; relating to non-member have to deny itself 40% of its way to the two-stroke motorbike. Mr David Cragg (Vice subscriptions should be addresses president); Mrs Jane to the Journals Subscription hydrocarbon reserves. About 66% of Soon they will give way to the family Dottridge; Mr Chris Eccles; Department, Geological Society Publishing House, Unit 7 Brassmill China and India’s coal, 86% of Africa’s car, which will have more in common Dr Marie Edmonds; Enterprise Centre, Brassmill Lane, and 90% of the former Soviet with the Trabant than the Toyota Prius. Professor Alastair Fraser Bath, BA1 3JN, UK. Tel: 01225 (Secretary, Science); 445046. Fax: 01225 442836. Republics’, would have to stay down Would even the alleviation of Mr David Hopkins; Email: [email protected]. The the mines. And although shale gas and developing countries’ national debt be Mr David Jones subscription price for Volume 25, (Vice 2015 (11 issues) to institutions and president); Dr Adam Law non-members is £132 (UK) or other unconventionals are generally enough to counteract the grassroots (Treasurer); Prof Alan Lord £151/$302 (Rest of World). less polluting, Africa and the Middle push for higher standards of living? (Secretary Foreign & External Affairs); Dr Brian © 2015 The Geological Society East would have to deny themselves As Sospeter Muhongo HonFGS Marker OBE; Dr Gary of London 100% of it, and China and India would (Energy Minister, Tanzania) said last Nichols; Prof David Geoscientist is printed on FSC mixed Norbury; Dr Colin North credit - Mixed source products are a only be able to use 10% of theirs, August at a US-Africa Leaders’ Summit: (Secretary, Publications); blend of FSC 100%, Recycled and/or including coal-bed methane. “We in Africa...should not be in the Mr Keith Seymour; Dr Lucy Controlled fibre. Accredited by the Slater; Mr Michael Young Forestry Stewardship Council. Of course, this all depends on how discussion of whether we should use much evolved CO2 could be coal or not. In ...Tanzania, we are going Published on behalf of the sequestrated by capture and storage to use our natural resources because we Geological Society of London by schemes; but there are large have reserves which go beyond five Century One Publishing uncertainties about this partly because billion tonnes.” And there you have it. Alban Row, 27–31 Verulam Road, St Albans, Herts, it’s an emerging technology, and partly McGlade C & Elkins P 2015: AL3 4DG because of its inevitable cost. * References T 01727 893 894 The geographical distribution of fossil fuels unused F 01727 893 895 Campaigners like to suggest that when limiting global warming to 2°C. Nature 517, E enquiries@centuryone such facts put pressure on the owners 187 8 January 2015 doi: 10:1038/nature14016 publishing.uk W www.centuryone DR TED NIELD, EDITOR - [email protected] @TedNield @geoscientistmag publishing.uk

WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2015 | 05 GEOSCIENTIST SOCIETY NEWS

What your society is doing SOCIETYNEWS at home and abroad, in London and the regions Society Awards 2015

The Society is delighted to announce the winners of its medals and funds and offers all its heartiest congratulations. : Prof James Jackson, University of Cambridge. : Prof Colin Ballantyne, University of St Andrews. : Prof Geoffrey Wadge, University of Reading. : Prof Anthony Doré, Statoil. Coke Medal: Prof Sarah Davies, University of Leicester. Coke Medal: Prof Rory Mortimore, ChalkRock Ltd. : Prof Daniel LONDON LECTURE SERIES Parsons, University of Hull. : Prof Alastair Robertson, University of Edinburgh. : Dr Stuart Archer, Dana Petroleum. : Dr David Branagan, University of Sydney. Distinguished The Alum Shales Service Award: Prof John Catt, University College London. R H Worth Prize: of Scandinavia and their Peter Loader, Teacher (formerly St Bede’s School, Manchester). Wollaston Remarkable Trilobites Fund: Dr Stefanie Hautmann, . William Smith Fund: Speaker: Prof. Emer. Euan N K Clarkson (University Dr Sarah Bradley, Utrecht University. Lyell Fund: Dr Esther Sumner, University of of Edinburgh) Date: 10th March Southampton. Murchison Fund: Dr Sebastian Watt, University of Birmingham. Programme ➤ President’s Award winners will be announced later. Awards will be presented at u Afternoon talk: 1430 Tea & Coffee: 1500 Lecture President’s Day, 3 June 2015 begins: 1600 Event ends. u Evening talk: 1730 Tea & Coffee: 1800 Lecture Fellowship renewals begins: 1900 Reception. Further Information Renew now – or face being struck off, writes Dawne Riddle. Please visit www.geolsoc.org.uk/gsllondon Every year at this time we remind Fellows to renew their Fellowship for the lectures15. Entry to each lecture is by ticket only. current year, or face being struck off – with all the subsequent inconvenience of To obtain a ticket please contact the Society around having to re-apply. Late payment results each year in additional costs and four weeks before the talk. Due to the popularity of this administration. In the current economic climate especially, we must ensure that lecture series, tickets are allocated in a monthly ballot optimum use is made of Society resources - and we rely on the support of our and cannot be guaranteed. Fellows to achieve this. Time is running out for you to renew your Fellowship. To ensure that you ➤ Contact: Annie Sewell, The Geological Society, continue to support and belong to your professional body, please renew today, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG, T: +44 preferably online via the website; or, call Burlington House and ask for the (0)20 7432 0981 E: [email protected] ‘Fellowship Department’.

Vote! Vote! Vote! FUTURE MEETINGS Edmund Nickless, Executive Secretary writes: Can I please encourage The dates for meetings of Council and Ordinary you to cast your votes for Council? The total number of Fellows voting in General Meetings until June 2016 will be as follows: 2014 was 972 from an electorate of around 11,000. The candidates u Council/OGMs: 2015: 8 April, 17 June, 22 running for Council have committed to give a considerable amount of their September, 25 November; 2016: 3 February, 6 April. time to serve the Society if elected – so please, give a very little of your time u AGM: 3 June 2015. to vote. Without a reasonable turnout, it will be difficult to encourage people to stand in future. New Accreditation Officer GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY CLUB Professor Andy Saunders has been appointed Society Accreditation Officer, New diners are always welcome! Dinner costs £57 for taking over from Dr Colin Scrutton who is retiring from the post from 1 May. a four-course meal, including coffee and port. There is Andy became a Society Fellow in 1973 and until his retirement at the end of a cash bar for the purchase of aperitifs and wine. January was Deputy Head of the Department of Geology at Leicester and u 2015: 4 March (Athenaeum Club); 8 April (Venue the departmental accreditation officer. We wish him well in this new role. tbc); 6 May (Athenaeum Club). For further information Colin Scrutton has been the Society’s Accreditation Officer since 1996. He contact Cally Oldershaw (Hon Sec) at has put in an enormous amount of and I thank him on behalf of the Society [email protected] or and wish him a long and leisurely retirement. Edmund Nickless T: 07796 942361.

06 | MARCH 2015 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST FELLOWSHIP ELECTION The following are put forward for election to fellowship at the OGM on 8 April 2015: ADU Florence; AGENEAU Mathieu; AL-HAJERI Mubarak; AL-JASSAR Sinan; ALMARDI Jasim; ANI Alexander; ANNING Peter; ASHTIWI Mohammed; AUJOGUE Kelig; AXTELL Charlotte; AZEVEDO Cesar; BAKER Alexander John; BARRITT James Owen; BARRY Aron; Edmund Nickless to retire BATISTA Rui; BELLAMY Christopher Shawn; BEVINS Samuel John; BIGGERA Marzia; BISBY Sarah; BLAKEMORE Max Alexander Frederick; BLANCO MARIN Jose Carlos; BLYTHE Lara The Executive Secretary has announced his Photo: Ted Nield Mr Edmund Nickless, Simone; BOTTOMLEY Mark Andrew; intention to retire in September after 18 years, Executive Secretary BRADLEY Luke Ellis; BREED Siebe; BREHENY Catherine; BRIDGE Peter; BROOK Martin; writes David Manning. BROOKER Ewan James; BROOKER Laura; The Executive Secretary informed Council on 4 BRUNSKILL Libby; BULLAR Claire Marie; BURROWS Edward; BUTCHER Michael; February 2015 of his intention to retire with effect BUUNK Sharyn Louise; CADMAN Andrew Christopher; CAMPBELL Frank; CAMPEN from 30 September 2015, and Council has accepted James Michael CAMPION Charlotte; CANADAS his decision. This means that Council will seek to Fuencisla; CARTER James; CARTER James Peter; CAZIER Edward; CHANDLER Dafydd appoint a new Executive Secretary, and the search Neville; CHEN Chen; CHILD Tobias; CHUDI for a successor will start immediately. Obinna; CHUKWURA Uche; CLARK Eleanor; CLARKE Benjamin; CLOUGH Katy; COLLIER I, as your President, will oversee the recruitment Sam; CONNOR Fiona; CONROY Philip; process, with assistance from present and past COPESTAKE Ashley James; COSHAM Sian; COX Melanie Anne; CUCAKOVIC Milos; CULL Officers. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Frances; D'ANDREA Guglielmo; DABSON Oliver; DAS Sauvik; DAVIDSON Ann Elizabeth; Edmund for what will be 18 years’ service to the Society. DAVY Christopher William; DEAN Sam; I am sure you will all share with me an appreciation of DEMPSTER Matthew; DIBI Tamunotonye; DILLON Cathal Gabriel; DIXON Stephen; what has been achieved during that time. DIXON Wesley; DOHERTY Stephen; DONAGHY David James; DRUMMOND Johann Agnes Helen; DUFFUS Lucy; DUNN Rachel; EATOUGH Bob; EGOGO Andrew; ELLERTON Jenny Christine; EVANS Richard Henry; FARLEY Policy update Liam; FEIGHONEY Ross; FERRIDAY Tim; FISHER Hollie Elizabeth; FLOOD Yvette; FORSTER Alexandra; GAHAN Cathal Sean; The Society’s Policy Team has been active on inquiries can be found here: GALLAGHER Catherine; GARMAN Jack; GEORGE Freya; GIBBS Lewis James; GILL several fronts, writes Florence Bullough. www.geolsoc.org.uk/consultations. Martin; GOMBAU RIFÀ Roger; GOODSELL The policy team has been working with the Following the July 2014 White Paper on Alexander; GORASIA Rohit; GRAY Ewan; GREEN Sara Lesley; GRIFFITHS Alexandra; European Federation of Geologists and its geological disposal of radioactive waste, the GUDGEON Nicholas; HALLIDAY James; Society hosted a day-long technical meeting on HALLSTEINSSON Haraldur; HAMILTON National Associations to produce a European Benjamin; HAMILTON Stuart; HAMPSON version of the ‘Geology for Society’ report, which 30 September 2014 on behalf of Radioactive Matthew; HARDY Nicola Jane; HARPER- Waste Management Ltd (RWM) to discuss the PRYCE Sophie; HARRIS Robin; HAYAT the Society first published in March 2014 DAVOUDI Hossein; HAYTHORNTHWAITE (www.geolsoc.org.uk/geology-for-society). National Geological Screening Exercise. James Robert; HAYWARD Benjamin; HEAD William; HEATHER Jim; HERNANDEZ Perez; The new version illustrates how geology More details on the event can be found at HILLS Andrew; HIZZETT Jamie Lee; underpins societal needs, through examples and www.geolsoc.org.uk/RWM14. As set out in the HOLLINGSWORTH James Clifford; HOLT John Matthews; HUGHES Glenn; HUGHES William; case studies from European countries. White Paper, the Society has agreed to establish HULLEY Amy; IKIBIROGLU Adem; INDUNI an independent panel to review the screening Allan; IRVING Alec David; JAMES Andrea; The published report will be available in 12 JARMAN Tom; JEMMETT-PAGE Thomas; European languages and will be launched on 4 guidance to be developed by RWM, and its JOHN Daniel; JOHNSON Michael; JOHNSON subsequent application. Timothy Edward; JONES Arwelwyn; JONES March at the European Parliament in Brussels. Joshua Robert; JONES Philippa Anne; JONES The Society responded to inquiries looking In recent months, the policy team has taken Thomas James; KABRNA Paul; KAVANAGH Simon; KEATLEY Anya; KELLY Desmond back at the work of the House of Commons part in the annual ‘Science and the Parliament’ Michael; KERR Brian; KERR James; KIDDER Science and Technology Committee and the event at Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, the James Andrew; KING Keith; KITCHEN Steffan; KOLAWOLE Ayodeji; KONG HOO Lai; Energy and Climate Change Committee over this ‘Science and Stormont’ event in Belfast, and a KOTENEV Maxim; LABORDE Marine; LACEY visit to Brussels organised by the Science Council, Helen; LAM Fung Shan; LATHAM Toya; LAU Parliament. We commented on some Florence; LAU Sze Yeung; LAWSON Clark; successes, and noted the innovative approach aimed at building links between the Science LEACH Marc; LEANEY Anne; LEDBETTER Council and its members and European policy- Howard Ray; LEDDY Joseph Robert; LEE taken in some inquiries. We also suggested how Amicia; LEE Chun Ming; LEE Pui Suen; LEES Parliamentary committees might work more makers. The group met several UK MEPs and Amelia; LEMON Kirstin; LESSER Charles; LEWIS Craig; LINESS Lindsay; LITTLE effectively together across traditional policy Anne Glover, the former Chief Scientific Adviser to Edouard; LLOYD Geraint Richard; LOFTUS ‘silos’. Our responses to these and other recent the President of the European Commission. Tessa; LOVELOCK Cliff; LOWDEN Thomas William; LOWE Victoria; LOWRIES Richard; MACFARLANE Peter; MADGE William George; MAGUIRE Ross; MALAS Georgina; MANICK Kamini; MANNIX Nicholas; MARSILI Alessandro; MARTIN Niall Tiernan; MASKREY Full book upgrade! Christian; MCKAY David Roderick; MCKIDD Joanna; MCLEAN Annalize; MEADOWS SMITH Simon; MERRIN Philip David; MILLS Kayleigh Upgrade your fellowship to include the geological maps from the Society’s renowned Jane; MOEBIUS Christian; MOLAND Ingvil Kjeldsberg; MOORE Melissa; MOYLE Aaron; Full Book Collection and Geofacets, says Lyell Collection into Geofacets: 24,000+ maps MUI Chik Yin; MUIR Roderick John; MURCH Jenny Davey. are downloadable, georeferenced, and Arran; MURRAY Nicholas; NEWTON Rhys; NG Wing Yi; NOWICKI Piotr; NUGENT Megan; Make the most of your GSL Fellowship by accompanied by metadata, article abstracts, O'DONOVAN James; O'NEIL Sean; O'ROURKE subscribing to the Full Book Collection, which and links to original source articles. Michael; OLDFIELD Simon John; OWENS Lucy Jane; PAPAPAVLOU Kostas; PAPE Edine; features online access to hundreds of titles, PARKER Alison Heather; PEARSE Scott; PFAFF iIncluding those in the Books Archive, plus over Tony; PHILLIPPS Robert; PHILLIPS Noel; ➤ Find out more about upgrading your Fellowship POTTER Gregory; PREDDY Andrew; 40 additional new and recently published titles PURRINGTON James; PYPER Jennifer; RECIO status to include these two useful collections by David; RENAUT Robin Winston; RICHARDS from 2012 to the present day. logging into your account at www.geolsoc. Saskia; ROBERTS Dan; ROBINSON Andrew You can also enhance your membership by George; ROSS Sean; RUSSELL Catherine; org.uk or by contacting the membership team RUSSELL Sally Victoria; RYMILL Joseph John; adding access to Geofacets. Together, Elsevier [email protected] SALAHUDDIN Andi; SANDERSON Marcus and GSL have integrated thousands of James; SANDERSON Stephen; SAYERS Niall; SCOURSE Eleanor Mary; SEAGO Robert David;

