SCIENTISTVOLUME 25 NO 2 u MARCH 2015 u WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST GEOThe Fellowship Magazine of the Geological Society of London UK / Overseas where sold to individuals: £3.95 twitter follow us on ] [@geoscientistmag n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n Neutrons n n for geology A valuable tool for investigating the Earth’s internal workings MIOCENE IN BRITAIN ELECTIONS 2015 SMITH ARCHIVE Society funds new research Your chance to choose Council Nina Morgan opens the packing into the UK’s rarest rocks members and President Designate case that changed the world 32nd Earth Science and GIS Software ANNIVERSARY ROCKWORKSROCKWORKS® r StartingStarting at $700 RockWRockWorksorks prprovidesovides visualization and modeling of spatial and subsurface data. RockWRockWorksorks contains toolstools tthathat willwill savesave time and money,moneyy,, increaseincrease «ÀwÌ>LÌÞ]>`«ÀÛ`i>V«iÌÌÛii`}i«ÀwÌ>LÌÞÞ]]>` «ÀÛ`i > V«iÌÌÛi i`}i throughthrough high-quality graphics, models, and plots. Mapping ToolsTToools rr&TKNNJQNGNQECVKQPOCRU&TKNNJQNG NQECVKQP OCRU rr#UUC[EQPEGPVTCVKQPOCRU#UUC[[ EQPEGPVTCVKQP OCRU rr&UWTHCEGFKURNC[U& UWTHCEG FKURNC[U rr&RQKPVOCRU& RQKPV OCRU rr)GQNQI[OCRU)GQNQI[ OCRU rr/WNVKXCTKCVGOCRU/WNVKXCTKCVG OCRU rr/WNVKRNGIGQITCRJKEFCVWOUHQTIGQTGHGTGPEGFQWVRWV/WNVKRNG IGQITCRJKE FCVWOU HQT IGQ TGHGTGPEGF QWVRWV rr'CTVJ#RRUsOCRUKOCIGUHQTFKURNC[KP)QQING'CTVJ'CTVJ#RRUsOCRU KOCIGU HQT FKURNC[ KP )QQING 'CTVJ FREE BoreholeBorehole DatabaseDatabase ToolsTTooools r2TQLGEVGFETQUUUGEVKQPUYKVJFTKNNKPIQTKGPVCVKQPr2TQLGEVGF ETQUU UGEVKQPU YKVJ FTKNNKPI QTKGPVCVKQP rr%QTTGNCVKQPRCPGNU%QTTGNCVKQP RCPGNU rr&TKNNJQNGNQIU&TKNNJQNG NQIU rr$NQEMOQFGNKPVGTRQNCVKQP$NQEM OQFGN KPVGTRQNCVKQP rr5WTHCEGOQFGNKPVGTRQNCVKQPQHUVTCVKITCRJKEWPKVU5WTHCEG OQFGN KPVGTRQNCVKQP QH UVTCVKITCRJKE WPKVU rr&QYPJQNGHTCEVWTGFKURNC[CPFOQFGNKPI&QYPJQNG HTCEVWTG FKURNC[ CPF OQFGNKPI r8QNWOGTGRQTVUQHNKVJQNQIKEUVTCVKITCRJKEOQFGNUr8QNWOG TGRQTVU QH NKVJQNQIKE UVTCVKITCRJKE OQFGNU r'ZEGN.#5CE3WKTG0GYOQPV#&1CPFQVJGTKORQTVUr'ZEGN .#5 CE3WKTG 0GYOQPV #&1 CPF QVJGT KORQTVU OtherOther ToolsTToools r$NQEMOQFGNGFKVQTr$NQEM OQFGN GFKVQT rr8QNWOGECNEWNCVKQPU8QNWOG ECNEWNCVKQPU rr5VGTGQPGVCPFTQUGFKCITCOU5VGTGQPGV CPF TQUG FKCITCOU rr&CPF&QWVRWVVQ4QEM9QTMU)QQING'CTVJ& CPF & QWVRWV VQ 4QEM9QTMU )QQING 'CTVJ rr''ZRQTVUVQ)+55JCRGƂNGU%#&&:(TCUVGTHQTOCVUZRQTVU VQ )+5 5JCRGƂNGU %#& &:(( TCUVGT HQTOCVU ))QQING'CTVJQQING'CTVJ rr+OCIGKORQTVCPFTGEVKƂECVKQP+OCIG KORQTV CPF TGEVKƂECVKQP rr2TQITCOCWVQOCVKQP2TQITCO CWVQOCVKQP rr5WRRQTVHQTPQP.CVKPCNRJCDGVU5WRRQTV HQT PQP.CVKP CNRJCDGVU Download FREE Trial at www.RockWare.com 2221 East Street // Golden CO 80401 U.S.A. // t: 800.775.6745 // f: 303.278.4099 6944 Cureglia Switzerland // +41 91 967 52 53 // F: +41 91 967 55 50 GEOSCIENTIST CONTENTS 06 24 14 20 FEATURES 20 Miocene in Britain IN THIS ISSUE... Matthew Pound and James Riding on a little-known unit in the southern Peak District of Derbyshire REGULARS 05 Welcome Ted Nield contemplates the prospects for leaving the carbon in the ground 06 Society news What your Society is doing at home ON THE COVER: and abroad, in London and the regions 14 Neutrons for geology 12 Calendar