Geoforensics Laurance Donnelly and Alastair Ruffell on the Group’S First Decade
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SVOLUMECIENTIS 26 NO 11 ◆ DEC 16/JAN 17 ◆ WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTISTT GEThe Fellowship Magazine of theO Geological Society of London UK / Overseas where sold to individuals: £3.95 Geoforensics Laurance Donnelly and Alastair Ruffell on the Group’s first decade SOCIETY ON FACEBOOK [WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/GEOLSOC ] MENTE ET MALLEO? AFTER ABERFAN ONLINE CONFERENCING The Sedgwick’s collection You respond to our coverage Arjan Reesink weighs up the of geological hammers of the 50th anniversary new trend’s pros and cons GEOSCIENTIST CONTENTS 16 20 10 27 FEATURESFEATURES IN THIS ISSUE... 16 IF I HAD A HAMMER Douglas Palmer describes a new exhibition of the Sedgwick’s collection of famous geologists’ mighty tools. (See also Books & Arts, p22.) REGULARS 05 Welcome Ted Nield urges Trustees not to overlook an Executive Secretary’s most important duty 06 Society News What your Society is doing at home and abroad, in London and the regions 09 Soapbox Arjan Reesink sees pluses and some minuses in online conferencing 21 Letters You respond to our coverage of the Aberfan Disaster, 50 years ago ON THE COVER: 22 Books and arts Six reviews by Ted Nield, Matt Loader, Andrew 10 What lies beneath Robinson, David Edwards, Mike Bowman and Richard Wrigley Laurance Donnelly describes the 24 People Geoscientists in the news and on the move first 10 years of the Society’s 26 Calendar Society activities this month Forensic Geoscience Group 28 Obituary Norman John D’Cruz 1924-2016 29 Crossword Win a Special Publication of your choice WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017 | 03 Lyell poster 2017 v3_Lyell leaflet 05/09/2016 16:02 Page 1 William Smith poster 2017 v3 4-11-16_Lyell leaflet 04/11/2016 12:19 Page 1 s r e n t r a P t n e v E William Smith Meeting 2017 Lyell Meeting 2017 PlateTectonics at 50 Sticking Together: microbes and their role 3-5 October 2017 The Geological Society, Burlington House in forming sediments Call for Papers INVITED SPEAKERS 7 March 2017 The Geological Society, Burlington House On the 50th anniversary of the advent of the plate tectonics Nick Christie-Blick, Lamont-Doherty Earth paradigm, this three day meeting is convened to examine the state Observatory, Columbia University, USA of the art and scope out new directions. This Call for Papers is for John Dewey, University of Oxford, UK contributions that complement the array of invited speakers – Sedimentology and geomorphology have traditionally been seen as Tony Doré, Statoil, UK reporting recent research on any aspect of tectonics and the fields in which physical, and sometimes chemical, processes dominate Cindy Ebinger, University of Rochester, USA associated disciplines that together feed into understanding the Hank Frankel, University of Missouri, Kansas completely. Even in settings where biological processes have long been plate system and processes. recognised, for example in marine carbonates, focus has been almost City, USA Catherine Johnson, University of British We can accept contributions for talks and posters. entirely on metazoans. This is curious, because microbial communities Columbia, Canada since the Pre-Cambrian, have suffused all sedimentary environments on Peter van Keken, Carnegie Institution for Registration and abstract submission forms are available via the Earth, and at least half global biomass is prokaryotic. Are all these Science, Washington DC, USA conference web-site. The deadline for abstract submission is 31st microbes simply bystanders? Recent research has hinted that they are Mike Kendall, University of Bristol, UK May 2017 but we encourage submission and registration as early key agents in controlling an impressive range of processes and products Xavier Le Pichon, Formerly Collège de France as possible to avoid disappointment. in sedimentology, bringing the fields of microbe palaeontology and bio- Peter Molnar, University of California, Boulder, USA The conference will be drawn to a close by the 2017 William Smith sedimentology into intimate alignment. The implications are Convenors: Jason Morgan, Harvard University, USA lecture, delivered by Dan McKenzie. fundamental, and pose the question“are large-scale sedimentological Donna Shillington Lamont-Doherty, Earth Daniel Parsons (University of Hull) features actually microbial trace fossils?”. Observatory of Columbia University, USA Mike Rogerson (University of Hull) Concha Arenas Abad (University of This meeting will put the majority of life on earth back into its proper Opening remarks by Zaragoza, Spain) Tony Watts, University of Oxford, UK place within the sedimentary geosciences. It will shed new light on the Gernot Arp (University of Göttingen, Closing remarks and introduction of the Germany) important roles that microbial life plays in controlling how sediments William Smith lecturer Jaco Baas (University of Bangor, UK) erode, transport, precipitate, deposit and cement. We will explore James Jackson, University of Cambridge, UK whether microbial processes can leave signatures in sedimentary William Smith lecturer Confirmed Keynote Speaker: deposits that prove life was there, despite the fact that the majority of Dan McKenzie, University of Cambridge, UK Christophe Dupraz (University of global biomass has nearly zero preservation potential. Ultimately, we Stockholm, Sweden) – Biofilms and Convenors Sediment: a ‘Geobiological Tango’ will lift the lid on the exciting field of sedimentary geobiology as we Rob Butler, University of Aberdeen, UK collectively work towards a new paradigm of microbial sedimentology. Further information: Mike Daly, University of Oxford, UK Gareth Roberts, Imperial College London, UK Further information For further information about the Jonathan Turner, formerly BG Group conference please contact: Tony Watts, University of Oxford, UK For further information about the conference Naomi Newbold, Conference Office, Call for Abstracts: please contact: The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG There is a call for abstracts and oral and poster contributions Naomi Newbold, Conference Office, The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG T: 0207 434 9944 are invited. Abstracts should be sent in a Word document to E: naomi.newbold@ T: 0207 434 9944 E: [email protected] geolsoc.org.uk [email protected] by 12 January 2017. The Web: www.geolsoc.org.uk/wsmith17 Web: www.geolsoc.org.uk/lyell17 abstract should be approximately 500 words and include a Follow this event on Twitter: title and acknowledgement of authors and their affiliations Follow this event on Twitter: #wsmith17 @geolsoc #lyell17 where possible. 04 | DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST GEOSCIENTIST WELCOME ~ Geoscientist is the ADVERTISING SALES Fellowship magazine of the Hayden McIntosh THE PRINCIPAL DUTY OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY Geological Society T 01727 739 184 of London E hayden@centuryone IS TO INTERPRET THE BYE-LAWS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE publishing.uk The Geological Society, TRUSTEES, AND TO OFFER PROPER GUIDANCE Burlington House, Piccadilly, ART EDITOR London W1J 0BG Heena Gudka T +44 (0)20 7434 9944 F +44 (0)20 7439 8975 ~ DESIGN & PRODUCTION E [email protected] Jonathan Coke (Not for Editorial - Please contact the Editor) PRINTED BY Publishing House Century One The Geological Society Publishing Ltd. 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