SHACKLETON James; SHARDA Preom; ▼ GEOSCIENTIST SOCIETY NEWS

Elections to Council 2015-2016

The October issue of Geoscientist invited Following the election of the new Council Fellows to nominate new members of at the AGM, Fellows will be asked to elect Council to succeed those retiring at the Officers for the 2015/16 session of Council. Annual General Meeting on 3 June 2015. The proposed list of Officers will be Fourteen nominations have been received, published in May’s Geoscientist together with two for President-designate and 12 for the the agenda and other papers for the AGM. remaining seven places. The Council elections are your opportunity The process for the election of members of to choose who should serve on Council to Council is set out at section 6 of the Bye-laws best represent the interests of all Fellows and and for the election of Officers at clause 9.2. to shape the future of the Society. Fellows It is important that Council is representative are asked to make their choices having of the views and diversity of all the Fellowship regard to the area of expertise of the so Fellows are urged to participate in this continuing members of Council which are preliminary ballot which will determine the list shown on the tables below. Biographies of for the formal vote at the Annual General members of Council are at Meeting on 3 June 2015. www.geolsoc.org.uk/biographies.

VOTING ONLINE CONTINUING MEMBERS OF COUNCIL 2015-2016 Fellows are strongly encouraged to vote online, by logging on to Name Expertise Sector the Fellows-only part of the website www.geolsoc.org.uk/vote15. Please follow the instructions. Mrs Natalyn Ala Hydrogeology Industry Dr Nigel Cassidy Geophysics Academe POSTAL VOTING Dr Angela Coe Sedimentology & Stratigraphy Academe A postal ballot paper and an envelope for its return are Mr Jim Coppard Mineral Exploration Industry enclosed with this Geoscientist for those unable to vote online. Mrs Jane Dottridge Hydrogeology Industry Fellows should make their mark for one of the candidates for Mr Chris Eccles Engineering Geology Industry President-designate. Dr Marie Edmonds Igneous Petrology, Volcanology, Geochemistry Academe Fellows should also enter a mark against the names of up to Mr David Hopkins Extractive Industries Industry seven candidates they wish to serve as ordinary members of Mr David Jones Hydrogeology Government Council. Papers with marks against more than one name for Prof David Manning Mineralogy Academe President-designate or seven names for ordinary members of Prof David Norbury Engineering Geology Industry Council will be invalid. Dr Colin North Sedimentology Academe The ballot paper should be placed in the envelope provided, Mr Keith Seymour Hydrogeology Retired which should be sealed and returned to reach the Society no later Dr Lucy Slater Petroleum Geology/Geophysics Industry than 31 March 2015. Unless we are able Mr Michael Young Geophysics Government/Industry to determine your eligibility to vote the envelope will not be opened and your Retiring members of Council vote will be invalid. Consequently you are asked to write your full name in Dr Mike Armitage Mining Industry capitals clearly on the back of the Prof Neil Chapman Radioactive Waste Management Industry envelope. Please do not include any Mr David Cragg Engineering Geology Industry other communication whatsoever Prof Al Fraser Petroleum Geology Academe/Industry in the envelope. Dr Adam Law Petroleum Geology Industry NOTE: Fellows may only vote once, Prof Alan Lord Micropalaeontology Museum either online or by returning the Dr Brian Marker OBE Environmental Geology Retired postal ballott. Dr Gary Nichols Sedimentology Academe

FELLOWSHIP ELECTION Hazel; VAN DEN BERG VAN SAPAROEA The following fellows were elected DUFF Graeme; MURRAY Kerry; Aart-Peter; VAN LOON Marcel; VANN John; SHEPHERD Kevin. Continued from previous page: to Chartered Geologist status by VASYUTKIN Sergey; VEAR Alwyn; WADE Council on 26 November 2014:

▼ SKARPEID Silje; SKELSEY Leo; Kerry; WADE Stephen James Rochfort; ALDRIDGE Julian; AUVERGNE Simon; BELL The following fellows were elected SMALLWOOD Ben; SMART Jeremy David WAINWRIGHT John; WAITE Kay; WALDRON to Chartered Geologist status by Charles; SMITH Alex James; SMITH Mark; Fiona; WALKER Ann; WALKER James Philip; Alan; BEST Steven; BRANDSMA Richard; SMITH Robert; SMITH Winston Toby Baxter; WALL Alex; WALLIS Elliot; WALSH Alex; BROCK David; BOTTOM Simon; CHAN Chloe; Council on 4 February 2015. SO Ming Lai; SQUIRES Stephen Albert; WANG Min-Hau; WARD Adam; WARD CLARK Aleksandra; CRAIG David; GOODWIN BACON Laura; BAUDRIAN Franck; BROUGH STEELE David James; STENHOUSE Paul; Callum; WARWICK Steven; WATSON Molly; Anna; HOPE David; KIRKPATRICK Gerald; Christopher; BULL Charles; STOKOE Aaron; SULLIVAN Patrick Sean; WEBB Max Christian Mitchell; WEBSTER LOGAN Matthew; MACKENZIE Iain; CORY Theresa; DESIDERATI Simone; SUMMERS Sam; SWALES Jordan; TABIS Ida; Michael; WEST Kadisha; WESTLAKE Rebecca MARSHALL Gary; MCPHIE Donald; GORDON-SAKER Giles; HOROBIN Richard; TANG Michel Rich Lai Hang; THOMAS Kirsty; Louise; WETHERELL Anna Margaret; WIGGIN MILES Laurence (Colin); MITCHELL Clive; OWEN Gareth; PEARSE Scott; SO Wing THOMAS Mark Edward; THOMAS Sophie; Geoffrey Peter; WILLCOX Alexander James; OGUZ Egemen; URQUHART Elspeth; Fat(Kevin); TODD Fiona; TUMILTY Rebecca. THORNTON Nigel Leonard; THORP Joanna; WILLIAMS Ian; WITHERS Chris; WITHERS WILKINSON Natasha. THORPE William James; TRAGHEIM Douglas Georgina; WOMACK Thomas; WONG Hiu Mei; The following fellows were elected Giles; TRICK Rebecca Louise; TRUBY Jennifer WOOD Stephanie; WROOT Deborah The following fellows were elected to Chartered Scientist status by Mary; TURNER Holly; TURNER Matthew; Catherine; XIA Lei; XIONG Yijun; YOUNG to Chartered Scientist status by Council on 4 February 2015. TURNER Samuel; TYERS Paul; VALLACK Michael; ZAMORA VALCARCE Gonzalo. Council on 26 November 2014. CORY Theresa.