Society activities this month Martin Dove explores the use of neutron sources 13 Soapbox Jim Whiteley thinks there should be more to elucidate a wide range of geological problems funding sources like the Distinguished Geologists’ in the deep Earth, and other planetary bodies Memorial Trust 24 Books and arts Four new books reviewed by Bernard Leake, John Allen, Gill Hackman and Peter Treolar ONLINE SPECIALS Jim Whiteley Jim Whiteley 26 People Geoscientists in the news and on the move (author of this month’s Soapbox) reflects on lessons learned at the 2014 Athens meeting on Near Surface 28 Obituary Martin Elliott Wright 1949-2013 Geophysics, which he attended with Society support 29 Crossword Win a special publication of your choice WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2015 | 03 Sustainable exploitation of the subsurface 20-2120-21 May 20152015 The Geological Society, Burlington House, London Sustainable exploitation of the subsurface: the geology, engineering and environment of our underground asset It has long been recognized that the underground development. Critical to subsurface is a complex, scarce and accommodating this is a requirement valuable resource. With urbanisation, for a good understanding of the society is now becoming more subsurface beneath our feet and reliant on using the subsurface for importantly how the ground will Convenors physical infrastructure (e.g. respond now and in the future to underground networks such as Lead Convenor: Helen Reeves various events (e.g. climate change (British Geological Survey) utilities & transport) and for the &/or increased urbanization). storage and containment of Co-Convenor: Ian Jefferson A two day meeting coordinated by (University of Birmingham) resources (energy & water) and the Geological Society of London waste (CO2 & Radioactive Waste), Further information in order to provide the essential & the UK IAEG National group will For further information about support to a well-functioning aim to bring together current the conference please contact: society. With this development thinking of the role the ground Jess Aries, comes increased pressure on space plays in providing a resilient Conference Office, and resources and increasingly, underground resource. The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG T: 0207 432 0983 CallCall forfor AbstractsAbstracts E: [email protected] )ROORZWKLVHYHQW :HZHOFRPHERWKSRVWHUDQGRUDOSUHVHQWDWLRQFRQWULEXWLRQVIRU WKLV RQ7ZLWWHU PHHWLQJFRYHULQJDQ\RIWKHIROORZLQJ H[SORLWVXEVXUIDFH • 6XEVXUIDFHLQYHVWLJDWLRQFDVHVWXGLHVGHPRQVWUDWLQJWHFKQRORJLHV \HDURIPXG WHFKQLTXHVWKDWVXSSRUWJHRORJLFDOFKDUDFWHULVDWLRQ • 6XEVXUIDFHFRQVWUXFWLRQFDVHVWXGLHVGHPRQVWUDWLQJWHFKQRORJLHV WHFKQLTXHV • 3ODQQLQJUHJXODWLQJ GHFRPPLVVLRQLQJRIWKHVXEVXUIDFHIRUYDULRXV UHVRXUFHVDQGXVHV HJZDWHUHQHUJ\XWLOLWLHVWUDQVSRUWZ DVWH ,I\RX ZRXOGO LNH XV WR FRQVLGHU \RX IRU D VORW LQ WKH SURJUDPPH SOHDVHVHQGDQDEVWUDFW RIQRPRUH WKDQ ZRUGV WR-HVV$ ULHV QR ODWHUWKDQSPRQ)ULGD\0 DUFK (MHVVDULHV#JHROVRFRUJX N GEOSCIENTIST WELCOME Geoscientist is the ADVERTISING SALES ~ Fellowship magazine of Ollie Kirkman THE HUMBLE NEUTRON IS FAST the Geological Society T 01727 739 184 of London E ollie@centuryone