Geological Society of Glasgow

Engineering geology of the Queensferry Crossing (lecture)
2020-01-09 19:30 - 21:30 (Europe/London) | Lecture Theatre, Gregory Building, c/o School of Geographical & Earth Sciences, Glasgow, Glasgow City, G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
John Brown, Arup, Edinburgh
The lecture will focus on the geology of the area of the crossing along with a detailed description of the engineering works required to form the foundations of the new bridge. Far more than one geologist or one organisation was involved in the crossing’s construction and the lecture will highlight the main parties involved and their roles and responsibilities.
The crossing is built on varied geology with almost every foundation bearing on a different rock type. However, the central island of Beamer Rock and the high ground on either side of this narrowing in the Firth of Forth are formed from igneous intrusions. These igneous intrusions resisted the glacial erosion slightly better than the sedimentary rocks into which they were intruded with Beamer Rock providing an excellent foundation to support the 210 metre high central tower. The foundations for the north and south towers (as well as one of the southern piers) are founded on 25 to 30 m diameter circular steel caissons sunk to the top of the bedrock some 40-50 m below water level. Once positioned, they were sunk into the seabed by a combination of precision dredging and ballasting with concrete to guide the caisson to its desired level and position. Once the base was cleaned and inspected underwater a thick concrete plug was poured within the cylinders to offset the effect of buoyancy and allow the construction of the reinforced concrete base for the foundations towers to be undertaken in the dry. The caisson approach is not that dissimilar to how 19th century engineers approached the foundations that support the original Forth Bridge.
The remaining foundations were constructed within sheet pile cofferdams with a combination of underwater and in-the-dry construction techniques. Some of the rock types could be excavated by mechanical means while others such as the dolerite at the central island of Beamer Rock required pre-treatment with underwater blasting before excavations could commence.
The geological information gathered prior to construction was translated into 3D numerical models in order to design the foundations. Each foundation excavation was rigorously inspected either directly by engineering geologists in the dry or when underwater with the assistance of divers and for foundations in deeper waters a remote camera dome was developed to carry out inspections up to 50 m below sea level in order to check that the design assumptions had been met or exceeded. The engineering expertise of the designer and contractor enabled the delivery of a complex set of foundations in a safe and efficient manner.
John is an Associate with Arup and was responsible for overseeing the marine ground investigations and the marine cofferdam foundation construction works among other duties on behalf of the employer’s delivery team (EDT), having worked on the project for over a decade until its opening in 2017.

Green gold? How to get metals out of the ground in a “green” and sustainable way (lecture)
2019-12-12 19:30 - 21:30 | Lecture Theatre, Gregory Building, c/o School of Geographical & Earth Sciences, Glasgow, Glasgow City, G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
Professor Gawen Jenkin, University of Leicester
We need mineral resources to underpin a good quality of life for the still-expanding population of planet Earth. Although we might ultimately develop a “circular economy” where all resources are recycled, this is a long way off and we will need to continue to extract minerals for many years to come. However, the mining industry is under a variety of pressures, both geological and anthropogenic, which make it ever harder to operate economically. The industry needs to be moving to more sustainable operations, in particular reducing carbon emissions and ensuring it earns the consent of the local and global communities – the so called Social Licence to Operate.
At Leicester, we have developed an exciting breakthrough technology using ionic liquids that has the potential to revolutionise the processing of mineral ores to metals in a green and environmentally-friendly way. We have the potential to replace the use of cyanide in industrial gold extraction and the uncontrolled use of mercury by artisanal gold miners – one of the biggest sources of mercury contamination on the planet. Ultimately, the mine of the future, might not involve a hole in the ground or people going underground and have a considerably smaller impact on our environment.
The talk is aimed to be accessible for non-specialists.
Background reading: Abbott AP, Al-Bassam AZM,Goddard A, Harris RC, Jenkin GRT, Nisbett F & Wieland M (2017). Dissolution of Pyrite and other Fe-S-As minerals using Deep Eutectic Solvents. Green Chemistry, 19, 2225-2233, DOI: 10.1039/C7GC00334J.
Gawen grew up in Cornwall surrounded by the legacy of what was once one of the richest mining areas in the world, and was fortunate to be able to study A-level Geology at the Humphry Davy Grammar School, Penzance. After his Geology degree in Nottingham he did his PhD in Glasgow on ancient geothermal systems in Connemara. He liked Scotland so much he stayed as a postdoc/research fellow for another nine years working at the Scottish Universities Research and Reactor Centre on isotope geochemistry and its application to mineralising and metamorphic processes.
Taking up a lectureship at Leicester in 1997 Gawen has taught Mineral Deposit Geology and Genesis and in 2009 was awarded a Distinguished University Teaching Fellowship “In recognition of his inspiring and imaginative teaching and his involvement in national initiatives which promote student learning in Geology.” He has been Schools Liaison and Student Recruitment Tutor for Geology since 2003 and estimates he has given more than 300 talks on Open Days and school visits. Recently he has been an adviser to the exam boards for the new Geology A/AS and GCSE qualifications.
His research in geochemistry has continued on areas as diverse as arsenic in human toenails (and in earthworms), the “Snowball Earth” in Ethiopia, and natural CO2 sequestration, as well as gold mineralisation in Scotland and the Solomon Islands and copper in Cyprus. Recently he has developed a new field of mineral processing in collaboration with Leicester Chemistry which forms the topic of this talk.

