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Book Reviews

Scottish Borders Geology: An Excursion Guide. A. D. mended to all interested in geology, be they pro­ McAdam, E. N. K. Clarkson and P. Stone (eds.). fessional, amateur or a lover of the great outdoors. Scottish Academic Press for the Edinburgh Geological The excursions detailed are: Siccar Point, Fast Society, 1993, x + 220 pp, £9.50, ISBN 0-7073-0709-0. Castle, St. Abb's Head, Coldingham, Eyemouth, Burn- mouth, Berwick upon Tweed, Whiteadder Water, Scottish Borders Geology: An Excursion Guide gives Bedshiel and Raecleuch Head, Jedburgh-Melrose- detailed itineraries, with maps, of 23 geological excur­ Kelso, Eildon Hills, Heriot and Innerleithen, Noble- sions in the Borders area, from Wanlockhead eastwards house and Lamancha, Carlops to Dolphinton, Tweeds- to the coast. Each of the excursions may be completed in muir, Dob's Linn, Hartfell Score, Biggar, Leadhills one day from Edinburgh. The excursion to the classic and Wanlockhead, and also a composite tour illustrating locality at Siccar Point now appears in the guide of the building stones of the Border abbeys. the appropriate geographical context, but we feel it is correct that such an important excursion should appear Muriel and Ian Hogarth in both the Borders Guide and the Lothian Guide published in 1986. Ian Hogarth is currently President of the Edinburgh Geological Society and for many years served as the Society's Excursion The Guide is pocket-sized (220 mm x 130 mm) and Secretary assisted by his wife, Muriel. the cover depicts a beautiful view of the Eildon Hills, the subject of one of the excursions. It is hoped that the price of £9.50 does not deter the would-be purchaser from Regional geochemistry of southern Scotland and part buying a book, which by study would aid the planning of of northern England. British Geological Survey, a tour of the Borders, and greatly enhance the visit of Keyworth, Nottingham. British Geological Survey, tourist and geologist alike. 1993. 96 pp including 36 colour images and a 1:250000 In the introduction tribute is paid to some of the scale folded geological map, £100.00, ISBN 0-85272229-X. pioneers of geology: Lapworth, Peach and Home and their work in the area. The introduction also contains a This impressive A3-size landscape-format colour atlas is very clear geological column and a geological map of the the tenth volume in a series recording a systematic study region, together with drawings of Ordovician graptolites of the whole of Great Britain by the Minerals and and a list of Ordnance Survey and Geological Survey Geochemical Surveys Division of the BGS. Map presen­ Maps of the region. tation is based on digital geochemical imagery with the Each excursion starts with clear information of how colour-scaled maps being effectively relief maps of to reach the locality, then what to look for there and element concentration. The East Grampians Atlas was at each stopping place throughout the itinerary. Many the first of the series to be produced in this format in of the itineraries are augmented by sketch maps and 1991. I first saw an early version of one of the maps in drawings, so that the objectives of each excursion which the Scottish Design Centre in Glasgow—indicative of are clearly set out, may be achieved. We have enjoyed the combined aesthetic and practical approach adopted and learnt a great deal by being privileged to have been for displaying data. The computer-based raw data is also taken on many of the excursions by the professional made available to industry and researchers. geologists, who are amongst the authors of the guide, The principal aims of the Geochemical Survey and are very pleased that their expertise is now available Programme are to identify new mineral deposits and to a wider public. provide quantitative information on levels of chemicals At the back of the guide is an excellent glossary in the natural environment. It is perhaps the latter aim divided as follows: Minerals, Rocks and Deposits which is currently of major interest because of its value and Miscellaneous Geological Terms which gives the in environmental studies but the BGS also fulfils the meanings of all geological terms used. There is also a strategic role of on-going mineral exploration in order list of References, which as well as recognizing the to provide information for the minerals industry when authors of source material, will give the reader a list of the need arises. However, the data can also supplement books and papers for further study should they so desire. studies of topics as diverse as crustal evolution and the The only omission from the Guide is the Geological relationship of trace element abundances to disease in Code of Conduct, which is a great pity in these days when crops and animals (as well as man). The BGS has led the the public is becoming more environmentally conscious. world in the development and application of techniques Scottish Borders Geology is an excellent companion in regional geochemistry and this atlas illustrates the to the other guides of the series and is highly recom­ diverse potential of this approach.

Scottish Journal of Geology 31, (1), 95-6, 1995 Downloaded from http://sjg.lyellcollection.org/ by guest on September 30, 2021

96 BOOK REVIEWS

The geographical area covered in the volume includes Scottish Journal of Geology, Volume 29. The images the SW Highlands, the Midland Valley and the Southern present the concentration in the <150/zm fractions Uplands as well as a small part of northern England of stream sediment, sampled in a way to reflect the extending to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The urban develop­ average composition of the bedrock of the source area. ment around Edinburgh and Glasgow led to patches of Additional observations and analyses indicate when the Midland Valley being omitted from the sampling this is not necessarily entirely the case, for example programme. It is unfortunate that the maps are trun­ due to anthropogenic contamination or natural cated in the north and south by east-west lines of enhancements—clearly, there are few areas which can latitude, leading to the Midland Valley being partitioned be treated confidently as the 'natural environment' into the Grampian and Southern Scotland atlases. in the Midland Valley. The major geological boun­ The Geochemical Atlas is provided as an independent daries are superimposed on each map. For each of the report. The introduction contains very full details of 30 maps an account of the distribution of the element the sampling and analytical techniques used as well is given and a preliminary attempt at explaining the as an explanation of the data processing procedures. regional variation as well as local anomalies is made. Following BGS tradition, a thorough overview is given I say preliminary because it is a daunting task to of the geology of the entire area in spite of the geo­ interpret the element distributions and this is the logical diversity of the four natural regions: the Scottish exciting challenge provided to the reader. One example Highlands, dominated by Precambrian rocks; the of how combined anomaly maps can be used to high­ Midland Valley, dominated by upper Palaeozoic rocks; light anomalous areas is given for the three gold- the Southern Uplands, dominated by middle Palaeozoic pathfinder elements arsenic, antimony and bismuth. rocks; and northern England dominated by Carbon­ Some data and several colour-maps relate to water iferous rocks. Because of its significance to the aims chemistry. of the Survey, metalliferous mineralization is also 'Armchair' and 'field' geologists alike, with interests reviewed. Not only is there a comprehensive account spanning mineral collecting to regional tectonic of the geology, but there is an extensive list of references synthesis, should find the Geochemical Atlas both and all significant mineral occurrences are documented. informative and useful. All in all, this carefully This makes the atlas an invaluable key reference for structured and well produced volume provides excellent anyone requiring an introduction to, or initiating value for the price. research on, regional geology and/or mineralization. The basis of the atlas consists of 30 element- Allan J. Hall distribution maps, similar but of much higher resolution Department of Geology and Applied Geology, and quality, to the map for Cu over the whole of University of Glasgow Scotland which featured on the front cover of the