VOLUME 27 NO 11 ◆ DEC 17/JAN 18 ◆ WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST

The Fellowship Magazine of the Geological Society of London UK / Overseas where sold to individuals: £3.95

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Hero or Houdini? He The origin, transport and accumulation of helium

THE ANTHROPOCENE ONLINE SPECIAL DEADLINE TIME Jan Zalasiewicz on the current ‘Sociohydrogeology’ Ted Nield ponders stratigraphical state of play in water-stressed India ‘anytime’ submission

GEOSCIENTIST CONTENTS

Geoscientist is the ADVERTISING SALES Fellowship magazine of the Jonny Knight Geological Society T 01727 739 193 of London E jonathan@ centuryonepublishing.uk The Geological Society, 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 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 Charity, BA1 3JN number 210161. T 01225 445046 ISSN (print) 0961-5628 F 01225 442836 ISSN (online) 2045-1784 Library The Geological Society of London 16 25 T +44 (0)20 7432 0999 F +44 (0)20 7439 3470 accepts no responsibility for the views expressed in any article in this E [email protected] publication. All views expressed, except where explicitly stated otherwise, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF represent those of the author, and not Professor Peter Styles The Geological Society of London. All All rights reserved. No paragraph of this EDITOR publication may be reproduced, copied Dr Ted Nield or transmitted save with written permission. Users registered with E [email protected] Copyright Clearance Center: the Journal is registered with CCC, 27 Congress EDITORIAL BOARD Street, Salem, MA 01970, USA. 0961- Dr Sue Bowler 5628/02/$15.00. Every effort has been Mr Steve Branch made to trace copyright holders of Dr Robin Cocks material in this publication. If any rights have been omitted, the publishers offer 10 26 Prof. Tony Harris their apologies. Dr Howard Falcon-Lang Mr Edmund Nickless No responsibility is assumed by the Mr David Shilston Publisher for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of Dr Jonathan Turner products liability, negligence or ON THE COVER: Dr Jan Zalasiewicz otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions 10 HERO OR HOUDINI? Trustees of the or ideas contained in the material Geological Society herein. Although all advertising As the festive season approaches, you may of London material is expected to conform to ethical (medical) standards, inclusion Mr Malcolm Brown (President) in this publication does not constitute think twice about those helium balloons... Mr John Booth a guarantee or endorsement of the Mr Rick Brassington quality or value of such product or of Dr Jason Canning the claims made by its manufacturer. Miss Liv Carroll Subscriptions: All correspondence Ms Lesley Dunlop relating to non-member subscriptions Dr Marie Edmonds (Secretary, should be addresses to the Journals FEATURESFEATURES Science) Subscription Department, Geological Society Publishing House, Unit 7 16 GEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOCENE Mr Graham Goffey (Treasurer) Brassmill Enterprise Centre, Brassmill Dr Sarah Gordon (Secretary, Lane, Bath, BA1 3JN, UK. Tel: 01225 Where are we with the ‘Anthropocene’? Jan Zalasiewicz, Foreign & External Affairs) 445046. Fax: 01225 442836. Email: Colin Waters, Mark Williams, Colin Summerhayes and Mrs Tricia Henton [email protected]. The subscription Phil Gibbard explain Ms Naomi Jordan price for Volume 27, 2017 (11 issues) to institutions and non-members will Dr Robert Larter be £157 (UK) or £179 / US$358 (Rest Dr Jennifer McKinley of World). Dr Colin North (Secretary, REGULARS Publications) © 2017 The Geological Society Dr Sheila Peacock of London Prof Christine Peirce Geoscientist is printed on FSC® mixed 05 Welcome Ted Nield wonders if it’s time for research funders Mr Nicholas Reynolds credit - Mixed source products are a to kill the submission deadline Prof Nick Rogers (President blend of FSC 100%, Recycled and/or Controlled fibre. Certified by the Forest designate) Stewardship Council®. 06 Society News What your Society is doing at home and Dr Katherine Royse (Secretary, abroad, in London and the regions Professional Matters) Mr Keith Seymour (Vice Chris Evans welcomes the formation of a president, Regional Groups) 09 Soapbox Miss Jessica Smith Contaminated Land Group Mr John Talbot (Vice president, NLINE Chartership) 23 Calendar Society activities this month Dr Alexander Whittaker Published on behalf of the SPECIAL 20 Books and arts Six new books reviewed by Ross Roberts, Geological Society of Fiona Connor, Clive Waddington, Robert Anderson, Mark Griffin London by SOCIO-HYDROGEOLOGY and Pete Webb AND ITS APPLICATION Century One Publishing IN INDIA by Shrikant Daji 25 Letters Hot air, Rare Earths and the markets Alban Row, 27–31 Verulam Road, St Albans, Herts, Limaye, Director of the AL3 4DG Ground Water Institute, 26 People Geoscientists in the news and on the move T 01727 893 894 Pune. India. F 01727 893 895 28 Obituary Norman Edward Butcher 1928-2017 E enquiries@centuryone publishing.uk 29 Crossword Win a Special Publication of your choice W www.centuryone publishing.uk

WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 | 03

Editor Geoscientist magazine Salary: £40,000 - £45,000, negotiable

The Geological Society of London, a professional body and learned society, seeks to appoint an experienced science journalist/writer to be Editor of Geoscientist, the independent magazine of the Geological Society Fellowship. The post is full-time and based in Burlington House, Piccadilly, London.

Geoscientist (with Geoscientist Online) is a 32-page colour magazine distributed to the 12,000+ worldwide Fellowship of The Geological Society, the world’s oldest national scientific and professional society for Earth sciences (founded 1807). Accountable to an Editor-in-Chief, who is traditionally a former President or senior Officer of the Society, the successful candidate will ideally be a science writer, having both a strong empathy for the membership and knowledge of earth sciences. He/she will have experience of editing with a record of sound writing and delivery. He/she will be able to communicate and inform across national and international communities.

Geoscientist magazine provides a mix of opinion, features, Society news, people news, obituaries and letters. It acts as the Fellowship’s forum for discussion of the Society’s activities and of its elected Trustees (President, Officers and Council). It has 11 issues per year. The magazine is produced externally on the Society’s behalf. Issues of the magazine may be inspected online at www.geolsoc.org.uk/Geoscientist.

Key skills of the Geoscientist Editor role are to deliver effectively within the governance framework of a charitable organisation and to edit the Fellowship’s magazine with that framework in mind.

The closing date for applications is 12 January 2017.

For more information and to apply, go to www.geolsoc.org.uk/editor.

The Geological Society of London l Burlington House l Piccadilly l London l W1J 0BG l UK The Geological Society is a Registered Charity, No. 210161

04 | DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST ~ GEOSCIENTIST WELCOME

I LOVE DEADLINES. I LIKE THE WHOOSHING SOUND THEY MAKE AS THEY FLY BY – DOUGLAS ADAMS ~

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK: Kill the deadline?

eadline’, meaning a line that neither moves nor program for instruments and facilities). strays (OED) went dark in 1886, when it came to Alex Isern, head of NSF’s Surface Earth Processes section, signify the line around a military prison beyond eliminated the standard time-honoured bi-annual deadlines in which prisoners could expect to be shot. It retains four of her grant programs. She saw applications fall from 804 much the same grim finality for journalists, for (in 2014) to 327 (April-March 2015). Moreover, the ‘lost’ proposals ‘Dwhom the only excuse for missing one is being dead. It is no boast appeared to constitute ‘the bottom 50%’ – the long tail of half- to say I have never missed a deadline. It is the way of one’s people. baked proposals done in a rush at the last minute. Other folks for whom, unlike Douglas Adams (see quote above) The new system meant that scientists (especially those in deadlines are more than mere aspirational targets – other people sciences like geology where deadlines can fall awkwardly with who really mean it - are administrators of scientific funding the field season) could bide their time, schedule the writing to suit programs. No appeals. Lines must be drawn. “If we were to their own timetables, and take greater pains. Success rates were make an exception for you…” they say - hinting that life would expected to rise sharply as a result. become simply unliveable. Are there drawbacks? Some scientists complained that However, evidence reported in Science1 has suggested that deadlines ‘motivated’ them… To which Isern responded deadlines themselves, in the research-funding context, may in fact laconically that they now had ‘365 deadlines a year’. As for NSF, be more problem than solution. They create lumpy workflows, – its program managers may fear achieving higher success rates for one thing. In an already strained review system, having to than their colleagues, because one criterion used historically to make all the effort in two annual binges can’t be good. And it may argue for higher budgets has been… pressure of applications. But go further. Deadlines may actually generate more, and poorer, clearly, if proposal pressure can be so easily manipulated, said proposals. Carol Frost, Head of Earth Sciences Division, “it is not a good Last year, the National Science Foundation (NSF) in Arlington, met r ic ”. Virginia, heard from Geosciences Assistant Director Roger Wakimoto that removing deadlines and replacing them with an Reference ‘anytime’ submission system caused the number of proposals 1. No pressure: NSF test finds eliminating deadlines halves number of received to drop by 59% - even more than grant proposals by Eric Hand. Science 15 April 2016, Doi: 10.1126/ the 50% drop experienced science.aaf9925 when a similar • Editor’s note: We’re not exactly ‘anytime’ the NSF, but the deadline for scheme was submitting proposals to the piloted in Society’s Research Grants 2011 (in a scheme is small 1 February 2018 (see p. 6). grant

DR TED NIELD NUJ FGS, EDITOR - [email protected] @TedNield @geoscientistmag

WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 | 05 GEOSCIENTIST SOCIETY NEWS