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SUPPORTING STATEMENTS positions as a geologist in Exploration. At the Professor of Hydrogeology at Newcastle end of my career I was VP Exploration New University where I teach on the Hydrogeology FOR ELECTION CANDIDATES Ventures, Chief Scientist for Geology, and and Water Management MSc course and am Below are the supporting statements of finally VP Emerging Technologies and Future developing the Geometry Field Laboratory. the candidates standing for election. Energy (including the transition to renewable I have been a Fellow since 1968 and a Two candidates are endorsed by Council energy). On retirement I became Visiting Chartered Geologist since 1990 and am a because they have volunteered to undertake Professor at the Department of Earth Chartered Civil Engineer. I previously served key tasks for the Society. Sciences in Oxford where I am engaged in on Council (1991 – 1994) and was a Vice teaching and research. Here I am able to President for two years. I also served on the President-designate nominees reconnect with a broad range of Earth IG Council for five years; chaired the science topics and enjoy underpinning Northwest Regional Group for about 10 ➤ Mr Malcolm Brown experience gained in industry by reconnecting years; and was on the Editorial Panel for The Society is admired as both with the scientific fundamentals! CIWEM for ten years. a learned society and a I became a Fellow in 1983 and have served professional body, providing on the Petroleum Group and Fund Raising Proposer: Bill Gaskarth impartial advice and a pre- committees. I am not a C.Geol, but will Supporters: John Martin, Jim Waterworth eminent forum for industry and apply. I am currently co-chair of the Technical academic debate. If elected, Committee for the 8th Petroleum Geological my three objectives would be to maintain Conference and a co-editor of Petroleum ➤Miss Liv Carroll scientific excellence in all Society activities; Geoscience. In 2009 I was awarded the I am a Chartered Geologist broaden the income base of the Society with Silver medal of the Petroleum Group. having joined the Society after less reliance on publishing incomes; and Most major societal investment choices graduating from Durham through multi-disciplinary conferences seek to have important Earth science dimensions: (2000). Following a Masters in better engage both public and government energy, water, and raw materials, Mineral Project Appraisal at by providing impartial, informative advice to infrastructure, and mitigation and adaptation Imperial College (2001), I have current areas of public debate. to climate change, for example. In my view worked at home and overseas on quarrying, After graduating from Kingston Polytechnic the Geological Society, uniquely, has the mining, strategic mineral planning and (1976), with a BSc in Geology, I worked in breadth of interest and support to enable the remediation of legacy mines. As an Associate Libya and Saudi Arabia before completing an professional development, and fact-based Director of Wardell Armstrong, I project MSc in Petroleum Geology at Imperial analyses that are required to ‘serve science manage and contribute to multidisciplinary College (1982). I have worked at British Gas and profession’. It can help by both studies at all stages from exploration through / BG Group for over 30 years as it evolved informing the decisions and enabling the to operational projects. from state-owned utility to successful professionalism to execute them. The I have spoken at the All Party Parliamentary international business and I am currently challenge is therefore to inspire new entrants Group for Earth Sciences on Tanzania and to Executive Vice President, Exploration. I’m an to the profession, facilitate their development the House of Lords on the minerals industry of explorer at heart and have led BG’s and provide the inter-disciplinary networks Sierra Leone. I have been a committee exploration efforts for most of the last two that drive our science forward. This is an member of MinSouth (the London and decades. During this time BG has been endeavour with which I would be proud to Southern Counties branch of IOM3) since involved in 16 giant discoveries, including the be associated. 2004 and served as President (2008/09). pre-salt fields in Brazil. I am also a committee member of the Pan I became a Fellow in 1982, served on Proposer: Glen Cayley European Reserves and Resources Reporting Council between 2009 and 2012 and I’m in Supporters: Ron Oxburgh, Howard Johnson Committee (PERC). my last year as Chairman of the Petroleum As a scrutineer, I believe that Chartership Group. I have served on the PESGB is a serious undertaking and upholding the Committee and I’m currently on the Advisory Council nominees Society’s Code of Conduct is the strength Boards of Energy Geoscience International that binds us in our profession and ongoing and also the Sustainable Gas Institute at ➤Mr Rick Brassington learning. If elected, I would use my skills Imperial College. I was awarded an Honorary I firmly believe that the modern and network to assist in maintaining the Doctorate from Kingston University in 2007 Society should be both the bridge between academia and industry as and the Petroleum Group Silver Medal in primary supporter of geological well as to raise awareness amongst schools 2011. I became a Chartered Geologist science and the regulator of the and universities of the breadth of careers in 2013. geological profession in the UK. in geology. I want to use my experience in Proposer: Jonathan Turner helping to strengthen the national and Proposer: Richard Sillitoe Supporters: Richard Moody, Iain Bartholomew international position of the Society as a Supporters: Laurance Donnelly, Anna Saich learned and professional body. I was the Principal Hydrogeologist with Northwest ➤Prof Bruce Levell Water and then became the Water Resources ➤Prof Harry Doust After a DPhil from Oxford Manager for the NRA both based in I have been a Fellow of the University in Precambrian Warrington before moving into consultancy. I Geological Society since sedimentology, I joined Royal worked for three different consultancies over graduating with my PhD from Dutch Shell in 1978, retiring in a seven year period and have worked as a Imperial College in London in 2013, oscillating between consultant hydrogeologist on my own the late 1960s. Since that time

research and operational account since 1998. I am also the Visiting I have lived outside the UK and ▼

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➤ ▼ have been only very marginally involved in Mr Graham Goffey both the public and private sectors. I have Society affairs. Now that I have more time at Endorsed by Council spent over three decades in environmental my disposal, I feel that I could perhaps rectify Having spent 27 years in the management, much of it addressing the situation and contribute more as a Council petroleum industry in geological issues, all allied with a passionate member. My career has comprised 33 years geosciences and exploration belief that geological science matters. with Shell, working as an explorer in and on management roles, I am Until the end of 2010 I was Director of various parts of the World, including Turkey, currently MD North Sea & Environment and Business at the Oman, Malaysia and Nigeria from a base in West Africa/Senior VP Environment Agency and continue to be The Netherlands, where I served the longest. Exploration for PA Resources in London. involved in environmental and geological Upon retirement in 2001 I was appointed My qualifications are BSc Geological matters through my non-executive position Professor of Regional and Petroleum Geology Sciences (Birmingham), MSc Petroleum on the Coal Authority and as a trustee of at the Vrije Unversiteit in Amsterdam and, Geology (Imperial College) and environmental charities. although now, 13 years later, I have emeritus MBA (Warwick). I believe that there is a crucial need to status, I currently still teach MSc students I have been a Society Fellow for most of promote the relevance of geological science there as well as in Utrecht, Malaysia and my career. From 2004 – 2010 I served on and the contribution geologists can make to Suriname. I also deliver courses to industry the committee of the Petroleum Group, mitigate the big environmental challenges that on my research interest, sedimentary basin including three years as Chairman. During face society. To do that, we must ensure that evolution and petroleum system development. this period I convened many Petroleum our professional skills base is inclusive and If elected, I feel I could contribute a Group workshops and conferences. I led diverse, accessible to all sectors of society. combination of European, international and the NW Europe section of the PGC VII I believe that in our work as geoscientists we industry/academic perspectives to Council. conference in 2009, and co-edited GS must behave professionally and ethically to I live in The Netherlands but would be able to Special Publications 254 (The Deliberate create public confidence in what we do. attend Council meetings in London. Search for the Stratigraphic Trap) and 348 (Hydrocarbons in Contractional Belts). Proposer: Iain Stewart Proposer: Keith Gerdes Supporters: Dimitrios I have been co-opted to Council with a Supporters: Jane Francis, Stuart Monro Sokoutis, Pieter Maurenbrecher view to replacing Adam Law as Treasurer, subject of course to formal election. Effective financial and operational ➤Dr Philip Hirst ➤Prof Gavin Gillmore management are critical to the Society’s As a reservoir geologist in the I am currently seconded as ability to continue to effectively serve hydrocarbon industry for more Head of Kingston Energy science and profession and to the Society’s than 30 years, I have (launched in 2014 by Ed Davey aspiration to be the respected voice of developed links with numerous MP), my substantive post being geoscience in the UK. Through my national resource agencies. Head of School, Geography, experience, I am well placed to continue the I continue to work with a broad Geology and the Environment, sterling work of Adam Law and the range of quality geological data and these Kingston University London. I have held this Society’s loyal and committed staff in form the basis for my work on subsurface post for seven years, previously being Head of tackling the challenges and opportunities models, mainly within alluvial and glacial Department, Geography and Environmental faced by the Society. environments. Through assisting with MSc Sciences, University of Bradford. I have been teaching at Royal Holloway College, I a Fellow of the Society for 20+ years. I am a Proposer: Matthew Allen appreciate university departments benefit Chartered Geologist and sit on the Geological Supporters: Bernard Vining, Mark Attree from quality data sets for teaching and Society Science Committee. I have previously projects; one of my aims has been to served as Scientific Secretary of the EGU strengthen industry/university linkages. Natural Hazards Group. I was leader of IGCP ➤Mrs Tricia Henton Observational geoscience is a mainstay of 571 ‘Radon, Health and Natural Hazards’ Endorsed by Council much of our work – in my case evaluating (2009-2014), which spawned seven I have been a Chartered core and outcrop and then utilising international meetings and two special issues Geologist since 1990 and workstations for compilation and analysis. for Natural Hazards and Earth System served on Council as Digital technologies are pertinent to modern Science. I attend the Parliamentary Group for Secretary Professional geological studies but should be viewed as a Energy Studies, am a member of the Matters (2011-14). complement rather than a replacement for Environmental Industries Commission (EIC), In September 2014 I was field studies; accordingly I have been a strong and a Director of the Radon Council (UK co-opted back to serve as Diversity advocate for detailed fieldwork within industry radon remediation industry regulatory body). Champion and to help the Society fulfil the and the need for universities to train students I was a founding member of the EIC Radon aims of the Science Council Declaration on in field techniques. Working Party and the EIC Shale Gas Diversity, Equality and Inclusion. I am In the past 15 years I have presented at Working Party. I worked as a standing for Council in order to help deliver Geological Society conferences with papers micropalaeontologist in the petroleum the action plan that will take forward this included in several Special Publications. industry for four years before moving to strategic priority. I have been a member for four years and academia for the last 20+ years. I have wide trustee experience of other recently I co-convened a meeting on outcrop My experience of working in a variety of fields, professional organisations (including CIWEM studies and currently I am involved with plus my industrial and political links, will bring and the former Institution of Geologists), editing the special publication. a broad perspective to Council. NGOs and Government bodies and Proposer: Ian Jarvis extensive experience of director and CEO- Proposer: Andrew Bowman Supporters: Peter Treloar, Christopher Hunt level management and strategic planning in Supporters: Peter Armitage, Nigel Clark

10 | MARCH 2015 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST GEOSCIENTIST SOCIETY NEWS

