Warwickshire Geological Conservation Group (WGCG)

Sept 2020 Talk: Life & Death in the Jurassic Sea of Dorset, Malcolm Hart
2020-09-16 19:15 - 21:15 (Europe/London) | Zoom Video Talk
To WGCG Members, Friends and Guests,We are pleased to have another talk via Zoom on Wed 16 Sept 2020 at 7.15 for a prompt 7:30 pm start.

Full title: Jurassic calamari: new research on fossil squid-like cephalopods from the Wessex Basin.’Malcolm Hart (Emeritus Professor, University of Plymouth).

AbstractDiscoveries of some exquisite specimens of soft parts of squid-like cephalopods have been found in the fossil record in the Wessex Basin. They are around 190–160 million years’ old, and there is exceptional preservation of eyes, ink sacks, beaks and arm hooks. Balancing organs, ‘statoliths’, of aragonite have also survived and show internal (daily?) growth lines.

There are specimens of fossil squid-like cephalopods in the Natural History Museum (London) and Lyme Regis Museum, some collected by both Mary Anning and Henry De La Beche. When the GWR railway was built from Swindon to Bristol, local palaeontologist Joseph Pearce uncovered fossils at Christian Malford that caused great excitement as soft parts of squid-like animals were preserved. The ink sacks and the muscle scars survived and reconstruction of the creatures from the arms, some with pairs of hooks could be attempted. A specimen from Bristol Museum & Art Gallery has non-paired hooks so there is a potential for identifying species. Scattered statoliths have been recorded but cannot be linked to a named species. It has been argued that the white discs with hooks could have been suckers, but it is difficult to understand that a sucker with a hook in its centre could function effectively. The Christian Malford beds were re-opened in 2008 by the BGS and a core from the ‘squid bed’ was found to have earbones, or ‘statoliths’, scattered throughout it. There is a need to relate these to a species, so CT scanning of specimens from Christian Malford in the Natural History Museum is taking place to see if this can be achieved. Different shaped hooks are now thought to exist on the same animal, as one specimen from Germany shows five different kinds, and there are interesting questions on the evolution of the hooks that we see in the geological record.

An ichthyosaur specimen in the Etches Collection appears to show hooks as stomach contents, but it is possible that these may have fallen onto the specimen after death.

The exceptional preservation of material is exciting and there is plenty more research to be done. Recently new specimens have been found and cleaned, clearly showing the arrangement of hooks in the arms. An old specimen, from the BGS collections, has been shown to record the capture, and presumed feeding, of a squid-like cephalopod holding a fish (Dorsetichthys bechei); one of the earliest records of cephalopod predation.

The published paper at The Geologists Association is:M.B. Hart, et al., Life and death in the Jurassic seas of Dorset, Southern England, Proc. Geol. Assoc. (2020)is online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pgeola.2020.03.009and available as a PDF download from this website here

For that paper this is the Abstract: The Jurassic succession of the Wessex Basin, especially that cropping out along the Dorset Coast, contains important Lagerstätten for coleoid cephalopods. The Blue Lias and Charmouth Mudstone formations have, since the nineteenth century, provided large numbers of important body fossils that inform our knowledge of coleoid palaeontology. In many of these mudstones specimens of palaeobiological significance have been found, especially those with the arms and hooks with which the living animals caught their prey. This is particularly true in the case of a specimen of Clarkeiteuthis sp. cf. C. montefiorei (Buckman,1879) found in the nineteenth century with a fish in its jaws and which appears to have caused the death, and subsequent preservation, of both animals. © 2020 The Geologists’ Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Malcolm HartFollowing ‘official’ retirement from the University of Plymouth in 2010, Malcolm is now Emeritus Professor of Micropalaeontology. He graduated with a degree in Geology at Imperial College (London) in 1966 and remained in the college to undertake PhD research. Having worked weekends in the Channel Tunnel Laboratory in Dover Castle during 1965/66, his research was to extend work on the Lower Chalk westwards to Southern and South-West England. His first teaching post was as a Junior Lecturer at the University of Newcastle; returning to his birthplace in Northumberland. In 1972, with the potential closure of the Department being considered, he moved to Plymouth Polytechnic and has remained in the South-West since that time. Over the years, up to retirement, he has been Research Coordinator, Head of Department of Geological Sciences, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research), and – finally – associate Dean of Research in the Faculty of Science. Author of ~270 research papers and an editor of several books (including the definitive work on the Channel Tunnel), Malcolm has supervised 37 PhD students and undertaken research all around the world (and in the world’s oceans). In 1983 he was shipboard micropalaeontologist on the Glomar Challenger, drilling a series of cores in the Bermuda Triangle! He is still an active member of several learned societies and is currently Editor-in-Chief of the Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association, as well as being Editor of Geoscience in South-West England and the Transactions of the Devonshire Association.

Keywords: Lower Jurassic, Clarkeiteuthis, Diplobelida, Cephalopoda, Predation, Taphonomy

Here is the info in this screen page on a PDF to enable download and/or printing

Zoom TalkYou are invited to a Zoom meeting. Please register directly via Zoom by clicking the link below.You can join the meeting from 7:15 pm i.e., up to 15 minutes beforehand.