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

Research Grants Commons Credit: Wikimedia

The Society (London and Bath) will be closed from 16.00 on Friday, 22 December, re-opening at 09.30 on Tuesday, 2 January 2018. The Publishing House will also be closed on Thursday, LONDON LECTURE SERIES 7 December from 12.00 and Burlington House will be closed on Applications are invited for the whose PhD Friday, 15 December from 12.00. Dangerous neighbours 2018 round of the Society research focused on Speaker: Jenny Barclay, Professor of grants. Antarctic Volcanology at the University of the East Anglia Please complete the form which palaeobotany. can be downloaded from the Society He was awarded the and the Principal Investigator of the STREVA Awards and Research Grants page Palaeontological Association’s (Strengthening Resilience in Volcanic Areas) Project. at W: www.geolsoc.org.uk/grants Presidents Prize in 1982. Timothy Date: 11 December where you will also find information tragically died in an avalanche while about all the grants. The average assisting a colleague in scientific work Programme award has been about £1000. in the Cordillera Blanca in Peru in ◆ Afternoon talk: 1430pm Tea & Coffee: The Research Grants committee September 1983. 1500 Lecture begins: 1600 Event ends meets once annually. Applications His family and friends endowed the ◆ Evening talk: 1730 Tea & Coffee: must reach the Society no later than 1 Timothy Jefferson Research Fund. 1800 Lecture begins: 1900 Reception February 2018 and must be supported From an original donation in 1985 by two Fellows of the Society who must of £10,000, subsequently enhanced Further Information each complete a supporting statement by donations from others, over the Please visit www.geolsoc.org.uk/gsllondonlectures17. form. Only complete applications on years the fund has yielded just under Entry to each lecture is by ticket only. To obtain a ticket please contact the Society around four weeks the appropriate form will be considered. £40,000 in support of research, but before the talk. Due to the popularity of this lecture is now spent out. The Society is very series, tickets are allocated in a monthly ballot and Timothy Jefferson Fund pleased that it has other funds to cannot be guaranteed. The Society will have one fund draw upon and is grateful to Timothy’s fewer to draw upon when the grants father the Rev. Derek Jefferson and all Contact: Sarah Woodcock, The Geological Society, Burlington committee meets in February. Dr the others whose generous helps to House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG, Timothy Hugh Jefferson (b. 1956) was make this activity possible. T: +44 (0) 20 7432 0981 E: [email protected] a highly talented young geoscientist Stephanie Jones

➤ Further information on the Fund and the research uses to which it has The Royal Commission been put can be found in the online version of this article. Editor. for the Exhibition of 1851

Council nominations – FUTURE MEETINGS Dates for meetings reminder of Council and Fellows received a nomination form with the Ordinary General October issue of Geoscientist for the election Meetings until June of new Council members for 2018/2019. 2017 will be as follows: This year the Society particularly welcomes For reasons NOT lost in the mists of time (see nominations from Fellows with knowledge u OGMs: Letters, Online), the President of the Society is an and experience of scientific publishing, and of 2018: 7 February, 4 April ex officio Commissioner of the Royal Commission fundraising. Details of the process are on the u Council: for the Exhibition of 1851. forms and are also in the Governance section 2018: 7 February, 4 April The Commission offers various research grants, of the website. The closing date for the details of which are on the website at: receipt of nominations is 5 January 2018. W: http://bit.ly/2mtjpxK.

06 | DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST Photo credits: Will Amlott

Plate Tectonics at 50

The Geological Society has been celebrating 50 years of plate Plate Tectonic Stories tectonics. Flo Bullough* has a round-up. The Society also launched an In December 1967, Dan McKenzie and Bob Parker published a online resource and competition entitled ‘Plate Tectonic paper in Nature – ‘The North Pacific: an example of tectonics on Stories’, celebrating the role of narrative and storytelling in geology. a sphere’. This paper, building on work by many other scientists in The online resource tells the stories of 20 geological sites in the preceding years, was arguably the crucial final step in establishing UK and Ireland that were shaped by plate tectonic processes. the paradigm of plate tectonics, providing a unifying context for These sites have been ‘twinned’ with others around the world Earth science that was rapidly accepted across the geological where similar tectonic processes and geological features can be community. observed in operation today. Our celebrations culminated in September and October, with See W: www.geolsoc.org.uk/tectonicstories. a host of events and initiatives across the Society. The William For the Competition, we are inviting school students, members Smith Meeting was an exceptional event attended by over 200 of the public and even enthusiastic geologists to tell us a plate people in Burlington House, joined online by over 600 individuals tectonic story of their own, in any medium. You might take and organisations from 36 countries. It featured the William Smith inspiration from one of the 20 sites already featured, or from one of Lecture, given by Dan McKenzie, and was covered on BBC radio, the twinned sites, or from the many plate tectonic resources on the the BBC website and in a Nature editorial. website - including the Dan McKenzie Archive or the 2017 photo We launched the Dan McKenzie Archive website competition. (W: www.mckenziearchive.org), and held an associated The closing date for entries to the competition is 30 April 2018, exhibition at Burlington House. We also organised a schools event so please do your creative best in telling stories about the impact on plate tectonics and mineral resources – one of over 50 events of plate tectonics around the globe. taking place across the country during Earth Science Week (7-15 October), the theme for which was ‘Our Restless Earth’ (See Photo competition, p26). * Flo Bullough is the Society’s Policy Officer Opus DEI Diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) are among the values set Athena SWAN award, which recognises advancement of gender out in the Society’s 10-year strategy, writes George Jameson*. equality and other aspects of diversity – something we will repeat in The Society was a founding signatory to the Science Council’s 2018. Declaration on DEI in October 2014, marking its commitment to u The International Association for Geoscience Diversity (IAGD) ensuring that Earth science is open to all, and allowing everyone the became an ‘Associated Society’ of the Geological Society in opportunity to be part of our community. September 2017. We are planning further shared activity to make With this in mind, we will regularly be updating Fellows on recent Earth science accessible to people with disabilities. activities in this area. Recent highlights include: u A collective benchmarking exercise, developed by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Science Council, to assess, ➤ If you would like to share views and suggestions relating to DEI in track and plan progress on DEI across professional science and Earth science, please contact us at E: [email protected]. engineering bodies. u Hosting our first workshop to offer support to university Earth science departments working towards obtaining or renewing an *George Jameson is a Society External Relations Officer

Programme: 2017 Meetings of the Geological Society Discussion Group (formerly the Geological Society Club) are 18.30 for 1900, when dinner is served. Attendance is open to all members of the Society. For up to date information concerning topics for discussion and speakers, please go to W: http://bit.ly/2AhEZrf

◆ Wednesday 6 December. ​Athenaeum ◆ Wednesday 24 October.​ Bumpkins (London SW1Y 5ER) ◆ Wednesday 5 December.​ Athenaeum ◆ Wednesday 7 February.​ Gay Hussar ◆ Tuesday 24 April.​ Burlington House ➤ Please contact Sarah Woodcock for more information and to ◆ Thursday 14 June. ​Athenaeum make a reservation. E: [email protected] ◆ Wednesday 12 September.​ Gay Hussar

WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 | 07 Credit: Ted Nield Ted Credit: Chartered Fellows’ Newsletter This newsletter is produced five times a year following each set of Paiul Michael Conie; Neil Chartership Interviews, writes Bill Gaskarth, Chartership Officer. James Dyer; Godwin Effiong It contains the names of all the newly elected Chartered Geologists Eton; James Edward Field; and Chartered Scientists along with news items which would not reach Andrew David Gibson; John the pages of Geoscientist e.g. Progress on the Society’s application to Paul Heneghan; Martin Heys; the Engineering Council to become a Registered Body and hence be Angela Hills; David Hopper; able to offer CEng to eligible Fellows; Dates of forthcoming mentoring Dawn Elizabeth Houliston; workshops etc. Rhian Sara Kendall; Richard Some 20% of all Chartered fellows have indicated that they do not wish Henri Lagesse; Mike Robert Lelliott; to receive mass mailings by email, and consequently the Newsletter Andrew John Oliver; Marc Protheroe; Timothy David Sylvester; Philip is not currently being sent to them. If you are one such person but do Richard Stewart; Helen Elizabeth Stockham; Mark James Stringer; nevertheless wish to receive the Newsletter, please let me know at E: Konstantinos Tsigkas; Rene Van Oorschott; Adam Robert Venn; David [email protected]. Lawrence Rollit Webster; Robert Paul Webster; Daniel John Welch. Fellows who were recently chartered, either as CGeol, CSci or u CGeol by Reciprocity with the AAPG: Paul Britt. EurGeol, were as follows. (This information was previously circulated in u CSci: Richard Hines; James David Griffiths. the October Newsletter.) u EurGeol: Neville Brookes; Shing Chung Markus Chan; u New CGeols: Alexander Nicholas Al Nuaimi; Lee Alder Brown; Margaret C Manyanhair; Alessia Sgattoni; Lee Taylor. Policy update Consultation is open on two proposals relating to radwaste disposal, writes Adler deWind. The UK Government is consulting on two proposals regarding a geological disposal facility (GDF) for the UK’s higher level radioactive waste: a draft National Policy Statement and a draft policy on Working with Communities. For further details, go to W: www.geolsoc.org.uk/consultations.

Latest news from the Publishing House

Jenny Blythe has the latest from the Geological Society Publishing House The strength of earthquake-generating faults By Alex Copley New Book: Engineering Geology and Geomorphology of Glaciated This paper summarizes the observations and methods that have and Periglaciated Terrains: Engineering Group Working Party Report been used to study the strength of active earthquake-generating (seismogenic) faults. Indirect inferences based upon a range of The Engineering Group of the Geological Society Working Party brought geophysical and geological observations suggest that faults fail in together experts in glacial and periglacial earthquakes at shear stresses of less than c. 50 MPa, equivalent to geomorphology, Quaternary history, effective coefficients of friction of less than 0.3, and possibly as low engineering geology and geotechnical as 0.05. These low levels of effective friction are likely to be the result engineering to establish best practice of a combination of high pore fluid pressures, which could be local or when working in former glaciated and transient, and the frictional properties of phyllosilicate-rich fault rocks. periglaciated environments. The Working The dip angles of new faults forming in oceanic outer rises imply that Party addressed outdated terminology and intrinsically low-friction fault rocks must control the fault strength in at least that setting. When combined with the much higher fault strengths reviewed the latest academic research to inferred from borehole studies and some laboratory measurements, provide an up-to-date understanding of the observations are most consistent with weak faults embedded in glaciated and periglaciated terrains. This strong surroundings, providing a clear reason for the prevalence of transformative, state-of-the-art volume is fault reactivation. However, the conditions required for the formation the outcome of five years of deliberation of new faults, and the reasons for an apparent wide variability in the and synthesis by the Working Party. degree of fault healing through time, remain unknown. This is an essential reference text for practitioners, students and academics working in these challenging ground conditions. The narrative style, and a comprehensive glossary and photo-catalogue of active and relict sediments, structures and landforms make this material relevant and accessible to a wide readership. † Available to purchase as a hardcopy: www.geolsoc.org.uk/spe28 † Read the open access paper in the Lyell collection † Available in the Lyell Collection: http://egsp.lyellcollection.org/content/28/1 http://jgs.lyellcollection.org/content/early/2017/07/20/jgs2017-037

