GeoscientistThe Fellowship magazine of The Geological Society of London | www.geolsoc.org.uk | Volume 23 No 4 | May 2013

RUBISLAWQUARRYEurope’s deepest holefinds new purpose

ELECTIONRESULTSWho’s on the Society’snew Council?

LONDON’S WATERwww.facebook.com/geolsocsociety on facebook

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Trouble with the capital’s most precious resource

MAY 2013 03

CONTENTS GEOSCIENTIST

09 16

10 COVER FEATURE: LONDON’S WATER Jonathan Paul explores the relationship betweenLondon and its most precious resource

IN THIS ISSUEMAY 2013

16 RUBISLAW REBORN Ted Nield visits the new owners of Rubislaw granitequarry, Europe’s deepest open pit and asks – why?

05 WELCOME Ted Nield on vanishing and redundantholes in the ground, and how we can preserve them

06 SOCIETY NEWS What your Society is doing at homeand abroad, in London and the regions

09 SOAPBOX Peter Styles thinks Edinburgh University hascrossed the line

21 LETTERS We welcome your thoughts

22 BOOK & ARTS An exhibition and three books reviewed by Sarah Day, Mike Hambrey, Mike Winterand James Powell

24 PEOPLE Geoscientists in the news and on the move

26 OBITUARY Two distinguished Fellows remembered

27 CALENDAR Society activities this month

29 CROSSWORD Win a special publication of your choice

n TREASURES OF THE ABYSS As the announcement is made that deep-sea nodules are finally to be exploited,Geoff Glasby explores a great untapped resource...

FEATURES

ONLINE SPECIALS

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Geoscientist is theFellowship magazine ofthe Geological Societyof London

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEFProfessor Peter Styles FGS

EDITORDr Ted Nield NUJ FGSE ted.nield@geolsoc.org.uk

EDITORIAL BOARDDr Sue Bowler FGSMr Steve Branch FGSDr Robin Cocks FGSProf. Tony Harris FGSDr Howard Falcon-Lang FGSDr Joe McCall FGSDr Jonathan Turner FGSDr Jan Zalasiewicz FGS

Trustees of the GeologicalSociety of LondonMr D T Shilston (President);Mrs N K Ala; Dr M GArmitage; Miss S Brough;Professor R A Butler;Professor N A Chapman;Mr D J Cragg; Professor JFrancis (Secretary, Science)Professor A J Fraser; Dr S A Gibson; Mrs M PHenton (Secretary,Professional Matters); Dr R A Hughes; Mr D AJones; Dr A Law (Treasurer),Professor R J Lisle;Professor A R Lord(Secretary, Foreign &External Affairs); Mr PMaliphant (Vice president);Dr B R Marker OBE;Professor S B Marriott (Vicepresident); Dr G Nichols; Dr C P Summerhayes (Vice president); Professor J H Tellam; Dr J P Turner(Secretary, Publications)

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Copyright The Geological Society ofLondon is a Registered Charity,number 210161.ISSN (print) 0961-5628 ISSN (online) 2045-1784

MAY 2013 05

DR TED NIELD EDITOR

LONDON HASALWAYS HAD A STORMYRELATIONSHIP WITHWATER - JONATHAN PAULCover image: Getty Images

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EDITOR’S COMMENT GEOSCIENTIST

ne of the wittiest responses to anauthor, hoping to impress with hislatest volume, was: “Thank you foryour latest book. It fills a much-needed void”. Well, I have spent much of the last year or two trying tofill a book of my own on the subject of

voids – holes in the ground, once so common afeature of the British landscape, but now vanishing atan alarming rate.

As geologists, we love these windows on history,laying bare the bones of the landscape. But asmineral extraction is exported far over the horizon, orbecomes so skilfully designed as to vanish from sight,those opportunities for research, teaching andamateur fossicking are vanishing too. We are losingour connection with our past, and the source of allthe things we cannot grow.

I have been revisiting many quarries that I knew inyears gone by, and discovered many different fates.Some are now filled and built over. Others areflooded, or eroded beyond use, or invaded by natureand transformed from quarries - into mere places. I encountered one quarry, no longer in use, butprotected by every form of legislation known to man, which now lies behind spiked steel palisadesand locked gates; its bedding planes concealed under canopies - all to protect it from the very publicfor whom it is ultimately being preserved in thename of science.

But there are glimmers of hope. Europe’s deepestpit, Rubislaw Granite Quarry, Aberdeen, into whoseabyss I first peered – indeed almost fell – about 30years ago, has been bought. Its new owners plan togive it back to their native city as a conference andoutdoor activity centre, with historical exhibits tellingthe story of Aberdeen’s proud quarrying heritage.