Annual General Meeting
2019-12-12 19:00 - 19:30 | Lecture Theatre, Gregory Building, c/o School of Geographical & Earth Sciences, Glasgow, Glasgow City, G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
The society’s AGM will be held before the December lecture. The meeting will start at 7 pm to allow time for members to ask questions and discuss the results of the membership survey.

The United Downs Deep Geothermal Power project (lecture)
2019-11-14 19:30 - 21:30 | Lecture Theatre, Gregory Building, c/o School of Geographical & Earth Sciences, Glasgow, Glasgow City, G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
Peter Ledingham, Geoscience Ltd
Geological map of Cornwall showing granite intrusions in red
The United Downs Deep Geothermal Power project is the first development of its kind in the UK. It is located near Redruth in west Cornwall and is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Cornwall Council. Two wells have been drilled to intersect a target fault structure that, it is hoped, will provide enough natural permeability to allow circulation between the wells and the generation of between 1 and 3MWe.
Drilling began in November 2018 and was completed at the end of June 2019. The production well reached a depth of 5,275m (MD) and the injection well 2,393m (MD), and the project is now in its evaluation phase.
Peter will outline the geothermal resources in Cornwall, describe the development of the UDDGP project and give an update on progress.
Background reading: see https://www.uniteddownsgeothermal.co.uk/
Peter graduated in mining engineering from Camborne School of Mines in 1980. He is a founding member of Geoscience Ltd, which he joined following six years at the School of Mines engaged in the Hot Dry Rock geothermal research project. He has more than 30 years experience in geothermal engineering, well testing, reservoir engineering, experiment design and project management. He has worked for the European Commission as an expert evaluator of geothermal project applications since 2007. He is a Director of Geothermal Engineering Limited, who hope to develop the first commercial geothermal power project in the UK. Away from the office Peter enjoys travel and sport, spending time with his children and grandchildren, and music. He is recently retired as the drummer in a Beatles tribute band.

The secret life of carbon (lecture)
2019-10-23 19:00 - 21:00 | Dynamic Earth, Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8AS, United Kingdom
Edinburgh Geological Society public lecture
The role of carbon in the atmosphere is well known, but what else does carbon get up to as it cycles through Earth systems? Find out from experts about the role of carbon in soils, rivers and the oceans.
Speakers
Susan Waldron, Professor of Biogeochemistry, School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow. Susan is an expert in the peats of Scotland and the role of carbon in soils and rivers.
Tom Wagner, Professor of Earth System Science, The Lyell Centre, Heriot Watt University. Tom will talk about carbon and nutrient cycling from land, through rivers to the oceans – in the modern environment and in the past.
Dick Kroon, Regius Professor of Geology, School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh. Dick specialises in scientific ocean drilling, exploring relationships between long-term climate change and carbon cycling.
Parking is available in the Dynamic Earth underground car park (charges apply).
Tickets available now: £5, free for students and under 18s.

Hydrocarbon exploration in volcanic effected basins (lecture)
2019-10-10 19:30 - 21:30 | Lecture Theatre, Gregory Building, c/o School of Geographical & Earth Sciences, Glasgow, Glasgow City, G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
Dr Nick Schofield, Aberdeen University

The UK Rockall Basin forms part of the NE Atlantic margin and is truly a frontier basin. With only 12 exploration wells, all drilled between 1980 and 2006, it is one of the most underexplored areas of the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS). Of the 12 wells, 11 were dry holes and one, the Benbecula (154/01-1) well, discovered a sub-commercial gas accumulation. This low historic success rate, together with the harsh NE Atlantic operating environment and the lack of infrastructure have created a negative view of the exploration potential of the UK Rockall Basin. Exploration in the basin is perceived by the industry at large to be high risk and low reward. However, considerable advances have been made in the understanding of Atlantic Margin geology since the last well was drilled in the Rockall Basin. Re-evaluation of drilling results in light of the current understanding of NE Atlantic Margin geology reveals that previous drilling efforts may have been hampered by a misunderstanding of the geological development of the basin and that viable untested plays may exist within the basin.
Further reading: see http://www.rockallbasin.com/
Nick Schofield is a Senior Lecturer in Igneous and Petroleum Geology. He specializes in the seismic and field interpretation of intrusive and extrusive sequences in volcanic terranes and their interaction with hydrocarbon systems.