08 | DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST GEOSCIENTIST SOAPBOX

CPD for contaminated land risk

Chris Evans* says CPD is vital to his business and welcomes the formation of a Contaminated Land Group

y primary job is to be base is trust. Yes, I am comfortable telling distinct from the range of a client I am acquainted with a named ‘consultants’ available to contaminated-land officer, or time after time SOAPBOX clients - who in my case persevering to gain the funding for a Desk M are predominantly small Study in addition to the Ground Investigation CALLING! builders. In order to adequately address required by the planning condition. Yes, I the growing requirements of contaminated know you can’t properly do one without the land risk assessment, alongside the tightest other, but try telling a small builder that, Soapbox is open to contributions budgets in civil engineering, I need to keep especially if he has a list of ‘consultants’ who from all Fellows. You can always up good CPD - such as the latest regulatory believe they can! write a letter to the Editor, of requirements - as well as wielding the All power to the Geological Society for course: but perhaps you feel you sharpest of quotation pencils. forming a Contaminated Land Group that, need more space? Small builders are 12% of house developers, if nothing else, should be able to provide and the only organisations that can, or will, good CPD - most especially if this can If you can write it entertainingly in develop old garages, single-tank fuel stations lead to further and better development of 500 words, the Editor would like or minor brownfield sites. Such plots are appropriate guidelines and thereby client to hear from you. Email your piece, too cumbersome or piecemeal for larger trust. and a self-portrait, to developers and no local authority these days Finally, the personal cost of all of this [email protected]. would have the means to consider them. CPD can be prohibitive; but I intend to fund Copy can only be accepted travel and new courses by relinquishing electronically. No diagrams, tables Delighted other professional memberships - in my or other illustrations please. How delighted I was, therefore, to hear case, my CEng status. For those with several the presentation that Anne Barker gave charterships who also struggle to finance Pictures should be of print to the Yorkshire Regional Group in their career, it is my view that the Geolsoc quality – please take photographs May. This interesting talk outlined the remains ahead of the game. Hopefully the on the largest setting on your progress of contaminated land risk- continued development of the CGeol title will camera, with a plain background. assessment throughout her career as a be more than enough to satisfy all regulators. senior Contaminated Land Officer. Then Precedence will always be given again, how distressed was I to find that to more topical contributions. Any there are potential moves afoot to remove one contributor may not appear the current planning requirements from more often~ than once per volume larger developers. In the first case, why (once every 12 months). undermine what has become the beginning of an accepted risk assessment method? In the second case, cynically I believe any FOR THOSE changes would be funded by those still left in WITH SEVERAL the system. CHARTERSHIPS WHO What a fine example of CPD this talk was. All credit to Anne as a regulator, for openly ALSO STRUGGLE describing the need to overhaul current TO FINANCE THEIR guidelines, including industry profiles. I and so many others share a view that our CAREER, IT IS MY VIEW industry needs training, if only to be fully THAT THE GEOLSOC aware of the potential unknowns which REMAINS AHEAD OF are of course the very core of good risk- Credit: Shutterstock.com/Silent Corners assessment. THE GAME CHRIS EVANS Clients ~ Going back to my valuable clients, the *Christopher Evans BSc MSc FGS CGeol CEng principal tool I have to develop our client (for the moment) E: [email protected]

WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 | 09 HELIUM HERO OR HOUDINI?

Image: Yerko Espinoza/shutterstock.com

elium is the second most 120 tonnes of superfluid helium to Diveena abundant element in the maintain its magnets at their operating universe, and yet here on temperature of 1.9K. A new truckload Danabalan and Earth it is a more limited is required to arrive in Geneva each colleagues* H commodity. Supplies come week, to top it up. Helium is also from only four countries. The USA extensively used in arc welding, purging, has dominated the market for decades leak detection, chromatography, super- ponder the origin, but in the last few years it has been conduction, breathing mixtures, heat joined by Algeria, Qatar and Russia. transfer, gas lift; and (extensively) as transport and Superficially, this would appear to be a a purge gas in the oxygen/hydrogen accumulation of good development, but supply of helium propulsion units used for space rocketry to the western world is precarious. and nuclear ICBMs. All current He that most elusive Why is this a problem? Helium reserves were discovered by accident. is not only used in party balloons What is needed is a strategy for finding element and advertising blimps. Cryogenics this precious commodity on purpose. accounts for around 32% of global Reserves in the USA have declined demand, with medical cryogenics (such significantly in recent years, while those as MRI scanners) becoming ever more in Qatar, although massive, are entirely important and abundant. For these there dependent upon the Liquefied Natural is no adequate substitute for He – it Gas (LNG) market remaining robust, really is an elemental hero. The Large because helium is a by-product of the Above: Should we really be wasting helium in Hadron Collider, for example, requires cryogenic process needed to produce party balloons?

10 | DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST ~

ALL CURRENT He RESERVES WERE DISCOVERED BY ACCIDENT. WHAT IS NEEDED IS A STRATEGY FOR FINDING THIS PRECIOUS COMMODITY ON PURPOSE ~

Photos:: In October this year the Society was 210 years old. Ten years ago, we launched our Bicentenary Year with the release of 4567 helium- filled balloons. The balloons were made of biodegradable natural latex, and were released by permission of the CAA. But should we have worried just as much about the waste of precious He?

it. This, combined with the strategic and the first new task awaiting him Panhandle natural gas field. There risk of relying on a small number of was to evaluate the plan for a gas field was little sense then that helium was geopolitically sensitive suppliers, makes development in southern Asia. The plan running out, as demand had not yet western markets nervous. Indeed, typing was fine but he was intrigued by a single accelerated to today’s level – but the ‘helium’ into a search engine produces line in a table, labelled ‘gas composition’ study (published in 2002) resulted in the a stream of articles about ‘helium listing He as a constituent gas. A quick most comprehensive understanding of shortage’. bit of maths revealed that once the field commercial helium occurrence at that Recycling is becoming more common, was on production it would deliver c. time. but containing helium is difficult and 0.25 million standard feet per day of That you might be able to find helium leakage from storage inevitable – it is the helium. This was globally significant. on purpose remained a pipe-deream for ultimate ‘Houdini’ element. Once ‘free’, (Alas, ahead of any substantive plan a decade, before Gluyas and Ballantyne not even gravity impedes it. It even to exploit it, an even bigger company first discussed a possible helium escapes the Earth’s atmosphere and is took over, and it would seem nothing exploration strategy. In December lost to space – the very reason it is so rare happened. The field is now on stream 2011 helium users in Europe and the on Earth. producing methane, nitrogen and a small US received letters from suppliers; Current global helium, the result of proportion of helium.) helium was in short supply. This serendipitous discoveries, is a by-catch A few years before, in 1996, Chris concentrated minds, and, early in 2012, from the search for petroleum. Indeed, Ballantyne was working in the the two pitched their idea to Statoil it was one such chance discovery University of Michigan and awarded a of Norway. Shortly after, a research that first alerted John Gluyas to the grant by the US Department of Energy award to develop a helium exploration problem. Back in 1999 John, an oil to study the geochemistry of helium- strategy was awarded to the universities company geologist, changed employer; bearing natural gases in the Hugoton- of Durham and Manchester, and I was ▼

WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 | 11 Helium consumption in the US by sector

▼ subsequently appointed to undertake it. Helium content in US natural Statoil veteran Tony Doré quipped that gas reserves it must have been the first time ever that Statoil had invested in anything with no calorific value! Origins Any exploration strategy must depend on an understanding of origins. Helium was first discovered in economic quantities in Dexter, Kansas, USA in 1903 where it was referred to as the ‘gas which would not burn’. Analysis of the gas from this field found that it was dominated by nitrogen but also contained 1.84% helium by volume. Such an amount is uncommon; in most fields helium occurs in traces (0.05% or lower). The discovery allowed its properties to be explored, which in turn led to its widespread use in physics and chemistry. Markets developed. Other discoveries were made, in Wyoming, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Montana and Colorado. Some fields contained up to 10% He by Map showing helium-rich volume – significant, when the economic gas fields and concentration for extractable He is 0.3% - He processing at which level its value is about the same plants in the as the remaining 99.7% of the discovered United States, 2012. From gas volume (assuming this is saleable USGS methane). Other discoveries of helium-rich gas have also been made (in Canada, Algeria, Poland, Russia, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Qatar, Kazakhstan, India, Pakistan, China and the Timor Sea). However none of these new reserves currently matches the concentrations or volumes found in the USA. To date only 14 fields across 12 countries actively produce and contribute to the world’s supply of the gas. So, current reserves are set to decline GEOSCIENTIST FEATURE