➤Dr Stuart Jones spatial analysis techniques, including Astronomical Society to foster closer links I am a Senior Lecturer at geostatistics and Geographical Information between the two Societies. I am also Durham University, with Science, to soil geochemistry, environmental committed to the support of young and research interests in clastic and criminal forensics, airborne geophysics aspiring geoscientists and would work to sedimentology, geopressure and weathering studies. Interdisciplinary encourage an influx of new and younger and diagenesis. I completed a collaboration and strong partnership working members to the Geological Society. I am BSc (Hons) in Geology at with multiple stakeholders, underpins all of committed to integrity and transparency in Aberystwyth University and followed on with a my research, culminating in over 70 professional life and would work hard as a PhD in Sedimentology at the University of international publications and numerous Council member to support the aims and Reading. A brief excursion in to the conference presentations to date. I would goals of the Society and its members. hydrocarbon industry made me realise how I embrace the leadership opportunity to serve wanted to be at the interface between the Geological Society and geoscience Proposer: Mark Allen academic research and its application to community with enthusiasm, inclusivity and a Supporters: Lara Kalnins, Stuart Jones industry. Ever since, my research has been clear commitment to action. focused on subsurface and outcrop sedimentological data for improved reservoir Proposer: Alastair Ruffell ➤Dr Katherine Royse model development and reducing subsurface Supporters: Laurance Donnelly, Jamie Pringle I have worked at BGS for 17 risk and uncertainty, working in close years and I am currently the collaboration with the hydrocarbon industry. Science Director for I am passionate about Earth sciences and ➤Prof Christine Peirce Environmental Modelling. trying to inspire and nurture the next After completing a BSc in I focus on taking a generation of geoscientists. As a past Geophysics in Cardiff and a multidisciplinary approach to recipient of a STEMnet Science ambassador PhD in the Marine Group at modelling the environment to better of the year award for my Earth science Cambridge, I have been at understand and predict the Earth’s response outreach activities into schools and colleges, Durham University for 25 years to environmental change. I am standing for I feel that I can significantly contribute to the where I am currently Professor Council because I feel that I have a lot to offer Society’s knowledge exchange and wider of Marine Geophysics. During this time I have the Society through my professional career at engagement activities. been the User Group Head for Geophysics in BGS where I have successfully led Urban I have been a fellow of the Geological the UK, and Secretary of the British Geoscience (publishing over 30 key papers) Society for 25 years and have served as Geophysical Association. I am currently a and Derived Products, as well as several secretary of a Geological Society Specialist member of the NERC’s Peer Review College large European projects. I am a STEM Group: the British Sedimentological Research and the Marine Facility Advisory Board. ambassador, and was a NERC KE Fellow Group during 2002-2005 and until recently a I have been a Fellow of both the Geological (2010-2014); I am a committee member of member of the Awards Committee from Society and the Royal Astronomical Society both the London Basin Forum and AGI 2008-2013. since 2010. My research interests include the insurance group and associate editor of the accretionary processes of mid-ocean ridges, Geoscience Data journal. Proposer: Jon Gluyas the flexure of the lithosphere under loading, I have been a Fellow of the Society since Supporters: , Christine Peirce plate erosion due to subduction, and the 1997, becoming a chartered (CGeol, 2001) development of transform continental EurGeol in 2002. A committee member of the margins. I work primarily in the Atlantic and East Midlands Regional Group (2001- 2006); a ➤Dr Jennifer McKinley Pacific oceans. member of the Thames Valley Regional and I believe diversity to be a My research is underpinned by seismic Engineering Groups and have been a defining hallmark of a modern imaging of the Earth’s interior, for which I have chartered scrutineer since 2009. I am also an and inclusive organisation and designed and developed seabed active member of Girlguiding, currently county am committed to promoting instrumentation, co-directing the National commissioner for Nottinghamshire and was a and developing the role of Ocean-Bottom Instrumentation Facility. national board member (2011-2014). As a women in science. In 2010, I also work closely with the National Marine senior member of BGS I am closely linked with I successfully championed an Athena SWAN Facility updating and enhancing the national the academic and private sector Earth Science Silver School award for Geography, marine geophysical equipment base. I was community. During my tenure on Council I Archaeology and Palaeoecology at Queen’s recently awarded the Coke Medal of the would like to focus on increasing the Society’s University Belfast. Moreover, as a Senior Geological Society for my community and relevance to young Earth scientists particularly Lecturer, a Chartered Geologist and member research activities. in developing their future professional roles. of the Geological Society Forensic Throughout my career I have developed Geoscience Group, I am passionate for the and taught undergraduate programmes in Proposer: John Ludden development of all aspects of geoscience. geophysics and aim to inspire the next Supporters: Phil Collins, Rory Mortimore I currently hold a number of roles including: generation by embedding forefront and Executive Vice President of the International current research in the courses I teach. Association of Mathematical Geoscientists; I am committed to providing opportunities for ➤Dr Ralph Sibley Communications Officer for the IUGS-IFG undergraduate and postgraduate students to I am an Associate at Coffey (Initiative on Forensic Geology) and Secretary be involved in data acquisition activities at sea Geotechnics Ltd with 25 years’ for the Royal Irish Academy Geosciences and and the analysis of newly acquired data. experience in ground Geographical Sciences committee. With a If elected to Council, I would use to investigation, engineering primary degree and doctorate in geology, my advantage my Fellowship of both the geology consultancy and

research has focused on the application of Geological Society and the Royal redevelopment of brownfield ▼

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▼ land. I am Operations Manager for Coffey’s became Chartered in 1992. I have been a commercial and regulatory background to Manchester office, co-ordinating teams of Chartership Scrutineer since 2009, and am a urban redevelopment and the management of engineering geologists, geotechnical member of the North West Regional Group, brownfield sites, in which I consider balancing engineers and geo-environmental specialists. regularly attending regional activities. contamination risks with sustainability to be vital. I provide technical expertise to development I wish to serve on the Council to contribute I am passionate about the standing and projects across the world and have forensic directly to the Society that has supported me reputation of geologists, particularly in geotechnical experience. throughout my career. I would bring to the the Construction Industry, from a I have a BSc in ‘Applied Geophysics and role my enthusiasm for mentoring future professional perspective. Engineering Geology’ and a Geology generations of geologists, helping their Doctorate, both from Exeter University. development within a rapidly-changing Proposer: Ian Nettleton I joined the Geological Society in 1985, and industry. I would also bring experience of the Supporters: Alexandra Booer, Richard Seddon

Can’t find your meeting? FIND full, accurate, up-to-date CALENDAR [DETAILS ON THE WEBSITE: www.geolsoc.org.uk/listings ] ENDORSED TRAINING/CPD COURSE DATE VENUE AND DETAILS

Geohazard Risk Analysis & Communication 9 - 13 March University of Sussex. W: www.sussex.ac.uk/geomorphology E: [email protected]

Petroleum Geochemistry and Basin Modelling Courses 16-20 March IGI Ltd. Venue: Hallsannery, Bideford, Devon, UK, EX39 5HE. Fees apply. W: www.igiltd.com/index.html

Risk Mitigation, Planning, and Engineering 30 Mar-3 Apr University of Sussex. W: www.sussex.ac.uk/geomorphology E: [email protected]

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

DIARY OF MEETINGS MARCH 2015 MEETING DATE VENUE AND DETAILS William Smith, Father of English Geology: his maps 3 March Venue: Tempest Anderson Hall, Yorkshire Museum, York. Speaker: John Henry. E: Judith Glover Yorkshire Philosophical Society [email protected]

Introduction to Oil and Gas Exploration and Production. 3 March Training Course. Venue: Burlington House. Fees apply – see website. E: [email protected] Finding Petroleum

Recognising the Limits of Reservoir Modelling - and how to 4-5 March Venue: Elphinstone Hall, University of Aberdeen. Fees apply, discounts. See website to register. overcome them. Petroleum Group E: [email protected]

Soil & Rock Logging to EC7. Fugro 4 March One day training course. Venue: Fugro House, Hithercroft Rd, Wallingford OX10 9RB. Fees apply. See website. E: Mike DeFreitas [email protected]

Shale UK 2015. GSL Year of Mud/Global Event Partners 4-5 March Venue: Milton Court, The Barbican, London. See website for details. Fees apply – discounts. Contact: Rob Percival E: [email protected]

Acute Risk from Short term Exposure to Soil Contamination. 5 March Venue: University of Strathclyde, Richmond Street, Glasgow. Speaker: Simon Firth. Geological Society/Central Scotland Regional/ SCLF E: [email protected]

Schools Geology Challenge 2015. South Wales Regional 10 March Venue: Amman Valley Comprehensive, Dyfed. Time: 1730 for 1800. E: [email protected]

A diet fit for a king? Isotope analysis of the remains of Richard 10 March Venue: BGS, Keyworth. Time: 1830 for 1900. Speaker: Dr Angela Lamb. E: Helen Burke [email protected] III. East Midlands Regional

Geo-hazard workshop and schools competition 2015. South 11 March Workshop, Lecture. Venue: Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth. Devon. PL4 8AA. Time: 1415 – West Regional 1900. See website. E: Gordon Neighbour [email protected]

Lyell Meeting 2015: Mud, Glorious Mud, and why it is 11 March Venue: Burlington House. Fees apply, discounts. See website for details and registration. Contact important for the Fossil Record. Geological Society E: Jess Aries [email protected]

Finding Enough Oil and Gas in NW Europe. Finding 12 March Venue: RSC, Burlington House. See website. Fees apply. Contact: Natalie Cronshaw Petroleum E: [email protected]

MSG Research in Progress Meeting 2015 16 March Venue: University of Leeds. Time: 1000 – 1600. Contact: Clare Warren E: [email protected] Metamorphic Studies

Lasers, Sharks and Dumpers; Geoconservation & 17 March Venue: Room 1.25. Time: 1730 for 1800. Speaker: Gareth Owen. Geotechnical Challenges in Quarry Restoration. Southern E: [email protected] Wales Regional FOR THE REST OF THIS MONTH’S MEETINGS, PLEASE GO TO ‘EVENTS’ AT WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK. EDITOR

12 | MARCH 2015 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST GEOSCIENTIST SOAPBOX

The price of keeping up

The Society’s Distinguished Geologists Memorial Trust offers a funding lifeline, says James Whiteley*, who with the Society’s help, attended a recent international conference in Athens

orking in a relatively small and this is not necessarily a fault of the competitive commercial organisers. In addition to the primary cost of environment, the feelings of sending someone overseas for a week comes SOAPBOX revelation when you attend the secondary financial impact that taking an an international event such as employee out of the field for five days can WNear Surface Geophysics (as I did, in have on a company - worse still, if you are a CALLING! September 2014) is huge (see this month’s self-employed consultant. Unsurprisingly Online Special). therefore, despite a high turnout of Soapbox is open to contributions During five days in Athens, I spoke to ‘practitioners’, commercial ‘users’ of from all Fellows. You can always people from all aspects of the near-surface geophysics seemed somewhat under- write a letter to the Editor, of geophysics and geoscience community. represented. If the central premise of my course: but perhaps you feel you But I spoke to them as collaborators, not Online Special article (namely, that the need more space? competitors; to geoscientists, not people influence of practical experience is highly branded as either ‘academic’ or important for the direction of applied If you can write it entertainingly in ‘practitioner’. I realised that the same research) is acceptable, then this problem 500 words, the Editor would like geoscientific problems we face in the UK are must be addressed in future. to hear from you. Email your mirrored across the globe, and that there are My trip to Athens was paid for by the piece, and a self-portrait, to many people dedicated to advancing the Society’s Distinguished Geologists Memorial ted.nield@geolsoc. org.uk. application of near-surface geophysics, not Trust Fund. Unlike many grants available, Copy can only be accepted just for academic or commercial gain, but the DGMT fund is open to any GSL Fellow electronically. No diagrams, tables because they believe in its huge potential in looking to achieve chartered status. or other illustrations please. tackling pertinent geoscientific issues. You don’t have to be a student, you don’t have to work in academic research; but you Pictures should be of print Downside must have a project with a clearly defined quality – please take photographs Yet, if there is a downside to an event like goal and purpose. Criteria for funding like on the largest setting on your this, it is that it is still too expensive for many these are far and few between. camera, with a plain background. employees from small to medium sized commercial companies to attend - though Funding Precedence will always be given

The DGMT fund is not there solely to allow to more topical contributions. commercial workers to attend academic Any one contributor may not