Anglesey
2019-09-22 18:00 - 2019-09-27 10:00
Field days: Monday/ Tuesday/ Wednesday/ Thursday
Leader: Chris Arkwright
This is a 5-night trip with 4 days in the field.
Anglesey is regarded as a “classic” area of British geology; while its oldest rocks appear to be unrelated to those of the rest of the British Isles, the remainder provide a detailed record of events which led to the formation of southern Britain. Formed between 650 and 300 Ma, they include high grade gneisses, a granite pluton, metasediments, sandstones, mudstones and the famous Anglesey Blueschists. There are also Paleogene dykes and abundant glacial features. A number of NE–SW faults slice the island into blocks; large sandstones blocks are thought by some geologists to mark the location of an ancient subduction zone. The original map was published in 1920 and BGS is currently undertaking a project of new research into the island’s geology.
More information about the geology of Anglesey can be found on the BGS website.
Accommodation will be in B&B and means of travel has yet to be decided.
The trip is now almost full; if you wish more details please email the society’s residential excursions secretary, Maggie Donnelly.

Dalry & Saltcoats
2019-09-07 09:00 - 18:00
I surveyed some members asking if they had any requests for places to visit this summer. Several members stated that back in 2002 they had thoroughly enjoyed an excursion to Dalry and Saltcoats and asked if we could go there again. We are therefore recreating this visit with the same leader and hopefully the same glorious weather that accompanied the original trip. Trilobite-bearing limestone, exotic sills, dykes and fossilised trees are all on the menu.
Leader: Dr Colin MacFadyen
Pricing/ Booking Information
£30 deposit. This is set at a level to recover the anticipated costs of the trip. A small financial adjustment may be made on the bus on the day of the trip.
Additional Information
Leaving Gregory Building at 9:00, returning at 18:00, travelling by coach

Northern Lake District
2019-08-17 09:00 - 21:00
As an experiment, I am trying a slightly longer trip this year in the hope that fewer of our members have already seen the geology. I am assuming around 3 hours on the bus each way. The trip is a walk of about 2.5 km up the Glenderaterra valley from the car park at the Blencathra Field Centre with 4-6 stops along the path, returning the same way, so a total of 5 km of easy going. The main theme is contact metamorphism and mineralisation in the Skiddaw Slate around the Skiddaw Granite. There are pubs in Threlkeld and the intention is to head there for an evening meal around 5 pm before heading back up the road.
Leader: Dr Simon Cuthbert
Pricing/ Booking Information
£40 deposit. This is set at a level to recover the anticipated costs of the trip. A small financial adjustment may be made on the bus on the day of the trip.
Additional Information
Leaving Gregory Building at 9:00, returning at 21:00, travelling by coach

'Trix': a Tyrannosaurus rex on display at Kelvin Hall
2019-07-31 10:00 - 17:00, 2019-07-30 10:00 - 17:00, 2019-07-29 10:00 - 17:00, 2019-07-28 10:00 - 17:00, 2019-07-27 10:00 - 17:00, 2019-07-26 10:00 - 17:00, 2019-07-25 10:00 - 17:00, 2019-07-24 10:00 - 17:00 and 12 more dates | Kelvin Hall, 1445 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G3 8AW, United Kingdom
An original fossil skeleton of Tyrannosaurus rex can be seen at the Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, until 31st July. The skeleton was found in Montana, USA, in 2013 and is touring Europe courtesy of Naturalis Biodiversity Centre in the Netherlands. The event at Kelvin Hall includes interactive displays and information about the life of this carnivorous dinosaur from the Cretaceous. The exhibition, open everyday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, is expected to be popular so tickets are available for timed entry.
Find out about ticket prices and entry arrangements here.

Ballantrae Complex
2019-07-27 09:00 - 18:00
The Ballantrae region is of international importance because of the presence there of the Ballantrae Complex, an association of serpentenite, chert and pillow lavas that represents an ophiolite. There are many interesting geological localities in this area. Con is currently assessing which sites to visit on our excursion bearing in mind accessibility to a coach party and time limitations.
Leader: Dr Con Gillen
Pricing/ Booking Information
£30 deposit. This is set at a level to recover the anticipated costs of the trip. A small financial adjustment may be made on the bus on the day of the trip.
Additional Information
Leaving Gregory Building at 9:00, returning at 18:00, travelling by coach