Even more exciting perhaps is a plan, taking anidea first mooted in this column in April 2011, toredevelop derelict quarries in Portland as a visitorcentre for the Jurassic Coast. Mike Hanlon, geologistand former science correspondent of the Mail onSunday, is attempting to create Jurassica. The quarryhas been promised. Shard architect Renzo Piano hasprovided concept drawings of a signature building.Business plans are being prepared, and DorsetCounty Council and many other interested bodies arebeing signed up in preparation for a bid for fundingfrom the Heritage Lottery Fund.

This magazine will keep readers abreast ofdevelopments here – the Jurassic Coast desperatelyneeds a major, weather-proof visitor centre that canact as its window on the world. And our subjectmust do what it can to preserve our landscape’sremaining, and much-needed voids.

ONEEDED HOLES

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Subscriptions: Allcorrespondence relating to non-member subscriptions should beaddresses to the JournalsSubscription Department,Geological Society PublishingHouse, Unit 7 Brassmill EnterpriseCentre, Brassmill Lane, Bath, BA13JN, UK. Tel: 01225 445046. Fax:01225 442836. Email:sales@geolsoc.org.uk. Thesubscription price for Volume 22,2012 (11 issues) to institutionsand non-members is £108 (UK)or £124 / US$247 (Rest of World).

© 2013 The Geological Society of London

06 MAY 2013

GEOSCIENTIST SOCIETY NEWS

n TIMETABLE11.00 Annual General Meeting (members only); 12.30 Lunch with Award winners

(members with tickets only); 14.00 Awards Ceremony; 15.15 Talks by Lyell,

Murchison and William Smith medallists; 16.30 Tea; 17.00 Talk by Wollaston

Medallist; 17.30 President’s closing remarks; 17.40 - 19.30 Drinks reception

n AGM AGENDAApologies; Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 13 June 2012;

Appointment of Scrutineers for the ballots for Council and Officers; Ballot for

Council; Annual Report and Accounts for 2012; President’s Report; Secretaries’

Reports; Treasurer’s Report; Comments from Fellows; Formal acceptance of the

Annual Report and Accounts for 2012 and approval of the Budget for 2013;

Fellowship subscriptions for 2014; Deaths; Report of Scrutineers on the ballot for

Council; Ballot for Officers; Appointment of Auditors; Report of Scrutineers on the

ballot for Officers; Election of new Fellows; Any other business; Provisional date of

next Annual General Meeting.

n TALKS BY MEDALLISTSPaula Reimer (Lyell Medal), Director, Centre for Climate, the Environment &

Chronology, School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology, Queen's

University Belfast: Calibrating the radiocarbon timescalePeter Kokelaar (Murchison Medal), George Herdman Professor of Geology,

Liverpool University: Understanding Avalanche MobilityMartin Jackson (William Smith Medal), Senior Research Scientist, Jackson

School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin: Origin and Evolution ofAllochthonous Salt SheetsTalk by Wollaston medallist Kurt Lambeck, Professor of Geophysics, The

Australian National University: Of Ice and Land, Sea and Strand: Sea LevelDuring Glacial Cycles

President’s Day (Burlington House, 5 June) will begin with the Annual General

Meeting (11.00) followed by a buffet lunch with the award winners (members with

ticket only – £27.50 per head). As in previous years, recipients of the major

medals have been invited to give a short talk on their subject, and the

Awards Ceremony will be followed by presentations by Lyell, Murchison, William

Smith and Wollaston medallists (details below). The timetable and AGM agenda

are below.

To obtain luncheon tickets please send cheques (made payable to the Geological Society)to Stephanie Jones at Burlington House or email stephanie.jones@geolsoc.org.uk.Please also contact Stephanie if you wish to attend the afternoon events, for which thereis no charge.

For more pictures, see Society Facebook page

SOCIETYNEWS

The ballot for Council and President-designate closed

on 31 March. President-designate: A total of 1095 valid

votes were cast in the electronic and postal consultative

ballot for the President-designate and the result was:

n Philip Allen 471 (43.0%)

n David Manning 624 (57.0%)

David Manning will go forward to the AGM for election

as President-designate.

Council: A total of 1092 valid votes were cast for the

seven remaining vacancies on Council. There were 16

invalid votes. The results are shown in the table below.

The seven candidates receiving the most votes will go

forward to the AGM for election as Council members.

Election results

COUNCIL RESULTS

Name Votes

Lucy SlaterMarie EdmondsJane DottridgeChris EcclesJim CoppardMichael YoungAngela Coe

Kevin HiscockAnthony CohenMike Rogerson

731 (66.9%)665 (60.9%)660 (60.4%)653 (59.8%)649 (59.4%)635 (58.2%)617 (56.5%)

546 (50.0%)460 (42.1%)431 (39.5%)

PRESIDENT’S DAY 2013

FUTURE MEETING DATES

Publications 2013Publications Day, the annual celebration for writers and

editors of the Society’s publications, was held at

Burlington House on 5 March. After delivering a vote of

thanks to all present, Publications Secretary Jonathan

Turner (British Gas) presented the Young Author Award

(JGS) to Nick Schofield. The Society extended special

thanks to former Editor of QJEGH, Prof. Mike Winter.