James Whiteley, back in more events, but it is one of the few funding accustomed fieldwork mode appear more often than once per sources available to practitioners wishing to volume (once~ every 12 months). attend such events without having to rely on their own or their company’s money. With academic funding dwindling in a post- recession UK and unlikely to recover as THE BENEFITS quickly as the private sector, a higher OF MAKING SUCH number of would-be academics may turn to FUNDING MORE industry in the coming years. This will undoubtedly be a boost to small geoscience READILY AVAILABLE companies, but it would be a shame if they TO EMPLOYEES OF were to lose touch with academe entirely, or indeed for any of us who retain an interest in SMALL COMPANIES where the future of our field lies. WOULD BE HUGE, The benefits of making such funding more AND WOULD HELP readily available to employees of small companies would be huge, and would help PRESERVE THE LINK preserve the link between industry and BETWEEN INDUSTRY research that benefits so many areas AND RESEARCH of geoscience. James Whiteley ~ * James Whiteley is a Geophysicist with TerraDat

WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2015 | 13 NEUTRONS FOR GEOLOGY

ith the ability to analyse those found at the UK's ISIS and The humble neutron the properties of the nuclear reactor-based sources (like the Earth's internal internationally owned Institut Laue- is becoming a components to the atomic Langevin (ILL) in Grenoble) are scale in conditions only helping support a small but growing valuable tool to Wfound kilometres below our feet, recent community. Data models which they studies have allowed geoscientists to are developing will shine a new light model the internal study our planet’s internal working, as on how melt structure and density well as those of worlds further afield, change with depth through the Earth - workings of our at new fundamental levels. And all vital clues as to how our current from the relative comfort of the layered internal planetary structure planet, says laboratory! Only last year, for formed billions of years ago and how it example, researchers from Bath continues to evolve today. Martin Dove* University used neutron techniques to map structural changes within oxide Neutrons as a tool glasses and liquids - research that The application of neutron science could provide a new tool to investigate techniques in the field of geology did the environmental conditions that melt not occur in isolation. Their use the Earth's interior and produce followed several decades after the Above: The Institut Laue-Langevin at volcanism at the surface. construction of the first x-ray sources, night. The reactor and producer of the With instruments able to recreate which perform similar types of world's brightest source of neutron is contained within the Dome structure to deep sub-surface conditions up to 7 GPa analyses but in very different ways. the left of the picture and 1500 K, neutron sources such as The application of x-rays was first

14 | MARCH 2015 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST ~ RECENT STUDIES HAVE ALLOWED GEOSCIENTISTS TO STUDY OUR PLANETS INTERNAL WORKING, AS WELL AS THOSE OF WORLDS FURTHER AFIELD, AT NEW FUNDAMENTAL LEVELS ~

The Paris- Edinburgh press at the ISIS neutron source, a device used to apply high pressure to icy materials Image: Peter Ginter www.peterginter.com

Sir James Chadwick, CH, the English physicist who was awarded the 1935 Artistic interpretation of a geyser erupting on Neptune's icy moon Triton. Scientists at Nobel Prize in UCL used neutrons at ISIS and the ILL to explain this activity by studying the behaviour of Physics for his methanol monohydrate, a known constituent of outer solar system moons, under discovery of the conditions thought to be present within these bodies neutron in 1932

discussed in geoscience circles almost defined angles. This is the property Forecasting melts 100 years ago, and very quickly early that allowed scientists to analyse the The data neutrons provide allow adopters of the technique were able to scattering patterns and so to infer the geoscientists to create highly accurate work out the atomic crystal structure structure of the material the neutrons vertical profiles of the behaviour and of all the major components of the have passed through. structure of different interior Earth, as they did for many other The usefulness of neutrons was components at different levels of the materials across condensed matter further enhanced by a number of highly Earth’s interior. physics. Neutrons, by contrast, are a desirable properties which helped open One recent study of this kind was far newer proposition, whose history up their application across a wide range carried out by a team led by Prof Phil in geoscience dates back only half as of sciences - including the geosciences. Salmon (Bath University), which long as that of their light-based First, the neutron's lack of charge means showed how the tight packing of compatriots. that it can penetrate more deeply into oxygen atoms in common silicon-based In 1932, James Chadwick first matter than x-rays or their electrically glasses under extreme pressure leads to proved the existence of a neutrally charged cousins. They also do so in a larger-scale structural changes that charged particle within the atom. non-destructive manner, allowing affect the material’s properties. Under Once confirmed, thoughts immediately researchers to study changes in ambient conditions these oxide glasses turned to its potential use. The basis of structure as a function of time, relating have quite an open structure. However this interest lay in the observation that, to changes in temperature or pressure. under high pressure conditions, the like all particles, neutrons demonstrate The data provided allow geoscientists collapse of their atomic arrangement some wave-like behaviour, and when to create highly accurate vertical brings the oxygen atoms closer together. they encounter obstacles whose size is profiles of the behaviour and structure Eventually, the packing of oxygen comparable with their wavelength they of different interior components at creates changes in the connectivity of

are deviated and scatter along well- different levels within the planet. the atomic network so that silicon atoms ▼

WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2015 | 15 Top view of ILLs high flux reactor

▼ convert from having four oxygen-atom tetrahedral arrangements to six. As a result of the sensitivity of oxygen atoms to their surrounding environments, and the impact these structural transformations have on materials’ bulk properties, it was believed that analysing the structural arrangements could be used to gauge the conditions under which different materials form. However, an exact understanding of how pressure produces these transformations has so far been lacking. To investigate one potential indicator of these changes, Salmon and his team tracked the close packing of oxygen atoms within oxide glasses under extreme pressures using neutron diffraction. Their analysis showed that the overall network structures and associated physical properties of a wide variety of disordered oxides can be categorised - and therefore predicated - by the material's ‘oxygen-packing fraction’ (the space within a liquid or One of the glass structure occupied by oxygen beamlines at the ILL where atoms), which increases under pressure. neutrons are This analysis also extends to liquid fired at samples basalt at deep mantle conditions. of materials to investigate Until now there has been no reliable their structure guide for predicting the conditions under a wide range of under which transformations occur. temperature However Salmon's study has shown and pressures that if you have a material whose packing density is known to approach its random close-packing upper limit (where 64% of the volume is taken up with oxygen) this is a strong indication you are going to get a change in The arrangements structure and therefore a change in of polyhedra in a physical properties. These properties compacted glass include the material’s compressibility under high- pressure and its viscosity, which determines flow conditions behaviour. GEOSCIENTIST FEATURE

This is important information. A better understanding of how local subsurface conditions affect viscosity could help model the speed of magma turnover, which in turn affects how slowly or quickly you can get heat out, and therefore how quickly the Earth's ancient magma ocean crystallised, billions of years ago. Other materials However, glasses are not the only materials that can be analysed. Because neutrons 'see' the nucleus of atoms (unlike x-rays which 'see' electrons) they are particularly good at identifying the position of light atoms - such hydrogen, a very important component of many minerals, particularly hydrous minerals - and so can be used in studying the movement of water within geological process. Some minerals, such as clays and zeolites, contain significant quantities of water in pores and between atomic layers. Near-surface geology is in fact is Above: Cutaways showing the internal structures of the Jovian moon Ganymede and the Neptunian moon Triton dominated by the effects of water acting as the ‘grease’, enabling the convection of minerals in the inner Earth that drives Finally we have the neutron's ability plate tectonics. The sensitivity of to investigate magnetism. Being made neutrons to hydrogen allows precise up of three electrically charged quarks, measurements to be made of the neutrons act like small magnets structure, synthesis and dynamics of themselves and so interact with the these hydrous mineral phases. electron spins in magnetic materials. With regards to scale and resolution of This makes them an ideal probe for analysis, the wavelengths of neutrons understanding the structure and lend themselves to very precise dynamics of magnetic minerals such as measurements at the atomic and haematite and magnetite. molecular scale. While the wavelength of your average lab-sourced x-ray First analysis corresponds roughly to that of an atomic Despite possessing such unique bond, neutrons can be produced with properties, neutron studies were initially wavelengths six times as small - slow to take off. It was not until the providing far greater resolution. advent of nuclear reactors, around 1945, Neutron wavelength can also be tweaked that high neutron fluxes, capable of in- by altering the energy they carry. At depth structural investigations, became ~ facilities like the ILL they are produced possible. Even then, researchers had to over a wide variety of energies, from hot wait until the 1960s for specially thermal neutrons (with an energy of developed high-flux research reactors to BECAUSE NEUTRONS about 0.025 eV - which whizz around at a be built and optimised. This couple of kilometres per second) to ultra- development culminated in the high- 'SEE' THE NUCLEUS OF cold neutrons (with energies less than 3 × flux reactor at the ILL (in operation since ATOMS (UNLIKE X-RAYS 10−7 eV, which move more slowly than 1972), which has achieved the highest WHICH 'SEE' ELECTRONS) most people can run). neutron flux to date. This range of energies corresponds to Today there are over 20 neutron THEY ARE PARTICULARLY wavelengths that vary over four to five active science facilities across the world, GOOD AT IDENTIFYING THE orders of magnitude. Although ultra- and they come in two forms. Research POSITION OF LIGHT ATOMS... cold neutrons are used particle physics reactors, such as the ILL, use nuclear experiments to study the properties of fission to produce a steady, reliable AND SO CAN BE USED IN the neutron itself, these large facilities source of neutrons. Spallation sources, STUDYING THE MOVEMENT produce a sufficient range in neutron such as the STFC ISIS Neutron Source in OF WATER WITHIN energy to allow scientists to study both the UK, accelerate protons into target the atomic and molecular structure of material, prompting the emission of GEOLOGICAL PROCESS many common geological minerals. neutrons. A lot of my own research has ▼ ~ WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2015 | 17 GEOSCIENTIST FEATURE

▼ taken place at these two facilities. (including disordered crystalline atom, normally surrounded by four The story of how I discovered the materials), using a measurement of the neighbouring atoms, moves to a more usefulness of neutron science as a tool all the scattering processes at once compact structure with where two extra for geoscience studies follows a similar combined with a modelling technique. neighbouring atoms) is well known. path to the emergence of the technique For new applications in geosciences However the exact conditions and the more widely - with initial struggles and we pioneered the development of process involved in this transition has obstacles to overcome. methods to measure neutron diffraction been little understood and is now being During my PhD work, I used single- at simultaneous high pressures (up to explored with the latest neutron crystal and powder x-ray diffraction. 10 GPa) and high temperatures (up to techniques. Such studies should yield a However, in my first post-doc position, I 1500 K). We needed to develop a new far deeper understanding of a variety of repeated some of my x-ray powder method to measure temperature, Earth processes. diffraction studies using neutron because normal methods are too fragile The application of these ‘geological’ powder diffraction at ILL, and was for high pressures; we eventually settled studies made possible by neutron amazed at how this alternative on a method of using the neutron science has not been restricted to our technique provided so much more detail absorption spectrum, giving us a home planet. In 2009 a science team led for my particular samples. precision of ±20 K. We are now looking by Dr Dominic Fortes (University I soon became a convert to neutron to stretch this range of temperatures College London) working with the ILL scattering and have since carried out a and pressures. and ISIS explored the internal structure large number of studies at ISIS on of icy moons, such as the Neptunian geophysical and related materials, Global satellite, Triton. The aim was to explain including structural studies of minerals As a global community, these types of the icy eruptions seen by passing such as quartz, leucite and calcite, instruments and techniques have spacecraft by using neutron scattering measurements of phonons in minerals delivered important crystallographic to study the behaviour of methanol like calcite to investigate phase insights into minerals as diverse as monohydrate, a known constituent of transitions, and using incoherent zeolites, feldspars, magnetite and outer Solar System moons, under quasielastic scattering to explore the various carbonates. Silicate minerals are conditions thought to be present within motions of water in minerals. Much of a rich source of potential study. The these bodies. my recent effort has concerned using transition from one molecular The Fortes team’s analysis showed neutrons to help understand the arrangement to another through the that at room pressure the methanol structure of disordered materials application of pressure (as each silicon crystals would expand enormously in

