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MAGAZINE OF THE GEOLOGISTS’ ASSOCIATION Volume 8 No. 1 March 2009

Meetings April/May/June Behind the Scenes - at the Natural History Museum, Berlin October/January Lectures Charlton Field Trip Book reviews Eni Challenge Award Circular 978 Churches Part 2 Rockwatch News Tour of the Rift Valley Tanzania NSGGA Lecture The First Welsh Star Local Groups at the Festival of mag29.qxd 20/02/2009 15:29 Page 2

Magazine of the Geologists’ Association From the President Volume 8 No.1, 2009 How do we increase membership so Published by the that the GA can continue to flourish? It is not an easy question to answer at a Geologists’ Association. time when most people are tightening Four issues per year. CONTENTS their belts but it is something that I and colleagues on Council have been devot- ISSN 1476-7600 3. The Association ing a considerable amount of time to Production team: JOHN CROCKER, recently. While we continue to collate 4. GA Meetings April/May/June the results of the recent survey in order Paula Carey, John Cosgrove, 5. Berlin Museum Field Trip to find out what you - our members - Vanessa Harley, Bill French value about our society, we have also 7. Report Oct. and Jan. Lectures been drawing up a plan of campaign to Printed by City Print, Milton Keynes 8. Charlton Field Trip promote the GA more widely, including press releases, brightening up the web- 9. Book Review The GEOLOGISTS’ ASSOCIATION site and targeted articles in magazines. 10. Eni Challenge Award Most importantly, we need our mem- does not accept any responsibility for bers to spread the word about the GA views and opinions expressed by indi- 10. Lord Ashcombe’s Teeth so please take a look at the notice on vidual authors in this magazine. 11. CIRCULAR 978 page 3 of this issue for ideas on how you can help us. Please tell your 15. Jurassic Churches Part 2 friends, colleagues and students about The Geologists’ 17. Rockwatch News us and be creative - we have recently Association 18. Rift Valley Tour had one person taking out membership for someone as a birthday present! The Association, founded in 1858, exists to 20. NSGGA Talk foster the progress and diffusion of the sci- 20. Dinner Notice While Rockwatch continues to do a ence of geology, and to encourage great job in enthusing children about research and the development of new 21. Darwin - Welsh Rock Star the wonderful world of geology and its methods. It holds meetings for the reading 22.Local Groups at the relevance to our daily lives, we need to of papers and the delivery of lectures, attract more student and adult mem- organises museum demonstrations, pub- Festival of Geology bers into the GA. There are lots of lishes Proceedings and Guides, and con- things to benefit from and enjoy, from ducts field meetings. our lectures and fieldtrips to our publi- Annual Subscriptions for 2009 are £40.00, cations and various grants. It is only Associates £30.00, Joint Members £58.00, through maintaining a healthy member- Students £18.00. Advertising Rates ship that the GA can continue to be an For forms of Proposal for Membership and Full Page £360 Half Page £190 active and passionate supporter of geol- further information, apply to the Executive Quarter Page £100 ogy for all. Secretary, The Geologists’ Association, Other sizes by arrangement. On the subject of geology for all, I was Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1J delighted to see industry and amateur 0DU. ADVERTISEMENTS geology coming together on 6th E-mail [email protected] While precautions are taken to ensure the February, when Eni UK Ltd chose the GA Telephone 020 7434 9298 validity of advertisements the Association to host their 2008 Eni Challenge Award, Fax 020 7287 0280 is not responsible for the items offered, for see page 10. Eni have offered their Website: http://www.geologistsassocia- any loss arising or for their compliance with award for over a decade as a way of tion.org.uk regulations. promoting amateur geology in the UK, particularly in the fields of conservation, President: Danielle Schreve © The Geologists’ Association. interpretation or field education. This All rights reserved. No part of this publi- year's worthy joint winners were the Executive Secretary: Sarah cation may be reproduced, stored in a Forest Of Dean Local History Society, for Stafford retrieval system or transmitted, in any "GEOMAP", an exciting project involving form or by means, without the prior per- the construction of a large-scale geo- mission in writing of the author and the logical map of the Forest of Dean using Geologists’ Association. the local rocks, and the Cumberland Geological Society, for their new book "Exploring Lakeland Rocks and LAST Copy dates for the Landscapes". It is enormously gratify- Circular & Magazine ing to see these inspiring projects recognised and rewarded in such a way. March Issue January 14th Cover picture: June Issue April 22nd September Issue July 22nd December Issue October 21st A view of Charlton Quarry at a Danielle Schreve GA Field Trip in 1913 Items should be submitted as soon as possi- - see page 8 for report. ble and not targeted on these dates. We wel- come contributions from Members and others.

Closing dates for applications to the Curry Fund for 2009: May 20 2009 2 GA Magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No. 1, 2009 mag29.qxd 20/02/2009 15:29 Page 3

THE ASSOCIATION Report from Council and that Prof. Dick Selley should be Architecture". This is a fascinating pho- approached for 2010. tographic archive of changes to our Please respond to the box below. environment as natural resources are This report covers the last two meet- exploited for human benefit. Our hope ings of Council - December and John Crocker is that there will be a number of public February. All agreed that the Festival of General Secretary exhibitions of this work later in the Geology was amost successful event year. The Geologists' Association was and everyone involved with the organi- awarded £4,130 for publication of its sation was to be congratulated. forthcoming Field Guide on the Suggested modifications for future Annual Dinner - see page 20 Dalradian. Festivals were considered. As reported A decision on the application from elsewhere, Rockwatch had a very suc- University College Museums & Collections for its micropalaeontology cessful meeting at Burlington House for Curry Fund Report which they were congratulated. collection update, was deferred until There is an on-going report on the March, pending supplementary infor- Disposal of Radioactive Waste that At its last meeting of 2008, the Curry mation, as was the application from Council is monitoring with Profs. Fund Committee received eight new Caves Global Geopark for Cosgrove and Howarth in the lead. applications and considered a number an Education Field Guide. Council continually considers the of matters arising from previous meet- The application from Herefordshire & web-site and there was considerable ings. Six of these were funded and two Worcestershire Earth Heritage Trust, discussion on how it should be devel- were deferred until the next meeting, deferred from the September meeting oped and kept up-to-date. It was pending supplementary information. was funded with a grant of £1,920 for agreed that Sarah, in the office, should The Dorking Museum was awarded signage of the Geopark Way long dis- buy the program ‘Dreamweaver’ so that £2000 towards the cost of information tance footpath. NEWRIGS, also held she is able to alter and update the panels updating existing information to over from the September meeting, website. Links between Local Groups go in the new build museum, with its received a grant of £446.50 for geolog- and the GA need to be reorganised, anticipated opening in December 2010. ical bookmarks. The final leaflet (4/4) with the current web address of the GA Friends of Lyme Regis Museum were "Rocks on the Shore of Newquay" was incorporated. How one archives a granted £3,400 towards their new web received by the committee and the final changing feature like the web site was site development. £685 was awarded to payment of £525 was made to Central raised and needs considering for the the Dorset Geologists' Association Wales RIGS for the last leaflet of the future. Group (DGAG) for a booklet on a series. The recruitment of new members is "Geological Walk around Weymouth". As ever, an interesting and varied col- always under consideration. It was The Quaternary Research Association lection of applications, yet again illus- decided that we should approach the was awarded £800 to facilitate a ses- trating how important the GA's Curry membership for assistance, hence the sion at its annual meeting in Oxford in Fund is, providing support and funding block below. A variety of ideas were January. Encouraging the mix of geolo- for geological information at all levels, discussed and will be implemented over gy, landscape and photography, Richard for dissemination to the wider public. Chivers was granted £700 towards the the coming year. Susan Brown It was agreed that there should be a cost of development of his project Lecture to commemorate Bob Stoneley "Textures of Time: Landscape and Curry Fund Secretary THE GA NEEDS YOU!

We are aiming to increase our membership by up to 10% We are planning to do this through a mixture of promotional and publicity activities We have limited funds, so we’re looking to you, our members, to support the campaign If you can help the GA by : Suggesting ideas for promotion Writing press releases or promotional copy Suggesting items to update our website Organising an event Putting up a poster at work, or taking one to your local library Giving admin help please contact Sarah at the GA office And please all: Bring your friends Tell your colleagues Spread the word!

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April Meeting

deposits can we still identify the Tectonic vs Climate resonse in The morphology of river systems signs of climatic and tectonic varia- Sediments changes in response to a range of tion, and if so at what scales? This external or exogenic controls. The lecture will explore some of the Prof. Lynne Fostick major formative controls are the cli- responses of rivers to tectonics and mate in their catchment areas and climate and also seek to show how Friday April 3 2009 the tectonic setting. These act patterns of river sedimentation can Geological Society, Burlington House, through , gradient, sedi- be used to infer past changes. Piccadilly, W1V 0JU ment supply and ecology to produce at 6.00pm, tea at 5.30pm the diverse river forms we see today. But when we look at preserved river

May Meeting - AGM and Presidential Address

comfortably into the existing strati- Animals, Archaeology and graphical scheme, or were erroneous- Palaeoenvironments point to a Missing ly assigned to established interglacial Interglacial periods. However, increasing recog- nition of the complexity of the British Dr Danielle Schreve Quaternary terrestrial record, togeth- Royal Holloway College er with the discovery of a number of significant new sites, has at last pro- Friday May 1 2009 vided a robust context for the histor- Geological Society, Burlington House, ical finds. This lecture discusses the Piccadilly, W1V 0JU multiproxy evidence for an as-yet at 6.00pm, tea at 5.30pm unnamed interglacial in the British late Middle , c. 300,000 During the 19th century, the exploita- years ago, drawing on lithostrati- tion of large brickyards and the exca- graphical, biostratigraphical and vation of tramway cuttings in the palaeoenvironmental data. The evi- chalk pits on the north bank of the dence for early human activity at this Thames at Grays brought to light a time is also reviewed and suggested remarkable series of superbly pre- correlations with continental served mammalian fossils. Until European sequences proposed. Brown bear paw bones from Grays. Arrows recently, these fossils were either show position of cutmarks largely ignored, since they did not fit

June Meeting

preserved shelled animals). These fluid release caused wholesale redistrib- Postcards from the Amazing Mud alternations help define the stratigraphy ution of rare earth elements such as Factory: Multimillion-year underground of these rocks, and may also have acted lanthanum, cerium and neodymium, transformations of fossils and strata in as climate feedbacks, in which greater creating billions of tiny monazite nod- the Welsh Basin or lesser amounts of carbon were ules within the strata; around this buried and hence sequestered in the time, fluid release also comprehensive- Jan Zalasiewicz muddy deposits. Subsequent burial of ly reshuffled strontium isotopes within University of Leicester. the deposits saw a succession of diage- the rock. Both these events created netic and then low grade metamorphic 'atomic clocks' capable of dating these transformations. Very soon (decades or subterranean events. Yet later, tecton- Friday June 5 2009 less) after deposition, pyrite began ic compression associated with the Geological Society, Burlington House, precipitating within graptolite rhabdo- building of the Welsh Mountains caused Piccadilly, W1V 0JU somes in the 'anoxic' muds, while dur- further changes: in tandem with slate at 6.00pm, tea at 5.30pm ing 'oxic' intervals apatite precipitated formation, detrital micas were trans- as a cement at redox horizons just formed into distinctive 'chlorite-mica During late Ordovician to Silurian below the sea floor. Both of these dia- stacks', while new micas grew around time, the Welsh Basin filled with mud- genetic phases were later instrumental graptolites in clay-organic interactions. dominated sediment, slow hemipelagic in shielding fossil and matter The latter phenomenon provides a fur- deposition being punctuated by tur- respectively from the deformation asso- ther atomic clock - one that both dates bidites. The hemipelagites show evi- ciated with Acadian mountain-building. the Acadian orogeny and suggests that dence of a series of oceanographic A few million years later, with burial to it took a complex course. Now, as the alternations between anoxic sea floors a few kilometres depth, the deposits rocks are eroded, the characteristic on which accumulated plankton-derived passed through the oil window and like- phases so produced are being washed organic matter (including graptolites), ly generated substantial amounts of oil downriver into the Irish Sea to produce and oxygenated sea floors with a bur- and gas, that have long since disap- characteristic markers in the strata of rowing biota (though with few or no peared. The (hydrocarbon-related?) the future. 4 GA Magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No 1, 2009 mag29.qxd 20/02/2009 15:29 Page 5

Behind the scenes at the Museum fur Naturkunde (Natural History Museum), Berlin, Monday 27 October

The present main building and museum Brachiosaurus brancai, from were opened in 1889, bringing together Tendaguru, now in Tanzania, former- three major private collections which ly German East Africa. The museum had been acquired over the previous sent a major expedition there to col- 200 years. The museum buildings and lect fossil bones (mainly ) the various collections were located in from 1909 to 1914 and brought back what was formerly East Germany so 250 tons of bones. Consequently all that there has been less than 20 years but one of the magnificent dinosaurs since the reunification of Germany in on display are from that source. Also 1991 for the development and in this central atrium, in a secure rearrangements of the present day area, the Berlin specimen of establishment. The museum is current- Archaeopteryx lithographica is dis- ly part of the Humboldt University of played with a lighting arrangement Berlin with state funding but next year to allow for very close inspection. A the museum will be independent of the display nearby showed a model of its University and will be funded by the reconstructed skeleton, the size of a City of Berlin and the Federal magpie, and the notice explains how Government. Archaeopteryx has the characteris- tics of both birds and dinosaurs. At The original intention was that the pub- the side of the atrium, there is an lic would be able to access the whole excellent display of Solnhofen fossils building to view both the displays and with their amazing state of preserva- the collections with research in tion. Here and elsewhere, in the progress. The latter proved impractica- newly restored galleries, the display The real Archaeopterix lithographica and a model ble but the beautiful iron decorated boards were in both English and of its skeleton stairs to the upper floors still stand and German. Parts of the text are under- many of the collections are held in the lined, and when these were pressed a The room 'Evolution in Action' shows high-ceilinged rooms with large win- very impressive and informative display animal diversity. There are displays of a dows (many now covered to keep the appeared on the adjacent screen. whole variety of life forms, from beetles light out). The rooms all show the lack to lions and our guide discussed how of attention and money in the latter half the zebra's stripes protect it from of the 20th century, although building the tsetse fly whose compound eye work is now under way on some proj- can only distinguish a maze of ects. patches and thus not the animal.