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Prof. Eddie Bromhead presents theDearman Award to Ricky Terrington

Counciln 2013: 26 June;

25 September; 27 November

n 2014: 5 & 6 February

(residential); 9 April

OGMs n 2013: 26 June;

25 September; 27 November

n 2014: 5 February (3pm); 9

April 2014

lectures][

n Programme – Afternoon talk: 1430 Tea & Coffee:

1500 Lecture begins: 1600 Event ends.

n Programme – Evening talk: 1730 Tea & Coffee:

1800 Lecture begins: 1900 Reception.

FURTHER INFORMATIONPlease visit www.geolsoc.org.uk/shelllondonlectures13. Entry to each lecture is by

ticket only. To obtain a ticket please contact us around

four weeks before the talk. Due to the popularity of this

lecture series, tickets are allocated in a monthly ballot

and cannot be guaranteed.

LatestDevelopments inCarbon Captureand StorageSpeaker – Paul

Garnham (CCS Project

Manager, Shell)

29 May 2013

Shell LondonLecture Series

Contact: Naomi Newbold, The Geological Society, BurlingtonHouse, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG, T: +44 (0) 20 7432 0981E: Naomi.newbold@geolsoc.org.uk

MAY 2013 07

SOCIETY NEWS GEOSCIENTIST

Geoscience Education AcademyThis year’s Geoscience EducationAcademy will take place from 25 –28 July at Burlington House, writesJo Mears

Now in its third year, this course

continues to attract a wide spectrum

of science and geography teachers,

NQT’s and PGCE science students.

Those who attend can learn how

best to teach Earth science as part of

their subject.

Pete Loader, incoming Chair of

ESTA and one of the two CPD trainers

for this year’s event says: “This is a

fantastic opportunity for science and

geography teachers, both established

and new, to learn how to confidently

teach their subject in an Earth science

context. We will be covering all the

Earth science aspects of the national

curriculum with an emphasis on

practical demonstrations and a hands-

on approach.”.

Ian Kenyon, Head of Geology at

Truro School, Senior WJEC examiner

and one of the trainers for the event

this year says: “The GEA is a

wonderful opportunity for delegates

from a range of educational

backgrounds to gain valuable teaching

insights. Based at Burlington House,

home of British Geology, the venue

alone should serve to inspire!”.

The Society is grateful to BP for

providing funds to allow this course to

be offered free to all attendees.

Burlington bookshop April saw the opening of theBurlington House Bookshop in themain library, writes Emily Milroy

Burlington House visitors will soon

be able to browse a selection of the

Society’s recently published and

bestselling publications, including

those distributed on behalf of other

publishers, make a purchase and take

it away on the day - avoiding the

postage incurred on our online

bookshop. The new bookshop will

be officially opened on President’s

Day, 5 June (see opposite page) by

David Shilston.

FROM THE LIBRARYThe library is open to visitorsMonday-Friday 0930-1730.

For a list of new acquisitions clickthe appropriate link fromhttp://www.geolsoc.org.uk/gsl/info

n THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY CLUB The Geological Society Club, successor to the body that

gave birth to the Society in 1807, meets monthly (except

over the field season!) at 18.30 for 19.00 in the

Athenaeum Club, Pall Mall. Once a year there is also a

special dinner at Burlington House.

New diners are always

welcome, especially from

among younger Fellows.

Dinner costs £55 for a four-

course meal, including coffee

and port. (The Founders'

Dinner, in November, has its own price structure.) There

is a cash bar for the purchase of aperitifs and wine.

2013: 15 May.

Fellows of the Society wishing to dine should send

cheques, payable to ‘Geological Society Club’, to: Cally

Oldershaw, Cally Oldershaw, 14 Waterloo, Truro,

Cornwall TR1 1QB. E:

cally.oldershaw@btopenworld.com DR

For further information on how toparticipate in this year’s event, emailJoanna.mears@geolsoc.org.uk

To sign up for the library e-newsletter,email marketing@geolsoc.org.uk. Forthose unable to make it to BurlingtonHouse: www.geolsoc.org.uk/bookshop

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Trainer Ian Kenyon(Head ofGeology, Truro School) in action

08 MAY 2013

GEOSCIENTIST SOCIETY NEWS

2014 Lyell meeting proposals

The 2014 Lyell meeting will takeplace on Wednesday 12 March 2014.The call for proposals is now open

Anyone wishing to propose a topic

and convene this meeting is invited to

submit developed proposals to the

Joint Committee for Palaeontology

(JCP – E: jcp@geolsoc.org) by 31

May 2013.

JCP welcomes submissions that are

ambitious in scope and trans-

disciplinary, because these are more

likely to attract a larger and potentially

international audience. Topics should

appeal to a wide cross-section of the

geological and palaeontological

community. Proposals should have a

lead convener, and one or two co-

conveners. Submitted proposals will

be reviewed by JCP and decided by

mid-June.

