Geological Society of Glasgow

Geo-natter: agates
2023-03-15 13:30 - 15:00 (Europe/London) | Kelvin Hall, 1445 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G3 8AW, United Kingdom
A chance to look at rocks and fossils, get your own specimens identified, chat informally to others, ask questions about geology and find out what’s happening locally.
Today’s topic will be agates.

The Gardar rocks of South Greenland (lecture)
2023-03-09 19:30 - 21:30 | Lecture Room 407, Boyd Orr Building, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QW, United Kingdom
Professor Brian Upton, School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh
Brian is emeritus professor of geology at the University of Edinburgh. He has conducted field studies in many parts of the world, concentrating especially on the Arctic. But throughout his career he has continued to investigate the unique alkaline rocks of South Greenland.

Geo-natter: ammonites
2023-03-01 13:30 - 15:00 | Kelvin Hall, 1445 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G3 8AW, United Kingdom
A chance to look at rocks and fossils, get your own specimens identified, chat informally to others, ask questions about geology and find out what’s happening locally.
Today’s topic will be ammonites.

Geo-natter: fossil crinoids
2023-02-15 13:30 - 15:00 | Kelvin Hall, 1445 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G3 8AW, United Kingdom
A chance to look at rocks and fossils, get your own specimens identified, chat informally to others, ask questions about geology and find out what’s happening locally.
Today’s topic will be fossil crinoids.

A new stratigraphic framework for the early Neoproterozoic successions of Scotland (Moine Supergroup no more) (lecture)
2023-02-09 19:30 - 21:30 | Lecture Room 407, Boyd Orr Building, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QW, United Kingdom
Dr Maarten Krabbendam, British Geological Survey
The advent of modern dating techniques has, in recent decades, provided much better timing constraints on the deposition of Neoproterozoic sequences in Scotland, in Greenland and Svalbard. This has shown that the Neoproterozoic evolution of this north Atlantic province is dominated by three tectonic episodes: the Grenville-Sveconorwegian orogeny, the Renlandian orogeny and the rifting and formation of the Iapetus Ocean. In Greenland and Svalbard, Neoproterozoic sedimentary rocks can be divided into three ‘megasequences’, constrained by the three major tectonic episodes. In northern Scotland, however, the classic subdivision of Torridonian and Moine is at odds with these megasequences: a new stratigraphic framework is thus necessary. The oldest megasequence in Scotland is the newly named Wester Ross Supergroup, comprising the Iona, Sleat, Torridon and Morar groups of the Scottish mainland and Inner Hebrides, and the Westing, Sand Voe and Yell Sound groups in Shetland. These units were deposited c. 1000–950 Ma within a foreland basin to the Grenville Orogen. The second megasequence is the newly named Loch Ness Supergroup consisting of the Glenfinnan, Loch Eil and Badenoch groups of the Scottish mainland. These units were deposited after the Renlandian orogeny between c. 900–870 Ma and record Knoydartian orogenesis c. 820–740 Ma. The Dalradian Supergroup in the Grampian Highlands and Shetland belongs to megasequence 3; it was deposited c. ?800-480 Ma and records the opening of the Iapetus Ocean, ultimately leading to deposition of the passive margin Cambrian–Ordovician Ardvreck and Durness groups in the NW Highlands.

MSc Geology, University of Utrecht, 1990
1991 – 1994: Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Queen’s University, Belfast, UK. Geological mapping Glen Shee, Grampian Highlands.
1994-1997: PhD in Structural Geology & Metamorphic Geology, Exhumation of eclogite, West Norway. University of Oxford, 1997
1998 – 2001: Postdoctoral Fellow, Monash University, Australia. Work on large-scale metallogenesis controls, in collaboration with BHP Minerals.
2001- 2022: Senior Survey Geologist, BGS. Mapping in NW Highlands; Grampian Highlands, projects in Mauritania, Sweden, India, Tajikistan.
2022: Chief Geologist Scotland, BGS

Geo-natter: coprolites
2023-02-01 13:30 - 15:00 | Kelvin Hall, 1445 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G3 8AW, United Kingdom
A chance to look at rocks and fossils, get your own specimens identified, chat informally to others, ask questions about geology and find out what’s happening locally.
Today’s topic will be coprolites.