Talk starts promptly at 7:30 pm

Please register well in advance with this link:

– Queries and Enquiries to: warwickshiregcg@gmail.com

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting with a link to be used on the night.

Example images from the paper and talk,The paper can be seen as a PDF below.

Aug 2020 Talk: Mining in North Wales, Rob Vernon
2020-08-19 19:15 - 21:00 | Virtual (Zoom or YouTube), Zoom as if from - St Francis of Assisi R C Church, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1HL, United Kingdom
Metal Mining in North Wales, a talk by Rob VernonTo WGCG Members, Friends and Guests,We are pleased to have another talk via Zoom on Wed 19 Aug at 7.15 for a prompt 7:30 pm start.

Gilfach Copper mine – Caernarfonshire 1989

Rob Vernon will begin with an introduction to the geology of the area before discussing the most important minerals worked (copper, lead, gold, slate, coal and a few “miscellanea”). He will then take us on a round trip of the various mining districts, including perhaps the best known copper mine in Wales (at Parys Mountain on Anglesey), as well as the Parc lead and zinc mine at Aberconwy and the Gilfach copper mine in Caernarvonshire, among many others.

Rob worked for 24 years in the U.K. Coal Mining Industry (deep mines) before embarking on research in archaeological prospection at Bradford University, where he presented his doctoral thesis on British Sites of Smelting. Since then he has written extensively on Mining History, especially of Wales and the Iberian Peninsula, and is currently investigating the history of British Mining Technology introduced into Japan during the Meiji Restoration.

Rob will be known to some WGCG members as the leader of a walk around the Bredon Hill outlier, near his home, as part of last summer’s field programme.

Parys Mountain Copper Mine – Anglesey 2008

Parc Mine – Lead and Zinc – Aberconwy 1969

Zoom TalkYou are invited to a Zoom meeting: 19 Aug 20Talk starts promptly at 7:30 pmYou can join the meeting from 7:15 pm i.e., up to 15 minutes beforehand.

Queries and Enquiries to: warwickshiregcg@gmail.com

July 2020 Talk: Contrasting Islands: The Geology of Eigg & Rum
2020-07-08 07:30 - 09:00
Contrasting islands: the geology of Eigg and Rum by Angus Miller

To WGCG Members and Friends,We are pleased to have another talk via Zoom on Wednesday 8th July at 7.30 pm.

Abstract: The Hebridean islands of Eigg and Rum are separated by just a few miles of sea, but could hardly be more different in their scenery, topography and land use. Of course this is due to the underlying geology. Both islands have a basement of sedimentary rocks (formed 800 million years apart!). Then, 60 million years ago, this area was a focus of volcanic activity: Eigg is mostly formed by the eroded remains of extensive basalt lava flows, whereas Rum was the site of a central volcano. It is a fascinating clash of rock types and morphologies that has formed two contrasting islands.

Angus Miller has been leading Geowalks since 1998, including day walks, walking holidays and group excursions covering many aspects of the geology of Scotland. He’s also been involved as a volunteer in Lothian and Borders GeoConservation, particularly in public outreach events and leaflets. He was chair of the Scottish Geodiversity Forum from 2011-2020, responsible for publishing and promoting Scotland’s Geodiversity Charter, and is now Secretary of the new Scottish Geology TrustA talk outline with images (as above), as a PDF, is attached here.

Zoom TalkYou are invited to a Zoom meeting. Please register directly via Zoom by clicking the link below.You can join the meeting from 7:15 pm up to 15 minutes beforehand.

Talk starts prompt at 7:30 pm

June 2020 Talk: The Geology of Arran
2020-06-17 19:30 - 21:00 | Zoom Video Talk
An online Zoom talk for WGCG by Stuart Blake – Wednesday 17th June 2020 at 7:30 pm• Isle of Arran … A landscape & geological delight

The Geology of Arran, overseas without going overseas!

Various educational research has revealed that 1 in 7 of people who study geology visit the island of Arran. This is the reason why the Lochranza (field education) Centre has joined forces with the National Trust for Scotland and the Arran Heritage Museum to form the Arran Geopark. The function of the Geopark is threefold: to educate people about our amazing landscape, to conserve what we have and look after it, and finally to try to make it a sustainable resource. This well-illustrated talk will highlight the vast amount of different geology and landscapes to be enjoyed by a visit to this little island and show why it is such a popular destination for geologists and tourists alike.

Stuart Blake is an Instructor and the Director at the Lochranza Centre. He arrived on Arran some 38 years ago as a graduate and teacher of geology to take on the role of an instructor.He has taught geology and acted as a mountain leader, both on Arran and overseas in Iceland for most of that time. He also enjoys visiting and sampling geology from other areas – his most recent excursions having been to the Azores, the Caribbean and Ireland.

The Lochranza Centre employs six staff as instructors and the Geopark has a coordinator, all sadly furloughed at the moment. Since the Geopark and the Lochranza Centre are not in receipt of any government or Council funding they have try to raise the money to keep going. The Centre provides accommodation and / or tuition to people of all ages, from primary school age to those in the U3A. Teaching covers the geology, geography and biology of this island home. Activity courses are run offering gorge walking, mountain biking and abseiling, to name but a few of the activities available. The centre offers accommodation for people attending courses or just wanting to visit the island.