The Lyell meeting is an annual

flagship event for UK palaeontology.

The meeting is co-ordinated by JCP,

which consists of representatives from

the Geological Society,

Palaeontological Association,

Palaeontographical Society and

The Micropalaeontological Society.

Co-ordination of the Lyell Meeting is

open to any member of the four

constituent societies.

Annual Subscriptions Edmund Nickless writes: At its meeting on 16 April

Council agreed to recommend to the Fellowship for

approval at the AGM the subscription rates for 2014

shown (left). These professional fees can be offset

against tax, and a table showing the effective cost after

tax relief will be posted on the Society’s website shortly.

The annual increase in CPI at the end of February

2013 was 2.8%. It is proposed to increase fees below

inflation by an average of 1.8% overall. Council believes

that it is better to make small annual adjustments,

given that the subscription income lags behind inflation,

rather than risk the possibility of significant future

subscription increases to meet the costs of providing

Fellowship services.

Recognising that they are the future of the Society and

we must attract and retain them, Council further

proposes that there should be no increase to the Junior

Candidate Fellow and Candidate Fellow fees.

Chartership validation and annual registration fees no

longer cover the full cost of providing those services and

Council proposes to raise the validation fee incrementally

over a three year period to £85 (2014), £95 (2015) and

£100 (2016) and the annual registration fee to £35

(2014), £42 (2015) and £48 (2016).

Chartership news][

This new route is designed to encourage senior

geologists to take up the title, promote it in their

workplace and within the profession generally.

Information on the procedure and an application

form are available on the Society’s website (click

‘Chartership and Professional’ then ‘Apply for CGeol’).Any queries should be directed to me at

chartership@geolsoc.org.uk.

At its Februarymeeting Councilagreed anadditional routeto Chartership for Fellows with more than 20 years’professionalexperience. BillGaskarth reports

Council agrees newChartership route

On line you can find two more stories from Bill Gaskarth onCGeol eligibility and the accreditation of company trainingschemes www.geolsoc.org.uk/en/Geoscientist

SOCIETYNEWS...

Council agreed to the following subscription rates for 2014 at its meeting on 16April 2013. These will go forward to Fellows to agree at the AGM.

Subscription type 2013 2014

Junior Candidate Fellow

Candidate Fellow

Candidate Fellow full course fee

27 and under

28-33

34-59

34-59 (Overseas)

60-69

70+

Concessions

Full time postgraduate MSc

Full time postgraduate PhD

Supplement (to payer) for Joint Fellowship

CGeol supplement payers

CSci supplement payers

10.00

15.00

40.00

68.00

125.50

191.00

146.50

96.00

66.00

68.00

27.50

40.00

56.00

29.50

24.00

10.00

15.00

40.00

69.00

128.00

194.50

149.00

97.50

67.00

69.00

28.00

40.50

57.00

35.00

23.50

SUBSCRIPTIONS 2014

MAY 2013 09

SOAPBOX CALLING!

Peter Styles* Editor-in-Chief and a Northumbrian from

north of Hadrian’s Wall, takes issue with what seems to be

an excess of devolutionary zeal at the University of Edinburgh

I did believe it would be some time after thereferendum on Scottish Devolution (2014)before I had to present a passport, eventhough - as a Northumbrian hailing fromNorth of the Roman Wall - there may besome long-standing grievances aboutborder raids in both directions. However, avenerable University in the Scottish capitalappears to be jumping the gun.

I recently tentatively agreed, as one doesin one of those (increasingly frequent)absent-minded moments, to act as externalexaminer for a PhD candidate. Theinstitution then demanded that I bring mypassport, and have the Internal Examinersign a copy of it - to vouch that I was who Isaid I was, and that I actually was there inperson. This, despite my having beenknown personally to both examiner andsupervisor for over 20 years.

LIGHT TOASTINGExamining a PhD means reading a lovinglywritten 75,000-ish word thesis on a topic onwhich someone has spent about four years,and about which you are considered to bethe closest thing to a world expert in thenear vicinity. You then travel (as cheaply aspossible - good old Senior Railcard) to theuniversity, and subject a fairly nervouspostgraduate to light toasting beforedeciding whether they pass first time, will

pass after doing a little polishing, or insome rare, sad and emotionally drainingcircumstances, telling them that it isunlikely ever to pass muster.

For this you earn the princely sum of£100 - from which about £40 goes in tax. As you may guess you don’t do this for themoney, but because it is seen, like much inacademia, as a mark of academic distinctionand a necessary role (and because othersmay be required to examine your own PhD students!).

I have done this for over 35 years;examined countless theses andundergraduate degrees, from here to SaudiArabia via Cairo and points south, withoutever needing anyone to sign a copy of mypassport. Even Saudi Arabia, whilewanting to see my passport for the visa, areprepared to accept me as an honestindividual before I sit down in theexamining chair.