Geo-natter: fossil shrimps
2023-01-18 13:30 - 15:00 | Kelvin Hall, 1445 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G3 8AW, United Kingdom
A chance to look at rocks and fossils, get your own specimens identified, chat informally to others, ask questions about geology and find out what’s happening locally.
Today’s topic will be fossil shrimps.

The Anthropocene: a planetary scale change to the biosphere; and the future well-being of planet Earth
2023-01-12 19:30 - 21:30 | Lecture Room 407, Boyd Orr Building, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QW, United Kingdom
Professor Mark Williams, School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester
Over the past ten millennia humans have halved the mass of the biosphere, concentrated most of the mass of terrestrial mammals in themselves and the animals that feed them, and in their billions of individuals now account for most of the numerical abundance of primates. Of itself, this indicates a level of domination that is exceptional for a single large species in the history of the biosphere. To that we must add the systematic reconfiguration of ecosystems globally and the 1000s of non-native species that have been translocated therein. Many of these changes have left a distinctive palaeontological signature in the sedimentary record, one likely to be recognisable in most regions and ecosystems of the world, and one which may help to define a new epoch of geological time, the Anthropocene. If sustained, this change may denote a permanent state-shift in the structure of the biosphere. If it fails, it will likely be the result of excessive human consumption resulting in a mass extinction. I will discuss how palaeontology contributes to quantifying the degree of Anthropocene change, and how it might be used to influence our strategies towards a more sustainable relationship with nature.

A manicured Japanese garden in Kyoto
Mark is a palaeobiologist at Leicester University. He studies the evolution of life on Earth and has been a long-time member (and former secretary) of the Anthropocene Working Group. He has co-authored popular science books with Jan Zalasiewicz on climate change, ocean evolution, and the story of life on Earth, and with Jan and Julia Thomas he co-authored “The Anthropocene: A Multidisciplinary Approach” His latest book with Jan is called “The Cosmic Oasis: the Remarkable Story of Earth’s Biosphere”.

Geo-natter
2022-12-21 13:30 - 15:00, 2022-12-07 13:30 - 15:00, 2022-11-30 13:30 - 15:00, 2022-11-16 13:30 - 15:00, 2022-11-02 13:30 - 15:00, 2022-10-19 13:30 - 15:00, 2022-10-05 13:30 - 15:00, 2022-09-28 13:30 - 15:00 and 2 more dates | Kelvin Hall, 1445 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G3 8AW, United Kingdom
A chance to chat informally about geology, show off your rocks and fossils, ask questions about geology, find out what’s happening and perhaps even arrange to take part in future events

Integrating geology into Ireland's radon map (lecture)
2022-12-08 19:30 - 21:30 | Lecture Room 407, Boyd Orr Building, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QW, United Kingdom
Associate Professor Quentin Crowley, Trinity College, Dublin
Radon is the main source of ionising radiation affecting the general population. Geology is the primary controlling factor for soil gas radon, which in turn influences indoor radon concentrations. Globally, exposure to indoor radon is the second highest cause of lung cancer after tobacco smoking. Integrating geogenic data into radon maps helps to improve our understanding of where radon is sourced and how it travels through the sub-surface. Integrating geology also helps to improve spatial resolution of radon maps and reduce uncertainties of predicted anomalies. This talk will explore how geology was used to refine Ireland’s radon map, as part of a national strategy to help to lower the radon-related lung cancer incidence.
Quentin is associate professor in geology and fellow of Trinity College Dublin. He is director of the Trinity Centre for the Environment, and academic lead of EIT Climate-KIC at the university. His research can be broadly described as environmental geoscience, with an emphasis on evolving earth systems, including how society interacts with the solid Earth.
This will be an in-person talk. It will be preceded by the society’s annual general meeting.