Cir Mhor and Sleeping Warrior

Kildonnan dykes

Zoom Talk

To participate, please register for the talk by Mon 15 June at warwickshiregcg@gmail.com The Zoom meeting code will be circulated.

We can help you.If you are unfamiliar with using Zoom, please do not be daunted. It is very easy and a practice session can be arranged in advance of the talk (including talking you through things on the phone if needs be). If you want to sign up for the practice, please register by Saturday 13th June at warwickshiregcg@gmail.com

May 2020, Talk: Fracked or Fiction (via Zoom)
2020-05-13 19:30 - 21:30
Title: Fracked or Fiction Speaker: Martin Carruthers, Shropshire Geological Society Date: Wed. 13 May at 19.30 Event: Evening Lecture Location: Zoom – For details, please scroll to foot of this screen page

Fracked or Fiction?Hydraulic FracturingEnergy Saviour / Environmental Nightmare?Will our water be poisoned and the ground subside? What about earthquakes?Is the dawn of a new and prosperous hydrocarbon age?A comprehensive and balanced presentation. A talk illustrated with images

Martin Curruthers B.Sc. (Hons) FGSMartin graduated as a geologist from the Victoria University of Manchester in 1982 and entered the oil and gas industry two years later.In a career spanning three decades, Martin worked in both onshore and offshore drilling and production sites in the UK, Europe and the Middle East.He has extensive knowledge and hands-on experience of drilling for and producing hydrocarbonsParticular areas of expertise include geology, rock pressure and fracture evaluation, drilling engineering, safe working practices, oilfield software development and administration.

ZOOM participation details
In order to participate members will need to have a free programme called Zoom on a computer / tablet. Then prior to the lecture, we will email a pass code that will allow members to join the meeting on the night.

As Zoom may be new to some of some, it is proposed that a practice session to allow members to check that they have Zoom set up and a familiarisation tutorial to help members understand the controls in Zoom (e.g. how to type comments or adjust the speaker or camera settings) will take place some days prior to the lecture.
All that we need to know from you now, is whether you would like to participate in all of this – so that we can send you the invitation and pass code (called a Meeting ID) for the practice and actual sessions.
Members are asked to reply to Julie, WGCG admin assistant, by SUNDAY 3rd MAY if they would like to participate.
A date for the practice session/s (which will be led by Ray Pratt and/or Ian Fenwick) will then be set and the participation details sent.
If members want to get ahead of the curve and have a go with Zoom sooner, it can be downloaded here: https://zoom.us/download

Feb 2020 – Workshop: Making Sense of Geological Maps
2020-02-22 09:45 - 15:15 | Kenilworth Senior Citizens Club,
Read, interpret and understand geological maps and appreciate and enjoy geology in three dimensions

The complexities of real geology displayed on maps and sections may seem daunting. The aim of this workshop is to provide basic rules and techniques than can be applied to interpret these maps and appreciate geology in three dimensions. The Geological Maps interpreting workshop will be directed by Norman Dutton.

Approximate times:

9.45 am Welcome and coffee10.00 am Looking for patterns on geological maps11.00 am Coffee break11.20 am Drawing geological sections1.00 pm Lunch break1.45 pm Establishing successions and sequences of events followed by an integrated geological map exercise.3.15 p.m. Workshop finishes

Those attending will need pencils, eraser and 30 cm ruler. If you have a small protractor, bring it; but this item can be supplied.

The course fee is £10.

Venue: Kenilworth Senior Citizens’ Club, Abbey End, Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 1LB

These workshops are relaxed, friendly and enjoyable.

Enquiries: warwickshiregcg@gmail.com

Feb 2020 Talk: “Geology & Wine in Southern France”
2020-02-19 19:00 - 21:00 | St Francis of Assisi R C Church
Talk: “Geology & Wine in Southern France” Roger Suthren (Derby Univ.)

There will be a wine tasting session with nibbles after the talk and members are invited to give a donation of £2 to cover the cost of this.For some, when tasting wine, terroir is very important but where does terroir come from and how did it get there? We hope to find out.

Côtes du Roussillon vines growing in poor soils on Pleistocene river gravels, France. Image: Roger Suthren

Geology and Wine in Southern France – Roger Suthren, University of Derby – AbstractLanguedoc-Roussillon is the largest wine-producing region in the world. Its varied geology andstructure provide a great range of terroirs and microclimates for vine growing, resulting in a broadrange of wine styles. Two E-W trending mountain belts – the Pyrenees in the south, and theMontagne Noire-Cévennes in the north – are separated by the Languedoc Foreland Basin, filled byLate Cretaceous to Eocene continental and shallow marine sediments. Basin sediments wereinvolved in N-S compression during Pyrenean mountain building: the resultant E-W ridges andvalleys are exploited for viticulture. Post- Pyrenean sedimentary basins and Quaternary volcanoesprovide added interest. Superb outcrops and scenery, combined with the Mediterranean climateand fine food and wine, make for memorable fieldwork experiences.

• Booking: Visitors please e-mail warwickshiregcg@gmail.com to say how many are coming have your place confirmed. Thank you.