FURRINERSHowever, as it is not law in the UK even toown a passport, and my NI numberconveys all the information that anyemployer needs, this seems a little high-handed on aforesaid University’s part (who, I may add, not be alone in trying tofoist this on unsuspecting examiners, evenif not furriners!).

When I declined to do this in my nowrather irascible manner, I was told that theUK Border Agency are now insisting onthis. Really? As this rule is not universal asyet, this seems disingenuous at best andlily-livered at worst.

I am sure Alex Salmond would find thisa very heart-warming example of Caledoniamaking non-Scots feel well put in our place;but I, for one, will be declining to offer upHer Britannic Majesty’s cherisheddocument for stamping before I canexamine a PhD.

Soapbox is open tocontributions from all Fellows.You can always write a letter tothe Editor, of course: butperhaps you feel you needmore space?

If you can write it entertainingly in

500 words, the Editor would like

to hear from you.

Email your piece, and a self-

portrait, to ted.nield@geolsoc.org.uk. Copy can only be

accepted electronically. No

diagrams, tables or other

illustrations please.

Pictures should be of print

quality – as a rule of thumb,

anything over a few hundred

kilobytes should do.

Precedence will always be given

to more topical contributions.

Any one contributor may not

appear more often than once per

volume (once every 12 months).

I HAVE DONETHIS FOR OVER 35YEARS; EXAMINEDCOUNTLESS THESESAND UNDERGRADUATEDEGREES, FROM HERETO SAUDI ARABIA VIACAIRO AND POINTSSOUTH, WITHOUTEVER NEEDINGANYONE TO SIGN ACOPY OF MYPASSPORTPeter Styles

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SOAPBOX GEOSCIENTIST

WRITTEN BY PETER STYLES

Passport to Penicuik

*Peter Styles, Editor in Chief of Geoscientist, isProfessor Emeritus at Keele University and a formerPresident of the Society

Our intrepid E-I-C examineswhere others fear to tread

ater has captured thecollective imaginationof London through thegenerations. Thepeculiar geology of theLondon Basin has

recently propelled the troubledrelationship between London and itswater resources into the nationalspotlight. London sits on the axis of anapproximately E-W trending syncline,formed in the late-Oligocene to mid-Miocene. Cretaceous chalk is the majoraquifer, approximately 60m below thesurface of central London. However,across the London Basin the depth tochalk varies greatly, mainly due to thepresence of numerous small faults whichcross-cut the syncline. The resultanthorst blocks and dome structures haveled to localised areas of high ground(Hampstead, Blackheath), the chalk even being brought to outcrop throughthe Lee Valley and around Greenwichand Woolwich.

AQUIFERThe aquifer is confined in the Basin bythe London Clay Formation: stiff,homogeneous and highly impermeablegrey-blue clays, deposited in marineconditions during Eocene times. Fluvialmuds and fine sands of the LambethGroup and Thanet Sand Formation arepresent in many places between the clayand chalk, maintaining a hydraulicconnection with the latter, forming themain aquifer and sustaining the flow ofmany rivers across SW London in timesof drought.

Aquifer recharge largely occurs wherethe Chalk crops out in the Chilterns to thenorth and the North Downs to the south.The Chalk is a heavily fractured rock mass- almost karstic in character, owing to itssusceptibility to dissolution as acidicrainwater percolates rapidly through theaquifer to accumulate in large volumesbeneath central London.

The Thames is a striking feature in itsown right; a thread running through thecity, drawing it together. Wordsworth“ne’er felt a calm so deep” while surveyingthe river from Westminster Bridge; forOscar Wilde, far from being a merewatercourse, the Thames seemed “holierfar than Rome”. Yet its present route onlydeveloped relatively recently. As recentlyas 500,000 years ago, in fact, a much largerproto-Thames drained most of the WestMidlands as a tributary of the nascentRiver Rhine, flowing out across thepresent-day southern North Sea.

During the Anglian Stage advance of ice500,000 years ago, the course of the Thameswas diverted southwards. Gravel pits traceout the river’s erstwhile course throughHertfordshire, Essex and Suffolk, and havebeen extensively worked over the last twohundred years. Contemporaneous with the Thames’ deflection, large dome-shaped,artesian pressure-fed ice volcanoes called‘pingos’ formed below ground surface. As the ice melted, the subsequent release of hydrostatic pressure injected water and Quaternary-aged gravels into theremaining void, forming a geologicalcuriosity of SE England: scour hollows,which may be up to 500m wide and 60m deep.

W

Jonathan Paul* explores the tempestuousrelationship between London and her mostprecious natural resource

WATERSTROUBLED

GEOSCIENTIST FEATURE

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Water in London: fromthe Thames to the tap

12 MAY 2013

GEOSCIENTIST FEATURE

SUBTERRANEANBack in Greater London, however, the roleof man in shaping the course of riversmanifests itself starkly. The relentlessgrowth of the city has smothered manysmaller streams under thick layers ofconcrete and brick. Although most are notvisible at the surface, the importantinfluence exerted by London’s vastnetwork of subterranean rivers has beenimmortalised in a series of evocative streetand area names.