After being welcomed by Dr Stephan The mineral collection is housed in Shultka, Head Curator of Palaeobotany, old wooden cabinets, largely dating the party split into two groups to tour from the 19th century. A large range the public exhibitions with the help of of is displayed, arranged in two English-speaking guides. The cen- chemical order: elements, sul- tral spaces and displays have all been phides, oxides, silicates etc. Among renovated, most recently in 2007, and the displays are precious specimens are of a very high standard and some- collected from Russia by Alexander what reminiscent of the natural history von Humboldt. museums in London and Oxford. Mineral gallery with old style wooden display cases Of course, there is the usual fossil The main public gallery contains the display of specimens of the high quality world's largest mounted skele- The next room, 'System Earth' has a to be expected in national status muse- ton (and the Guinness Book of Records huge globe around which a large televi- um, although the display is housed in certificate to validate this claim), sion screen rotated in an equatorial an older style gallery and the displays plane. The effects of plate look some- movements are shown, for what dated. example the collision of India However, it with Asia and the formation of was good to the Himalayas. Satellite pic- see a lots of tures and cross sectional dia- real speci- grams are also included. In mens in the addition, this room contains displays. many excellent, huge rock specimens which show the In the after- effects of meteorite impact, noon and magmatic extrusion and vol- early canism, and folding of rocks. evening, the Another area explains the group interdependence of evolution toured of grass and plants on the 'behind the evolution on animals, particu- scenes' to those areas larly the horse. Ammonites in the fossil gallery Brachiosaurus brancai, in the central atrium not open to Photo Rosemary Gwyn-Thomas GA Magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No. 1, 2009 5 mag29.qxd 20/02/2009 15:36 Page 6

the public, including the research labo- been used instead. ratories and preparation rooms. We spent much time walking through a One interesting feature that the muse- of tunnels, corridors, cellars um has is that one can sponsor a fossil and stairs that connect the original halls - the larger the donation, the better the containing the various collections. fossil! Finally we went down to the basement to see the large-specimen Curators of each department showed off collection with rack upon rack of mam- their specimens. Dr Jason Dunlop, moth teeth, large bones, etc. like a Curator of spiders and millipedes, charnel house! showed us the spider collection com- prising rows upon rows of small bottles We had a very rewarding, if exhausting containing spiders in alcohol. Another day, thanks to the hospitality of the gallery contained fish specimens, museum staff who had taken a lot of another had bottles of , and time and effort to make our day so there was much more we didn't look at. Lutz Berner explaining the role of the interesting We were told how the alcohol collection preparator department serves an important part in not only recognising what is rock and what is modern comparative work but is also fossil. useful in reconstructing organisms from their fossil remains. The collection nar- Dr. Shultka, the Curator who wel- rowly escaped destruction during World comed us in the morning, then War II when a bomb fell through the showed us the fossil collections which roof of the stores but failed to explode. are arranged in different rooms for invertebrates, vertebrates, etc. One of the collections is of coal fossils. He explained how specimens had been taken to Russia in the 1950s but had been returned, probably by mistake, in 1968! In one of the rooms we were Dr Shultka with the coal fossils

Most members of the group had come to Berlin for a long weekend. Some vis- ited museums and art galleries, and a group went on an organised walk Dr Jason with his spider collection around central Berlin. Every evening we went out to dinner as a group to sample The physical damage caused by col- some excellent Berlin delicacies and lapse of the roof only destroyed the continued to enjoy ourselves. domestic animal collection. However, other specimens were lost when the invading Russian army used the alcohol for their own internal consumption.

Dr Ansgar Greshake, Curator of mete- orites, explained how the mineral col- lection consisted of 300,000 specimens mostly from several major donations made in the 18th and 19th centuries. Amongst the minerals was a display of rocks by Humboldt and Klaproth, with their original labels, due to go on public exhibition. This included the specimen used by Klaproth for his discovery of Large bones in the basement ‘Charnel House uranium, which many of us were briefly Photo Rosemary Gwyn-Thomas able to hold. Dr. Greshake also showed us some of his 6,000 meteorite speci- The prized skull of Brachiosaurus brancai mens, the fourth largest meteorite col- Photo Rosemary Gwyn-Thomas Thanks should be given to David and lection in the world. Anne Bone and Roger Dixon for all their shown one of the efforts in making this event so memo- In the basement, we pride and joys of rable and to the staff of the museum for were introduced by the museum, the their generous effort and time they Lutz Berner, Head skull of spent on our behalf. Preparator, to the Brachiosaurus assistants preparing brancai, which, fossils. He showed very unusually, is John & Jo Crocker us the tools they almost complete used and some of and undeformed. (with help from Roger Dixon the specimens they This is too fragile to and David & Anne Bone) were working on, display on the particularly two reconstructed skeleton in the pub- skulls. This requires Examining the specimens in the Humbolt - lots of patience and Klaproth collection arranged for future public lic gallery, so a skill, not least in display plastic replica has 6 GA Magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No 1, 2009 mag29.qxd 20/02/2009 15:27 Page 7

October 2008 GA Lecture Report Ventilation is necessary for deposi- From the Depths: How Stalagmites reveal Quaternary tion, so that the seasonal fluctuations in quality of air, and in quality and climatic history. quantity of water can provide seasonal Professor Ian Fairchild of the University of Birmingham registers. The most useful caves are Deep ocean deposits and ice cores are well-established fos- those where one factor dominates. sil climate indicators. Professor Fairchild showed North Atlantic Evidence of seasonality is more impor- records, with clear 100k-year cycle patterns. South Atlantic tant than speed of deposition. results are similar, but several factors combine to produce a Growth rate variations offer direct spikier profile. indications of past Climates. Wider sta- Interglacials generally last around 20k years, but global lagmites indicate wetter conditions. warming is now so pronounced that the next predicted ice age Vertical "candles" indicate stable pre- might not actually happen. cipitation, while "cones" suggest a reducing supply. "Soda The quest for land-based climate proxies - in the absence of Straws" are narrow hollow stalactites, which show annual oceans or ice cores - is now more urgent. Any new methods banding down the vertical length of the tube, with the wall must be proved directly against the established systems. thickening at the lower (later deposited) part. Investigation into Speleothems (calcareous cave deposits, In Australia, the trees mostly take the current sparse rain- comprising Stalactites, Stalagmites and Flowstones) began in fall, with very little reaching the caves, so speleothem devel- the 1970s, and made major advances in the last decade. Prof. opment is on stand-still. Conversely, in China's Dongge Cave, Fairchild showed examples from the impressive recent work in deposition has been constant for 10k years, with no physical China, as well as some from Europe. variation - but with clear seasonal rhythms defined by isotope Speleothems match ice cores, and are easier to use, corre- patterns. sponding closely with tree-ring dating. Limestone caves are Oxygen and carbon occur as heavier and lighter isotopes, not completely open systems but they can exchange air and and their relative proportions provide basic palaeoclimate indi- water, and importantly carbon dioxide - with the outside envi- cators. Associated trace elements can reveal sublties that are ronment. consistent in caves thousands of km apart. Impurities such as Some caves may give rogue readings, due to chemical adul- uranium and thorium can seriously upset the dating evidence. terations within feeder joints. Vegetation at the surface can Professor Fairchild closed with certain useful rules of thumb. cause marked differences in cave deposition, when carbon Increased rainfall produces higher isotopic content. The carbon dioxide is dissolved in the soil. dioxide pressure plots well against the calcium concentration, Calcium carbonate is relatively easy to use for climatic prox- and when the soil absorbs a lot of CO2, more CaCO3 may be ies, and development sequences have been established in the precipitated in the cave below. When calcium is taken out of karst system. Chinese work has codified how such caves are the system, magnesium and strontium may take its place. created, filled and eventually destroyed: when the water table With less ventilation Radon gas levels will be high, and stalac- drops, the streams cut down to a lower level. tites will be very strongly influenced. Water passing through cave systems can leave scalloped sur- faces on the flowstones of inclined surfaces, sometimes form- Tony Iles ing shallow basins where water turbulence creates "pearls". January 2009 GA Lecture Report joined the Geological Survey William Whittaker - Giant of the GA" as an Assistant Geologist. From 1874 to 1879 he was Professor Peter Worsley, of Reading University Editor in Chief of the Professor Worsley chose the title to assert, in our Sesqui- Geological Record. By 1882 Centennial year, what good value William Whittaker was for the he had become the Senior GA. He served two separate terms as President,(1900-1902 Survey Geologist for SE and 1920-1922) and he had led more than 50 field excursions England, and he was appoint- - the last one when aged 84. ed District Surveyor. In 1896 He was clearly a rugged individualist, with fierce loyalties he retired, but became active both to organisations and to his scientific ideas - which were in Hydrogeology, conducting often well ahead of their time. He worked for the Geological pioneering work in two wells Survey for his entire career, always in the South East of in Brentford, using lithium England. However, he had a broad sweep of interests, revised tracer. Professor Worsley delivering the many long-established beliefs, created new disciplines - and He was a family man, hav- January Lecture in the Society of evidently some enemies besides. He was acknowledged as one ing three children - though he Antiquarians of the principal founders of British Hydrogeology. was eventually separated Peter Worsley told the story with humour and some startling from his wife. Perhaps his strong-mindedness and his total facts. In Summer 1865, a distinguished trio from the Survey absorption with his work may have contributed. Some anec- (Whittaker and the famous Geikie Brothers) explored the dotes suggest that his determination might sometimes have Scandinavian Fjords, studying glacial environments. Their made him a difficult colleague. Murchison had suggested to groundbreaking paper concluded that much of British geomor- Ramsay (Whittaker's superior) that he should move him to the phology resulted from sub-aerial land-ice glaciation, rather North West - evidently mainly to get him further away. Sir than marine processes. Roderick Murchison, the Head of the Archibald Geikie, a close friend during their Scandinavian proj- Survey, was against these suggestions, and did not rest easy. ect, had later demanded that he should be sacked! Nothing In 1861 Whittaker made the first description of Clay with seemed to divert William Whittaker, however. Flints in irregular junctions above the Chalk. His explanation as In the course of his working career he produced a very sig- residue from the Chalk further supported sub aerial dissolution, nificant body of work, covering the , Tertiary and against marine origin. Quaternary of the South East of England. Whittaker's subsequent major paper presenting the relief of His GA Presidential lecture in his second term was concerned the North Downs as being a type example of land-ice glaciation with "Water Supply and Sanitation". Evidently he had shifted processes caused a storm. The GS Council ordered the paper his focus to Public Health, rather than the Wealth of the Nation. to be withdrawn, but the Editor of the Geological Magazine He was active in the Geologists Association throughout his ignored this - and Whittaker sent reprints to disbelievers - career, and typically he urged amateur geologists to play their notably including Charles Lyell, who became a distinguished part by recording temporary exposures. convert. Tony Iles Whittaker had studied Civil Engineering at UCL, and in 1857

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Charlton Field Trip - Saturday 14th June 2008

To honour its 150th anniversary, the GA respected tradition and visited once again the former sand pits at Charlton in south-east London. Having formed some twenty months earlier on 17 December 1858, Charlton was the destination of the third ever field excursion made by the GA. The 1860 field season was the GA's first that also included excursions to Folkestone on 9 April and Maidstone on 19 June. Charlton has always remained a very popular destination for excur- sions by the GA; the Proceedings record visits made in 1881, 1885, 1887, 1895, 1899, 1901, 1907, 1915, 1919, 1920, 1929, 1930, 1933, 1939, 1948, 1950 and 1956. Its popu- larity is due to the fact that it is within easy reach from London's railway termini, a wide variety of lithologies are exposed, the contact between the 'Secondaries' and the Fig 1. Members and guests 'Tertiaries' could be inspected and there is the opportunity for collecting fossils. Reference was made to satellite monitoring of London and Charlton was included in the Geologists' Association Guide to the very small ground movements measured that have for London (South of the Thames) by W. S. Pitcher in 1967 shed new light on the evolution of the River Thames and the (Edited by Hester). Gilbert's Pit at Maryon Park, the desti- (Fig 3). The party was also shown some nation of this field trip, became a park in 1938 and was des- results of seismic profiling in the River Thames that show the ignated an SSSI in 1953 (1985 under the current Act) on complex faulted and folded structure through Greenwich. geological grounds. Gilbert's Pit is the finest and sci- entifically most important Fig 2 'A very fine view' Palaeogene site in south London and exposes sediments of the comprising the (Fig 4) and 'Lower Shelly Beds' (Fig 5) and 'Laminated Beds' of the Woolwich Formation, and also the Harwich Formation (Blackheath Beds). The pit also allows the Mid Lambeth Group Hiatus to be examined. This represents a break in sedimentation of the Lambeth Group, caused by uplift At the specified hour, some 24 members and guests (Fig 1) and exposure, and is charac- met at Charlton railway station and proceeded to walk to terised by bioturbation (Fig 6) Gilbert's Pit, via The Valley, the home of Charlton Athletic FC and the development of duri- located in one of the former sand pits originally visited by the crusts and widespread pedogene- Fig 4 Upnor Formation GA. Behind houses located on the western side of the former pit (Valley Grove), vertical faces cut in the Chalk could be seen though the Palaeogene contact and the Thanet Sand Formation are now obscured by vegetation and inaccessible due to fencing. This exposure of the Chalk is the closest to central London. Before entering Gilbert's Pit, the party climbed the promon- tory above Maryon Park alongside and above the existing railway tunnel to take in a 'very fine view' of London (Fig 2). How this view has changed in 150 years! The viewpoint pro- vided the opportunity to review the location of the pit in its geological context and to explain the effect of the 'Greenwich Fault Zone' on the relative elevation of the strata seen.