Overview of the winning design for the The ISIS neutron European Spallation Source (ESS) by source at Harwell, Henning Larsen Architects, COBE and SLA Oxfordshire GEOSCIENTIST FEATURE

one direction while shrinking in the construction anywhere on the planet. neutron instrumentation. other two dimensions - whereas heating It promises to provide researchers from This slow rate of acceptance of the under an even pressure expanded them various scientific disciplines with a new modelling and analysis capability of in two directions, while compressing in super microscope, powered by the neutron science may not be surprising for the third! With this new understanding world's most powerful neutron source. other reasons too. Geologists are far the London based team were able to For the geology, geochemistry and more used to dealing with kilometre- model their role in surface volcanism. volcanology community, its backers scale models, while microscope analysis (including the UK government) hope its is at crystal rather than atomic level. Opportunities opening (due in the early 2020s) will This represents a missed opportunity. With such a wide range of applications offer access to specially-developed Neutrons provide a unique tool to relevant to the geoscience community, new instrumentation for in situ understand the detailed behaviour of there should be much excitement measurements of structure, reactivity common materials and minerals under around the potential of neutron science. and physical properties of multi- very uncommon conditions within our Continuing upgrades, and new component melts and fluids under a planet. While we can measure the instrument development at institutes variety of extreme conditions. viscosity and density of lavas at the likes ISIS and ILL, are bringing new Despite the impressive investment surface, the deeper you go into the Earth capabilities and allowing researchers to and planned scale of ESS, and the the more difficult it is to quantify these recreate new, ever more extreme continued improvements, new properties. With neutron science, conditions and are giving the technique capabilities and world-class level of geologists could start to unlock the never-before reached levels of expertise at existing facilities, the fundamental explanations of the deep- credibility within the neutron science potential impact of this fundamentally Earth processes that formed our community. This awareness and important work has yet to be fully planetary structure billions of years ago recognition, supplemented by the ability appreciated. The community of and which manifest themselves today at to match computer simulation and advocates and those with the experience surface as some of the most violent and neutron scattering, will continue in preparing and analysing samples with important events in nature. u through plans for ‘next generation’ neutrons is still relatively small, because neutron facilities being pioneered by the the discipline suffers from the mistaken European Spallation Source (ESS). perception that anyone using these * Professor Martin Dove is Director of the Based in Lund in Sweden, ESS is one instruments needs themselves to possess Centre for Condensed Matter and Materials of the biggest science projects under in-depth understanding of complex Physics, Queen Mary, University of London

A Paris-Edinburgh high-pressure press mounted on the neutron diffractometer D4c at the Institut Laue-Langevin MIOCENE IN THE UK! Matthew Pound and James Riding* on a little-known Miocene sedimentary unit in the southern Peak District (Derbyshire)

he Miocene Epoch (23.0–5.33 Ma) and to use these conclusions to assess the is not one that many geologists uplift of the southern Pennines. would associate with the UK. However, during fieldwork we Despite the extensive distribution struggled to recognise and correlate the of considerable thicknesses of two uppermost members consistently. Tmarine Neogene sediments offshore, the Preliminary biostratigraphical data based onshore record is profoundly sparse. on pollen suggests that at least the It is well known that there is a major uppermost part of the Brassington hiatus between the Oligocene and the Formation may be significantly Pliocene in southeast England. The entire diachronous in the two main outcrop absence of Miocene sediments throughout areas. this region is due to Alpine mountain building and/or glacial erosion during Named the Quaternary. However, there are The Brassington Formation was formally terrestrial Miocene strata that you can named in the early 1970s and is known walk to in the UK. from around 60 karstic hollows, many of These deposits are not geographically which were quarried for making refractory extensive, and have not received much bricks. It appears to have been deposited attention recently. The three best known as an extensive sheet of sediment that was are the terrestrial sediments of the St initially eroded from the bedrock Agnes outlier in Cornwall, a dissolution to the south of Brassington. This erosion pipe-fill on Anglesey and the alluvial- probably occurred during the Early fluvial-lacustrine Brassington Formation Miocene and, following the recession of of Derbyshire. the Triassic cover, subsequently denuded The latter two occurrences survived the underlying shale-dominated units of erosion during the Late Neogene due to the Pennsylvanian (Upper ). their karstic fill nature, and of these the There is still some controversy as to Brassington Formation is by far the more whether or not the karstic processes that extensive. The evidence suggests good led to the collapses into the pockets began preservation of the Brassington Formation during the deposition of the younger, - within the karst cavities. The association dominated, Brassington Formation of the Brassington Formation with successions as they are preserved. The Above top: Kenslow Top, near Friden, Derbyshire glaciogenic sediments may provide useful alternative is that these karst processes Above middle: Locality map showing Kenslow Top insights into the Quaternary history of the entirely post-dated the youngest- Pit and Bees Nest Pit Above lower: Kenslow Top Pit, Kirkham Member Peak District. preserved Brassington Formation It seems likely that very little of the sediments. Irrespective of this timing Left: Bees Nest Pit, near Brassington, Derbyshire Brassington Formation sediments on the issue, these alluvial-fluvial-lacustrine

surface were eroded during the sediments collapsed into karstic features Devensian glaciation because the glacial within highly dolomitised Lower

limit at that time lay to the north of the Carboniferous (Mississippian) limestones outcrop area. However, potentially there of the Peak Limestone Group. was significantly more erosive capacity There are two principal clusters: one ~ during earlier stages in the Quaternary. west of Matlock around Friden, and another in the Brassington area, northeast Variable of Ashbourne. Quarrying of the The Miocene Brassington Formation of Brassington Formation has now entirely THE MIOCENE the southern Pennines is a highly ceased, and many of the old pits have BRASSINGTON FORMATION variable, fining-upwards siliciclastic been infilled. The best exposures are now OF THE SOUTHERN succession. It was largely derived from Kenslow Top Pit (Friden cluster) and the weathering of Triassic strata, probably Bees Nest Pit (Brassington cluster). PENNINES IS A HIGHLY during the Early Miocene, and preserved The Brassington Formation comprises the VARIABLE, FINING- in and around karstic hollows within Kirkham, Bees Nest and Kenslow UPWARDS SILICICLASTIC highly dolomitised Lower Carboniferous members, and the type section is at Bees limestone. Recent research has allowed Nest Pit near Brassington. All three SUCCESSION us to revise the age of this important unit, members appear to represent a coherent, ▼ ~ WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2015 | 21 Above: pollen, and the pine tree from which it derives

Left: Bees Nest Pit today showing annotated sediments

▼ genetically-related, sequence of identify at the east end of Kenslow Top significantly different climate and vegetation sediments. Pit, around nine kilometres to the to the one at Kenslow Top Pit. The Kirkham Member comprises up to northwest near Friden. Here we 70m of red to white sand with pebbles. measured several different sections. The Conclusion The overlying Bees Nest Member is lowermost section within the Kirkham The distribution of Miocene sediments in represented by several metres of Member was predominantly red to yellow the UK can help in the modelling of uplift varicoloured clays, and the uppermost sand with discrete lenses (?channels) of rates associated with the Alpine orogeny. Kenslow Member is a relatively thin grey reworked pebbles from the Chester Recent work based on pollen biostratigraphy clay which is locally rich in plant fossils. Formation (formerly the Nottingham has suggested that this rate was markedly These palaeobotanical remains have, so Castle Sandstone Formation and the lower than previously supposed. far, provided the only means of dating the Bunter Pebble Beds) of original Early Our results indicate a more complex formation. In the early 1970s, a Late Triassic age. depositional model for the Brassington Miocene to Early Pliocene age (11.63 –3.60 The second section was also in the Formation than previously suggested. Ma) was suggested. Kirkham Member and contained the The uppermost clay-rich sediments from We recently revised this to Late same red-yellow sand, but with thin Kenslow Top and Bees Nest pits are Miocene (9–7 Ma) based on a pollen bands of pebbles with red clay, which in difficult to correlate. Furthermore the assemblage from Kenslow Top Pit. turn was overlain by white sand with pollen assemblages at these localities During fieldwork at this locality, we scattered rounded pebbles. The third appear to be significantly different both in struggled to apply the lithostratigraphical section contained a fining-upwards botanical terms, and in age. The two succession above the Kirkham Member. succession of orange-brown sand through biomes reflect different ambient climates This has led to a continuing field sandy-clay to varicoloured clays. Finally and strongly suggest that they are campaign in which we are attempting to the uppermost section comprised grey diachronous at the two sites. document and explain the diversity of clay with coarse bands of reworked chert, We will combine further traditional these heterolithic, clay-dominated overlain by highly laminated sands and fieldwork with additional 3D laser-scanning sediments within the Brassington clays, and glacial till. The clays in the to attempt to more completely understand Formation, and refine the original latter two sections cannot be satisfactorily this complex and fascinating interpretations of age, environment and assigned to either the Bees Nest or lithostratigraphical unit. It is clear that the depositional history. Kenslow members of the type section, Brassington Formation of Derbyshire which is only around nine kilometres to provides a unique insight into the Miocene Logged the southeast. landscape and climate of the UK. u We have logged several at Kenslow Top The grey clay in the uppermost section and Bees Nest pits. These have been at Kenslow Top Pit has yielded a * Matthew Pound* (research fellow, Department sampled for pollen and grain size relatively diverse pollen flora indicative of of Geography, Northumbria University Newcastle) analyses where appropriate, and laser- a warm-temperate mixed forest with a & James Riding (Individual Merit Researcher, scanned to create 3D images. Because reconstructed mean annual temperature BGS, Keyworth, Nottingham) who was supported quarrying operations ceased in the 1970s, (MAT) of around 16°C using the ‘nearest by the Society’s William George Fearnsides Fund most of the slopes have become vegetated living relative’ technique. However, the and consequently many sections have had plant-bearing clay from the type section of ➤ ACKNOWLEDGEMENT to be dug out. Our efforts are currently a the Kenslow Member at Bees Nest Pit has Thanks go to Peter Walsh for advice and ‘work in progress’, but we have already yielded a profoundly different pollen flora for supplying some of the photographs, and collected many interesting data. and a wide range of plant fossils. The Vanessa Banks, Peter Jones, Michael At Bees Nest Pit, it is easy to identify palynoflora is dominated by conifers, Lim and James Witts, who have helped the three members of the formation, with with rare angiosperms and almost no fern with the fieldwork which was partially white sand overlain by varicoloured clays spores, and gives a slightly higher MAT of funded by the Geological Society of and fossiliferous grey clay. However, this 17.5°C. The Bees Nest flora indicates a London. W: www.geolsoc.org.uk/grants succession is much more difficult to warm-temperate conifer forest; this is a