Falcon Road, for example, was namedfor the River Falcon in Battersea;Wandsworth after the River Wandle; oreven Water Street in Holborn, the areaitself appearing in the Domesday Book as‘Holeburne’, or ‘the brook in the hollow’.The brook to which the ‘burne’ alludes isthe River Fleet, which drains southwardsthrough the district.

London’s subterranean rivers alsoplayed a role in shaping the land. The dipat Ludgate Circus, between St Paul’sCathedral and Fleet Street, is the remanentFleet Valley, bisecting a Pleistocene-agedgravel terrace of the Thames, across whichran the first road to connect the Cities ofLondon and Westminster. The flat terrace-top afforded the road (now mostlycomprising the Strand and Fleet St) aremarkably straight and direct course.However, when engineers wereconfronted with erosional (as opposed todepositional) features, the oppositeoccurred. The course of Marylebone Laneis striking in its irregularity, when setagainst the rigid grid network ofsurrounding streets. A relatively historicalroute, it was charted to follow the long-since culverted River Tyburn. Fleet Lanefollows the valley of the River Fleet insimilarly eccentric fashion.

Although Londoners have historicallystriven to change the flow of and to hideinner-city watercourses from view, theirmemory persists. It is prudent at thispoint to introduce another deleteriousconsequence of London’s populationboom upon water resources. JonathanSwift summarised the River Fleet at FleetLane as follows: “Sweepings from Butchers’Stalls, Dung, Guts and Blood, / Drown’dPuppies, stinking Sprats, all drench’d in mud,/ Dead Cats and Turnip-Tops [which came]tumbling down the Flood.”

The Thames contained relatively cleanwater until the early 1800s. In 1815,household waste was permitted to bedumped in the river, and by the 1840s, thispractice became mandatory, with thecollapse of the old cesspit system.Virtually all Thames water becamecontaminated with sewage, leading to

Cartoon fromPunch,publishedduring theheight of the“Great Stink”:July 3rd, 1858

Interior of atypicalBazalgettesewer: RiverWestbourne,Pimlico

At LudgateCircus, theKempton ParkGravels form ariver terraceparallel to theThames, alongwhich the Strandand Fleet Street(extending intothe distance inthe picture)currently run.Here the terraceis intersected bythe Fleet River(flowing right toleft), whichresults in aminor valley

Section throughthe LondonBasin,illustrating itsasymmetricalsynclinalstructure

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MAY 2013 13

FEATURE GEOSCIENTIST

cholera epidemics that raged until 1854.Dr John Snow first articulated the linkbetween a contaminated water supply andoutbreaks of the disease in Soho, spurringseveral popular newspaper campaigns forcleansing London’s water. Indeed, thecontemporary atmosphere fostered apublic drinking fountain movement, withdedicated groups such as theMetropolitan Drinking Fountain andCattle Trough Association committed toproviding free, clean drinking water.

GREAT STINKIn the meantime, matters came to a headduring the improbably hot and drysummer of 1858. The stench of sewage(‘The Great Stink’) became so great thatMPs took to stuffing the windows of theHouses of Parliament with lime chloride-impregnated bedsheets. Then-Chancellor,Benjamin Disraeli, described the Thamesas “a Stygian pool reeking with ineffableand unbearable horrors”.

Emergency plans were formulated tomove Parliament upstream to HamptonCourt, or even farther to Oxford; and aCommons Select Committee wasappointed to seek potential solutions for“merciful abatement of the epidemic thatravaged the Metropolis.” EventuallyDisraeli appropriated £3.5m – a huge sum,even today – to improve the disposal ofLondon’s sewage.

The Chief (Municipal) Engineer to theMetropolitan Board of Works, JosephBazalgette, rectified the situation byconstructing an 82-mile network ofsubterranean sewers and drains, thefoundations of which remain in usetoday). The system was officiallylaunched in 1865 at Crossness pumpingstation in SE London, where four greatsteam engines raised effluent by 10-13mfor discharge to the Thames at ebb tide.The site has since been tastefullyconverted into a museum.

Getting a degree of purchase on wasteand rainwater for the first time andintroducing treatment plants at Plumsteadand Barking was undoubtedly a majortriumph of Victorian engineering. But perhaps more interesting from ageological point of view were the meansof construction employed by Bazalgetteand his team of engineers, which wouldrevolutionise future ideas of sanitation inthe capital and beyond. Although theLondon clay through which the tunnelswere bored is of low permeability,Bazalgette recognised the pressing needfor a strong and durable lining. He therefore used Staffordshire Blue bricks,extremely hard-wearing, with low water ▼

MetropolitanDrinking Fountainand Cattle Troughadvertisement,from Burke'sPeerage (1879)

Interior ofCrossnessPumping Station,Thamesmead, SELondon

Major water leakcausingdisruption atNotting Hill Gate(January 2012)

14 MAY 2013

absorption, made from the Carboniferous-aged Etruria Marls. Combined with‘future-proofing’ - boring tunnels of fargreater dimensions than were necessaryfor the time - Bazalgette’s network is onlynow beginning reach capacity.