Fig 5 Lower Shelly Clay

sis. Unfortunately, access to inspect the pit faces remains dif- ficult and prevents the pit from being put to its best use as an invaluable resource for teaching and research. The lead- ers had previously hewn steps to allow the party to gain access to portions of the face and to allow sampling. For those less surefooted, samples were passed up for the iden- tification of lithologies, fossils and determination of stratigra- phy. Discussion throughout the day focussed on the interpreta- tion of stratigraphy (sequence stratigraphy versus lithos- tratigraphy), the lithological variation of the Lambeth Group across London, the absence of the Reading Formation and it Fig 3 London's ground movements status as a proper geological unit, the characteristics of the (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6231334.stm) Harwich Formation, the status and use of informal names for 8 GA Magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No. 1, 2009 mag29.qxd 20/02/2009 15:26 Page 9

the units of the Lambeth Group, engineering geolo- gy (superb civil engineer- ing structures can be seen from the pit and mention has to be made of Brunel’s Thames Tunnel which was constructed through the very same Lambeth Group strata at Rotherhithe), the educa- tional opportunity offered by the site and its restoration and manage- ment, where the leaders see a greater involvement for the GA. There are a number of photographs of Charlton Fig 7 GA excursion to Charlton 1913 Sand Pit in the G.A. albums taken when the Fig 6 Crab burrow pit was working (Figs 7 & 8). With their clean cut faces and contrasting colours of the sediments, the pits must have been truly very striking. Whilst the costumes may have changed, the enthusiasm for geology remains. First visited by the Geologists' Association on 13 August 1860, the true anniversary of this trip will be in 2010 when it is hoped that at least the leaders will be dressed in full Victorian attire! Thanks are due to Diana Clements for logistics, the LB Greenwich for access and to Jackie Skipper and Darren Page, the excursion's leaders.

Darren Page

Fig 8 GA excursion to Charlton 1913

Book Review : Dorset Stone by Jo Thomas, published by Dovecote Press ISBN 978-1904-34963-1. 128 pages. £17.95. Jo Thomas has developed her consid- made bricks. There is also a very inter- erable knowledge of Dorset, its geolo- esting chapter on the stone used in the gy and building stones over many bridges crossing the River Stour, again years and it is extremely important with description and research on the that her knowledge and expertise has history of the structures. Each chapter been recorded in this well illustrated has many coloured pictures and maps book. Anyone living in Dorset with an to show distribution on the outcrop of interest in its landscape, geology and the stone types and where quarries architecture will find this book most have been developed over the cen- useful as would anyone visiting the turies. county on holiday or visiting the The book is full of interesting social Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. history much of which has been The book is divided into a number of derived from Jo's extensive research chapters stratigraphically organised so for English Heritage. There is also a after the introduction, the geology and very useful spreadsheet at the back of building stones of the Lias are the book based on Dorset parishes and reviewed and then the Inferior Oolite the stone that has been used in them, and so on through to the Tertiary the main type and any other lesser Heathstone. Simple background geolo- varieties used. There are a few typo- Alan Holiday gy is included to explain the environ- graphical errors and one in the glos- ment in which the rock was deposited sary on the nature of brachiopods but I Dorset Geologists' to form the building stones and also am not sure where this originates Association why they vary spatially over quite from! However, all in all, an excellent Group Chairman small areas. There is also a chapter on book and definitely recommended for brick making, as a number of clay residents and visitors to Dorset with an deposits have been used in the past interest in geology and building mate- and there is still a brickworks on the rials. outskirts of Swanage making hand-

GA Magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No. 1, 2009 9 mag29.qxd 20/02/2009 15:25 Page 10

Eni Challenge Award at the Geologists' Association

The winners of the 2008 Eni Challenge Award were announced at the Geologists' Association on Friday 6th February 2009 by Mr Alessandro Gelmetti, Exploration Manager at Eni UK Ltd. Eni UK Ltd, a major integrated ener- gy company established in 1965, have offered the Challenge Award for over a decade as a way of promoting geology in the UK. Every year, local and ama- teur geology groups and individuals compete for the award, which is designed to promote geology in the community, particularly in the fields of conservation, interpretation or field education. Typical projects include guide books, trail guides, maps and educational websites. This year, the winners are the Forest Of Dean Local History Society, for "GEOMAP", an exciting project involving the construc- tion of a large-scale geological map of the Forest of Dean using the local rocks, and the Cumberland Geological Society, for their book "Exploring Lakeland Rocks and Landscapes", which is aimed at visitors to the Lake The Eni Challenge Award presented to the Forest of Dean Loval History Group and the District and the wider public. Cumberland geological Society by Mr Alessandro (Centre Right)

MOLE VALLEY GEOLOGISTS’ DISPLAY LORD ASHCOMBE'S TEETH

Every second weekend in September lecture on this topic and chose as his English Heritage and the Civic Trust title `Mole Valleys Hidden Treasures: sponsor events all over Britain to cele- its caves, tunnels and subterranean brate Britain's history and heritage. river'. This talk was actually about the These Heritage Weekends are organ- palaeo-hydrology of the River Mole ised by local councils. The Heritage catchment, only the audience did not Weekend provides an excellent oppor- realise that. tunity for local societies, such as GA The MVGS also organised a display Local Groups, to obtain plenty of free entitled `Lord Ashcombe's teeth and publicity and thus to recruit new mem- other hidden treasures of Dorking bers. Over the last 4 years the Mole Museum'. Dorking Museum holds a Valley Geological Society has organised fine collection of Wealden, Chalk and Heritage Weekend events. These Ice Age fossils. The collection was include giving invited keynote public made by George Cubitt, First Lord lectures and arranging special events Ashcombe, squire of Denbies estate such as the `Rock Festival' in 2006. and son of Thomas Cubitt the builder. This year the theme was `Hidden The fossils came from Lord Ashcombe's Mole Valley Geol. Soc. members Chas Cowie and Treasure'. MVGS Chairman Prof Dick chalk quarries and gravel pits. Only a Fanny Lines examine bisected mammoth tooth Selley was invited to give a keynote small part of the collection is on public from Lord Ashcombe’s collection in Dorking display due to lack of Museum exhibition space. together with Chalk crustaceans, fish From time to time the and other vertebrate fossils. Dorking GA and other interest- Museum is currently being rebuilt on ed groups are allowed an enlarged scale. This will enable the to view the museum's fossil collection to be displayed in all its hidden treasures. glory. Dorking Museum The MVGS has doubled in size from Chairman, Professor some 30 to 60 members over the last Dick Selley, kindly 3 years, due, in no small part, to the agreed to some of publicity of its Heritage Weekend these being exhibited events. by the MVGS in an adjacent church hall. The display included Clare Hill femurs of mammoth Femurs of mammoth and wooly fhinoceros from the Ice Age gravels and woolly rhinoceros of the River mole and mammoth teeth,

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CIRCULAR No. 978 MARCH 2009 lect you from the nearest railway station. This service cannot be guaranteed, but please ask before booking. PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION FOR FIELD PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE for field meetings is pro- MEETINGS ENQUIRIES & BOOKINGS vided but personal accident cover remains the responsibility of Geoff Swann organises day and weekend meetings in the UK. the participant. Further details are available on request from the Michael Ridd is responsible for overseas and longer excursions. GA office. Sarah Stafford at the GA office is responsible for bookings, pay- SAFETY is taken very seriously. Should you be unsure about ments and general administration. either the risks involved or your ability to participate, you must You must book through the GA office to confirm attendance. seek advice from the GA office before booking. Please make sure Please do not contact the field meeting leader directly. Meeting that you study the risk assessment prepared for all GA field times and locations will be confirmed on booking. These are not meetings and that you have all the safety equipment specified. normally advertised in advance, as there have been problems You must declare, at the time of booking, any disabilities or with members turning up without booking or paying and maxi- medical conditions that may affect your ability to attend a field mum numbers being exceeded. Field meetings are open to non- meeting safely. You may be asked to provide further information members although attendance by non-members is subject to a on any prescription drugs etc. that you may use whilst attend- £5 surcharge on top of the normal administration fee. Some ing a field meeting. In order to ensure the safety of all partici- meetings may have restrictions on age (especially for under 16s) pants, the GA reserves the right to limit or refuse attendance at or be physically demanding. If you are uncertain, please ask. field meetings. PAYMENTS for day and weekend meetings must be made before EMERGENCY CONTACT: if you are lost or late for the start attending any field meeting. Cheques should be made out to of a meeting, an emergency contact is available during UK field Geologists' Association. If making multiple bookings, please meetings by calling the GA mobile phone (07724 133290). enclose a separate cheque for each meeting unless you have PLEASE NOTE THIS NEW NUMBER. The mobile phone will only be first confirmed that there are places available. A stamped switched on just before and during field meetings. For routine addressed envelope is appreciated. Please give a contact tele- enquiries please call the GA office on the usual number. phone number and, if possible, an email address and provide the TRAVEL REGULATIONS are observed. The GA acts as a retail names of any other persons that you are including in your book- agent for ATOL holders in respect of air flights included in field ing. PLEASE ALSO PROVIDE AN EMERGENCY CONTACT meetings. All flights are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation NAME AND TELEPHONE NUMBER AT THE TIME OF BOOK- Authority (see GA Circular No. 942, October 2000 for further ING. details). Field meetings of more than 24 hours duration or There are separate arrangements for overseas meetings. including accommodation are subject to the Package Travel TRANSPORT is normally via private car unless otherwise Regulations 1992. The information provided does not constitute advertised. If you are a rail traveller, it may be possible for the a brochure under these Regulations. GA office to arrange for another member to provide a lift or col- FIELD MEETINGS IN 2009 Saturday 25th April 2009 10:30 This excursion will examine the Upper A chance to visit several sites of natu- and Lower Jurassic rocks of We are hoping to arrange additional fos- rally occuring (and Somerset. Many of the rocks we will be sil collecting opportunities during the year. Bradenham) puddingstone at one of which looking at are highly condensed and fos- There may not be time to advertise these specimens can be collected. No hammer- siliferous - so make sure you bring your in the Circular so if you would like details ing will be permitted as the rock is splin- hammer and collecting bag. Simon will when they become available contact tery and dangerous to bystanders as well bring a selection of fossils from his own Sarah Stafford at the GA office. as the hammerer! collection for participants to handle and Equipment: Suitable footwear and cloth- view. THE CHALK OF HOPE GAP ing appropriate to the weather conditions. Equipment: You must have a hard hat, Leader: Geoff Toye Cost & booking: Numbers will be limit- hi vis vest and suitable footwear. Saturday 7th March 2009 ed to 25. Register with Sarah Stafford at Cost & booking: Numbers will be limit- This will be an opportunity to examine the GA office sending an administration ed to 20. Register with Sarah Stafford at the very fossiliferous Chalk succession at fee of £5 to confirm your place. the GA office sending an administration Hope Gap. In addition, we will be looking fee of £5 to confirm your place. at the coastal geomorphology. THE GOWER PENINSULA JOINT MEET- Equipment: Please make sure you have ING WITH THE LINNEAN SOCIETY NORTHANTS CHURCHES a hard hat. Leaders: Dr Brian Rosen and others Leader: Prof John Potter Cost & booking: Numbers will be limit- Friday 8th May - Monday 11th May 2009 Saturday 30th May 2009 ed to 25. Register with Sarah Stafford at We will examine the geology and natu- This popular series of annual church the GA office sending an administration ral history of the Gower Peninsula and stone visits allows participants to discover fee of £5 to confirm your place. nearby areas led by local specialists in the importance of geology and rock types geology, marine biology and botany. The to the interpretation of these churches. THE GEOLOGY OF THE FOREST OF weekend will include guided visits to the The party will meet at a convenient rail- DEAN National Botanic Garden of Wales at way station - other arrangements are still Leader: Dr Bernard Cooper Llanarthne (with geological outcrops) and to be confirmed. Car sharing may be nec- Saturday 4th April - Sunday 5th April to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust essary. 2009 National Wetland Centre Wales, Equipment: No hammers but bring a This is an opportunity to examine the Llwynhendy, Llanelli. If there is sufficient quality lens and binoculars. Packed or pub geology of an area long associated with interest a communal dinner will be lunch. iron and coal mining. We hope to be able arranged for the party on the Saturday Cost & booking: Numbers will be limit- to make an underground visit to one of night. ed to 28. Further details will be available the few remaining "free mines". Equipment: Suitable footwear and cloth- from Sarah Stafford at the GA office. Equipment: Please make sure you have ing appropriate to the weather conditions. Register with Sarah sending an adminis- a hard hat. Cost & booking: Numbers will be limit- tration fee of £15 per person to confirm Cost & booking: Numbers will be limit- ed to 15 GA members. Register with your place. ed to 20. Car sharing will probably be nec- Sarah Stafford at the GA office sending an FOSSILFEST V essary. Register with Sarah Stafford at the administration fee of £20 to confirm your Leader: Nev Hollingworth GA office sending an administration fee of place. Please indicate whether you wish to Saturday 13th June 2009 £15 to confirm your place. It will not be join the dinner party - this will be an addi- Location(s) have still to be decided but possible for the GA to book accommoda- tional (reasonable) cost. It will not be pos- plenty of fossils can be expected. tion. sible for the GA to book accommodation. Equipment: You must have a hard hat, PUDDINGSTONE FORAY IN HERTS SOME SOMERSET QUARRIES hi vis vest and suitable footwear. AND BUCKS Leader: Simon Carpenter Cost & booking: Numbers will be limit- Leader: Mike Howgate Saturday 23rd May 2009 ed to 25. Register with Sarah Stafford at GA Magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No. 1, 2009 11 mag29.qxd 20/02/2009 15:25 Page 12