Annual General Meeting
2022-12-08 19:00 - 19:30 | Lecture Room 407, Boyd Orr Building, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QW, United Kingdom

Walking with giants: on the banks of a 130-million-year-old river (lecture)
2022-11-10 19:30 - 21:30 | Lecture Room 407, Boyd Orr Building, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QW, United Kingdom
Megan Jacobs, University of Portsmouth
The Early Cretaceous (Barremian) Wessex Formation, of the Isle of Wight, UK, is one of the best places in Europe to find dinosaurs. This island is full of brightly coloured sandstones and floodplain clays that regularly yield fossil remains ranging from fish and crocodiles to huge dinosaurs and giant pterosaurs. Take an exciting look back in time at the Wessex Formation and its ancient floodplains and forests. Learn about the geology, meandering rivers, complex soils, and the high diversity of animals from insects to pterosaurs, as well as what we have even recently learned from dinosaur stomach stones.
Megan is a visiting researcher at the University of Portsmouth, with her research focusing on Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous vertebrates, including ichthyosaurs, pterosaurs and dinosaurs.
This will be a remote talk. The speaker will be ‘on-screen’ in the lecture theatre and attendees can interact with the speaker from the lecture theatre. We will be recording the talk for later viewing but in order to maximise in-person attendence and minimise the technology issues we are not offering live online access to the talk.

Fossil Grove Open Day
2022-10-16 12:00 - 16:00 | Fossil Grove, 51 Victorial Park Drive South, Glasgow, G14 9QR, United Kingdom
This event will consist of tours of the Fossil House and the quarry and activities for children. It is part of the Scottish Geology Festival.

Lithium in Cornwall: the foundation for a responsible UK battery supply chain (lecture)
2022-10-13 19:30 - 21:30 | Lecture Room 407, Boyd Orr Building, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QW, United Kingdom
Dr Rebecca Paisley, Exploration Geochemist, Cornish Lithium
Cornish Lithium is an innovative, eco-technology company focused on mineral exploration and development for the environmentally sustainable extraction of lithium in the historic mining district of Cornwall, UK. The company has secured agreements with the owners of mineral rights over a large area of the county and is using modern technology to re-evaluate the region for lithium and other technology metals which are essential components of modern life. A secure domestic supply of such metals is considered vital to the industrial strategy of the UK as it moves towards a zero-carbon future.
Rebecca is the Lead Geochemist for Cornish Lithium., She holds a PhD in Earth & Planetary Sciences from McGill University, Canada, and a master’s degree in Earth Sciences from the University of Oxford, UK. She specialises in using geochemical data to constrain sub-surfaces processes in a variety of geological environments. Rebecca joined Cornish Lithium to assist with developing the geochemical side of their exploration efforts, and currently designs and implements the geothermal waters sampling strategies for their drill programs. She also manages Cornish Lithium’s direct lithium extraction (DLE) work package, evaluating different technologies and their abilities to process Cornish geothermal fluids.
This will be a remote talk. The speaker will be ‘on-screen’ in the lecture theatre and attendees can interact with the speaker from the lecture theatre. We will be recording the talk for later viewing but in order to maximise in-person attendence and minimise the technology issues we are not offering live online access to the talk.

Scotland's fossils (lecture)
2022-10-06 18:30 - 20:30 | Dynamic Earth, Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8AS, United Kingdom
This is a public lecture organised by the Edinburgh Geological Society.
The lecture will explore the amazing variety of fossils in Scotland, covering hundreds of millions of years of evolution from the corals and sharks of the Carboniferous to the dinosaurs and pterosaurs of Skye. An expert panel of palaeontologists will guide you through the history of life recorded in Scotland’s sedimentary rocks with time to ask questions and look at specimens.
The lecture celebrates the first UNESCO International Geodiversity Day: a worldwide celebration, bringing people together on 6th October each year, to promote all the many aspects of geodiversity.
Contributors:
Dr Katie Strang, Scottish Geology Trust
Paige dePolo, University of Edinburgh
Natalia Jagielska, University of Edinburgh
Chair:
Dr Neil Clark, The Hunterian
Booking essential – tickets £5, free for EGS Members, students and young people.
Ticets can be booked at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/egs-public-lecture-scotlands-fossils-tickets-407856067477.