THAMES TIDEWAYAs a result it has become necessary todrive new, deeper tunnels beneathLondon, to keep pace with the demandsand pressures of population growth. The Thames Tideway project has seen theboring of a 7.2m-diameter tunnel - for themost part following the Thames - enteringinto the Chalk east of Tower Bridge. Uponcompletion, an annual 39 million tonnes ofuntreated sewage will be captured andthus prevented from overflowing into theThames. Instead, it will be channelled intothe deep tunnel, which acts as a vasttemporary storage tank.

While the condition of Bazalgette’ssewerage remains excellent, many smaller,more recently installed pipes carryingpotable water are currently needingreplacement. In many cases, instability ofolder, rigid iron piping can be related tothe composition of the surroundingLondon clay; specifically, highmontmorillonite is known to cause groundheave (large volume changes in responseto changes in moisture). This contributesto the 665 million litres of water currentlylost daily in the Thames Water catchmentarea – the greatest loss the UK.

TAPWATERLondon is a thirsty city: the averageannual precipitation of 590mm is lowerthan Rome, Dallas, or even Istanbul!Thames Water predicts that by 2035, theregional supply-demand deficit will havemore than doubled relative to currentestimates. Construction of the ThamesWater Ring Main in the early 1990s greatlyimproved storage and transmission ofpotable water from water treatment worksacross London, but was a process plaguedwith groundwater-related difficulties.Two workers were killed duringexcavation of a pump-out shaft at StokeNewington; operations unexpectedlystruck the fully saturated Thanet Sands,strata with an abundance of glauconite,which oxides on contact with air. The rapid removal of oxygen by theglauconite in such a confined spaceultimately asphyxiated the two workers.

Zealous water abstraction from theearly 19th Century led to a fall ingroundwater, increasing the strength ofthe London Clay, but also resulting insettlement of both the ground surface and

of buried tunnels. Rapid decreases in thelevel of the water table beneath Londongained national recognition following thewidely publicised settlement of the Bankof England by as much as 0.3 m from1865-1931.

Legislation in the 1960s – and thegeneral decline of heavy industry - led tothe recharge of groundwater levels;indeed they are now roughly stable, orincreasing at a rate of up to ~1mm/yr.Increased abstraction is now needed insome areas, as old tunnels are threatenedby the slow upward leakage of waterthrough the impermeable clay layer underhigh pressures. This can lead to anincrease in porewater pressure, and a lossof shear strength and bearing capacity – inother words, flooding in unsealed tunnels- and instability in those that are fullysealed, resulting from high upliftpressures. Recent increases in abstraction(under the so-called General AquiferResearch Development and InvestigationTeam – GARDIT – strategy) have largelyestablished a dynamic equilibrium andbrought rising groundwater levels under control.

HAZARDThe danger of striking a subterraneanriver or saturated sand stratum whentunnelling is one major hazard broughtinto focus by the construction of the earlycut-and-cover London Underground lines.The top 5-20m of London’s geologyconsists of unconsolidated, young andhighly permeable river terrace gravels andalluvial deposits. Engineers treat thesestrata as an ‘upper aquifer,’ perched abovethe Chalk, recharged locally fromprecipitation. During construction of theJubilee line extension in 1996, the waterlevel was found to be just three metresbelow ground level between Westminsterand Green Park stations.

Construction of the Victoria Line wasdelayed at Green Park when the tunnelboring machine (TBM) left the Londonclay to hit the gravel deposits of theformer Tyburn Valley, which collapsedand infilled a large section of the tunnel.Stepping back to April 1862, building ofthe Metropolitan Line destabilised theweak alluvial subsoil in Blackfriars to theextent that the Fleet Sewer burst,significantly delaying construction. As the Evening Standard reported: “... the populace screamed at the thoughtof workmen entombed, drowned andmassacred … the whole bottom of theexcavation moved in one mass. The crown of the arch of the mighty FleetSewer had broken.”

Thames Waterdesalinationplant, Beckton,East London,opened June2010

Replacement ofold, cast ironwater pipes withplastic piping inthe London Clay,Southwark

Old St tubestation shut dueto flooding in theNorthern linetunnels (June2011)

Groundwaterlevels beneathTrafalgarSquare, 1845 –present, withlocal boreholegeology

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GEOSCIENTIST FEATURE

MAY 2013 15

FEATURE GEOSCIENTIST

In June 2011, Old Street tube stationwas shut due to flooding. On a stretch ofthe Northern line, pyrite (iron sulphide)grains in the surrounding strata of theLambeth Group had been rapidlyoxidised by the ‘piston effect’ of passingtrains. Seepages of water from theoverlying London Clay mixed with theoxidised pyrite to give rise to a sulphuricacid-rich groundwater (so-called‘aggressive water’): sands with pH as lowas 3 were recorded (c.f. average of pH 8.3under normal conditions). As a result thetunnel lining had become corroded tosuch an extent as to allow ingress of water.In other areas, engineers have striven toavoid permeable strata. For instance,Northern line tunnels are subject to aviolent 90˚ turn and steep upwardgradient entering the southern terminus atMorden: manifestations of evading thewater-saturated sands of the LambethGroup to the west and south.