the GA office sending an administration any doubt as to your ability to participate and colleague hope to run the Bytham fee of £5 to confirm your place. please contact the GA office. River Excursion during 2009. At present Equipment: Ensure you have suitable the details and timing of the meeting have IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF footwear and clothing. not yet been finalized. It is likely to take - NW MIDLANDS Cost & booking: Please note that the GA the form of two, one-day-meetings (one in AND NORTH WALES will not be arranging accommodation. Midland England and one in East Anglia), JOINT MEETING WITH THE GEOLOGI- Register with Sarah Stafford at the GA and details will be provided in the GA CAL SOCIETY office sending an administration fee of £10 Magazine and on the GA website as soon Leader: Prof Peter Worsley to confirm your place. Please let Sarah as possible. Friday 19th June - Wednesday 24th June know whether you would be interested in 2009 joining us on the Saturday evening. To commemorate the 200th anniversary Further Afield in 2009 of Charles Darwin's birth in 2009, this field ON THE CHILTERN LINE TO WAR- excursion will visit a number of localities in WICKSHIRE PROPOSED FIELD EXCURSION TO his home area of Shropshire - Leader: Dr Martyn Bradley LIBYA, AUTUMN 2009 Staffordshire and also North Wales. Sunday 20th September 2009 Leader: Professor Richard Moody Besides the general Darwin related sites, The rail journey from Marylebone to Approximate dates: Wednesday 21st the emphasis will be on his earlier work as Warwick cuts across the strike of Tertiary, October - Sunday 1st November 2009 a geologist and in particular his field trip in Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic strata. Approximate cost (assuming 15 partici- June 1842 to appraise the evidence pre- From the train we can follow the land- pants): £1800 sented by William Buckland in 1841 sup- scapes as we travel down the geological This excursion will provide an excep- porting the 'Glacial Theory'. A background succession. On arrival in Leamington Spa tional opportunity to examine the varied to the latter may be found in Quaternary we will view a small river cliff by the Leam geology of Libya, from Lower Palaeozoic to Newsletter 112, 22-28, (2007) and the before visiting the Royal Pump Rooms for Tertiary, sedimentary rocks and volcanics. November edition of Geoscientist (2008). coffee(?or lunch);- with an opportunity to The itinerary includes the deep Sahara The excursion will be an opportunity to sample the mineral rich waters. A walk via with spectacular sand-seas, mountain see aspects of the glacial geology of North the elephant wash and riverside Jephson scenery and prehistoric rock-art, as well Wales. gardens will continue up the parade noting as some of the finest Roman antiquities on A significant amount of walking will be building and ornamental stones. Those the Mediterranean coast at Sbratha and involved. Climbing over rough ground will who wish may continue on to Warwick and Leptis Magna. be necessary in North Wales. If you are in its castle built of and on fine exposures of The provisional itinerary includes Tripoli, any doubt as to your ability to participate Bromsgrove sandstone. There is Arden Nalut, Jado, Ghadames, Yiffran, Sbratha, please contact the GA office. The weather sandstone and Marlstone in Warwick Sebha, Birak and the 'Great Man-made may necessitate modification of the pro- buildings too. River', Germa, Mandara Lake, gramme. If there is sufficient demand the itiner- Matchandosh, Akakus Mountains, Tadrart, Equipment: Ensure you have suitable ary can be run in reverse on Saturday Alawynat, Ghat, and Leptis Magna. footwear and clothing. 19th September. To register your interest, please contact Cost & booking: Numbers will be limited Equipment: The BGS solid 1:625,000 Sarah at the GA Office. to 26. Total cost is still to be confirmed south geological map will be useful. but accommodation is being arranged. Cost & booking: Numbers will be limited NORTH GERMANY Register with Sarah Stafford at the GA to 14 each way. Further details will be Late August-September 2010 office sending a deposit of £10 to confirm available from Sarah Stafford at the GA Duration: 10 days including travel from your place. office. Register with Sarah sending an and return to UK. administration fee of £5 per person to Leader: Dr Volker Wilde WEALDEN EXCURSION confirm your place. Local Secretary: Prof Alan Lord Leaders: Pete Austen, Richard Agar, Dr Ed Outline programme: Jarzembowski and Geoff Toye POT LUCK Palaeozoic of Harz Mountains. Tectonics Saturday 18th July 2009 Leader: Dr Mick Oates of the Harz Foreland. - This trip continues the popular annual September/October 2008 of Wetin. Kupferschiefer. excursion to working pits in the Weald Once again, a trip not to be missed with Influence of Zechstein salt tectonics on Clay of south-east England, where the GA interesting geology and lots of fossils to regional and local stratigraphy and sedi- has already participated in some superb keep the collector happy. Date and loca- mentation: significance for oil accumula- fossil finds. The venue(s) will be confirmed tions are still to be arranged. tions. City of Halle and salt extraction. later so as to take advantage of conditions You must have suitable footwear, a high sediments, including the type- at the time. Numbers may be limited. visibility jacket and hard hat. locality of stromatolites. Tertiary brown Equipment: You must have suitable Cost & booking: Further details will be coal deposits - exceptionally well-pre- footwear, a high visibility jacket and hard available from Sarah Stafford at the GA served vertebrates and plants of the hat. office. Register with Sarah sending an Geiseltal (Geiseltal Museum, Halle) and Cost & booking: Further details will be administration fee of £5 per person to visit to working open-cast mine at available from Sarah Stafford at the GA confirm your place. Schoeningen. office. Register with Sarah sending an The region has a wonderful cultural her- SEDGEWICK MUSEUM OF EARTH SCI- administration fee of £5 per person to itage and the geological itinerary will be ENCES, CAMBRIDGE confirm your place. balanced with opportunities to view Leader: Dr Liz Harper Romanesque and medieval architecture LAKE DISTRICT WEEKEND Saturday 7th November 2009 and art in, for example, Halle, Halberstadt JOINT MEETING WITH THE CUMBER- This is an opportunity to visit this world and Quedlingberg. LAND GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY famous museum with its magnificent col- Leaders: Members of the Cumberland GS lections. GEOLOGISTS' ASSOCIATION Saturday 8th - Sunday 9th August 2009 Cost & booking: Further details will be LOCAL GROUPS This weekend excursion will follow some available from Sarah Stafford at the GA of the routes detailed in the CGS's new office. Register with Sarah sending an Cambridgeshire Geology Club book "Exploring Lakeland Rocks and administration fee of £5 per person to March 9 The Forming of St.Ives, Landscapes" as reviewed by Sue Brown in confirm your place. Please note that there Cambridgeshire - Bob Burn-Murdoch - this issue. If there is sufficient interest we is an additional donation of £1 per person Curator, Norris Museum, St.Ives may be able to arrange an inexpensive to the museum to be collected on the day. April 20 Dinosaurs and meal in Keswick on the Saturday evening. other Monsters - Mike Howgate. Please note that the whole of Saturday THE GEOLOGY OF THE BYTHAM RIVER May 11 Cambridgeshire's Victorian Fossil will be spent in the field. Even in August AND BRITAIN'S EARLIEST HUMANS Hunters - Bernard O'Connor. weather conditions can be severe so make This meeting was originally scheduled May 15-17 Weekend Field trip to the sure that you have adequate field gear for 2008 but had to be postponed due to Malverns - Dr Paul Olver. and bring a packed lunch. If you are in difficulties over quarry access. Jim Rose June 8 Earth's Surface Topography - Dr 12 GA Magazine of the Geologists’Association Vol. 8, No. 1, 2009 mag29.qxd 20/02/2009 15:25 Page 13