Fossil Grove Open Day
2022-09-18 12:00 | Fossil Grove, 51 Victorial Park Drive South, Glasgow, G14 9QR, United Kingdom
This event will consist of tours of the Fossil House and the quarry and activities for children. It is part of the Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival.

Snowdonia
2022-09-09 09:00 - 2022-09-12 17:00
Leader: Simon Cuthbert
Field days: Friday/ Saturday/ Sunday/ Monday
The landscape of Snowdonia National Park, “Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri” in Welsh (Eryri means place of the eagles) is dramatic and varied, with mountains, craggy peaks, precipices and cascading waterfalls. Snowdon – Yr Wyddfa – is the highest peak at 3,560ft. The geology includes sedimentary, volcanic and intrusive rocks of late Proterozoic to Silurian age. The rugged mountain scenery is dominated by the Ordovician volcanics, including spectacular pyroclastic rocks from giant ash-flow eruptions seen in the extensive ignimbrites. All these are related to the subduction of the Iapetus Ocean crust and formed as part of the back arc basin in a volcanic arc system. These, and the famous Cambrian slates that “roofed the world”, were intensely faulted, folded and subjected to low-grade metamorphism during the Caledonian Orogeny. The region was uplifted as the North Atlantic opened during the Cenozoic while the current mountainous landscape and its cwms (corries) have resulted from repeated late Cenozoic glaciations, as recognised by Charles Darwin during his travels in the area. The trip will focus on the Ordovician volcanics and will examine the large-scale Caledonian folding, all set in Eryri’s wonderful glacier-carved mountain scenery. We may also manage a trip on the Snowdonia Mountain railway!
Accommodation will be B&B; transport by shared car, or by train (Glasgow to Betws-y-Coed), then hire of a local coach/minibus. We will travel to Snowdonia on Thursday 8 September and travel home on Tuesday 13 September.
There are still places available on this excursion.
If you are interested, please contact the residential excursions secretary, Maggie Donnelly, at restrips@gsocg.org.

Fossil Grove Open Day
2022-08-21 12:00 - 16:00, 2022-07-17 12:00 - 16:00 | Fossil Grove, 51 Victorial Park Drive South, Glasgow, G14 9QR, United Kingdom
This event will consist of tours of the Fossil House and the quarry and activities for children.

Elie-St Monans-Pittenweem
2022-08-20 09:00 - 20:00
Leader: Dr Brian Bell
This excursion will involve the examination of Carboniferous fluvial, deltaic and shallow marine strata pierced by Carboniferous vents (diatremes) and the interplay between volcanism and sedimentation.
Usual field gear: good boots, waterproofs and a walking pole.

Leaving Molema Building at 9:00, returning at 20:00, travelling by coach; stopping for a bar snack on the way home

Onich Shore
2022-08-13 09:00 - 20:00
Leaders: Dr Iain Allison & Jim Blair
Onich Shore is a classic east-west cross-section through folded Dalradian metasediments, part of the Appin Syncline, including Appin Phyllite, Limestone and Quartzite, and with Ballachulish Slates, plus some minor basic dykes and intrusive bodies. With easy parking and access at the petrol station in North Ballachulish, it is claimed to be the most visited section of the Grampian Terrane. The shore is mainly of shingle, with some short rocky sections; hence walking boots or wellies are recommended. The Dubh Ghlac (Onich Dry Gorge) lies a further 1,000 metres to the west of the section and a series of other localities are scattered around Loch Leven to the east (some of these localities are of quick and easy access, others less so).
A key reference is “The Dalradian rocks of the central Grampian Highlands of Scotland”,
J.E. Treagus, P.W. Tanner, P.R. Thomas, R.A. Scott and D. Stephenson, Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association, 124, 2013 (page 167).
Leaving Molema Building at 9:00, returning at 20:00, travelling by coach; stopping for a bar snack on way home