▼ to critically low levels in a few tens of Shield. So although helium’s escapology years. We have been failing to replace puts quicksilver to shame, it is constantly what we use. Recycling is minimal and being created. largely unfeasible. Moreover, we suspect Helium is found in groundwater, that many gas production companies natural gas fields, ancient brines, fluid are unwittingly venting He because inclusions in ore deposits, hydrothermal they either do not test their gas or, if fluids, igneous intrusions and rocks, oil they do, fail to recognise its value. We field brines, lakes, ice sheets, oceanic have evidence that helium is indeed sediments and coal measures. However, being vented from ‘off-spec gas’, rich in only a handful of natural gas fields non-combustible compounds, during the contain enough He for extraction to be clean-up process. commercially viable. As a result, while global demand has Producing He-rich fields can be steadily risen (proportional to a price divided according to their primary gas increase of c. 175% in the last decade component into three main types: for Grade A helium), crude helium is now worth approximately 30 times the 1. N2-rich: - Harley Dome, Pinta Dome equivalent volume of crude methane, (USA) and has been priced as between $3.75/ 2. CO2-rich: – LaBarge, Doe Canyon m3 (raw He) and $7.21/m3 (Grade A He, (USA) refined to a purity of c. 99.997% or better). 3. CH4-rich: - North Dome-South Pars (Qatar/Iran), Hugoton-Panhandle (USA), Where is helium found? Hassi R’Mel (Algeria) The two stable isotopes of He differ by only one neutron. On Earth, 4He is the The helium system most common and demands the majority Perhaps the fact that all helium has been of industrial interest. 3He, the much discovered by accident while searching 3 4 rarer isotope ( He/ Heair = 1.4x10-6) has for petroleum holds the solution to limited specialist applications, not least exploring for helium deliberately. Long in neutron detectors in airports, and a ago oil and gas companies ceased candidate for power generation though trusting to chance and developed an nuclear fusion power. 3He is often exploration method whereby a basin or referred to as ‘primordial helium’ due to area is assessed by considering potential the bulk of it being trapped in the mantle source rocks and regional reservoir/ during the Earth’s formation, with few seal combinations. In short, we adapted mechanisms to produce it via radioactive- well-established hydrocarbon exploration linked processes. protocols to make helium the target, and 3He/4He in the Earth’s mantle so devised the following questions: is enriched in 3He relative to air (3He/4Hemantle = 1.12x10-6), and these 1. How and where are helium generated higher isotopic ‘mantle’ ratios can be (source rock)? readily measured in hydrothermal 2. How is helium liberated from the systems at mid ocean ridges and many source rock (primary migration)? volcanic gases. However it remains at 3. How does helium move significant Top, middle: Large volumes of He are wasted, but concentrations far too low to be naturally distances from the source rock (secondary (Bottom) the Editor has finally hit upon his escape plan (see advertisement, p. 4) sourced, with commercial quantities migration)? limited to the (small) by-product of 4. How do pools of helium rich gas nuclear power plants. accumulate in the crust (trapping ~ Conversely, the more abundant mechanisms)? isotope, 4He, is produced by alpha 5. How are helium accumulations decay of U and Th in the crust (the destroyed by nature (trap breaching and/ alpha particles stabilise to become 4He), or dissipation)? PERHAPS THE FACT which is why it is also called ‘radiogenic THAT ALL HELIUM HAS BEEN helium’. In this sense it is perfectly We have already mentioned the source DISCOVERED BY ACCIDENT ‘renewable’, albeit only on a geologic of helium being rocks, especially granites, timescale. Different rock types produce rich in thorium and uranium. We have WHILE SEARCHING FOR varying amounts of 4He, depending mainly addressed primary migration, PETROLEUM HOLDS THE on original concentrations of U and Th secondary migration and how helium SOLUTION TO EXPLORING FOR and age of the rock - with some of the accumulates. To do this we sampled highest production found in Precambrian existing helium producing areas in the HELIUM DELIBERATELY crystalline terranes such as the Canadian US Mid-West and Canada. We attempted ~ WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 | 13 GEOSCIENTIST SOCIETY NEWS

▼ (unsuccessfully) to sample known He-rich small, dispersed amounts of He are still metamorphism, and that crystalline rocks gas wells in Italy and South Asia. Finally probably hard to mobilise. We don’t contain levels of nitrogen, often found

and most recently, by teaming up with understand this primary release process as NH4+ in clays, that would support

exploration company Helium-One, we very well; but is likely to be enhanced by observed 4He/N2 ratios. sampled He-rich seams in the Tanzanian the presence of a second carrier fluid or So, we think we have a basic idea of section of the East African Rift. All gas phase. Simply put, large amounts of how helium and nitrogen are related, and samples were subject to rigorous gas fluid trapped in tight rock are easier to how they escape from source rocks. What composition analysis and of the isotopic mobilise than small amounts, and any happens next? composition of the separated He, other major gas or fluid phase would carry any Strong evidence from other noble gas noble gases and nitrogen. helium with it. isotopes (e.g. 20Ne and 36Ar, which only From a helium-source perspective, it is originate from air) that the admixture

clear that older granites have had the time Carrier of helium and N2 is dissolved in to produce more helium than younger We think we know what the carrier groundwater in overlying lithologies. ones. The first step in exploring for He is phase is. High helium concentrations This is a problem. We need enough therefore to look for Archaean granitic/ in natural gases are always associated nitrogen and helium dissolved in the crystalline terrain. However, age is not with high concentrations of nitrogen water so that, when it ascends, the

the only determinant of a viable source; (N2/4He ratios are typically c. 10 to 50). system depressurises enough to form a primary migration from that source needs Many natural gases that are nitrogen- separate nitrogen-helium gas phase – to have occurred. High energy alpha rich contain little or no helium, though before reaching any trap structures. This particles carve 10-20 micron length ‘fission – which is simply explained by the may indeed have occurred where pure

tracks’ in the uranium and thorium- fact that there are multiple sources of N2-He gas fields are found. However, bearing minerals, along which He atoms trapped nitrogen in sediments (e.g. it is also possible that the presence of

can migrate. While it is not yet clear how petroleum source rocks and coal) from significant concentrations of CO2 or CH4

efficiently He escapes from the crystal which N2 can be released by increases in in other helium-rich natural gas-trapping lattice, it is probably quite efficient. Gas temperature and pressure. structures gives us an important clue to will then accumulate in fluid inclusions Why radiogenic helium should the nitrogen-helium migration story. and fractures within the host rock. be associated with non-radiogenic When groundwater that contains

For He to escape from the (low nitrogen is intriguing. It has been dissolved helium and N2 is equilibrated

permeability) inclusions and fractures, found that the isotopic composition with existing CO2 or CH4 gases, the

however, requires energy – typically, heat. of nitrogen associated with economic insoluble helium and N2 will exsolve This could come from rifting, subduction, helium deposits is consistent with the from the groundwater into any pre- volcanic activity or similar processes; but range expected from low temperature exsiting gas phase. In this case, a

Helium production and storage in the United States, 1940-2014 (data from USGS) GEOSCIENTIST FEATURE

pre-existing gas phase composed trap is too close to the volcanic centre, FURTHER READING of CO2 or CH4 is essential for all you are likely to find is CO2. ‘stripping’ groundwater containing Once helium has migrated 1. Ballentine, C.J. and Sherwood accumulated but dissolved helium into a trap, the preservation Lollar, B. (2002) Regional and N2 into any existing trapping of helium in that field depends groundwater focusing of structure. This doesn’t on the rate at which helium is nitrogen and noble gases into the Hugoton-Panhandle giant come without an added supplied to the deposit and the gas field, USA,Geochimica complication. Since CO2 efficiency of the seal or trap to et Cosmochimica Acta, 66, 2483–2497 and CH4 are some of the hold on to it. most prevalent gases in the 2. Cady, H.P. and McFarland, D.F. (1907) The occurrence of subsurface, there is a risk is What next? helium in natural gas and the that where helium and N2 Our database is growing but composition of natural gas, J. accumulate, the helium can is still minute when compared Am. Chem. Soc., 29 (11), pp be diluted by large amounts with the accumulated 1523–1536 3. Danabalan, D., Gluyas, J.G., of associated gases to non- knowledge for, say, petroleum Macpherson, C.G., Abraham- commercial concentrations. exploration. We need to James, T.H., Bluett, J.J., Barry, P.H. and Ballentine, If we are relying on CH4 seek out and analyse more and CO to strip dissolved natural He occurrences to C.J. (2016) New high-grade 2 helium discoveries in Tanzania, helium/nitrogen, we need better understand migration Goldschmidt Conference to establish the ‘goldilocks’ and accumulation. We also Abstracts zone, where the degree of still have to understand https://goldschmidt. info/2016/uploads/abstracts/ dilution is ‘just right’. For the systematics of helium finalPDFs/595.pdf example: volcanic activity is accumulation destruction, a known source of high CO2 and the temporal integrity gas fields. Therefore, in the of seals. More immediately right geological setting, the (and certainly of more interest Davina Danabalan1*, Jon Gluyas1, Colin thermal aureole associated to many) will be our current Macpherson1, Pete Barry2 & Chris Ballentine2. with magmatism may work on mapping ‘helium 1: Department of Earth Sciences, Durham provide the heating play fairways’ around the University, Elvet Hill, Durham, DH1 3LE, U.K., needed to release globe. Where best might E: [email protected]. helium from its we explore for helium? 2: Department of Earth Sciences, University of source – but if the Watch this space! u Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3AN, U.K. ~

WE NEED TO SEEK OUT AND ANALYSE MORE NATURAL HE OCCURRENCES TO BETTER UNDERSTAND MIGRATION AND ACCUMULATION ~ THE GEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOCENE BURLINGTON BORN IN HOUSE Where are we with the ‘Anthropocene’? Jan Zalasiewicz*, Colin Waters, Mark Williams, Colin Summerhayes and Phil Gibbard explain….

aul Crutzen, atmospheric state, that the Holocene had ended - chemist and Nobel Laureate, perhaps at around the time the Industrial had a moment of irritation Revolution started - and that a new and inspiration at a scientific epoch, the Anthropocene, had begun. The P meeting in 2000 in Mexico. term quickly spread and began to be used Even he probably had little idea how far in books and papers. his idea would travel. Cut, now, to Burlington House, 17 May A major player in Earth System 2006, and a meeting of the Geological science, deeply involved in the Society of London’s Stratigraphy International Geosphere-Biosphere Commission. One of us (JZ), as its (then) Program (IGBP), he had been listening Chair, introduced a draft manuscript on with increasing discomfort to successive the Anthropocene for consideration as a accounts describing the alarming rate and Commission publication. The term was scale of global change in ‘the Holocene’. just beginning to get enough visibility No longer able to contain his feelings, for stratigraphers to take notice, and its he burst out: “Stop it! We’re no longer in use in literature emerging from the IGBP the Holocene but … (he paused) … the was generally matter-of-fact - as if it were Anthropocene!”. already an accepted term. However, it Above: The author with Paul Crutzen, taken at a Crutzen’s neologism clearly was still emphatically informal, having working meeting on the Anthropocene at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, March 2017 crystallised an idea that had been gone through none of the lengthy process developing (unconsciously, perhaps) of proposal, assessment and ratification

among other researchers. When Crutzen by various bodies of the International

returned home to Mainz, he found Stratigraphic Commission, that formal that the same word had been coined chronostratigraphic terms (like Jurassic, independently and used locally by US Pleistocene, Toarcian etc.) needed to ~ lake ecologist and diatom specialist undergo. The Stratigraphy Commission Eugene Stoermer. Crutzen invited is not an international body, so cannot Stoermer to join him in proposing the ‘adjudicate’ – though it can pass term, in IGBP Newsletter, in an article comment. Perhaps somewhat to its own THE TERM WAS invited, and edited, by Will Steffen (then surprise, it agreed (by large majority) that JUST BEGINNING TO IGBP Executive Director and key player the Anthropocene seemed ‘geologically GET ENOUGH VISIBILITY in the subsequent development of the reasonable’ and might be considered for term among Earth System scientists). formalization. FOR STRATIGRAPHERS Two years later, Crutzen broadcast the TO TAKE NOTICE, AND term more widely in Nature (see Further Planetary permanence ITS USE IN LITERATURE Reading). This Commission’s cautiously-worded paper on the Anthropocene (authored EMERGING FROM THE Livestock by all but one of the 22 Commission IGBP WAS GENERALLY The arguments used in both papers members) was published in 2008 by the MATTER-OF-FACT - AS included massive change to some of the Geological Society of America. It attracted Earth’s key geochemical cycles (especially attention, because it made clear that the IF IT WERE ALREADY AN of C, N and P), alteration of atmosphere kind of global environmental changes ACCEPTED TERM and ocean chemistry, profound biosphere listed by Crutzen and Stoermer could be change including conversion of many permanently imprinted in the rock record ~ natural habitats to farmland and a and could become geology. massive global increase in livestock, This potential planetary permanence accompanied by accelerating extinctions, of the consequences of human activities invasions, industrial-scale harvesting of was seen as novel, coming even as a sea-fish, damming of major rivers, etc. shock to many outside geology (and even All this meant the Earth System had to many geologists, who thought ‘man’

been taken out of its ‘normal’ interglacial too puny to have lasting effects on the ▼

WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 | 17 constructions and in waste by-products (including ‘Artificial Ground’) come to some 30 trillion tons – or some 50kg per square metre. Nor does this figure include ‘classical’ strata (lake and marine sediments, peat bogs, polar snow and ice etc.) which passively trap an array of stratigraphic proxy signals reflecting human impact, much of it novel (agricultural pollen, fly ash, microfossils, plastic). The Anthropocene does not lack for substance. But is it clearly distinct from the Holocene? Anthropogenic influence has long been a feature of Earth history, from the rolling extinctions of large terrestrial mammals from the late Pleistocene, peaking some 10,000 years ago, and continuing subsequently. Farming, starting near the Beach deposits at Kampot, beginning of the Holocene, has dramatically Cambodia, with fish (A) and altered landscapes worldwide, and artefacts crab debris (B) discarded from a nearby market, along with are commonly found in Holocene strata. diverse plastic waste (including The Holocene, while showing clear signs bags C, bottles D, lids E, straws F, spoons G), cigarettes (H), pottery of human influence, was, until the late th (I).... and dead rodent (J). Such 18 Century, still displaying little overall diverse potential future fossil/ change to fundamental cycles. Substantial technofossil assemblages are typical Anthropocene indicators, human changes to ecosystems were largely and this deposit almost certainly land-based, with only incipient change in includes future microfossils too, oceans. Negligible alteration of the global such as plastic microfibres and fly ash particles atmosphere or signal appears within ice- core record, other than a very slow and

slight climb in atmospheric CO2 levels from about 7000 years ago, perhaps due to early farming. Stratigraphically, almost all these human impacts were diachronous.

▼ planet). As one result, the term began to landscape change into lithostratigraphy, Chronostratigraphical boundaries need to be adopted and used in disciplines well chemical pollution into chemostratigraphy, be globally synchronous. beyond either geology or Earth Systems biological change into biostratigraphy, and science (today garnering some two million so on. Acceleration Google hits, many in social sciences, Changes from the late 18th Century, though humanities and arts). Solid – particularly from the ‘Great Acceleration’ As another result, there came an Despite this novel make-up, the of the mid-20th Century - were completely invitation from one of us (PG, then consideration of ‘human’ phenomena different in scale and nature. Take the Chair of the Quaternary Stratigraphy and the very short time-spans, the change to the carbon cycle. For most of the

Subcommission of the International Anthropocene still needs to be considered Holocene, atmospheric CO2 levels stayed Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS)), to in terms of classical stratigraphy. So as well roughly constant, (260-280 ppm). Around set up a body (the Working Group on the as being a potential epoch, a unit of time the late 18th Century they began to rise, at ‘Anthropocene’, to which all five authors and process, it had to work as a physical first slowly, climbing steeply from the mid- belong) to formally examine the evidence unit of strata, a potential ‘Anthropocene 20th to >400 ppm. This is >100 times faster as to whether the Anthropocene might Series’, just as the history of the Jurassic than during the transition from Pleistocene become part of the Geological Time Scale, Period is inferred from the solid evidence to Holocene, which, stratigraphically, is and to make recommendations. of Jurassic System rocks. captured by glacial ice strata and more Since 2009 the group has been gathering So, are there sufficient strata to justify generally through an equally striking evidence on what the Anthropocene might the Anthropocene? A case can be made for change in carbon isotope ratios. be, and whether it really could become this. One feature of the Anthropocene is The change in the nitrogen cycle is a part of formal chronostratigraphy. modern society’s enormous expenditure yet more profound, and the mid-20th The membership, currently 33, has an of energy. It is estimated that humans have Century also marks the geologically almost unusual composition in that classical expended more energy (largely through instantaneous spread of plastics, concrete, stratigraphers make up only about half fossil-fuel burning) since WWII than in industrial fly ash, many persistent organic the group, the rest being Earth System the whole of the preceding Holocene. pollutants, and a myriad invasive species scientists, ecologists, archaeologists, a soil Part of this has gone towards powering around the world. This change to the Earth scientist, oceanographers, historians – even the bulldozers and JCB diggers that have System is now at least partly irreversible an international lawyer. This is because reshaped the landscape, at rates far more (and so will influence the course of the Anthropocene sits at the interface rapid than normal ‘background’ erosion future stratigraphy) and has left a near- of geological and historical time, where and sedimentation. synchronous suite of fossilisable markers modern Earth processes need ‘translating’ A rough calculation of how in recent strata – not least many rapidly into appropriate forms of stratigraphy: much material is present in all these evolving ‘lineages’ of ‘technofossils’ (pens,

18 | DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST Golden spike Summary of some key The Working Group is now beginning a new Anthropocene proposal based, classically, on identification signals (with the carbon and selection of a Global boundary isotope Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) or anomaly sharp ‘golden spike’. The sharpest and most enough to cut oneself on). globally synchronous signal is probably Reproduced the ‘bomb spike’ of artificial radionuclides with kind released by atmospheric nuclear bomb tests. permission, Current These spread quickly around the world, Anthropology forming a distinctive marker in all sediments (Chicago everywhere. The pros-and-cons of different University Press) environments – anoxic marine basins, lakes, corals, speleothems, peat bogs, glacial ice, trees and so on – have been assessed for their suitability for hosting an Anthropocene ‘golden spike’, prior to sifting through the many localities where the ‘spike’ might be placed. We aim to prepare a formal proposal over the next few years. Geological Time Scale work notoriously takes place over a well- nigh geological timescale! Nevertheless, we hope there will be – in the not-too-distant future – a formal decision in sight for the Anthropocene saga, so powerfully shaped by its passage through Burlington House. u Dedication This article is dedicated to the memory of Alan Smith (1936-2017), long-standing member of the Stratigraphy Commission and co-author of the 2008 GSA Today paper, who throughout his life was a constant source of help and encouragement to us and to many others in the geological community.

bottles, cans, mobile phones etc.). *Jan Zalasiewicz is Professor of Palaeobiology at Leicester University The Anthropocene has considerable E: [email protected]. He is also a member of Geoscientist’s Editorial Board. geological reality. The evidence has been widely published and is now being gathered into one large book, for Cambridge University Press (2018). FURTHER READING The interim recommendations of the Crutzen, P.J. (2002). Geology of Mankind. Nature, 415 (3 January), 23. Anthropocene Working Group (presented at the Cape Town IGC in 2016 and Crutzen, P.J. and Stoermer, E.F. (2000). The “Anthropocene”. Global published in the journal Anthropocene Change. IGBP Newsletter, 41, 17–18. in 2017) were that a proposal should be Waters, C.N., Zalasiewicz, J., Williams, M. et al. (eds) (2014) A prepared for possible formalisation of Stratigraphical Basis for the Anthropocene. Geological Society, London, the term ‘Anthropocene’ as part of the Special Publications, 395. Geological Time Scale, as an epoch (and series), with a base/beginning somewhere Steffen, W. et al. 2016. Stratigraphic and Earth System approaches to in the mid-20th Century. defining the Anthropocene, Earth’s Future, 4, 324-345. Formalisation is not guaranteed, and Zalasiewicz, J. Williams, M., Smith, A. et al., 2008. Are we now living in the even if accepted, it may not emerge as Anthropocene? GSA Today, 18(2), 4–8. an epoch/series; a subdivision of the Holocene (subseries or stage), might be Zalasiewicz, J., Waters, C.N., Summerhayes, C.P., et al. (2017). The Working preferred. The Geological Time Scale is Group on the Anthropocene: Summary of evidence and interim designed to be stable, so that geologists recommendations. Anthropocene, 19, 55–60. may communicate across the world and between generations. Success means Zalasiewicz, J, Waters, C.N., Williams, M. & Summerhayes, C.P. (eds). In press. The Anthropocene as a geological time unit: an analysis. gaining a supermajority (>60%) of the Cambridge University Press. relevant subcommission, and the entire ICS – as well as ratification by IUGS.

WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 | 19 GEOSCIENTIST CALENDAR Can’t find your meeting? Visit www.geolsoc.org.uk/listings The Calendar is even more abbreviated than usual in this issue. ] Apologies for the date errors in the November issue. [Full, Accurate, Up-To-Date – Editor.

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Christmas Extravaganza! 7 December Venue: BGS, Keyworth. Time: 1800. Tickets required. with Professor Iain Stewart Contact E: [email protected]

SeismiCON 2017: 1st International 10-12 December Venue: Jury’s Inn, Wellesley Rd., London. Cost: £450. See website for Conference on Seismic ASRAnet Ltd details. E: [email protected]

Dangerous Neighbours GSL London Lecture 11 December Venue: Burlington House. Two performances. For details, see p. ??