Dickson Cunningham. June 19-21 Field trip to Suffolk - Bob Bath Geological Society Contact - Alan Murphy on 07768 821385 Markham. March 5 The 1607 Flood; a Tsunami in the Email: [email protected] Contact: Tony Iles: 020 88664348; Bristol Channel - Prof Simon Haslett. Dorset Local Group [email protected] April 2nd After Darwin: where is evolution March 15 Field trip joint with Bath Contact David Greenwood 0208449 6614 going? - Prof. Simon Conway Morris. Geological Society to Osmington Mills - email:[email protected]. May 7 Bath and Bristol as a Cradle of Alan Holiday. Lancashire Geology 1750-1850 - Prof. Hugh Torrens. April 4 Field trip East Hampshire - Ray Contact Acting Secretary Jennifer Rhodes June 11 Hydrogeology - Luke de Vial. Chapman. 01204 811203 Contact Miss Vicki Griffiths: Email:chair- May 9 Field trip to Kingston to Houns-Tout Email:[email protected]. [email protected] to Chapman's Pool - John Chaffey. Mole Valley Geological Society www.bathgeolsoc.org.uk May 23-24 Lyme Regis Fossil Festival. March 12 The search for petroleum in the Belfast Geologists' Society Contact Doreen Smith 01300 320811. Central North Sea - Richard Milton- March 16 Reconstructing Sea-level Email: [email protected] Worssell. Dept. of Energy & Climate Change: what the past can tell us about the www.dorsetgeologistsassociation.com Change. future - Dr Robin Edwards. Essex Group www.dendron.net/mvgs. Email: Richard April 20 AGM Contact Peter Millar 9064 March 4 The origins of special rocks and Higgs [email protected] 2886. minerals - Dr Bill French. North Staffordshire Group Black Country Geological Society May 6 Crystalline Palaces - Dr Clive Bishop. March 5 AGM and Chairman's Address: March 30 AGM followed by Future plans for Contact Dr Trevor Greensmith 01268 Bay to Wave rock - Elizabeth Hallam. Dudley - Graham Worton Keeper of 785404. Contact for details Eileen Fraser 01260 Geology at Dudley Museum. Farnham Geological Society 271505 Contact Field trips: Gerard Ford For information contact Barbara Russell March 13 How Geology has been used in 01630 673409. 01902 650168. www.bcgs.info Serious Crime Investigations - Paddy Oxford Geology Group Brighton & Hove Geological Society Reagan. www.oum.ox.ac.uk/ogg.htm. or call pro- March 4 Fossils as drugs: pharmaceutical April 3-6 Field trip: St Austell Granite - Dr gramme secretary 01865 272960. palaeontology - Dr Chris Duffin. Alan Ravensbourne Geological Society March 18 AGM and Members evening. April 17 Low Cost Volcano Monitoring - Dr March 10 The Moon - Greg Smy-Romsey. April 1 Island Britain: The formation of the Hazel Rymer. April 14 Brachiopods - Lee Davies. English Channel - Dr Sanjeev Gupta. May 8 The Science of Polonium - 210 - Dr May 12 How to Make and Break an Asteroid Contact John Cooper 01273 292780 email: Paddy Reagan. - Prof. Hilary Downes. [email protected] May 10-16 Field trip: Isle of Man - Dr Bill June 9 Chalk and Talk - Dr Ian Jarvis. Bristol Naturalists' Society Fitches. July 14 Charles Darwin as a Geologist - Contact 01373 474086 June 7 Field trip to Avebury to Swindon - Dr Chris Duffin. Email: [email protected] Graham Williams and Mike Rubra. Contact Carole McCarthy Secretary: 020 Carn Brea Mining Society June 12 Perils of Science Journalism - Alun 8854 9138 email: [email protected] March 17 The Iron Mines of Cornwall - Tony Lewis. or Vernon Marks: 020 8460 2354. Brooks. Contact - Mrs Shirley Stephens tel: 01252 North Wales - Cymdeithas Daeareg April 21 AGM followed by Undergound pho- 680215 Gogledd Cymru tography in Coal Mining - Kevin Baker. Field Trip Contact - Dr Graham Williams tel: Contact Jonathan Wilkins 01492 583052 May 19 King Edward’s Mine and Higher 01483 573802 Email secretary@farnham- Email [email protected] Condurrow Mine …. The Movie. geosoc.org.uk www.ampyx.org.uk/cdgc June 16 Trewavas Mine Restoration - Steve www:farnhamgeosoc.org.uk. South Wales Group Cymdeithas Y Polglase. Harrow & Hillingdon Geological Daearegwyr Grwp De Cymru Contact Lincoln James 01326 311420 Society March 21 AGM and the Old Red Sandstone Cheltenham Mineral and Geological March 11 Oman: a geological treasure of South Wales - Brian Williams. Society chest. A member reports - Michael Cuming Full details to follow. Contact Geraint Owen May 18 Dolyhir Quarry nr Kington - miner- April 8 Isotopes and Earth Systems: 01792 295141 www.swga.org.uk als and fossils Cosmic Connections - George Darling West of England For more information on lectures: contact May 13 AGM followed by The Volcanoes of March 10 Obsidians from North Western Kath Vickers 01453 827007 the Auvergne: are they extinct ? - Sheppy USA - Dr Alison Rust. Contact Alan McKay 01452 547255. Shepherd. Contact Graeme Churchard 0117 967 Craven & Pendle Geological Society June 10 A geological traverse across east- 1066. Nigel Mountney Ph.D., University of Leeds ern Morocco - Dr Charlie Underwood. www.wega.org.uk Contact: [email protected] or Contact: Jean Sippy 020 8422 1859 West Sussex Geological Society www.cpgs.org.uk Email: [email protected] Field March 8 Field trip: Sarsens in Stanmer Park Cumberland Geological Society trip information Allan Wheeler 01344 - Stewart Ullyott. March 11 AGM + Presidential Address 455451. March 20 The Geology of the Thames Contact Susan Beale 016974 78353 www.hhgs.org.uk Tideway Project - Dr Jackie Skipper. [email protected]. Kent Geologists Group March 29 Building Stones around www.cumberland-geol-soc-org.uk. March 17 Annual General Meeting. Chichester Cathedral - David Bone. The Devonshire Association (Geology Why I like natural history and geology - Dr. April 17 Utilising low cost G.I.S. and Section) Adrian Rundle. Remote Sensing to aid disaster risk assess- March 14 The Brendan Moore Lecture at April 21 Back to Wight - Paul Hope. ment - Dr Naomi Morris. the Boniface Centre, Crediton. Slavery, May 19 The application of geology to con- April 19 Winchester Building Stones - Di sugar, saurians and the Survey: the early taminated land remediation - Dr Anne Smith. life of Henry De La Beche - Tom Sharpe. Padfield. May 15 Landscape evolution in South East April 18 Field meeting: Dartmoor Granites - June 16 Dr Frederick Dixon and 'The England - Dr Stewart Ullyott. Mr John Dangerfield. Geology of Sussex - Anthony Brook. Contact Betty Steel 01903 209140 May 22-25 The Lizard - Prof. John Mather July 21 Geology of Libya and the Romans - Email: [email protected] and Dr Jenny Bennett. Professor Richard Moody. Field trips Contact John Dangerfield 01297 33326 August 13 A geologist's contribution to October 12 Hastings Foresham Walk - Ken email [email protected] enhancing global security - Dr Alan Heyes. Brooks. The Dinosaur Society Contact information www.kgg.org.uk October 18 Field meeting www. Dinosaursociety.com. Contact: Prof The Kirkaldy Society (Alumni of Queen Richard Moody [email protected] Mary College) AFFILIATED SOCIETIES Dorset Natural History & Archaeology April 3 Annual Dinner. Amateur Geological Society Society May 9 London Building Stones walk - Mike Quartz the most precious mineral? - Dr Contact Jenny Cripps email:jenny@dor- Howgate. Monica Price mus.demon.co.uk June 6 Alumni event at Queen Mary January 13 AGM and New year Party. Edinburgh Geological Society College. Enquiries: Julia Daniels 020 8346 1056. January 14 lecture by Dr Ed Stephens from GA Magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No. 1, 2009 13 mag29.qxd 20/02/2009 15:25 Page 14

St Andrews University. and Berkhamsted - Dr John Catt. April 6 Life Of Charles Darwin January 28 Towards Deep Geological June 13 &14 Symposium on the Chalk of April 19 Field Trip: Tortworth Area - Disposal of UK Radioactive Waste - Prof. Hertfordshire. Silurian / Devonian Simon Harley. www.hertsgeolsoc.ology.org.uk May 11 Lecture: North African / Arabian February 11 Professor Richard Worden Contact Linda Hamling 01279 423815. Faults from University of Liverpool. Horsham Geological Field Club MAY 15 - 17 Weekend Field Trip: Salt www.edinburghgeolsoc.org December 6 The Club's Christmas Party. Features - By Prof. Peter Worsley Earth Science Teachers Association January 14 Scientists through Coelacanth June 1 Evening Field Meeting For membership contact: Hamish Ross PO eyes. - Peter Forey. June 21 Field Trip: Bracklesham Bay - Box 23672 Edinburgh EH3 9XQ Tel: 0131 Contact Mrs Gill Woodhatch 01403 250371 Tertiary Fossils 651 6410 Hull Geological Society Contact Christine Hooper- for lectures Email:[email protected] March 19 Rotunda the William Smith 0118 9471597 ESTA website www.esta-uk.org. Museum of Geology, its history and rede- email: [email protected] East Herts Geology Club velopment and the Annual General Contact David Ward - for field trips 01344 March 4 3D Mapping - Dr Holgar. Meeting. 483563 May 2-4 Field trip to Torquay area. Contact Mike Horne 01482 346784 The Russell Society May 9 & 10 Hertfordshire Puddingstone at Email:[email protected] Email Frank Ince ince78@btopen Ware Museum. website http://go.to/hullgeolsoc world.com May 26 What are terrestrial planets made The Jurassic Coast www.russellsoc.org of ? - Dr Alan Longstaff (ROG0 Details are available on the web site at Shropshire Geological Society Check website for venue or contact Diana www. Jurassiccoast.com. December 10 AGM Perkins 01920 463755. Leicester Literary & Philosophical www.shropshiregeology.org.uk for details www.ehgc.org.uk email: [email protected] Society (Geology) contact S. Kelly 01588 672175 Visitors most welcome - £2 March 11 Is it real? From trilobites to whole Sidcup Lapidary and Mineral Society East Midlands Geological Society outcrop - Dr David Williams and Dee Meets every Monday evening at Sidcup Arts March 14 AGM and Members evening. Edwards. Centre. April 18 Lecture by Neil Ellis March 7 Annual Saturday Seminar Contact Audrey Tampling 020 8303 9610 Contact Secretary Janet Slater email. Speakers: Professors Peter Worsley, Paul Email: [email protected]. [email protected] Smith and Dr's Lyall Anderson, Cherry Southampton Mineral and Fossil www.emgs.org.uk Lewis, Chris Duffin and Tom Sharpe. Society Essex Rock and Mineral Society Charles Darwin and the Great Pioneers of Contact Gary Morse 01489 787300. March 8 Field visit: The Naze, Walton, Geology. Stamford and District Geological Essex - Gerald Lucy. March 25 AGM and Chairman's Address. Society March 10 Collecting fossil ' teeth at Rocky tales of a geotechnical engineer - Dr March 11 AGM and members evening. Herne Bay - Les Lanham. Joanne Norris. Contact: Bill Learoyd on 01780 752915. March 14 Field visit: Herne Bay, Kent - Les Contact Andrew Swift 0116 2523646; Ussher Society Lanham. email [email protected] Contact Clive Nicholas 01392 271761. March 15 Field visit: The Fens near Ely, Leeds Geological Association Warwickshire Geological Conservation Cambridgeshire - Peter Allen. March 12 Volcanic plumbing systems from Group April 14 - David Bryant. Africa to Antarctica - Dr Dougal Jerram. March 11 Oxford Museum Field trip April 19 Field visit: Folkestone Kent - David April 23 What can fossils tell us about our- May 20 Guided walk: Building stones in Turner. selves - Prof Simon Knell. Henley and Stratford - Hugh Jones May 12 Some Esssex Geologists - Bill May 7 The Geology of the United Arab June 17 Field trip: Topography walk in the George. Emirates - Dr Richard Ellison. Ilkington area - Jon Radley May 30-June 3 Field visit: Pembrokeshire Enquiries to Gen. Sec. July 15 Field trip: Quarryman's with Coast - Gareth George. [email protected] Caldecote Church and Canal. June 9 Rock Curiosities - Stuart Adams. Email [email protected] August 19 Field trip: Griff No 4 Quarry June 12-13 Field visit: Thrislington, Co. Liverpool Geological Society North Warwickshire - Martyn Bradley. Durham - David Turner. March 6-15 National Scence Week Events. contact: Chris Hodgeson 01926 511097. Graham Ward for Lectures 01277 218473. March 24 Distinguished Member's Address: Contact Martyn Bradley 01926 428835. www.erms.org Professor Silvia Gonzales Email: [email protected]. Friends of the Sedgwick Museum, Contact: Joe Crossley: 0151 426 1324 or www.wgcg.co.uk Cambridge email [email protected]. Wessex Lapidary and Mineral Society Contact: Dr Peter Friend 01223-333400. Manchester Geological Association Contact Pat Maxwell 02380 891890 email: Geological Society of Glasgow March 18 What Environmental Magnetism [email protected] March 12 What can we learn about bedrock can tell us - Prof Barbara Maher. Westmorland Geological Society rivers from Scotland's glacial rebound? - Contact Nick Snowden 07932 927040 , Contact [email protected] Prof Paul Bishop. [email protected] The Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club April 9 Rocks, landscape and man - the 600 email:[email protected] March 27 The pivotal role of Welsh Ma history of Mid-Argyll - Dr Roger www.mangeolassoc.org.uk Borderland Fossils in reconstructing pio- Anderton. All meetings in the Williamson Building, neering land plant vegetation - Prof. May 14 Members' night. University of Manchester. Dianne Edwards. Contact Dr Iain Allison email: Mid Wales Minerals, Fossils and Contact Sue Hay on 01432 357138 or [email protected] Geology Club svh.gabbros@btinternet .com Geological Society of Norfolk Contact Bill Bagley 01686 412679. Yorkshire Geological Society Contact Email: [email protected]. Norfolk Mineral & Lapidary Society Contact Trevor Morse 01833 638893 Hastings and District Geological Meetings at St Georges Church Hall www.yorksgeolsoc.org.uk Society Churchfield Green, Norwich. 19.30hrs December 14 AGM and Christmas party. every first Tuesday of the Month except For any member visiting Portugal before Contact Diana Williams email: August. the end of March 2009 it maybe well worth- [email protected] [email protected] while visiting a special exhibition on Nery www.hastingsgeolsoc.org.uk North Eastern Geological Society Delgado (1835-1908) at the Museu Hertfordshire Geological Society www.dur.ac.uk/g.r.foulger/NEGS.html Geológico, R Academia das Ciencias 19-2 March 5 AGM. Open University Geological Society Lisbon Portugal. April 16 Introducing to Pembrokeshire field www.ougs.org Samantha He was a renowned scientist, working for meeting - Dr Peter Banham. AndersonAderson, tel. 0115 9373493. the Portuguese Geological Survey. This April 18 - April 23 Field excursion to Reading Geological Society exhibition shows the life and works of Nery Pembrokeshire - Prof. Barrie Rickards, Dr March 2 : South Downs / Weald - Are They Delgado displaying collections of fossils, Peter Walsh and Dr Peter Banham. Connected? pre-historic artefacts, geological maps and May 7 Great stratigraphic myths - Dr R.J. March 15 Field Trip: Local Heroes at manuscripts associated with his research. Bailey. Woolhampton Hawkins - by Prof. Peter May 9 Field visit to Hertfordshire Bourne Worsley 14 GA Magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No. 1, 2009 mag29.qxd 20/02/2009 15:25 Page 15