More info, see: Geology and Wine, a web page with many links maintained by Roger SuthrenLink: http://virtual-geology.info/wine/

Recent publications by Roger SuthrenSuthren, R.J., Fowler, M.B. & Guion, P.D. 2006 Terroir, wine and geoscience fieldwork education in Languedoc-Roussillon, southern France In Macqueen, R.W. and Meinert, L.D. (eds.): Fine Wine and Terroir, The Geoscience Perspective. Geoscience Canada Reprint Series 9, 233-246

Roger Suthern is a volcanologist and French geo-wine expert.

WGCG Twitter Link – https://twitter.com/WGCG_UK/status/1228627652971462656

WGCG Facebook Link – https://www.facebook.com/events/1201526730036280/

Venue infoTalks are in the Church Hall at St Francis RC Church, 110 Warwick Road, Kenilworth CV8 1HLDoors open at 7.00 pm for coffee before a 7.30 pm start.Talks are free for WGCG members. Non-member visitors and guests are welcome and pay £2.00 per talk on the door. Free for those in full-time education.Ample free parking and good and easy accessibility.

Jan 2020 Talk: Meteorites (Tom Barratt)
2020-01-15 19:00 - 21:00 | St Francis of Assisi R C Church
Talk: ‘Meteorites’ – An illustrated talk by Tom Barratt for WGCG.

Non-technical preview:

It’s Raining Rocks! Meteorites!

Meteorites provide a window into the history of the Solar System and are key to understanding its formation and evolution. Recent studies of water, chlorine and fluorine (volatile elements, which influence how planets form) in Moon and Martian rocks have changed our understanding of the amount of volatiles in the inner Solar System and hence the formation and evolution of these planetary bodies

Most meteorite samples come from small parent bodies (asteroids). Fewer are from larger bodies such as the Moon or Mars.The variety of meteorites’ composition and age enables us to study different parts of the Solar System as well as different points in its evolution.

The Howardite-Eucrite-Diogenite (HED) meteorites are some of the oldest igneous rocks in the solar system. Remaining relatively unaltered since their formation, just 8 – 20 Ma after the solar system itself formed, they offer insight into planetary accretion processes. They represent the largest suite of crustal rocks available from a differentiated basaltic asteroid and account for between 2-3% of all meteorites collected globally.

>Knowing precisely when water came together under the influence of gravity in the inner solar system also has implications for how and when life emerged on Earth and possibly beyond.

The talk is entitled: ‘Volatile Elements in the Inner Solar System’ Abstract is shown below.<

Visitors welcome, £2 on door. Free to members and students in full-time education.Visitors: Please e-mail warwickshiregcg@gmail.com to say how many are coming

Meteorites – A talk by Tom Barratt for WGCG

Talks are in the Church HallAmple Free parking

Abstract: Volatile Elements in the Inner Solar System

Volatile elements play a fundamental role in planetary formation and evolution through their influence on a number of processes. Recent in situ measurements of volatiles (H2O, Cl and F), particularly in lunar and Martian samples, have changed our understanding of the volatile inventory of the inner Solar System. Whilst this has provided a wealth of data for these planetary bodies, currently little is known about the history of volatiles in other bodies in the inner Solar System.

Meteorites provide a window into the history of the Solar System and are key to understanding its formation and evolution. The majority of these samples come from a variety of small parent bodies (asteroids) whilst a small fraction originate from larger bodies such as the Moon or Mars. The variety of meteorites, both in terms of composition and age, enables us to study different parts of the Solar System as well as different points in its evolution.

The Howardite-Eucrite-Diogenite (HED) suite of meteorites represents the largest suite of crustal rocks available from a differentiated basaltic asteroid and account for between 2-3% of all meteorites collected globally. This group of meteorites are also some of the oldest igneous rocks in the solar system, remaining relatively unaltered since their formation ~8 to 20 Ma after the formation of the solar system, and offer insight into the planetary accretion process(es).

By investigating the abundance and source(s) of volatiles in the HEDS we can begin to constrain the timing of when water (H2O) existed in the inner Solar System. Knowing precisely when water accreted in the inner solar system also has implications for how and when life emerged on Earth and possibly beyond.

Enquiries: warwickshiregcg@gmail.com

Nov 2019 Talk: “The Real value of Microfossils”
2019-11-20 19:00 - 21:00 | St Francis of Assisi R C Church
Talk: The “Real” value of Microfossils, by Haydon Bailey (London)

The “real” value of microfossils

Dr. Haydon W. Bailey Consultant Micropalaeontologist

Honorary Lecturer University of Birmingham

Micropalaeontology, or the study of microfossils, may initially seem an esoteric subject for a desk-bound academic: but if your thinking is along these lines then you couldn’t be further from the truth. These microscopic-sized fossils can be integral to major engineering projects, can result in helicopter flights to oil rigs around the world and also to detailed forensic studies as part of serious criminal investigations or simple art restoration. The information they provide can act as a proxy for past climate change and consequently as an indicator of the changes which may await us in the future.

Microfossils are abundant and diverse in many everyday rock types found worldwide or simply out in the UK countryside; they are attractive, sometimes structurally complex, but rarely dull and boring. Because they’re not the size of a Diplodocus they’re very easy to carry home in your pocket, but they can still have impact – there would be no pyramids without microfossils.