New UK Geotextile Standards 13 December Venue: Burlington House. Time: 1730 for 1800. Engineering Group, IGS Contact E: [email protected]

28th International Annual Conference 13-15 December Venue: Lisbon, Portugal. See website for details. Geological Remote Sensing Group Contact E: [email protected] Assessing Asbestos in Soil– What constitutes best practice? North West Regional

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Curbing Catastrophe sources. If you want to learn about enriched with high quality maps, diagrams, communication of science and risk, or data-tables and schematic diagrams. Each setting policy to reduce risk, this book is paper complements the others and provides Natural hazards and invaluable. You will take an entertaining readers with the opportunity to recognise the risk reduction are such and informative ramble through topics different methods that are used in studying broad topics that any ranging from risk theory, the amount of past glacial environments. It shows the attempt to squeeze caesium in wine, how vested interests importance of working together to develop them into a single bias the public discourse, the impact of our understanding of the world around us. volume should backfire. building codes on fire safety, and the Interestingly it has highlighted how the Yet, written in an importance of companies confessing their timings of glaciation in the Mediterranean easy-to-read narrative errors openly and rapidly. This book will mountains influenced patterns of Palaeolithic style, each story in this open your eyes. settlement. book is presented in a compelling way Of particular interest to me (and the that makes for a genuinely enjoyable and Reviewed by: Ross Roberts focus of the author of the foreword, Bruno thought-provoking read. Messerli’s dissertation, 50 years previously) It would certainly be impossible to CURBING CATASTROPHE: NATURAL HAZARDS was the Sierra Nevada of Andalucia. With cover the full topic in any depth. The AND RISK REDUCTION IN THE MODERN WORLD my mother recently moving to Spain, I was author is a Professor in the School of by TIMOTHY H DIXON, 2017. Published by Cambridge relishing the prospect of this book taking Geosciences and Director of the Natural University Press 33pp ISBN: 978-1-107-03518-8 me on a journey through the glaciers of List Price: £21.99 W: http://bit.ly/2Ar7Fy1 Hazards Network at the University of Spain, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. South Florida. He uses satellite geodesy The writing is aimed at graduate level, and remote sensing data to study but assumes little technical knowledge. earthquakes and volcano deformation, Techniques used are well explained and coastal subsidence, groundwater Quaternary Glaciation the methodologies of dating and state of extraction and glacier motion. current research clearly graded. For each of With this background one would in the Mediterranean the geographical regions the earliest known expect the focus to be on the technical Mountains publication, the dating methods applied and and scientific aspects of the hazards. the current state of research are summarised, However, this book actually covers allowing the reader to gain an overview - as these topics lightly. The level of detail is This special well as to easily locate a specific research generally below that of undergraduate publication by the method, or region. studies, and is really just to get non- Geological Society It is a timely publication, with the status of technical readers up to speed ready of London presents glaciers rapidly changing year-on-year, and for the main topics in the book: The 14 original research acts as a great stimulus for future questions importance of communication, the papers in the field of about the majestic mountain landscape of the importance of understanding long- Quaternary Glaciation Mediterranean margin. term processes, and the economic in the Mediterranean consequences of failure. Mountains. The key Reviewed by Fiona Connor The book is based around case studies objective was to bring together the latest from the author’s personal experience work from leading specialists and to QUATERNARY GLACIATION IN THE including the New Orleans flooding, set out the wider significance of their MEDITERRANEAN MOUNTAINS the Haiti earthquake, the Fukushima findings. It certainly streamlines the by P D HUGHES & J C WOODWARD (eds), 2017. nuclear accident, and climate change. past and present research knowledge Published by: Geological Society of London, Special Publications, 433. ISBN 978-1-86239-747-7 Each case study is simply a medium for and research techniques of this field, List price: £100.00. Fellows’ Price: £50.00 demonstrating failures in the main topics and also assesses the prospects for W: www.geolsoc.org.uk/sp433 of the book and so are covered at various new studies, and outstanding research levels of detail, occasionally delving deep problems in Quaternary glaciation in the into areas of particular interest. Mediterranean mountains. Recommendations are made It is a fascinating read, covering such throughout the book for scientists, rich and significant archive of the majestic Archaeological and engineers and politicians ranging from mountain landscape that surrounds the scientific communication to tax policy. Mediterranean Sea. The collection of Forensic Applications Professor Dixon gives fantastic examples 14 papers has something for everyone of Microfossils from his own scientific papers, showing and provides an excellent starting point how the cautious use of language in for anyone interested in Quaternary science communication blunts the Glaciation. This Geological Society Publication message to the point where it becomes It covers well the background and for The Micropalaeontological Society easy to ignore, and gives numerous history of this field of research - not presents 15 papers documenting examples of societal own-goals where only the science but the human element the contribution of microfossils to poor planning is subsidised by taxpayers too, the people involved and their archaeological and forensic study and a false sense of security is given to backgrounds, making for a vivid and in relation to theory, method and the people living in at-risk zones. engaging read. It is well ordered, with a interpretation. At 296 pages this volume If you want to learn about the science logical structure moving clockwise from is an engaging read with a wide range of natural hazards, there are better North Africa around the Mediterranean, of topics and applications described

22 | DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 | 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]

by many leading more universal application. vulnerability and risk is discussed in experts. The volume This eclectic collection of papers in relative detail, using modern seismic is divided into three a compact volume do an admirable job hazard and risk-assessment methods. sections covering of highlighting the important, although One of the main reasons why the island palaeoenvironmental sometimes overlooked, contribution displays high seismic risk with only a applications in microfossil studies make to many of moderate level of seismic hazard, is that archaeology, our fundamental questions about the much of the older building stock was provenancing analyses past, the evolution of landscapes and the built from stone rubble, without the applied to archaeology, and forensic solving of felonies, including war crimes. benefit of modern building codes. applications. This volume will be placed on one of my A discussion on degassing of The papers hang together well and more easily-accessed bookshelves. carbon dioxide and radon from soil generally follow a chronological theme. takes the reader from the subsurface They have been written in an accessible Reviewed by: Clive Waddington and into several building types. style that will be helpful for the many Some information on the effects of archaeologists with non-specialist environmental conditions and the knowledge of environmental science. The THE APPROACHES AND FORENSIC concentration of CO or radon in APPLICATIONS OF MICROFOSSILS. A DEEPER 2 breadth of papers will appeal to a wide UNDERSTANDING OF HUMAN HISTORY buildings is included. Mitigation of readership, as will the importance of Edited by: M WILLIAMS, T HILL, I BOOMER volcanic gases by the use of barriers some of the discussion topics. AND I WILKINSON 2017 Published for The and passive venting are the only gas- Micropalaeontological Society by The Geological Although all the papers are strong, Society. ISBN: 978-1-78620-305-2 reduction techniques discussed. particular standouts for me were the List Price: £100 Fellows price: £60.00 Overall, I found this book to be use of foraminifera and ostracods for W: www.geolsoc.org.uk/TMS007 an excellent general resource for the palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimate geology, seismicity, seismic hazards, reconstruction of the Lower Palaeolithic volcanic hazards and related effects for site at Boxgrove in MIS13 - c. 0.5 million São Miguel, as well as a basic resource years ago (Whittaker and Parfitt), the for the geology of the eastern portion of evidence presented for dry islands Volcanic Geology of the Azorean Archipelago. or islets in ‘Doggerland’ 80km off the British coast at the beginning of the São Miguel Island Reviewed by: Robert Anderson Neolithic period (Geary et al.) - much later than any previous palaeocoastline The large-format VOLCANIC GEOLOGY OF SÃO MIGUEL ISLAND models based on sea level index points memoir volume (AZORES ARCHIPELAGO) by J L GASPAR, J E - and the discussion of pollen and is made up of 22 GUEST, A M DUNCAN, F J A S BARRIGA AND D K non-pollen palnynomorph evidence for CHESTER (eds) 2015. Published by: The Geological separate stand-alone Society, ISBN: 978-1-86239-731-6 early farming activity in Late Mesolithic papers in which São List Price: £95.00 Fellows Price: £47.50 pollen records (Innes and Blackford). Miguel’s location W: https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/M0044 The range and number of authors and evolution, as underscores the importance of well as the Azorean collaborative working and the Archipelago as a interdisciplinary research that has whole, are explained with respect to allowed the study of microfossils to add the triple junction between the North Geological Repository so much to archaeology and forensics. American, Eurasian and Nubai plates, Systems Whether used for investigating the the Mid Oceanic Ridge and the Terceira evolution of past landscapes, past Rift Zone. activities and impacts of humans within Volcanism is still active on São From the mid-20th and on the landscape, unravelling Miguel. A brief description of the Century, civil nuclear the interplay of humans, landscape, types of volcanoes, and the eruption power generation, vegetation and climate, or in the types are presented. Volcanic and military R&D and conviction and prosecution of criminals, landslide hazards with respect to the nuclear weapons this important and up-to-date volume geomorphology and geology of São production, together will form a regular work of reference for Miguel are described, as are some with the widespread student and specialist alike. eruptions and their consequences. A use of radioactive The papers are predominantly UK- number of damaging landslides have materials in medicine, focused, although there are excursions occurred since colonization of the Azores academia and industry, have all have into the countries of the Mediterranean began in the 15th Century. A series of generated significant radioactive wastes fringe, including Italy, Macedonia and maps depicts landslide hazard potential of various forms, quantities and levels Israel. However, the findings discussed on the island, with a discussion on of radioactivity. Geological disposal in many papers will be of interest to landslide-monitoring activities. Several has been selected, developed and much more than a UK-only readership, historical accounts of damage caused by implemented over the past 50 years by given that the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic landslides to houses, villages and farms many nuclear ‘active’ nations, as the and Neolithic transition papers discuss are also given. safest and most effective final disposal important data of north-west European The history of damaging earthquakes method for the management of these relevance, and the methodological issues on or near São Miguel is discussed in waste materials. tackled by most of the papers have a depth. Modelling of seismic hazard, The volume presents 26 ▼

WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 | 23 FOR A FULL LIST OF TITLES AVAILABLE, GO TO [WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/REVIEWS] BOOKS & ARTS chapters arranged in five thematic sets. Belt Basin: Window to basaltic underplating of the attenuated Chapters in Part One introduce the Mesoproterozoic Earth continental crust during the basin’s topic and context of geological disposal, early history. Other chapters consider providing an overview of near-surface, the development of early rift-defining intermediate depth and deep borehole This book provides growth faults, their later compressional disposal (covering low, medium and a detailed review of reactivation, and the formation of large- high-level wastes). aspects of the Belt scale gravity sliding of the thick carapace Part Two describes the different Basin, which covers above a deep-seated intrusive magma types of repository systems (crystalline, around 200,000km2 of wedge that migrated upwards and clay and salt-hosted) and methods Montana, Idaho and eastwards over a long period. of repository site surveying and adjacent Canada. The The book is well written and adequately construction. Chapters in Part Three basin fill is around illustrated, with many colour figures, focus on the repository engineered 20km of mainly but no index. Other recent books on the barrier systems, covering nuclear waste clastic sediments deposited between same general theme conclude that Early canisters through to buffer and backfill 1500 and 1370 Ma in an intracontinental Proterozoic Earth closely resembled materials. Finally, chapters in Parts Four rift basin that subsequently underwent the Earth we know now. This volume and Five address aspects of repository numerous episodes of tensional, reaches the same general conclusion but safety, security and social ‘acceptability’, compressional and strike-slip tectonism finds differences, and highlights them concentrating on repository performance and igneous activity until as recently as accordingly. I recommend it to those assessment, radiation protection, the Miocene. Despite metamorphism doing research in this fascinating period environmental monitoring and social to greenschist grade, sedimentary of geological history. engagement. Each chapter contains its structures are well preserved. own individual reference section. The first four papers examine aspects Reviewed by: Pete Webb This is the second edition of this of stratigraphy and sedimentology, established reference work, and has been including whether the sediments BELT BASIN: WINDOW TO MESOPROTEROZOIC comprehensively revised, updated and were lacustrine or marine - not easy EARTH expanded (the editors claim that some in successions where fossils are rare at by JOHN S MACLEAN AND JAMES W SEARS (eds) Published by: The Geological Society of America (SP 25% of new material has been included best. Likely environments in parts of the 522). Publication date: 2016 ISBN: 978-0-8137- on contemporary topics of importance). basin were playa lakes and flash floods 2522-2 (hbk) 384pp. The volume critically reviews the across land surfaces devoid of vegetation; List price: £57.50; GS Fellows £40 W: www.geolsoc.org.uk/USPE522 current technologies and scientific but elsewhere, tidal to marine shelf methodologies relating to the long-term, environments are inferred. safe geological disposal and management The next four papers deal with the BOOKS FOR REVIEW of nuclear wastes. In addition to scientific Lemhi sub-basin, whose 15km-thick succession is lithologically monotonous, and technical aspects, the political, Please contact [email protected] if you would regulatory and societal issues involved completely lacking in fossils and like to supply a review. You will be invited to keep the are also discussed, using key examples to repeatedly faulted, making correlation review copy. See a full up-to-date list at illustrate both international and national within it especially difficult. The last www.geolsoc.org.uk/reviews perspectives on issues raised. chapter considers the origin of strata- The primary readership is anticipated bound hydrothermal Co and Cu ores. ◆ NEW! Photo Atlas of Mineral Pseudomorphism to be practising geoscience professionals Three papers follow, covering aspects by J T Kloprogge & R Lavinsky Elsevier 2017281pp hbk within both UK and international of geochemistry and geochronology. ◆ NEW! Geomechanics & Geology by Turner JP et al Chapter Nine examines the iron radioactive waste management (eds) 2017 Geological Society Special Publication industries. However, this volume also mineralogy in the lower part of 458 298pp, hbk provides a rigorous and comprehensive the column, concluding that the ◆ NEW! Archaeological Soil & Sediment public information source for the water column was shallow and Micromorphology by Cristiano Nicosia & Georges general scientific or environmentally fully oxygenated but that sediments Stoops (eds) 2017 Wiley Blackwell 476pp hbk concerned reader, and governmental or underwent diagenesis almost ◆ Monogenetic Volcanism by Nemeth K et al. (eds), regulatory official requiring a thorough immediately in a sub- to anoxic sulphide- 2017 Geol. Soc. pub. Hse., SP #446 382pp hbk contemporary understanding of the rich environment. The chapter goes on to ◆ Subterranean Norwich – the grain of the city, by scientific developments informing their consider the implications of this for early Matthew Williams. Lasse Press 160pp sbk ◆ Geochemistry and Geophysics of Active Volcanic decision-making. A recommended read life forms. Chapter 10 discusses a major Lakes by Ohba et al. GSL Publishing SP#437 geochemical survey of Proterozoic mafic and valuable reference work. 295pp, hbk igneous rocks in the basin. Previously, ◆ Salt Tectonics - principles & practice by Reviewed by: Mark Griffin only two LIPs were identified; new work Jackson PA and Huden MR. recognises 17 different geochemical Cambridge University Press 2017 498pp, hbk signatures. ◆ Chesapeake perspectives - decoding the deep GEOLOGICAL REPOSITORY SYSTEMS FOR The final three chapters cover sediments: Ecological History of Chesapeake Bay SAFE DISPOSAL OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUELS geophysics and structural geology. by Grace Brush. 2017 Maryland Sea Grant 63pp sbk AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE (SECOND EDITION) ◆ Tectonics of the Deccan Large Igneous Province by MICHAEL J APTED & JOONHONG ANG (editors). They include a discussion of a deep, low by Mukherjee et al. (Eds), 2017. Woodhead Publishing Series in Energy. 2017. Elsevier. resistivity layer identified on MT, which ISBN 978-0-08-100642-9. Hbk. 802pp. is nowhere exposed at surface but is Geol Soc Spec Pub #445 363pp, hbk ◆ Land Surface remote Sensing, by Baghdadi N and List Price: £290.00 believed to contain numerous repeated W: www.elsevier.com/books-and-journals Zribi M (eds). Elsevier 2017 342pp hbk sulphide-rich layers emplaced during

24 | DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST Geoscientist welcomes readers’ letters. These are published as promptly as possible in Geoscientist Online and a selection READERS’ printed each month. Please submit your letter (300 words or fewer, by email only please) to [email protected]. LETTERS Letters will be edited. For references cited in these letters, please see the full versions at www.geolsoc.org.uk/letters

Hot air, Rare Earths and markets

Sir, I was disappointed to see Chris Mackenzie perpetuating the ‘wind turbines need rare earth magnets’ myth (Soapbox, Geoscientist 27.08 September 2017). Many people think rare earth materials are a necessary component of wind turbines, but the figures prove otherwise: only about two percent of the U.S. wind turbine fleet uses them. (W:www.aweablog.org/rare-earths-wind-turbines-problem-doesnt-exist/) Rare earth elements like neodymium and dysprosium are used in a wide variety of products from iPhones and computers to flat screen TVs and certain types of batteries.

RICHARD BARNES

IN MEMORIAM WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/OBITUARIES

THE SOCIETY NOTES WITH SADNESS THE PASSING OF: Booth, Tony * Fischer, Alfred* Marshall, Mr John A * Shingleton, Sam * Bridges, Paul * Gardener, Roger * Matthews, Peter Elvor * Welland, Michael John Patterson Brooks, Michael Hallam, Anthony O’Reilly, Kevin J O * Whitlow, Roy * Chillingworth, Patrick Cecil Helm, Derick * Palmer, Stephen J * Workman, David Richard Hamilton * Howell, Frank Travis * Parr, Robert Young, Paul Ivor * Coombs, Douglas * Kelly, Desmond Michael * Pipes, Kenneth P * Drysdall, Alan Roy * Laws, Michael James * Rawcliffe, Eric * Elueze, Anthony Azbuike * Leighton, James * Robson, David *

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 in shown in bold. Fellows for whom no obituarist has yet been commissioned are marked with an asterisk (*). The symbol § indicates that biographical material has been lodged with the Society.

If you would like to contribute an obituary, please email [email protected] to be commissioned. You can read the guidance for authors at www.geolsoc.org.uk/obituaries. To save yourself unnecessary work, please do not write anything until you have received a commissioning letter.

Deceased Fellows for whom no obituary is forthcoming have their names and dates recorded in a Roll of Honour at www.geolsoc.org.uk/obituaries.

WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 | 25 PEOPLE NEWS Photo competition

Three Sisters of Glencoe in Autumn: Clifftop bowling overlooking Limestone weathering, Gower: Milena Farajewicz Loch Maree: Emma Smith Kevin Privet

Sarah Day writes: Many thanks to ◆ Midges and Rain, Glencoe: Gina Williams everyone who entered the Earth Mark Ainsley Earth Science Week took place on Science Week photo competition! ◆ Sand Blown, Bridport West Bay: October 7-15, encompassing a huge We whittled down over 130 entries to Giordano Battistel range of events organised across the UK a final winning 12, all of which feature ◆ ‘The Amphitheatre’ near Giant’s and Ireland. The week’s theme this year in our 2018 calendar – on sale now at Causeway: Nigel Bell (‘Our Restless Earth’), helped to celebrate Burlington House or via our website. ◆ Mam Tor: Wayne Brittle the 50th birthday of plate tectonic theory The winners were: ◆ Laminated sandstones on Gullane (see also P.7). All the winning pictures ◆ 1st: Three Sisters of Glencoe in beach: Milena Farajewicz were featured by the Guardian and the Autumn: Milena Farajewicz ◆ Lulworth Crumple: Mark Godden Daily Mail online. ◆ 2nd: Clifftop bowling overlooking ◆ Assynt: Timothy Gregory ◆ Connemara National Park, County Loch Maree: Emma Smith ➤ Find out more at Galway: Ankit Verma ◆ 3rd: Limestone weathering, Gower: www.geolsoc.org.uk/earthscienceweek Kevin Privet ◆ Subterranean, White Scar Caves: 70 years of service

The Geological Survey of Northern Geodiversity Charter had Ireland (GSNI) is celebrating 70 years taken place just before. of public service in 2017, writes Adler Written by Drs Kirstin deWind. Lemon and Sam Roberson A series of events has been held to of GSNI, the Charter follows celebrate GSNI’s achievements and raise the example of Scotland and England by setting out awareness of what the future holds for Photo: Tourism NI geoscience in Northern Ireland. a clear ambition to recognise The Geoconservation Gathering was geodiversity as a vital and held, in conjunction with the Society’s integral part of Northern Ireland’s Geoconservation Committee, on 20 economy, environment, heritage October at the Ulster Museum (Belfast). and sustainable development. Photo: Fermanagh & Omagh DC Tourism is one of Northern Ireland’s Over 20 organisations support strongest economic drivers, much of it the Charter, including the Geological to provide guidance associated with geological heritage. GSNI Society. It is hoped that their collective on how to safeguard and has played a key role in establishing and voice will help maintain and enhance our manage this for current and future assisting many of Northern Ireland’s natural geodiversity and lead to raised awareness, generations - and that’s exactly what attractions, including Giant’s Causeway policy integration, enhanced conservation, Northern Ireland’s Geodiversity Charter and Causeway Coast World Heritage Site, and continued research. aims to do.” and the Marble Arch Caves UNESCO Lemon, Team Leader of Information and Almost 50 people attended the Charter Global Geopark. The Gathering focused Infrastructure at GSNI, told Geoscientist: launch and the subsequent Gathering, on how geoconservation and sustainable “Understanding and managing Northern including members of the public, tourism can and should work, with Ireland’s geodiversity has never been so representatives of academia and research, examples from across the island of Ireland. important. With increasing pressures on local government and public agencies, The launch of Northern Ireland’s our resources and environment, we need landowners, NGOs, and education.