Looking at Jurassic Churches - Saturday 7 June 2008 (Part 2) The afternoon was devoted to just two of the most famous churches in Northamptonshire and the British Isles. The first, Earls Barton (SP 852638) retains pos- sibly the most photographed tower; the second All Saints, Brixworth, is perhaps the church about which the most column inches of description have been writ- ten. Those seeing Earls Barton Anglo-Saxon tower for the first time were visually impressed. Each of the tower's quoins is constructed in 'long and short' style and preserved to almost the tower's full height. Constructed of Barnack Stone, the quoins clearly dis- play their bedding orientations, for example: The north-west quoin reads: BVFR, BH, BVFR, BH, BVFR, BH, BVFR, BH, BVFL, BH, BVFL, BH, etc. The south-west quoin reads: BVFR, BH, BVFR, BH, BVFL, BH, BVFL, BH, etc. (See part 1 for explanation of symbols) Between the quoins, ornamental Barnack Stone pilasters, each set on a pedestal, also exhibited their bedding orientation. The majority of their vertically orientated long stones were noted as being edge- bedded (BVEB), rather than face-bedded (BVFB). John explained that the reasons for the manner in Fig. 6 The much studied All Saints church, Brixworth viewed from the south-west. which individual stones were used could generally be ed doorway are of large stones typically set either BVFIA or related to the bedding 'grain' of the rock. The tower's overall BH. The outlining strip-work, also of Barnack Stone, pos- appearance was delightful but it had a certain lack of preci- sesses stones which are similarly set and the imposts are sion; there were for instance a different number of pilasters ornamented with an arcading pattern. on each of the tower's faces. This annoyed one author suffi- Where the render had fallen, the tower walls could be seen ciently for him to describe the tower as 'the highest expres- to be built of rubble. The limestone used was thought to be sion of infantile art… the swan's song of Anglo-Saxon archi- the local, thinly developed Wellingborough Limestone tecture'. Member of the Great Oolite. The later church walls were prin- An element of this lack of perfection was explained. In very cipally constructed of brown, iron rich Northampton many ornamented Anglo-Saxon churches, stones emplaced Sandstone. Swithland Slate gravestones and a Viviparus into quoins or limestone tomb cover were also observed. The church dis- pilasters were played many more features of interest, with the Norman cut back (that is chancel arcading, the Anglo-Saxon tower windows and the their visible sur- 'flying angel' (high on the west side of the south aisle) being face was shaped) to be of equal width; clearly the quoin stones at Earls Barton varied in width. John explained further that the tower of Earls Barton was often cited as an example of proof of the Anglo-Saxon use of render. Most church his- torians believed (in his view Fig. 4 The south face of the Earls Barton church, incorrectly) that stone cut backs were cut as stops for this render. Certainly, modern render infilled the areas between the pilasters and quoins, but the lack of apparent equal width of the quoin stones supported the belief that they were not cut back. To understand the term 'cut back', the attention of the party was drawn to the string-course between the first and second stages of the Fig. 5 The Anglo-Saxon west doorway of Earls Barton tower. John tower, there unusually the underside of many stones were cut points out the rock types, the pilaster strip and the BVFIA stones. back. The width of the string course was, therefore, constant and it matched the width of the higher string courses. It of particular note. could be concluded that the cut backs were made subsequent The party next travelled to Brixworth (SP 747713), where to the tower's construction. they were met by a number of experienced church historians The west doorway to the tower provides a good example of and a beautiful church in the midst of a flower festival. The patterned Anglo-Saxon work. The jambs of the round-head- church is quite unlike any other early church in England in GA Magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No. 1, 2009 15 mag29.qxd 20/02/2009 15:24 Page 16

appearance and it was once described as 'perhaps the most imposing architectural memorial…yet surviving north of the Fig. 8 The Alps'. Its range of rock types drew comment from Arkell and south door to the GA visited the site in both 1921 and 1938. Dr Diana the tower at Sutherland kindly addressed the party, describing her Brixworth painstaking work over a number of years which resulted in church displays Roman tile the identification and plotting of the stones displayed in the arching stones, wall fabrics. She kindly exhibited for comparative purposes but the varied geological examples of the many rock types seen in the doorway jamb lower church walls; most of these originated from the stones are all Charnwood Forest area some 45km. to the north. Both past set with their visiting GA parties had concluded that the Charnian mate- bedding hori- rial must have arrived in the Brixworth area in glacial till. zontal suggest- Diana explained that together with Professor John Hudson, ing a Post- whom she introduced, she had examined local tills and Conquest date found such material missing. The Roman Jewry Wall in of insertion. Leicester, however, contained a similar suite of rocks, there- Note various fore, possibly the rocks were reused from this or a similar Charnian rocks Roman wall. Roman tiles figured prominently in the church in the wall construction. Diana's work also entailed identifying the especially numerous burnt stones which were widely distributed in the above the door- walls; these too were carefully plotted on wall fabric dia- way. grams. On the north wall, immediately above the position arranged for their ascent of the tower. of an early aisle structure, the presence of a band of burnt Ascending the stair stones clearly provided evidence of a fire. From the evidence of the incorporated stones the church turret, fragments of travertine were noticeably seen to be was thought to have been constructed in very brief terms, abundant. Members were most appreciative of Diana's guidance. John Potter raised a number of points concerning the interpretation, these he had expressed in the brochure received by members. In particular, Brixworth was one of only two churches he had observed where favourable build- ing stone was available and yet wall quoins, window and door jambs of supposed Anglo-Saxon age were not con- structed in their typical patterned style. The tower's south door, the south-east nave quoin, and the tower windows into the nave which they had just observed, worried him. Secondly, the wide distribution of burnt stone, scattered over three centuries of workmanship was difficult to explain. All agreed that Brixworth provided a fascinating and challenging mix of problems upon which to end the day. Those present made a request that next year's church excursion should visit comparable churches in the South Midlands. John, agreeing to this request, expressed concern at the lack of attendance of local Association members.

The following articles may be of use to those who wish to know more: Fig. 7 Dr Diana Sutherland, describes her detailed studies of the Hudson, J. D. and Sutherland, D. S. 1990. 'The geological remarkable stonework of Brixworth church to members. description and identification of building stones: Examples from Northamptonshire'. In: D. Parsons (ed.), Stone: Quarrying and building in England AD43-1525. Phillimore, as follows: Phase 1, the erection in the 8th century of a Chichester. large stone church (partially proven by excavation), con- Potter, J. F. 2005. 'No stone unturned - a re-assessment of sisting of a western porch-like entry, a nave and choir or Anglo-Saxon Long-and-Short quoins and associated struc- chancel with lateral chapels (porticus) and an apse - apart tures'. The Archaeological Journal, 162, 177-214. from local stones like Northampton Sandstone and Middle Potter, J. F. 2006. 'An analysis of ecclesiastical stone cut Jurassic limestones this included numerous reused Roman backs'. Church Archaeology, 10, 57-80. stones from Leicestershire as well as Triassic, possibly Sutherland, D. S. 1990. 'Burnt stone in a Saxon Church and Carboniferous sandstones and Roman tiles; Phase 2, slight- its implications'. In: D. Parsons (ed.), Stone: Quarrying and ly later, the side walls of the nave raised with the local building in England AD43-1525. Phillimore, Chichester. stones and Roman tiles to create a clerestory; Phase 3, (Applicable to Brixworth Church). 11th century, tower raised above the western porch, stair Sutherland, D. S. 2003. Northamptonshire Stone, Dovecote turret created to its west, apsidal east termination to the Press. choir with low level covered ambulatory rebuilt or created, Sutherland, D. S. and Parsons, D. 1984. 'The petrological this phase including travertine as well as the local stone contribution to the survey of All Saints' church, Brixworth, types; Later Phases, including extensive modification dur- Northamptonshire: an interim study. J. Brit. Archaeological ing the mid-19th century. Each of the first three phases Assoc., 137, 45-64. includes fragments of burnt stone which it was felt came from the material being reused from other ruined buildings. Diana kindly escorted the party around the site and John F. Potter

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Rockwatch News Rockwatch is the Junior Club of the GA

ing experience. All seemed keen to The last issue of the GA Magazine have another conference. The partici- was so full that we didn't have enough pating schools plan to use the day as a space for some of the photographs of teaching resource and, with the help of the Discovery room at the Festival of the CD produced of the talks, should Geology, so here are a few to give a find it can be used to support many flavour of that busy day! Running areas of the curriculum. The Geological events alongside Rockwatch, was the Society gave us the use of Burlington Kent Geologists’ Group and the UCL House for the day, helped with the Museums & Collections, all of whom planning of the event and helped on were kept extremely busy all day with the day. The GA Curry Fund gave a streams of young (and not so young!) grant towards the costs and Rockwatch visitors, keen to try out the many Ailsa and Clarice at the Festival of Geology Consulting on Sustainable Development. Iain Stewart from Plymouth University (and the television face of geology) chaired the day. After each talk, the students broke up into discussion groups then returned to the conference with their comments and points of concern. After the final talk and discussion, Iain summed up the whole day. The students had consider- able knowledge of the issues and were very aware of what they might do, as Making plaster models at the Festival of individuals, to play their part in helping Geology

activities on offer. A little later in November, Rockwatch was off to join the South Wales Group of the GA at their Geofest held in the Iain and Susan at the Rockwatch Conference National Museum of Wales in Cardiff. This was another busy day and thanks Management Committee members and other geological colleagues helped and supported the groups on the day. Rockwatch is extremely grateful to everyone who helped to make the day a success and we hope that this might be the first of a series of similar events for school students in other parts of Phil Manning and his family (former the country. Rockwatch members) after his talk at the As this goes to press we are prepar- Cardiff Geofest ing our spring programme of events in museums, at festivals of geology and to ameliorate the problems facing our field trips specifically for our members. planet today. However, it was on Each year we find more people who are Climate Change that they found the keen to help run trips for our members greatest challenges and raised the and so we cover more areas of the most questions and to which the country. We already have a number of Early birds at the Cardiff Geofest answers were more difficult! Students new sites to visit this year, as well as and their teachers found the day inter- many old favourites for day and resi- to helpers from the South Wales Group esting, challenging and a great learn- dential visits. and to some of our Rockwatch mem- Rockwatch is fortunate to have won- bers and families, we were able to run derful sponsors and many people who a full complement of activities for visi- are willing and keen to help encourage tors. and support young people who wish to A memorable "first" for Rockwatch in learn more about the world around November was our Conference "Planet them. Many thanks to you all. Earth in the 21st Century - Your Future" for Year 8 and Year 9 school Susan Brown students. Six schools from North and East London sent ten pupils each to the Chairman. conference. We had three talks; Chereé Stover from BP spoke on Energy Supplies, Chris Turney from Exeter University on Climate Change Rockwatchers attending the Conference and Joanne Wade from Impetus GA magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No. 1, 2009 17 mag29.qxd 20/02/2009 15:23 Page 18

Tour to the Rift Valley in NorthernTanzania.

Introduction. breach of a crater permitted extensive Twelve members met in Arusha to lava flows with smooth profiles. Descent tour the Rift Valley in Tanzania. The to the key road junction at Mto wa Mbu leader, Professor Barry Dawson of led to the foot of the escarpment with Edinburgh University, mapped the the Manyara basin to the south and the Arusha-Manyara-Natron area for the Engaruka and Natron basins to the Tanganyika Geological Survey, and was, north (Figure 1). in 1960, the first to descend into the Mto wa Mbu to Natron Basin. north active crater of Oldoinyo Lengai. North of Mto wa Mbu the road skirts a The tour explored the Rift Valley about single unsegmented scarp ~250 - 500m Lakes Manyara and Natron, the Crater high which abuts the highly faulted Highlands, Olduvai gorge on the Engaruka block, and then descends into Serengeti plain and Mount Meru near the Engaruka Basin. This is separated Figure 3. Kerimasi, a recent volcano from Arusha. Skilled drivers, coupled with a from the Natron Basin by a horst block the south east. The Natron Basin boundary little physical effort on our part, took us fault seen on the left has been overstepped by to unique exposures. East African ani- pyroclastics fom Kerimasi. mals and birds were an added bonus. ented NNW-SSE, corresponding to faults Tectonic Background. on the lower slopes of Kerimasi and The Eastern (Gregory) Rift, ~50 km Ketumbeine. wide in Kenya, diverges in Tanzania into Debris flows to the east and north of a ~200 km wide zone with three differ- Oldoinyo Lengai extend ~16 km across ent orientations. Earliest faulting in the Natron Basin and into Lake Natron Tanzania in the late Tertiary produced a as islands. tectonic depression limited to the south Natron Basin and surrounds. east by the Pangani graben and to the Present day Lake Natron is shallow ~ southwest by the Eyasi half graben, 4m, with an evaporation rate of each influenced by basement struc- ~20mm/day during the dry season. The tures. Large shield volcanoes formed in saline waters (pH>9.5) are rich in sodi- association with the episode of faulting. Figure 1. Looking south along the Rift wall near Mto um salts leached from volcanic sources These Older Extrusives (>1. 2 Ma B.P.) wa Mbu with Lake Manyara in the distance. The as well as by direct input. Much of the are mainly alkaline basalts with flows nearest buttresses are formed of basalts from the surface is covered by trona and halite that filled and extended beyond the Crater Highlands. The distant buttresses are of metamorphic basement. depression. No outcrop is seen where lavas overlie basement rocks and the with Older Extrusives, Ketumbeine and earliest dated, a nephelinite on its distinctive profile (Figure 2), and Essimingor, is 8.1 Ma B.P. Gelai to the east, and Younger Major faulting between 1.2 and 0.9 Ma Extrusives, Kerimasi and Oldoinyo B.P formed the present day north-south Lengai to the west. The boundary fault Rift in the centre of the older depres- runs close to Kerimasi and, buried by sion. Unlike the narrow graben in Kenya, nephelinite and carbonatite tuffs, disap- in Tanzania the Rift is a half graben with pears beneath that mountain (Figure 3) a steep east facing escarpment which to reappear close to Oldoinyo Lengai. stretches from the Kenya border, The horst is disturbed by minor vol- through the Natron, Engaruka, Manyara canic features. There are many tuff Figure 4. Loolmurwak, a maar type crater. and Balangida basins. The floor of older cones with greater deposition of tephra The lower prominent band is ash from lavas, is broken by tilted fault blocks, to the northwest due to prevailing winds Kerimasi and through this Loolmurwak erupt- horsts and grabens. Faulting was close to the escarpment. Maar type ed with a base surge deposit seen as the dark accompanied by explosive Younger explosion craters and tuff rings with low festooned bedding below the crater rim. Extrusive volcanoes which are mainly angle outer slopes and vertical inner and there is widespread mudflat devel- ultra basic/ultra alkaline and accompa- opment. Increasing salinity favours an nied by carbonatites. Pyroclastics and increased growth of brine shrimps pro- lavas form major steep volcanoes. ducing a pink surface coloration and Active volcanism continues. providing food for the last breeding Contemporaneous minor volcanic fea- colonies of Lesser Flamingoes in the Rift tures are widespread. Valley. Arusha to Mto wa Mbu. The Natron Rift boundary fault is high- The journey west paralleled the edge ly segmented and we were able to of the Masai basement block, the ascend the Moinik valley to the west. southern boundary of the early tectonic Here sediments of the Moinik formation, depression. It crossed a faulted terrain laminated tuffs, evaporites, and clays climbing steep scarps and down dip with widespread chert nodules, were slopes towards the escarpment. In the deposited in a saline palaeo-lake Natron north were the younger volcanoes, in conditions similar to present day. It Monduli and Burko and many smaller Figure 2. Ketumbeine, an Older Extrusive shield vol- extended west to the Ogol escarpment, tuff cones, asymmetrical because of cano, from the west. Note the break of slope. The the limit of the Tertiary tectonic depres- prevailing east winds. Some are basaltic lower slopes consist of basaltic lavas, with more vis- sion. Deposition in the western palaeo- scoria cones but others, such as cous trachyandesites and trachytes on the upper lake ended with formation of the Natron Lashaine rising 700 ft above the plain slopes. The flat top is due to caldera collapse. boundary fault ~1.2 Ma BP. south of Monduli, are carbonatite tuffs walls of bedded pyroclastics as at Kisete Oldoinyo Lengai. with basement (granulite) and mantle and Loolmurwak (Figure 4), originated Oldoinyo Lengai is a classic volcanic xenoliths (harzburgite / dunite). when magma came into contact with cone close to the escarpment and rises Travelling northwest, Essimingor, the seasonal surface and subsurface waters. 2090m above the surrounding plain, oldest volcano in Tanzania was passed: Relationships of tuff cones to dated dominating the southern Natron Basin in the east it has the sharp upstanding debris flows from Oldoinyo Lengai indi- (Figure 5). It is the only active carbon- outlines of a strato-volcano; to the west, cate an age ~2,500a BP. Many are ori- 18 GA magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No. 1, 2009 mag29.qxd 20/02/2009 15:22 Page 19