In industry they are used every day to assist in the enhanced recovery of oil and gas on a global scale, providing massive value-added in oil production. Optimal placement and steering of production wells within “sweet spots” in the oil reservoir can enhance recovery by 30%. With oil prices on the rise once again, the micropalaeontologist can have a major impact on hydrocarbon production and consequently, company profits. This paper attempts to put a highly estimated figure onto that added value.

In addition, they were used to define the foundations of the Thames Barrier and to steer the tunnelling machines which cut the Channel Tunnel. How can you put a value on these? Closer to home, they’re present in pharmaceuticals, in your breakfast cereals and in your supper drinks. Definite food for thought!

Haydon Bailey(Thanks to: geologistsassociation.org.uk)

More information via these links

https://geologistsassociation.org.uk/councilbios [Extract is shown below]

Haydon Bailey

Haydon Bailey graduated in Geology a long time ago from the University of Sheffield; he has a PhD in Chalk micropalaeontology (from Plymouth), is a Chartered Geologist and has worked as a consultant stratigrapher in the oil and gas industry for over forty years. He still specialises in Upper Cretaceous Chalk stratigraphy, although his career has led to projects throughout much of the geological time scale around Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He recently retired for the position of co-Director of Network Stratigraphic Consulting Ltd., a company he co-founded some 25 years ago. He’s a past President of the Geologists’ Association and is currently Chairman of the GA Curry Fund committee and the Awards committee. He is the Co-Ordinator for the GA SchoolRocks! initiative. He is a past Chairman and Industrial Liaison Officer of The Micropalaeontological Society. Since 2012 he has been Honorary Lecturer on the M.Sc. course in Micropalaeontology at the University of Birmingham and since January 2019 he has been a Scientific Associate of the Natural History Museum, London. He also holds the position of Geological & Environmental Adviser to the Chiltern Society (since 2008), where his initial brief was to prepare a report on the underlying geology of the Misbourne river valley. It still takes up too much of his time.

The Archaeological and Forensic Applications of Microfossils: A Deeper Understanding of Human Historyhttps://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/books/book/2100/chapter/114593988/Calcareous-micropalaeontology-in-forensic

Microfossil evidence helps solve a crimehttps://www.nhm.ac.uk/natureplus/blogs/micropalaeo/2015/03/25/crime-scene-micropalaeontology.html

Sept 2019 Talk: Yorkshire’s ancient storms
2019-09-18 19:00 - 21:00
YORKSHIRE’S ANCIENT STORMS

ANDY HOWARD

Honorary Research Associate, British Geological Survey

About Andy Howard

Abstract: Hurricanes and typhoons are notoriously destructive storms that cause significant loss of life and livelihoods across the tropics. The Atlantic hurricane season of 2017 was notably severe. Tropical Storm Harvey caused unprecedented coastal flooding in Texas, and was followed by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, both of which reached Category 5 intensity. These record-breaking storms devastated several Caribbean island communities and wreaked havoc in the Florida Keys. Later in the season, Hurricane Ophelia took a different and unusual path, tracking northwards to bring storm force winds to Ireland and ‘apocalyptic’ red skies laden with Saharan dust to southern Britain.

Although the impact of extreme events on the geological record has long been appreciated, it was not until the early 1970s that storm deposits, or ‘tempestites’, were extensively described in the published scientific literature. This was stimulated by extensive observations of storm processes on modern continental shelf environments, notably hurricanes in the Caribbean and eastern USA, but also severe storms in the North Sea including the Great Storm of 1953. This research assessed the impacts of storm waves and surges, and described the associated effects of erosion and deposition on the seafloor and its inhabitants. Similar storm deposits were soon identified in ancient shallow marine deposits which led, in the 1980s and early 1990s, to a boom in published papers on storm deposits from all periods of the geological record.

Use of the term ‘tempestite’ in the geological literature has been almost entirely limited to the deposits of storms in shallow marine environments. However, the impact of storms in other depositional environments is equally profound. The geological record of northern England preserves extensive evidence of storms in a range of ancient depositional settings including flood plains, deltas, coastal marshes, deserts and sabkhas, as well as shallow marine continental shelves. This talk reviews examples of ancient storms preserved in several geological formations in northern England, ranging in age from early Carboniferous to mid Jurassic. The examples include successions recently demonstrated in YGS field trips and indoor meetings, and enable comparisons to be drawn with similar and dramatic storm events that have made the news at the present day. This talk will not only show how these short-lived extreme events have shaped the geological history of northern England, but also the early evolution of the diverse range of terrestrial vertebrates that inhabit our planet today.

Photo 1. Shallow marine tempestite beds in the early Jurassic Cleveland Ironstone Formation at Staithes, North Yorkshire. Tempestite beds consist of upwards-fining sandstone beds with channelled bases. The overlying ironstone seam marks a long break in sedimentation. Photo: Andy Howard, 2013.

Photo1

Photo 2. Coastal sabkha facies, siltstones and mudstones of the mid-Triassic Sidmouth Mudstone Formation (Mercia Mudstone Group), Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottingham. Laminated greenish-grey or pale brown siltstones forming the more resistant beds were deposited by storm-driven flash floods on wet mudflats and saline lakes, while the interbedded red-brown blocky mudstones represent wind-blown dust storm deposits that accumulated on damp mudflats. Photo: Andy Howard, 2017.