26 | DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST GEOSCIENTIST PEOPLE NEWS

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

DISTANT THUNDER Climate change comes to Bagley Wood

Geologist and science before he arrived in Oxford, Pressed Steel as an exhibition a giraffe, grazing on holly in writer Nina Morgan Harrison, known for his passion designer and later for the Bagley Wood. The ‘fourteenth for undertaking field work ‘under Oxford Education Authority day of Christmas’ issued in considers some new the most arduous conditions producing supplementary 2015, hit home by featuring evidence for global that could be arranged’ began material for schools. A new eight redundant reindeer. And warming by producing Christmas cards design emerged yearly. For the strongest message of all illustrated by his photographs many years the creation of the appeared on the 2016 card, The village of Kennington south taken in the wilds of Persia. cards was entirely down to sent out after Stephen’s death of Oxford has a reputation as a After he arrived in Oxford, these Pauline, with Stephen adding in October. This card highlighted geological hotspot. the effects of global warming in From its epicentre Greenland, one of his favourite in Bagley Wood places. Although this card Road, the village features Pauline’s signature has provided the fingerprint and charming art Department of Earth work, the subject matter and Sciences (formerly punning references in the text the Department have Stephen’s fingerprints all of Geology and over it. Mineralogy) at Oxford University with some A very happy holiday season of its top geological to all! talent. The list of ➤ Acknowledgement luminaries includes I thank Pauline Moorbath the intrepid field for telling me about the geologist, J V origin of the cards and Harrison [1892 - Stephen’s involvement, 1972]; geologist and and for permission to reproduce one here; Philip petrographer Keith The strongest message of all appeared on the 2016 card, Powell for drawing my Cox [1933 – 1998], sent out after Moorbath’s death in October 2016 attention to the cards; and known for his work Philip Powell and the late cards were replaced with gifts handwritten notes to his friends on flood basalts and kimberlites; David Vincent for sharing geochronologist Stephen of Christmas trees cut from his and colleagues. their personal recollections Moorbath [1929 – 2016], famous property in Bagley Wood (see of J V Harrison. Harri- for his work in Greenland and Distant Thunder, Geoscientist Evidence grows son’s Christmas cards can the identification of the oldest 22.11, December 2012). However, once Pauline reached be found in the Special rocks on Earth; and structural Then in the late 1970s a new the end of a delightful 12-year Collections section of the geologist and plate tectonics type of handmade Christmas series (representing the twelve BGS GeoScenic website W: http://geoscenic.bgs. pioneer, John Dewey, born 1937 card emerged from Bagley days of Christmas) Stephen ac.uk/asset-bank/action/ and still very much alive. Wood Road. These unique began to exert some influence and charming cards – each on the design, and clear viewHome. Quality Street incorporating her fingerprint – evidence of the effects of global Bagley Wood Road has also were designed and produced warming began to emanate from * Nina Morgan is a geologist and gained a reputation for the by Stephen Moorbath’s Bagley Wood. science writer based near Oxford. quality of its Christmas cards. wife, Pauline, an artist with a The card for the ‘thirteenth Her latest book, The Geology of J V Harrison, may have started qualification in industrial design day of Christmas’ sent out Oxford Gravestones, is available via the ball rolling. In the 1930s, who was then working for in 2014, was illustrated by www.gravestonegeology.uk

CAROUSEL ◆ Jeremy Ingham Jeremy Ingham has been appointed Director of Forensic Services at All Fellows of the Society are Capita Real Estate and Infrastructure. Based in their City of London entitled to entries in this office, he will be continuing his work as an expert witness specialising column. Please email in construction materials technology. [email protected], W: http://bit.ly/2jtn1i4 quoting your Fellowsip number.

WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 | 27 GEOSCIENTIST OBITUARY

OBITUARY Norman Edward Butcher 1928-2017

Geologist who studied Skaergaard under pseudo-Scot of OU until his retirement in Cornish ancestry, Lawrence Wager but who later became a leading 1992. During 1983-85 he was brought up in student of the life and times of James Hutton President of the Edinburgh Kent, but with Geological Society. ‘A strong Yorkshire affiliations’ is how Norman Geological Society once described himself. Norman was elected FGS in Born in Chichester, he grew 1951 and only rarely did a up in Folkestone and later visit to London fail to bring Maidstone, where he attended him to Burlington House. the Grammar School. There, During his Reading years under Spitfire skies, he received he interested himself in the a secure grounding in science. possibility of establishing a National Service saw him in professional body to serve Germany as a sergeant with the the needs of British geology Royal Army Educational Corps, and he convened a meeting and, demobbed, he entered to explore the matter. It took Sheffield University in 1948 to place in the Society’s Council read chemistry. Room on 6 January 1964, but A subsidiary subject was proved premature. Later, demanded of him and he chose after the foundation of the geology. It was a life-shaping Institute of Geologists in 1977,

decision. The stratigraphic Norman greatly valued his

column supplanted the post-nominal CGeol, and he periodic table, and at the close also liked to advertise his of his first year he transferred ~ Membership of the Royal into the honours course in Institution by means of an geology. He was President MRI. of the University Geological student of geology in Sheffield. Society (1951-52) and in 1952 HIS Margaret and their three sons History of Geology was awarded a first class BSc in RESPONSIBILITIES survive Norman. Norman was fascinated Geology. EXTENDED by the history of geology. Academia In 1967 he organised, in Research THROUGHOUT In 1965 he joined the staff of Reading University Library, For two years he remained SCOTLAND AND the Department of Geology an exhibition illustrating in Sheffield to investigate the BROUGHT HIM INTO in the University of Reading. the evolution of geological western side of the Dartmoor There he remained until cartography, and after moving Granite, and then in 1954 CONTACT 1969, but they were years of to Edinburgh he became a migrated to Queen’s College, WITH HUNDREDS increasing friction. In 1970 leading student of the life Oxford, as Hastings Senior OF ENTHUSIASTIC he was happy to transfer his and times of James Hutton. It Scholar. Under Professor STUDENTS OF HIS family to Edinburgh upon his was his initiative which gave Lawrence Wager, he studied appointment as Staff Tutor in to Edinburgh the Hutton clinopyroxenes of the upper SCIENCE Earth Sciences within the Open Memorial Garden, inaugurated part of the Skaergaard University. His responsibilities in August 1997 upon the site of Intrusion in East Greenland - a ~ extended throughout Scotland Hutton’s former residence in St region he actually visited in the College Chaplain (David and brought him into contact John’s Hill. 2001 when he travelled with Jenkins) officiated when with hundreds of enthusiastic a Russian expedition. He Norman married Margaret students of his science. It was developed a deep affection for Nutter who had been work which Norman relished ➤ By Gordon Herries Davies Queen’s College and in 1955 the first woman honours and he remained with the

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 | DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST GEOSCIENTIST CROSSWORD

CROSSWORD NO.221 SET BY PLATYPUS WIN A SPECIAL PUBLICATION!

The winner of the October Crossword puzzle prize draw was Annika Schmitz of London.

All correct solutions will be placed in the draw, and the winner’s name printed in the March 2018 issue. The Editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Closing date - January 19.

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

Please return your completed crossword to Burlington House, marking your envelope “Crossword”. Do not enclose any other matter with your solution. Overseas Fellows are encouraged to scan the signed form and email it as a PDF to [email protected] ACROSS DOWN Name ...... Membership number ...... 7 To bond to metal ions via a 1 Tuscan wine, ‘nice’ with human polydentate ligand around a single atom liver, apparently (7) Address for correspondence ...... (think crab claws) (7) 2 Capital of the region (1 down) (8) ...... 8 Features of the ‘Temple’ featured on 3 Petrified by intoxication? (6) Lyell’s famous frontispiece (7) 4 Flies in the apothecary’s send forth ...... 10 Sodium carbonate decahydrate a stinking savour. (8) ...... (hydrated soda ash) (6) 5 Small flower (6) ...... 11 The other side of the fault from the 6 Immature form of Girl Guide (7) one that dropped (8) 9 Coming on above, overlying, like ...... 12 School whose playing fields make strata (11) Postcode ...... one frightfully brave (4) 15 Object believed to contain 13 An electrical insulator that can be magical properties (8) polarized by an applied electric field. (10) 16 Rock consisting of algal balls (8) SOLUTIONS OCTOBER 14 Summer version of ‘hibernation’ (11) 17 East central Canadian province 19 Upfolds (10) named for a Great Lake (7) Across: 22 Closed social group united by beliefs, 18 Undersurface of hind foot (7) 7 Epibole 8 Creator 10 Glacis 11 Arsenate 12 Ebbs 13 Alexandria personality, object or goal. (4) 20 Written in metrical feet consisting 14 Balkanising 19 Stonemason 22 Rohm 23 Hard cheese (8) of an unstressed and a stressed 23 Clavicle 24 Schorl 25 Athlete 26 Faulted 24 Not on the coast (6) syllable, in that order (6) 25 Closely resembling (7) 21 17d lies in the middle of the Down: 26 High table land (7) Canadian one, for example. (6) 1 Appleby 2 Abscissa 3 Alaska 4 Crystals 5 Maenad 6 Nostril 9 Paternoster 15 Kamacite 16 Narwhals 17 Otolith 18 Charter 20 Novels 21 Nosean

WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 | 29 GEOSCIENCE JOBS

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