atite volcano in the world and a prime ism elsewhere, differentiated to trachyt- ~100m. Sediments show a lacustrian aim of the tour was to see evidence of ic tuffs and ignimbrites with develop- sequence changing upwards to a terres- recent activity. ment of major calderas. The boundary trial facies. Former lake terraces can be Initial phonolitic and nephelinitic tuff fault cuts through and exposes lava recognised, one characterised by deposition began ~0.37 Ma BP with sub- flows from easterly members of the pisolitic limestones and non-marine sequent lava flows from the now dor- group. stromatolites used as local building mant southern crater. After an inactive Ngorongoro Crater, 19 x 22 km diam- stones. Persistence of the lake to the period, erosion and slope instability pro- eter, is one of the largest calderas in the west may have resulted from continued duced massive debris flows to the north world, surrounded by steep walls drop- fault movements. Crater Highland vol- and east. Activity from the northern ping ~6oom from the rim to the floor canics underlie sediments in the north crater began ~0.125Ma BP and nepheli- with grassland, swamps, lakes, rivers but further south, basement schists and nite tuffs and lavas are interbedded with and forest. It has spectacular views from gneisses crop out in river beds. natrocarbonatite flows and ashes. In the the rim but rock exposure in the Crater Mount Meru, Momella Lakes and 20th century, carbonatite lavas and is poor and access limited because of Ngurdoto. ashes have predominated. Major lava predators and a day was spent bird and We returned to Arusha which lies surges in the crater in 2006, led to lava animal watching. Better exposures are below Mount Meru (4,566 m), a Younger flows on the western slopes. In found at Olmoti, a cratered dome on the Extrusive volcano. It last erupted in September 2007, sporadic Vesuvian and northern rim of Ngorogoro. A walk 1910 but fumarole activity continued through forest, reassured by an armed until 1953. From the west, it appears as game ranger, took us to the caldera rim a classical cone formed by pumice and where trachybasalt and trachyte lava tephra from Plinian eruptions interbed- flows and trachytic tuffs are exposed. West of the Crater Highlands, the Serengeti plains extend to Lake Victoria. They are covered by calcareous tuffs and calcretes from recrystallisation of carbonatite tephra from Oldoinyo Lengai

Figure 5. Oldoinyo Lengai, looking south from Lake Natron. The white weathering of carbon- atites near the summit was misinterpreted as snow in the nineteenth century. Plinian activity continued until Figure 7. Our group is standing about the plinth at Olduvai which marks the site of dis- March/April 2008 with widespread ash covery of the skull of Australopithecus boisei. and fine tephra deposition. The crater is now filled with a major ash cone. ded with phonolite and nephelinite We drove towards the col between lavas. Erosion produced marked instabil- Oldoinyo Lengai and the escarpment, Figure 6. Rainwash gully on west flank of Oldinyo ity with debris avalanches to the north against which pyroclastics are deposited Lengai exposing natrocarbonatite airfall tuffs and and catastrophic collapse of the east and then walked through grey ash pyroclastics.The skyline to the right of the figures side of the cone. The resultant massive towards a lava flow of March, 2006. is the edge of the 2006 lava flow. debris flow extends ~33 km across the Expected difficult walking in elephant plain to the east, onto the lower slopes grass was not encountered for it was and Keramasi. At Olduvai, Pleistocene of Kilimanjaro with a volume of ~28 flattened, swamped by ash . The lava sediments were deposited in a lake with- km3. consists mainly of thick blocky aa and in a shallow basin. A gorge ~140m deep The Momella Lakes now lie in depres- thinner pahoehoe lobes, with a pale now cuts through these and recent sions in the debris and over the elevat- grey/whitish exterior colour (Figure 6) deposits. The Olduvai Beds have been ed terrain thick forest provides a habitat but on freshly broken surfaces the inte- recognised as an important fossil site for animals and birds. Ngurdoto, a small rior is black. These changes are since 1911 and in 1959, after nearly 30 stratovolcano to the south east of Meru, explained by the chemistry of the lavas. years work by her husband and self, is partially covered by lahar deposits and Natrocarbonatites are unique to Mary Leakey found the skull of a thickly forested. Rock exposures are Oldoinyo Lengai and the anhydrous hominid, Australopithecus boisei, dated poor but here the mineral assemblages lavas contain phenocrysts of the com- to ~1.7 Ma B.P. At the discovery site, in tuffs and ejected blocks, as on Meru, plex Na-K-Ca carbonates nyerereite and (Figure 7), the fossiliferous beds lie on indicate that it is an ultrabasic volcano gregoryite. They are jet black immedi- basalts possibly from Olmoti, and con- with a natrocarbonatite affinity akin to ately after extrusion but reaction with sist of volcanic tuffs, fluviatile and lacus- that of Oldoinyo Lengai atmospheric moisture follows and the trine deposits. The skull, found in ben- Leaving Arusha for the airport, low formation of simpler carbonates and tonic clay from the margin of the clouds cleared, revealing Kilimanjaro, sylvite, leads to greying of aa lavas and Pleistocene lake, was exposed in the the highest mountain in Africa, formed whitening of pahoehoe lavas. The white gorge during the rains and, with other by the fusion of three major volcanoes: weathering of carbonatites near the later hominid finds here and at Laetoli Shira, Mawenzi and Kibo (5895 m) still summit (Figure 5) was misinterpreted south of Olduvai, led to the concept of with fumarole activity... a tantalising call and on an 1855 map of East Africa, East Africa as the "Cradle of Mankind". for another visit. Oldoinyo Lengai was classified as a Mto wa Mbu and Manyara Basin. "Snow Mountain" together with Mount At Mto wa Mbu the escarpment cuts Further Reading: Kenya and Kilimanjaro. through horizontal lava flows from the Dawson, J.B. 2008. Mto wa Mbu to Crater Highlands, Crater Highlands but there is an abrupt The Gregory Rift Valley and Neogene- Serengeti and Olduvai. change a little further south due to fault- Recent Volcanoes of Northern Tanzania. From Mto wa Mbu, a ramp takes the ing against Archaen basement gneisses. Geological Society, London, Memoirs, road up the escarpment to the Crater Present day Lake Manyara lies close to 33. Highlands. These older volcanoes run the escarpment and is now ~3m deep. A Gerard Slavin, northeast for ~90 km and are limited to palaeo-lake extended ~40 km east- the east by the Natron Basin boundary wards and phosphatic guano deposits Brenda Slavin fault. They are mainly alkali basalts and about an island of Precambrian quartzite contrast with the effusive shield volcan- suggest that the former depth was & Peter Wood.

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As part of the 150th GA and 25 major geoscientific bodies and endorsed by nearly 100 countries 60th NSGGA Anniversary across the globe. In a fascinating talk, Celebrations we were laced with humour and personal pleased to welcome insights, he emphasized the important aim of this ambitious project, to Professor Aubrey Manning increase public and political awareness Emeritus Professor of of the Earth Sciences, as vital to achieving sustainable development and Natural History, he outlined the ten research themes University of Edinburgh (from Groundwater to Deep Earth) Lecture titled Prof Aubrey Manning,(R) pictured with one of identified for international support his former students Prof Gilbert Kelling within the project. Professor Manning "2008 - UN INTERNATIONAL Emeritus Professor of Geology Keele ended with a plea for all of us interest- YEAR OF PLANET EARTH." University ed in the Earth Sciences to become more involved (scientifically and emo- Manning is well known as a broadcast- Held at Keele University on tionally) in the current struggle for sur- er and television personality, famous vival of our species on this planet. As 6 November 2008 as presenter of popular series such as he expressed it, "…. we have nowhere 'Earth Story', 'Landscape Mysteries', THE 6th PROFESSOR else to go!" etc. As such he is possibly the most WOLVERSON COPE recognisable public face of geology in ANNUAL LECTURE this country and abroad. However, despite his distinguished career in the GILBERT KELLING A few years ago the North Staffs life sciences and his international Group of the Geologists' Association standing as an authority on animal instituted an Annual Lecture to com- behaviour, Professor Manning con- Footnote: The venue for this lecture memorate Wolverson Cope, founding stantly asserts his amateur status in was also highly appropriate, named Professor of Geology at Keele the geological sciences. Paradoxically, after Prof. Alan Gemmell, founding University and a life-long supporter of his non-professional standpoint actual- Professor of Botany at Keele and famil- the G.A. and its local Group. The aim ly enhances his authority as public iar to those of a certain age as a was to enable the local community to communicator - and also places him famous broadcaster and long-serving hear distinguished earth scientists firmly in the ranks of those for whom member of the venerable radio pro- speak on topical subjects. the Geologists' Association was creat- gramme "Gardeners' Question Time". The selection of each Wolverson Cope ed. Lecturer evokes considerable anticipa- The communication skills, experience The NSGGA would like to give tion within the Group but the choice of and wide-ranging insights that charac- thanks to the Geologists' the speaker for 2008 was of particular terise Professor Manning's broadcasts Association who generously con- importance. First, this year marks the were consummately displayed in the tributed towards the costs of the 150th anniversary of the inception of Cope Lecture he delivered to an enthu- lecture. the Geologists' Association, our nation- siastic capacity audience at Keele on al body; 2008 also marks 60 years 6th November. From the rather dry since the North Staffordshire Group title of "2008 - UN International Year of formally came into existence. Planet Earth", Prof. Manning conjured In this context, the choice of up from the geological and biological Professor Aubrey Manning as the records a fascinating account of the Wolverson Cope Lecturer for 2008 was interaction and mutual dependence of especially apt, not least to this writer, organisms with our home planet, cul- as Wolverson Cope's successor in the minating in the emergence of Man, as Keele Chair of Geology and an (unoffi- arguably the first (and perhaps last?) cial) member of the first Zoology class organism capable of bringing about taught by the then Dr. Manning at mass . Prof. Manning is Edinburgh University! Aubrey closely involved with the IYPE, spon- sored by UNESCO, supported by some

ANNUAL DINNER

The Annual Dinner this year will be after the AGM, Award ceremony and Presidential address on Friday May 1st. We have a wonderful venue this year in the Cavendish Hotel situated con- veniently just down the road from Burlington House.

This is an excellent opportunity to meet the Award winners, meet up with old friends and fellow members. We extend a warm welcome to new Members and those who have been unable to join us in recent years for a fantastic evening. The cost for a 3 course meal including coffee is £35. Please send your cheque, payable to the Geologists' Association, to me Sarah Stafford as soon as possible. It is always a great event!