Photo 2

Sept 2019 Field Trip: Dorset Coast (Invitation from BCGS) Enrol ASAP
2019-09-13 00:00 - 2019-09-16 00:00
Dorset Coast (Invitation from BCGS) Enrol ASAP

Aug 2019 Field Trip: Ufton Fields
2019-08-28 00:00
Aug 2019 Field Trip: Ufton Fields

28th August (Wednesday)

Ufton Fields (SP378615) – a former quarry in the White Lias, finishing in the village to examine some of the building stones. Meet 6pm at Reserve car park A joint meeting with the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. Led by Brian Ellis & Faye Irvine.

July 2019 Walk: Malvern Hills (led by Dick Bryant)
2019-07-12 12:00
Malvern Hills (led by Dick Bryant)

June 2019 Walk: Bredon Hill (joint with BCGS)
2019-06-22 00:00
Bredon Hill

Led by Rob & Boo Vernon / Deborah Overton

Joint with BCGS

Use will be made of Apps

May 2019 Field Trip: Torquay, Devon residential field trip
2019-05-13 00:00 - 2019-05-17 00:00
Torquay, Devon residential field trip (led by Malcolm Hart) 13-17 May 2019, based in Paignton

GeoWeek: Gold in them thar Burton Dassett hills? Yes! Fool’s Gold! – Sunday 12 May 10:30 am
2019-05-12 10:30 - 12:30 | Burton Dassett Hills Country Park
Why are the Burton Dassett Hills there? What’s in them? Who dug? When? Why? Are they magnetic? What’s that tower for?
Sunday 12th May, Burton Dassett Hills, Meet 10.30 at Car Park near the Tower (approx 1-2 hours) With the WGCG – All-day parking £2.
The views are great but what’s this ‘outlier’ beneath your feet? How come those hills are still there after millions of years and English weather erosion? And what’s the truth about ‘outlier’? Fault lines? Are there any? Did they cause an earth tremor or earthquake? Do we still get earth tremors in Warwickshire? If, Yes, why? Find out more and hear from Warwickshire Geological Conservation Group (www.WGCG.co.uk) geologist John Crossling assisted by volunteers.
The group will explore the various geological horizons exposed across the hills and work out past environments and relationships between the exposed features. They will also work out a structural surprise that is not immediately obvious.
John will lead the walk to see fossils and talk about the geology, industrial archaeology and changing economics which brought mineral extraction to an end. Which mineral? Which metal? How did it get there? John is always ready to chat about rocks, fossils and geology.

Puzzled by a rock or a fossil? Bring it along. Let’s see if we can define what it really is.

The walk offered free by the Warwickshire Geological Conservation Group as part of GeoWeek, a nationwide initiative that seeks to introduce the public to parts of their local landscape, shaped over millions of years by geological processes.

Burton Dassett Hills tower

GeoWeek: Kenilworth Rocks! Meet ‘The Stones’ – Thursday 9 May 2pm
2019-05-09 14:00 - 16:00 | Abbey Fields Car Park
A guided walk of “The Building Stones of Old Kenilworth” (approx 1½ hours)Thursday 9th May, Meet 2 pm, Abbey Fields Car Park, Bridge Street. Kenilworth CV8 1BQ
Led by Ian Fenwick, Parking: 2 hrs free with ticket.

Kenilworth’s stone is 280 million years old.
How did it get here?
Where was Warwickshire then?
Every building has secrets to share and stories to tell.
Even the gravestones are alive with stories

We shall take a walk along the Old High Street, looking in on the church and the Abbey ruins. Hopefully, we shall find out how Warwickshire has moved around the world, how large rivers once flowed across Kenilworth and perhaps how the village once echoed to the noise of masons’ hammers.
The tour is offered free by the Warwickshire Geological Conservation Group (WGCG) as part of GeoWeek, a national initiative to introduce members of the public to geoscience.

Group viewing Townpool Bridge – Guided walk of “The Building Stones of Old Kenilworth”

Townpool Bridge – Guided walk of “The Building Stones of Old Kenilworth”

Bunter pebbles – Guided walk of “The Building Stones of Old Kenilworth”

Parochial Hall – Guided walk of “The Building Stones of Old Kenilworth”

GeoWeek: Rock solid evidence that Jurassic Park came to Banbury – Tuesday 7 May, 7 pm
2019-05-07 19:00 - 20:30 | Banbury Town Hall
Led by Norman Dutton, A guided geological tour of Banbury town centre (approx 1 hour) Tuesday 7th May, Evening, Banbury, Meet at Town Hall for 7 pm No need to book ahead. This tour will take you round many of the buildings in Banbury, Oxfordshire, which have used natural stone in their construction. The rocks are mostly of Jurassic age and reveal what the area was like over 170 million years ago. Their high fossil content means that you will probably see more fossils here than on a visit to the Jurassic Coast.
The tour will last around 1 hour and end at St. Mary’s Church. It is offered free by the Warwickshire Geological Conservation Group as part of GeoWeek, a national initiative to introduce members of the public to geoscience.