22 | MARCH 2015 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST

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Of course London is Image: CristinaMuraca / Shutterstock.com Stone to Build London beautiful. It’s made of Dorset As a geologist who studied and worked in various Portland Stone buildings on both banks of the Thames, this book is a delight! In the 1950s the author sat at her Granny’s knee to hear tell that “Portland is a special place because it is a Royal the extent of quarrying over the years, established. Even so, the total day Manor and belongs to the Queen”. from coastal landslips to inland quarries students each year, including Granny told of her Portland ancestors and nowadays, adit mining. I estimate metallurgists, engineers and science and the quarrying trade that has existed, that quarrying has taken place over students, was ~20−35 after the post on and off, since Roman times and with some 3.5 km2. 1914−18 war bulge until 1939, with only London since 1350. Geologist, the Rev. Townsend (1813) three to seven Honours students. This is a lavishly illustrated book with listed the Portland Stone as the Fearnsides retired in 1945 and Frederick 325 photos (over 75% colour) and 35 ‘Superior Oolite’ – he was right in W Shotton was appointed to the Chair. maps and diagrams. It should appeal to every sense! Shotton had to cope with enormously geologists, archaeologists, historians, increased student numbers in very building engineers and architects alike. Reviewed by Geoff Townson inadequate accommodation and he Part One is a brief overview, followed resigned in 1949 to be replaced by the by Part Two (nine chapters) which cover STONE TO BUILD LONDON – PORTLAND’S LEGACY dynamic and much loved Leslie R Moore the history of quarrying and the use of GILL HACKMAN, 2014. Published by: Folly Books Ltd; (1912−2003). Moore expanded the Portland Stone in London and the Empire 320pp (hbk 250 x 250mm) ISBN: 978 0 9564405 9 4 Department to one of the largest in the List price: £24.99 www.bradford-on-avon.org.uk from 1600 onwards. Part Three comprises country, appointed staff who became a tour of 135 of London’s Portland Stone distinguished, initiated fossil buildings and monuments with seven studies which led to the Department’s maps and 111 colour photos. For visitors becoming the national centre for this to this isolated corner of Dorset, there Sorby's Legacy: Geology work, with ~250 postgraduates being follows a guide with a map and 16 colour trained - and eagerly snapped up by photos. Five Appendices cover the at the University of employers. Expeditions to Kilimanjaro, geology, quarrying methods, exports and Sheffield the Sahara, North Peary Land and Iceland examples beyond London: UK, Eire, added to the Department’s success. Belgium, Denmark, Japan and the USA This well written and But the 1949 promise to Moore of a (e.g. the Mason-Dixon monument 1751). most interesting new departmental building was never This book reveals the history of The Isle record of the fulfilled and his successor in the Sorby of Portland, not only the quarrying and formation, expansion Chair from 1978, J Barry Dawson faced a stone export but its interlinked land and sad demise of the split site and a lack of top University ownership and agricultural history. very well-regarded support, which in 1987 slashed income by There are some fascinating gems about Sheffield Geology 53% to preserve resources for chemistry quarrying on the Royal Manor and the Department, was and physics. This triggered downgrading use of the stone in London, especially written by a in the Oxburgh Review; the Department since 1600 – in particular the impact of member of the 1971 closed in 1990 to be partly replaced by a London’s economic and political history Honours class. It details the staff and is small Earth Science Unit (within Animal on the development of the Portland stone excellently illustrated with photographs and Plant Sciences) which itself was industry. Local personalities have played of members, premises, field excursions closed in 2001. Palynological work a fascinating role, especially in the 18th and laboratory classes. continues as a Centre under Professor Century. Links with London scientists are Although geology was part of the Charles Wellman in Animal and Plant mentioned, e.g. ‘The father of modern metallurgy curriculum in Sheffield before Sciences, and the proceeds of this book go science’ Robert Hooke, who concluded in the 1905 formation of the University, a towards supporting this work. 1665 that fossilised objects like petrified Geology Department did not appear until A superb Department closed by an wood and fossil shells, such as 1913, being the result of a legacy left by inept hierarchy. ammonites, were the remains of living FRS (1826−1908), the things, a conclusion praised by Charles brilliant Sheffield petrologist, and the Reviewed by Bernard Elgey Leake Lyell in his Principles of Geology (1832). ‘Father of Microscopical Petrography’. I have often been surprised that so The first Sorby Professor was William SORBY’S LEGACY: GEOLOGY AT THE many buildings and memorials (e.g. war G Fearnsides (1879−1968), but the day UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD graves) could have come from such a student total did not reach 10 until 1919 R ALISON HUNTER, author and publisher, 2013, 201pp. Details at www.geologyatsheffield.co.uk small Dorset island but Gill’s maps reveal when an Honours School of Geology was

24 | MARCH 2015 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST Would you like to receive a free book and write a review? Available titles are listed online, of which a small selection is shown below. Contact the editor for further information [email protected]

Geology of Gem Deposits with appropriate use of colour, this is an this region, their use in historic buildings, attractive book to dip into. If I have a and the subsequent problems of Gemmology is an pedantic quibble it is that there is no conservation. evolving science in consistent format between chapters. The thrust of two technical papers, both which increasingly Each is written as a stand-alone paper so by Calia and others, is on the complex analytical geology and geography are dealt with in characterisation of stone from the techniques are used different ways. standpoint of the Italian conservator: the to confirm My main disappointment is in the porous calcarenite called pietra gentile in provenance and section ‘Geology of Gems and their Puglia, and the calcarenite known as Lecce identity of valuable Geographical Origin’. This could have stone used in the Salento region. gemstones. been a major statement but ends up being Many buildings and settlements present Gemmologists are rather bland and uncontroversial. problems of conservation and restoration. generally less interested in the origin and The restoration of buildings of Lede stone paragenesis of gemstones as in testing and Reviewed by Peter Treolar in Belgium (de Kock et al.) and of Reims classifying them. Cathedral in northeast France (Turmel et al.) For the geologist, particularly the GEOLOGY OF GEM DEPOSITS (2ND EDITION) is proving difficult because the limestones mineralogist, they form an intriguing GROAT, L E, 2014. Mineralogical Association of originally used are no longer available. The subset of the mineral kingdom. Canada, Short Course Series Volume 44. 405 pp. buildings and monuments of Salamanca in Gemstones may have a metamorphic or ISBN 978-0-921294-54-2 central Spain – a UNESCO World Heritage igneous origin, and/or develop along Site – exploited a wide range of materials, some kind of diffusion couplet. not all of which are now available (Peirera Understanding their paragenesis involves and Cooper). André et al. explore the a combination of mineral chemistry, and Stone in Historic benefits and disadvantages of different aspects of fluid, metamorphic and pointing mortars used to conserve magmatic processes. Buildings Romanesque churches in the French Massif This second edition of Geology of Gem Central. The odd-man-out in this collection Deposits arises out of a Mineralogical For millennia stone is the paper by Laycock and Wood Association of Canada short course held has been exploited for describing laboratory experiments on the at Tucson in 2014 and supersedes an building, architectural penetration of rain into masonry. earlier volume published in 2007. The use, decoration and The production standard is high, except format is much the same as the first ornamentation. for most of the illustrations of thin-sections, volume. An opening chapter on diamond Where did suitable which are too small to be of real use. is followed by chapters on gem corundum stone occur? What A map of Spain would have helped the deposits (including ruby and sapphire), were its geological reader unfamiliar with the whereabouts emerald, non-emerald beryl, chrysoberyl, characteristics and of Salamanca. tsavorite and tanzanite, topaz, gem- context? What were bearing pegmatites, and jade (jadeite jade its technical and aesthetic properties? Reviewed by J R L Allen and nephrite jade). A general discussion Were transport communications good? on the geology of gems and their How costly was the stone? Did the stone STONE IN HISTORIC BUILDINGS - geographic origin separates the chapters have cultural significance in being CHARACTERIZATION AND PERFORMANCE on corundum and emerald. emblematic of the district or region of its J CASSAR ET AL. (Eds). 2014. Published by: The volume closes with an overview of exploitation? Have problems of building Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 391. 200 pp. ISBN 978-1-86239-376-9. Canadian Coloured Gemstones supported conservation arisen because the original List price: £90.00; Fellows' price: £45.00; Other by nine pages of colour images. The book quarries fell out of use or disappeared and societies' price: £54.00 runs to 393 pages with some chapters was an acceptable replacement stone hard greatly increased in length, including that to find? on corundum (now 84 pages long) and These are among the questions BOOKS Available for review that on tsavorite and tanzanite. Most of addressed in this Special Publication of the the diagrams are the same, although many Geological Society, edited by a team led by Please contact [email protected] if you would have been rendered into colour, making J Cassar (University of Malta), a worthy like to supply a review. You will be invited to keep the review copy. See a full up-to-date list at the volume more visually attractive. successor to the Society’s previous Special www.geolsoc.org.uk/reviews Another enhancement is that colour Publications 205, 271, 331, 333 and 391 (see images of gemstones and gem bearing also the Geological society of America’s u NEW! 52 things you should know about rocks have been embedded into the text Special Paper 390). palaeontology Edited by Cullum & Martinius Agile rather than being included in a series of Three papers cover availability. Bristow Libre 2014137pp pbk separate colour pages, giving them added reviews stone in Cornwall, and especially u NEW! Principles of Electromagnetic Methods in immediacy. the granites. From West Sussex, Cordiner Surface Geophysics 2015 by Kaufman Alekseev For anybody interested in gemstones records an extraordinary 52 lithologies to and Oristaglio. Elsevier Methods in Geochem and Gophys., vol 45.769pp, hbk from a geological perspective, this is a be found in the County’s 180 late medieval u wonderful book. All the authors are well to modern churches, noting a strong NEW! Planet Mercury - from Pale Pink Dot to Dynamic World 2015 by David Rothery. Springer known in their field, although I note that geographical control on distribution. 180pp hbk in the index not all chapters have authors Turning to Tuscany, Fratini and Rescic u NEW! Practical & Applied Hydrogeology by attributed to them. Scientifically up to review the complicated igneous, Zekai Sen 2015 Elsevier 406pp hbk date, well put together and illustrated sedimentary and metamorphic rocks of

WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2015 | 25 PEOPLE NEWS CAROUSEL IN MEMORIAM WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/OBITUARIES All Fellows of the Society are entitled to entries in this column. Please email [email protected], THE SOCIETY NOTES WITH SADNESS THE PASSING OF: quoting your Fellowship number. Adatia, Ruth Horman* Lane, Alan* u Borg-Costanzi, Joseph A* Miller, Terence G * Phil Gibbard Brasier, Martin* Mills, J A* Phil Gibbard has been Cater, Maxwell Clinton* McSweeney, LJM* awarded the James Croll Evans, J Russ* Quick, David* Medal 2014 by the Quaternary Foster, Michael* Rivington, John Blackett* Research Association. The Fothergill, T* Scott, Barry* medal was presented in Heeley, Martyn* Sokolov, Boris* (2013) Edinburgh on 6 January 2015 Hooper, P L* Watson, John S in recognition of his King, Chris* (Dorset) Wright, Martin* Kosler, Jan* Williams, John B E* outstanding contributions to the field of Quaternary Science. The award reflects 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 shown Phil's broad-ranging and in bold. Fellows for whom no obituarist has yet been commissioned are marked with cutting edge research across glacial, periglacial an asterisk (*). The symbol § indicates that biographical material has been lodged with and interglacial stratigraphy, and his outstanding the Society. contributions to national and international committees If you would like to contribute an obituary, please email ted.nield@geolsoc. including the QRA, INQUA and the Subcommission on org.uk to be commissioned. You can read the guidance for authors at Quaternary Stratigraphy. www.geolsoc.org.uk/obituaries. To save yourself unnecessary work, please do not write anything until you have received a commissioning letter. u Steve Sparks Steve Sparks, of Bristol 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. University and a former President of the Society, has won the Vetlesen Prize. Established in 1959 by the G Unger Vetlesen Foundation, it is awarded every two years for scientific achievement resulting Image: Kunertus / Shutterstock.com in a clearer understanding of the Earth, its history, or its relations to the universe. It is now administered by Columbia University’s Lamont- Doherty Earth Observatory. Designed to rank in its field in importance and honour with the Nobel awards, the Vetlesen has been won by such luminaries as Arthur Holmes, J Tuzo Wilson and Wally Broecker.