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THE FIRST WELSH ROCK STAR, return visit. And he mis-identified by Dr Malcolm Smith several rock types too! A feature from the Countryside Council for Wales to cele- "His trip with brate the bicentenary of Charles Darwin's birth on 12th Sedgwick February 1809 scarcely It's one of those common pub-quiz questions! Who "dis- advanced geolo- covered" evolution? Your mind goes blank! But when you gy but it was hear the answer, you recall that name. Charles Darwin. An vital for develop- old man with a long white beard. Something about a ing his craft", Beagle and a voyage around the world an age ago. comments Rev. What you will almost certainly not know is that Darwin Michael Roberts, was primarily a geologist. And that, as a fit young man in Vicar of his early twenties, he learnt an awful lot of his skills Cockerham in observing what was in the natural world around him while Lancashire, a he trampled over the hills and mountains of North Wales. geologist and an But there's more. This was the mid 19th century when expert on many geologists thought that the Biblical Flood - the one Darwin. that Noah made the ark to survive - had shaped much of "Sedgwick intro- the landscape they saw around them, the deep valleys, duced him to careful note-taking in Wales and he learnt all huge boulders scattered across the land and much else. the basics of geology. It would be hard to devise a better This was also a time when divine creation explained the three week trip for any trainee geologist. It was his huge diversity of life on Earth. apprenticeship". Spending time in Cwm Idwal (today a National Nature "This field experience in North Wales helped him under- Reserve) beneath the towering Glyderau peaks in stand how volcanic islands like the Cape Verde Islands off Snowdonia, Darwin became convinced that massive gla- West Africa were formed when he went on his five year ciers had carved out the cwm and left their evidence for all voyage on HMS Beagle later in 1831. He'd seen volcanic to see. He was to be proved right. rocks with Sedgwick. And he correctly identified St Paul's It is now recognised that about 20,000 years ago, a gla- Rocks out in the mid Atlantic Ocean as serpentine (a min- cier flowed out of the cwm and into Nant Ffrancon, eral) which he had seen on Anglesey", adds Roberts. smoothing and abrading the rocks in its path. It formed Darwin's learning worked the other way round too. He part of a huge ice sheet that covered most of Wales. Even saw huge active glaciers carving rock at Tierra del Fuego more recently, between about 13,000 and 11,500 years at the southern tip of South America. Combined with then ago, a smaller glacier re-occupied the cwm, bulldozing controversial theories about glaciation he had heard rock debris in its path leaving the spectacular ridges or expounded by other geologists before he left on his 'moraines' seen around the lake today. momentous voyage, he returned to Cwm Idwal in 1842. Charles Robert Darwin was born on the 12th of February, Commenting on his previous visit, Darwin, unassuming 1809 at The Mount, a grand house in Shrewsbury where as always, wrote: he grew up amongst wealth, comfort and country sports. "Neither of us saw a trace of the wonderful glacial phe- He toyed with becoming a physician like his father, or a nomena all around us; we did not notice the plainly scored clergyman. But it was the natural world that fascinated the rocks, the perched boulders and the moraines (heaps of young Darwin, the colours and shapes of rocks and the boulders and ground up rock dumped as the glacier variety of plants and insects he collected. melts). Yet these phenomena are so conspicuous that a After losing interest in a medical course at Edinburgh, he house burnt down by fire did not tell its story more plain- studied theology at Cambridge, graduating early in 1831. ly than did this valley". Restless throughout his university years to learn more It's for his book "On the Origin of Species" published in about nature, he volunteered in August 1831 to assist 1859 that Charles Darwin is remembered. It proposed Adam Sedgwick on a geological tour of North Wales. natural selection by which the plants or animals most suit- Sedgwick was one of the most famous geologists of his ed to their environment are more likely to survive, repro- day and Darwin, with time on his hands - and no need to duce and pass these characteristics on. It hit the world like work because he had private means - was more than a thunderclap, provoking a frequently vitriolic debate eager to learn. "I am now mad about geology", he wrote which eventually de-bunked the religious establishment's at the time in one of his many notebooks. reliance on divine creation. Sedgwick was looking for evidence of older rocks under- His "The Descent of Man" published in 1871 caused even neath the limestone that outcrops across several parts of more fury because it suggested that humans descended North Wales. They visited the ruins of Castell Dinas Bran from apes, an assertion that aroused the then Bishop of and the limestone cliffs of Mynydd Eglwyseg near Oxford to ask "whether it was through his grandfather or Llangollen; the Vale of Clwyd; and St Asaph where in the grandmother that Darwin claimed descent from a mon- nearby Cefn Caves they found a fossilised rhinoceros key"! tooth. Charles Darwin was a kind, pleasant man, unassuming From there they travelled by horse-drawn gig to Conwy and modest, characteristics ill-suited to the hornet's nest and the west side of the Conwy valley where they exam- of argument with the establishment of his day. But he ined igneous rocks, those formed from molten rock when stuck with his theories which are widely accepted today. it cools. After a visit to the quarries at Bethesda to see Sandra Herbert, Professor of History at The University of slate, a metamorphic rock formed by intense heat and Maryland, argues in her highly acclaimed book, "Charles pressure from mud, they travelled on to Anglesey. Darwin, Geologist" (Cornell university Press, 2005), that Returning to Bangor several days later, Darwin visited Darwin's developing ideas about geology were the crucial the impressive giant bowl-shape of Cwm Idwal while driving force for his insights into the evolution of species Sedgwick went elsewhere. Still on a huge learning curve, for which he is famed. And it was those formative field it's rather reassuring for today's young students to know trips across North Wales where he learnt so much of his that the evolution pioneer didn't recognise any of the gla- geology that make him our very own rock star. cier-carved features which he did eleven years later on a 21 GA magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No. 1, 2009 mag29.qxd 20/02/2009 15:21 Page 22

Festival of Geology and Local Groups.

Groups of the GA were offerred support from the Curry Fund to come to the Festival of Geology last Novemeber. A condition of support from the Curry Fund is that the receipients should write a report of their activities. Below is a heavily reduced report from three of the Groups who received support The OUGS stand with their record of a Field Trip to the Auvergne and wrote up their experiences.

1. The Open University Geological Society display at the GA Festival of Geology featured the OUGS 2008 field trip to the Auvergne. An extensive set of photographs was displayed, with maps and text that explained the geo- logical context. Yvonne Brett of the OUGS London Branch, pictured with Peter Franklin and Nicole Gay manned the stand for the day, with Linda McArdell, the Society Information Officer. The photographic display was The WSGS stand with their photos of Guernsey augmented with a collection of rock samples from the Auvergne volcanoes, and surrounding areas affected by the volcanic debris. High points from the Festival were the visit to the stand by Dr Iain Stewart, presenter of the OU/BBC series Journeys from the Centre of the Earth, and signing up four new mem- bers to the Society. Iain went away with a Membership Application form, so who knows, he could be the fifth to sign up.

2. The West Sussex Geological The Geological Section of the LLPS with their collection of literature Society showed photographs of their Field Trip to Guernsey led by Dr Paul GA's Festival of Geology. A selection of est in the geology of our part of the Olver in May 2008. This area appealed past Charnias (the Newsletter of the world. to his primary interests in igneous and Section), seminar abstract booklets The team had a fun day out and took metamorphic rocks. The only fossils and copies of the recently produced it in turns to man the stand, while the and sedimentary deposits are glacial - Building Stones of Leicester book were others attended the lectures, browsed and nearly all the geology is between diasplayed. This was the first time the the stalls and exhibits or even did a lit- the high and low water. The helpful and Geology Section had participated in the tle shopping. friendly owners and staff of the hotel GA's Annual Festival we stayed in and the superb views A number of amateur and profes- The Geology Section would like to overlooking Rocquaine Bay, what more sional geologists visiting the stand acknowledge the assistance of the could the group ask for?? A review of with many being interested in Curry Fund of the Geologists' the Field Trip will appear in the next Leicestershire's famous fossil locality Association for the grant towards the magazine and beauty spot Charnwood Forest. We cost of producing the display materials had the opportunity to sell the advan- and the team of helpers and poster 3. The Geology Section of the tages of joining the Geology Section. and banner designers for their sterling Leicester Literary and Our newsletters and booklets proved to efforts on the day. Philosophical Society visited the be very popular, and encouraged inter-

Lost for an Easter present? Then why not give an ammonite in chocolate - The Old Fossil - Milk Chocolate Tablet? This ammonite, with its beautifully curved and remark- ably preserved shell has become the iconic fossil. But you don’t need to be a palaeontologist to enjoy them… here they’ve been preserved in velvety smooth milk chocolate for just a little longer, so you can treat your- self to this precious fossils. Yours for only £7!!! from Hotel Chocolat

22 GA magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No.1, 2009 mag29.qxd 20/02/2009 15:20 Page 23

"A Building Stones Guide to Central Manchester" Four walks through the city centre. by Morven Simpson and Fred Broadhurst Manchester Geological Association 2nd Edition 2008. 45pp. Available from Manchester Geological Assn: www.mangeo- lassoc.org.uk or from Fred Broadhurst 77, Clumber Road, Poynton, Stockport, Cheshire SK12 1NW £5 plus £1.00 p&p.

This delightful pocket sized guide is the perfect companion for a stroll around cen- tral Manchester and excellent value for money. Aimed at the non-geologist, it would nevertheless satisfy the curiosity of those geolo- gists who wished to know more about the provenance of the build- ing stones of this city. The book has full colour photographs on the front and back cov- ers and in the centre are twenty pages of superb colour photographs. There are many of the building stones, some of buildings themselves and four pages with detailed maps of the walks, complete with scale and compass direction. A short introduction explains the types of rocks used and how they might have been formed. It points out the chang- ing role of building stones over time and how now, most of the stone used in buildings is not local but comes from across the world. The authors opted to describe four walks around the city which include "the best" of the building stones. "Exploring Lakeland - Information on how to get to the start and finish point of the Rocks & Landscapes" walks is also given. The contents page is clear, there is a geo- The Cumberland Geological Society. 2008 - Edited by logical glossary at the end of the book and a table of geolog- Susan Beale & Mervyn Dodd. 163pp. ical systems and their ages, particularly helpful for the non- ISBN978-0-9558453-0-7. Price £9.50. geologist. The walks are very clearly described with each numbered The splendidly presented guide, written by members of the Cumberland Geological Society, makes a perfect pocket-sized stop on the map emboldened in the text so it's easy to spot. (A5) companion for all those who wish to explore this won- Brief descriptions of the rock types used (capitalised in the derful area of England, whether they be geologists or simply text) and their provenance, with just enough detail given to those interested in the world around them. make it interesting, but not too much to scare off the uniniti- There are 17 walks in the guide, most though not all, with- ated! The text is clear, easy to follow and eminently read- in the Lakeland National Park. able. I hope copies are available in all the city's bookshops. A brief introduction highlights the geological history of the I don't know the city, but look forward to exploring it with area from about 420 Ma to about 10,000BP, with useful maps the help of my grandchildren, who live nearby, and who are and a stratigraphical table incorporating Lake District specific Rockwatch members. So, together and with this splendid events. pocket guide, we will learn more about the building stones of I liked the standardised format throughout the book and the Manchester and the world around us - what a bonus, I can't clear, large font size. The first page of each walk gives its pur- wait to start walking! pose and all necessary practical details - excellent! Then fol- lows a brief section setting out the geological background with well illustrated Susan Brown sketch maps. The excursion descrip- tions are clear and included in a comprehensive glossary at the end of the guide. concise with locali- Also at the end of the guide is a list of museums in Cumbria and ties, as numbered web sites of further information. The guide concludes with a com- on the maps, grid prehensive and very useful index. references and I can thoroughly recommend this new guide, with its standard many excellent pho- format, clear, concise descriptions and superb photographs. It will tographs. Each walk appeal to everyone who wishes to learn more about this beauti- has been written by ful area of the country and its size, price and clarity, will ensure a member of the that sales are high. I expect that GA members on the joint field Cumberland meeting in August with the Cumberland Geological Society will be Geological Society. buying their copies of this guide, which will surely enhance their Access and details visit! were checked prior The forward by Chris Bonnington highlights the beauty of the to publication. area and the joy for those who visit. Technical words, An order form is available on the CGS website http://www.cum- where used, are berland-geol-soc.org.uk/ and the price includes p&p! highlighted and are Susan Brown 23 GA magazine of the Geologists’ Association Vol. 8, No.1, 2009 mag29.qxd 20/02/2009 15:20 Page 24

Anticline, Hartland Quay, North Devon You will notice that some of the weaker shale beds have eroded from this limb of the anticline resulting in the formation of the cave. This leaves the overlying beds unsupported and, as they are cracked, rock falls are a frequent occurence. The winning photograph of the 2008 Festival (see thumbnail), first printed in the December 2008 magazine, was taken from the other side of the cave where the sandstone bed, that forms the roof, is fractured and has partially collapsed. From this close up you can see that the beds are "right way up", and that the wonderful patterns of iron oxide permeate from the many cracks. Sole marks can be seen on the undersides of both the broken bed and the bed above. Ripple marks are visible on the upper surfaces of most of the exposed beds around Hartland Quay, showing many different wave and current patterns. The iron oxide staining is not isolated to the bed photographed, it is apparent on the beds above my head that are not washed by the sea. Broken pieces of complete beds can be found on the beach seaward of this anticline with wonderful patterns of staining, but I guess the sea would soon wash them clean. Truly an ephemeral feature worthy of recording, little works of art in their own right. The rock is Upper Carboniferous, shales, mudstones and more resistant sandstones, deformed in the Variscan. Photo and text Linda McArdell