Banbury town geological walk example facing stones

Belemnite on view in Banbury town geological walk

GeoWeek: Upton House Reveals its Secrets Hidden in the Stones – Tuesday 7 May from 11 am
2019-05-07 11:00 - 16:30 | Upton House
A geological tour of Upton House and gardens –

On this short outdoor tour of under one hour around the house and gardens, you will get a closer look at the building stones and natural landscape of the site, in particular:

The abundant fossils visible within the stoneEvidence for conditions in the local area during Jurassic timesThe geological history of the area since Jurassic times including the effects of recent ice ages.The importance of the geology to the layout of the estate.A free leaflet will be available at the end of the walk

These walks are offered free by the Warwickshire Geological Conservation Group (admission applies) and will commence hourly at 11.30 am, 12:30 pm, 2.00 pm, 3.00 pm, and 4.00 pm.The rendezvous point is to the left of the main door in view of the shop and toilets. Entry to Upton House and Gardens is free to members of the National Trust.

What’s this rock? What’s this fossil?There will be a small display of local geology with rocks and fossils to handle and geologists will be on hand to answer any questions and try to identify any geological specimen you may want to bring along.

Address: Upton House, Home Farm Drive, Banbury, Warwickshire, OX15 6HTUpton House and gardens are a National Trust property. Free entry to NT members.

WGCG GeoWeek – Event Details at Upton House

More info about Upton House and Gardens

Brachiopod nest in Upton House wall

Local rock exposure at Upton House

GeoWeek: Walk 600 million years in 20-minutes at the Brandon Marsh GeoWall – Sunday 5 May
2019-05-05 10:30 - 16:30 | Warwickshire Wildlife Trust Brandon March Visitor Centre
GeoWeek: Walk 600 million years in 20-minutes at the Brandon Marsh GeoWall.

In just a few paces, visitors can walk through time from local volcanic rocks of 600 million years ago to newer limestone of only 145 million years old. Warwickshire’s varied geology tells a good story. It is collected together in the Geology Wall at the Brandon Marsh wildlife visitor centre. The wall was designed and built by members of the Warwickshire Geological Conservation Group (www.WGCG.co.uk).

Come any time from 10:30 amto 4:00 pm on Sunday 5th May 2019 and see the rocks and hear their story told by members of the Warwickshire Geological Conservation Group (WGCG). They look forward to answering your questions.

• Puzzled by a rock or a fossil? Bring it along. See if we can tell you what it really is.

• Take the time to look at the two interpretation boards alongside the wall telling how the earth has changed in the last 600 million years.

Talk Times: 11.00 and 11.30 am, 12.00, 12.30, 1.30, 2.00, 2.30 and 3.00 pm. Standard entry charges to Brandon Marsh, WWT members free entry.

Discover the whole story told by the GeoWall at Brandon Marsh on 5th May

April 2019 Talk – The Geology of Norway – Senior Citizens Club
2019-04-17 19:00 - 21:00
The Geology of Norway – Chris Darmon

(Chris Darmon – editor ‘Down to Earth’ magazine & proprietor of ‘Geosupplies’)

PLEASE NOTE – as it is Easter week, the usual church hall venue is not available, so we will be meeting at Kenilworth Senior Citizens’ Club at the top end of the main road through town, …

behind the Almanac restaurant. The address is Abbey End, Kenilworth CV8 1LB. There is plenty of car parking space but it will cost 50p.

The speaker will be Chris Darmon, who has for many years led geological adult education events and field trips and produces the geological newsletter / magazine Down to Earth.

Norway – land of fjords, rocks and landscapes

Norway lies to the northeast of the UK with a flight time of less than 2 hours. Whilst many British people have visited Iceland and know its geology well, Norway is a closed book, a place that we known for its fabulous fjords and ice, but rather less so for its geology.

By the time of the WGCG talk, I will just have returned from a 9-day tour of the south of the country with some 37 people. I’ll have been immersed in the Norwegian landscape for 8 field days during which time I’ll have seen a lot of Norwegian rocks. In my talk I’ll be giving you an overview of the geology concentrating on the Geo Norvegica Geopark. Get ready for some surprises such as the ancient metamorphic basement, the sedimentary rocks of the Ordovician and Silurian with their graptolites and trilobites, the Carboniferous sandstones and the igneous rocks of the Oslo rift. All this as well as the famous Larvikite and some stunning glacial scenery.

April 2019 Walk: Warwick Town Walk and Warwick Museum
2019-04-10 18:00 - 21:00
Warwick Town & Museum (led by Jon Radley) (max.20)

November 2018 talk: The secret life of your mobile phone: metal supply and digital devices
2018-11-21 19:00 - 21:30 | St Francis of Assisi R C Church
The secret life of your mobile phone: metal supply and digital devices.

Andrew Bloodworth, Science Director for Minerals and Waste, British Geological Survey

ajbl@bgs.ac.uk

Up until the mid 20th Century, very few metallic elements in the periodic table had any practical use. Since then, mankind has broadened its pallet of useful metals enormously to take in so-called ‘rare’ or ‘critical’ or ‘exotic’ or ‘technology’ materials, including rare earth elements, platinum group elements and others, from beryllium to zirconium. This expansion has been pulled along by the development of new digital technologies and their almost magical appeal to billions of consumers across the globe. This talk uses the ubiquitous mobile phone to illustrate the importance of these metals and to explore issues around supply security and ‘criticality’. This will include a look at ideas related to metal supply from geological and other sources, and may challenge some commonly-held assumptions relating to non-renewable mineral resources and physical scarcity. It will also look at the human factors that influence metal availability and the environmental limits to our conspicuous consumption of these vital raw materials.