26 | MARCH 2015 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST GEOSCIENTIST PEOPLE NEWS

Geoscientists in the news and on the move in the UK, Europe and worldwide

DISTANT THUNDER Packing case that changed the world

compiler [John Phillips], who, Geologist and science John Phillips, nephew after witnessing the workings of of William Smith writer Nina Morgan* Mr. Smith's mind and changes celebrates an archive of his fortune during the last five found in an attic and twenty years of his life, was called upon to perform the duty Few people were more of examining his voluminous knowledgeable about the unpublished papers." methods and achievements of William Smith than his nephew, Hidden treasure John Phillips. Orphaned at the This reference to 'voluminous age of seven, John and his sister unpublished papers' caught the Anne were taken in by their eye of Leslie Reginald Cox uncle. Smith paid for John's (1897-1965), a researcher at the education and in 1815, John Natural History Museum in began working as his uncle's London, when he was preparing scientific assistant, sorting and a lecture about William Smith cataloguing Smith's fossil and his work in 1938. "This collection. Together they statement attracted my travelled through England, and attention...," Cox wrote, "...for it John became, in effect, the first occurred to me that there was a "apprenticed" geologist. remote possibility that the Phillips, a great champion of documents mentioned by his uncle's work, later went on Phillips might still be in to do great things, rising through existence.... Accordingly I This treasure trove – most Royal Literary and Scientific the geological ranks to become enquired of Professor J A likely tucked away by Phillips Institution, 2003; ISBN the first Professor of Geology at Douglas, who had recently been himself – now forms the basis of 0954494105; L R Cox, 1942, Oxford University in 1860. appointed to the Oxford Chair of the Smith Archive at the Oxford New light on William Smith and He also helped to plan and Geology, if anything was known University Museum of Natural His Work, Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society, arrange what is now the at Oxford of Smith's MSS." History, the most comprehensive vol 25, 1-99; J M Edmonds, Oxford University Museum of With this enquiry, Cox hit Smith archive in the world. The 1982, The first apprenticed Natural History, and became its paydirt. "As it happened," Cox contents - much of which have geologist, Wiltshire first Keeper. wrote, "Professor Douglas had been digitised and are being Archaeological and Natural already decided that the made available at History Magazine, v.76 pp. Literary executor contents of a packing-case www.williamsmithonline.com - 141-154; Nina Morgan, 2006, When Smith died, Phillips also which had long lain uncovered have kept Smith and Phillips Anne Phillips and the mystery served as his uncle's literary and and neglected in an attic in the scholars busy for years and are of the Malverns, Geoscientist de facto scientific executor - as Oxford University Museum still being studied. But even so, 16.7, pp. 6-7 & 12-15. well as his 'official' biographer. urgently required attention. It many aspects of Smith's life Phillips's Memoirs of William proved, on examination, to remain a mystery. Surely there ➤ The History of Geology Group Smith LL.D., first published in contain the greater part of the MUST be another dusty packing (HoGG) is organising a 1844, was the first biography of indeed voluminous manuscript case hidden in the attic of the conference and field trip on 23- William Smith to appear. The mentioned by Phillips." It was, Oxford Museum. One can only 25 April 2015 to celebrate 200 years of Smith's Map. For more book, Phillips noted, was for Smith scholars, truly the hope! information see: www.geol "...drawn from authentic packing case that changed their soc.org.uk/wsmith15 and ➤ Acknowledgement materials principally in the world. http://historyofgeologygroup. Information sources for this possession of the co.uk/april-2014-william- vignette include: John Phillips smith-meeting-2015-200-yea and the Business of rs-of-smiths-map/ Victorian Science by Jack Morrell, Ashgate Publishing, 2005, ISBN *Nina Morgan is a geologist and 1840142391; Memoirs science writer based near Oxford, of William Smith, LL.D by John Phillips,(especially and is one of many who have the Introduction, Lecture studied some of the contents of and additional material by that packing case. She is Hugh Torrens), re- currently working on a book about published by The Bath the Geology of Gravestones.

WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2015 | 27 GEOSCIENTIST OBITUARY

OBITUARY MARTIN ELLIOTT WRIGHT 1949-2013

Geologist whose work ranged from roads to aircraft artin Wright was and emissions including work born in London noise and the atmospheric effects of air transport for the Civil Aviation but moved, in Authority and was a review 1960, with his editor for the ‘Aviation and family to the Global Atmosphere’ study MLowestoft where he attended at the invitation of the the Lowestoft Grammar Intergovernmental Panel on School. He then read geology Climate Change. So, by the

at Imperial College, end of his career, he had graduated as an Associate of shifted from dealing with the

the Royal School of Mines at Earth to dealing with the sky. the top of his year in 1971, However, Martin never and won~ the Watts Medal. lost his interest in geology and introduced Ann to the joys of ‘Terroir’ – the BY THE END OF combination of geology and wine. His inspiration for this HIS CAREER, MARTIN was gained during an HAD SHIFTED FROM undergraduate geology field DEALING WITH THE trip to France led by the late Dr Peigi Wallace. One EARTH TO DEALING morning they met the WITH THE SKY. Professor of Geology at HOWEVER, HE NEVER Rheims and, before any academic activity began, they LOST HIS INTEREST were handed glasses of IN GEOLOGY champagne to enjoy. During their married life Martin and ~ Ann continued to Planning (responsibly) explore and From 1972 Martin started a Programme before transport and represented the enjoy wines. career in the Civil Service transferring to the Chief UK and DoT on various Martin’s interests were which lasted nearly 25 years. Scientist’s Unit in the European programme extensive, including a He began by using his Department of Transport transport management continuing interest in the geological knowledge in the (DoT) followed by a two-year Committees. From 1993, topography and history of Minerals and Land Use posting on the financing of he was Head of Division Suffolk and in artists who Planning section of the then Local Authority Roads. This responsible for aviation illustrated that county, and a Department of the diversification reflected the environmental matters love of classical music. But, Environment with particular situation in the Civil Service including responsibility for in particular, he enjoyed regard to aggregate minerals, where scientists working noise control and mitigation seeing and photographing where he trained others within professional sectors measures at major airports. commercial shipping which including the present writer could generally only reach a He was a UK representative led him to many ports around who has reason to be grateful middle rank in the service on the International Civil the world. In 2012 Martin for his guidance at certain unless they became Aviation Organisation’s and Ann had a memorable crucial times. Martin met his generalists: a ‘glass ceiling’ Committee on Aviation cruise on the Caribbean and future wife, Ann, in the that Martin successfully broke Environmental Protection. Pacific coasts of Central Minerals Planning Section through. America. But sadly, his and they married in 1981. As Deputy to the Chief IPCC sudden death occurred all too He later worked on Scientist of DoT for seven In May 1996, he took soon afterwards. environmental policy and the years from 1983, Martin had voluntary redundancy and Department’s supporting oversight of all Departmental became an independent ➤ By Brian Marker Research and Development R&D across all modes of consultant on aircraft noise

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

28 | MARCH 2015 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST GEOSCIENTIST CROSSWORD

CROSSWORD NO.188 SET BY PLATYPUS WIN A SPECIAL PUBLICATION!

The winner of the December/January Crossword puzzle prize draw was Tristan Green of Port Melbourne, Australia.

All correct solutions will be placed in the draw, and the winner’s name printed in the May 2014 issue. The Editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Closing date - March 25.

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

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

1 Heritable traits not caused by 1 15a, for example, does a good Name ...... changes in the DNA sequence 20a of these spans (4) ...... (10) 2 Energy superpower, with the 6 Peruvian capital (4) world's largestproved gas reserves Membership number ...... and fourth in the world for oil (4) 9 Falls of solid or semi-solid material Address for correspondence ...... (10) 3 Chiral object or its mirror image (12) ...... 10 Not at all odd at the end of the day (4) 4 Surpass expectations (5) ...... 12 In the manner of a sportsperson 5 Precisely and in all respects the (12) same (9) ...... 15 Recent life, as we used to spell it 7 Turning in on itself, like a tightly ...... (9) coiled ammonite (10) Postcode ...... 17 Rich in that which in Scotland 8 They are many, but all vex, tease, supports the population (5) nag or harm (10) 18 Chemical prefix indication a 11 Going with, in a supporting role, molecule containing a nitrogen musically (12) atom with a lone pair (5) SOLUTIONS DEC/JAN 13 Possessed of eight sides (10) 19 One of a set of multiple possible 14 Where crude is cracked (10) ACROSS: spoken sounds used to 1 Gas Hydrate 6 Amps 9 Marbleised 10 Trio pronounce a single phoneme (9) 16 Concubine in the harem of a Turkish Sultan (9) 12 Conglomerate 15 Incognito 17 Drake 20 Proving by - well, example (12) 18 Guano 19 Measuring 20 Reconstitute 21 Brewer's or baker's fermenting 24 As gin to mothers (4) 24 Arid 25 Obliterate 26 Logo 27 Headstones agent (5) 25 Evenness of temper (10) 22 Phyllosilicate with perfect basal DOWN: 26 There was a lover and one of cleavage (4) 1 Gems 2 Sark 3 Yellow Ground 4 Ruing these (4) 23 CGS unit of force equivalent to 10 5 Theropoda 7 Morganatic 8 Stonehenge 27 One hundred divisions (10) micronewtons (4) 11 Readjustment 13 Fingernail 14 Scratching 16 Immutable 21 Triads 22 Cain 23 Lees

WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2015 | 29 GEOSCIENTIST RECRUITMENT

30 | MARCH 2015 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST PPuzzleuzzle ooff EEarth’sarth’s uuninterruptedninterrupted habitabilityhabitability

1111 NNovemberovember 22015015 GeologicalGeological Society,Societyy,, BurlingtonBurlington House,House, LLondonondon

Environmental conditions at the Earth’s surface have been continuously suitable for life for more than three billion years. Temperatures, for example, have only varied by few tens of centigrade despite large changes in solar luminosity and atmospheric composition. Since the Archean, the planet has not once been rendered sterile. However, the reasons for this long-term life-friendliness remain contentious. How has Earth’s climate avoided the runaway warming shown on Confirmed Keynote Speakers: Venus or the runaway cooling of Mars? Has Earth’s relative stability resulted from geochemical feedback (e.g. through Professor Tim Lenton (University of Exeter) silicate weathering), the stabilizing influence of a complex Professor Toby Tyrrell (University of biosphere (i.e. the Gaia hypothesis), good luck (e.g. purely Southampton) fortuitous cancellation of solar warming by decreased greenhouse gas concentrations) or is long-term life- Convenors: friendliness simply the consequence of life’s extraordinary adaptability (allowing it to survive even Snowball Earth David Waltham (Royal Holloway University events)? This conference will bring together proponents of of London) these various views in an attempt to forge a consensus on Graham Shields (University College London) how to move the debate forward. This debate will be informed by data relating to the latest understanding of silicate weathering, Neoproterozoic ice ages, and the For further information environmental history of Earth. please contact: This meeting would be suitable for anyone interested in the Jess Aries, Conference Office, long-term habitability of the Earth, its long-term climate The Geological Society, Burlington House, history, geo-biochemical cycles, the highly controversial Gaia hypothesis or the likelihood of habitable worlds Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG beyond the solar system. T: 0207 432 0983 E: [email protected] W: www.geolsoc.org.uk/puzzleofearth Call for Abstracts #puzzleofearth We welcome oral presentation contributions for this meeting. If you would like us to consider you for a slot in the programme, please send an abstract of no more than 400 words to Jess Aries no later than Sunday, 5 April 2015.