BECOMING A VALUABLE TOOL IN MODELLING publishing.uk The Geological Society, THE INNER WORKINGS OF OUR PLANET Burlington House, Piccadilly, ART EDITOR Front cover: Cienpies Design / Shutterstock.com London W1J 0BG Heena Gudka ~ T +44 (0)20 7434 9944 F +44 (0)20 7439 8975 DESIGN & PRODUCTION E [email protected] Sarah Astington (Not for Editorial - Please contact the Editor) PRINTED BY Century One Publishing House Publishing Ltd. The Geological Society Publishing House, Unit 7, Copyright Brassmill Enterprise Centre, The Geological Society of Brassmill Lane, Bath London is a Registered BA1 3JN Charity, number 210161. T 01225 445046 ISSN (print) 0961-5628 F 01225 442836 ISSN (online) 2045-1784 Library The Geological Society of London FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK: T +44 (0)20 7432 0999 accepts no responsibility for the F +44 (0)20 7439 3470 views expressed in any article in this publication. All views expressed, E [email protected] except where explicitly stated otherwise, represent those of the EDITOR-IN-CHIEF author, and not The Geological Burning issue Professor Peter Styles Society of London. All rights reserved. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, EDITOR copied or transmitted save with Dr Ted Nield written permission. Users registered scar Wilde said he could of fossil fuel reserves, because the clear E [email protected] with Copyright Clearance Center: the Journal is registered with CCC, 27 resist everything except necessity to leave them unused will Congress Street, Salem, MA 01970, EDITORIAL BOARD USA. 0961-5628/02/$15.00. Every temptation. So what about land them with overvalued reserves – Dr Sue Bowler effort has been made to trace the rest of us? Pretty much ‘stranded assets’, in the jargon – and Mr Steve Branch copyright holders of material in Dr Robin Cocks this publication. If any rights have the same is my guess. that since we will never make progress Prof. Tony Harris been omitted, the publishers offer their apologies. OGlobal resources of fossil fuels are unless there is agreement, future Dr Howard Falcon-Lang Dr Jonathan Turner No responsibility is assumed by the currently thought to equal the regulatory frameworks must include Dr Jan Zalasiewicz Publisher for any injury and/or equivalent (burned) of 11,000 Gt of compensation. But when bottom-up damage to persons or property as a Trustees of the matter of products liability, CO2. Yet a recent review* estimates pressure for ‘development’ so negligence or otherwise, or from any Geological Society use or operation of any methods, that, if we are to limit global greatly exceeds the top-down political of London products, instructions or ideas Prof David Manning contained in the material herein. warming to 2°C, between 2011 and will to limit, or slow it down (by (President); Although all advertising material is 2050 we can burn no more than a making it sustainable and therefore Mrs Natalyn Ala expected to conform to ethical (Secretary, (medical) standards, inclusion in this maximum of 1240 Gt. more expensive), how realistic are Professional Matters); publication does not constitute a Dr Mike Armitage (Vice guarantee or endorsement of the