Sept2018 talk: “Doctors in Geology” by Dr. Albert Benghiat
2018-09-19 19:00 - 21:00 | St Francis of Assisi R C Church
“Doctors in Geology” – Dr. Albert Benghiat Gentleman medical personalities from the 19th century history of geology.

Sept 2018, Visit Residential, Lake District: Borrowdale Volcanics & Ordovician-Silurian boundary rocks, Led by Dr Simon Drake
2018-09-07 12:00 - 2018-09-09 12:00
Lake District, Coniston area

Led by Dr Simon Drake, Birkbeck College, London. We will examine the Borrowdale Volcanics and the Ordovician / Silurian boundary rocks and landscape development.

Participants will be required to arrange their own accommodation but it is hoped to arrange a group dinner on the Saturday, and possibly the Sunday, evenings. To allow time for participants to book accommodation early in this popular location, registration documents will be sent out earlier than usual – do look out for them during February.

July 2018, Visit, Ecton Copper Mine, Led by Ecton Ed. Trust staff
2018-07-21 00:00
Ecton Copper Mine, Manifold Valley between Hulme End and Wardlow

Led by Ecton Educational Trust staff. Ecton mine was formerly the largest copper mine in the world. The visit includes underground and hillside tours and “mining-related” indoor activities. Details for the day & registration form here.

June 2018: Walk: Wolstonian Clay Pit, led by Brian Ellis & Ian Fenwick
2018-06-20 00:00
Wolstonian Clay Pit, Burton Hastings

Led by Brian Ellis, Ian Fenwick. Quaternary clay deposit.

Meet in the car park for a 7.00pm start. It is a clay pit so expect it to be muddy, but there are access roads. Burton Farm lies to the north-east of Bedworth and south of the village of Burton Hastings.

The clay pit is on Burton Lane at GR 408893 (Landranger 140) or post code CV11 6RJ. Neither the farm house nor the clay pit are shown on my (now rather old) 1:50000 map. There is (or should be) a sign post at the gate indicating ‘Clay’, on the left almost immediately after turning off the B4114. The pit occupies much of the land between Burton Lane and the Ashby canal.

Although from a geological point of view the main interest is the Wolston Clay and the fossil tree remains, the discovery of the clay, the use Mr. Callington is making of and planning for the site, the conservation and planting and eventual restoration of the site are all also of interest. We will also want to discuss the possible origin of the clay and how the site relates to other Pleistocene sites in Warwickshire, including last year’s visit to Bubbenhall. Mr. Callington has agreed to show us round.

Before the visit it is worth looking again at our Autumn 2017 Newsletter for Ian Fenwick’s piece on the site – A Stunning Encounter.

Risk Assessment: This is an outdoor walk on tracks and some muddy, uneven ground. Wear comfortable flat shoes and suitable waterproof clothing if the weather forecast is poor. Any further safety information will be conveyed by the trip leader on the night.

There is no need to register for this trip – simply turn up.

May 2018: Walk: Leamington Building Stones and Geology, Leader John Crossling
2018-05-13 00:00
Sunday 13th May, Leamington Building Stones and Geology. Start 11.00am from top of The Parade, B4087 junction with Clarendon Ave. Leader John Crossling.

Royal Leamington Spa, its geology and building stones

This leaflet will guide you on a walk through the centre of Leamington to see the fascinating array of stones that have been used in buildings historic and modern.

Leamington Spa Trail

May 2018, Walk, Kenilworth Cutting & Common
2018-05-09 07:30 - 21:30
There will be a WGCG evening field outing to Kenilworth Cutting and Common on Wednesday 9th May, led by Ian Fenwick.

The trip will start with a visit to the Local Geological Site and then proceed to the Common via the Cutting.

We will rendezvous at c. 6.45pm in the Princes Drive Industrial Estate, CV8 2FD, where we can park. We will then walk (via a short cut) to the Greenway and on to the Cutting section, Thereafter, the intention is to walk on to the Common to discuss the origin, properties and extent of the sands & gravels which make up the Common. A short walk from there will enable us to return to our cars.

Risk Assessment: This is an outdoor walk on footpaths and there may be some uneven ground. Wear comfortable flat shoes and suitable waterproof clothing if the weather forecast is poor. Any further safety information will be conveyed by the trip leader on the night.

There is no need to register for this trip – simply turn up.

May 2018, Walk: Kenilworth Building Stones Trail, Ian Fenwick
2018-05-08 12:00
Tuesday 8th May. Kenilworth Building Stones Trail and Geology. Start 2.00pm Meet at St Nicholas’ Car Park, Bridge Street, Kenilworth Leader Ian Fenwick.

Old Kenilworth, its geology and building materials

Buildings tell a story about the history of towns through the style of the buildings and the materials used. This trail will help you explore some of that history.

Kenilworth Trail