However, careful monitoring andinnovative management can bear fruitfulresults. The use of groundwater as anatural cooling agent is currently undertrial at the Royal Festival Hall, Sadler’sWells Theatre, and at selected LondonUnderground stations. In the early 1900s,the ambient temperature of the Tube wasaround 15-16˚C – roughly that of thesurrounding London clay – contemporaryadvertisements trumpeting the experienceas “The Coolest Place in Hot Weather”.The progressive accumulation of heat overthe last century has created a pressingneed to cool trains and stations. At Victoriahot air is extracted and run across coldwater drawn from the subterranean RiverTyburn; a heat exchange takes place beforethe newly cool air is pumped back into thedeep-level Tube station. For a very smallenvironmental impact, this limited trialsuccessfully removes around 60kW of heatfrom the station.

FUTURESo where is the changing relationshipbetween London and its water resourcesleading? Certainly the twin pressures ofsewerage capacity and a potable supply-demand deficit have led to many large-scale infrastructure plans, such as theThames Tideway tunnels, and theconstruction of a huge £250m desalinationplant at Beckton, capable of supplying upto one million people in times of drought. A decisive shift in policy towardssustainability and sensitive watermanagement has occurred: in a September2012 report, the London Assemblyacknowledged that “London must usewater more efficiently, starting now and

increasing progressively in the future”. Still, problems and ignorance persist.

One most urgent issue is the need tochange a public perception that London’swater is abundant – the mistakenassumption of London’s ‘highprecipitation’, and a failure to decouple‘weather’ from ‘climate’. The use ofgeology – specifically the chalk aquifer asa natural filtration system – has also beenmooted for nearly a century: “Such anatural [chalk] reservoir does exist, deepunder the London clay, capacious enoughto hold many times our necessary annualsupply, and provided with a naturalsystem of filtration which arrest or destroy impurities and transform the dirtywater into a soft water suitable for manand beast” (Evening Standard, February1924). However, management of theaquifer has historically been problematic.Saline intrusions and high residency timesin the syncline beneath central Londonhave rendered groundwater susceptible to pollution.

Water is London’s most preciousnatural resource, closely tied to the Chalkaquifer, sculpting the capital’s topographyand directing its economic growth; yet itsimportance and the need to safeguard itare often understated. London has onlyjust arrived at a tentative mutualunderstanding with the chalk aquifer andgroundwater, predicated upon pastlessons learnt from decades ofmismanagement. The future lies insustainability. Only harnessing London’swater in a sensitive manner will protectBazalgette’s legacy and once again future-proof London for the challenges ahead. n

1 Environment Agency, 2010. Management of the London Basin Chalk Aquifer. Bristol:

EA Status Reports.

2 Greater London Authority, 2011. SecuringLondon’s Water Future: The Mayor’s WaterStrategy. London: City Hall.

3 Headworth H., 2004. Recollections of a GoldenAge: the groundwater schemes of Southern Water1970 – 1990. Geological Society of London,

Special Publications, v. 225, pp. 339 – 362

4 Paul J.D. and M.J. Blunt, 2012. Wastewaterfiltration and re-use: An alternative water source forLondon. Science of the Total Environment, v. 437,

pp. 173-184, doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.08.010

5 Ellison, R.A., Woods, M.A., Allen, D.J., Forster, A.,

Pharaoh, T.C. and King, C. 2004. Geology ofLondon. Memoir of the British Geological Survey(Sheets 256, 257, 270, and 271)

FURTHER READING

* Jonathan Paul FGS is a research student at theDepartment of Earth Sciences, University ofCambridge. E: jdp43@cam.ac.uk

Two Aberdeen lads have joinedforces to put Europe’s deepest openpit back at the heart of Aberdeen’scultural life, writes Ted Nield*

RUBISLAW REBORN

Above: SandyWhyte (left) andHugh Black on theshores of‘Rubislaw Loch’

Right: MarischalCollege

Left (clockwise from top):Architect’s visionof proposedsignature building,cantilevered outover the abyss

View to NEshowing oilcompany officesbuilt to withinmetres of thequarry edge

Survey boat for 3D sonar imagingis lowered into the quarry

At the end of apontoon jetty, asmall buoysuspends asubmersiblepump, responsiblefor the drawdownvisible in thequarry wall (light band)

t was definitely Sandy’s fault”said Hugh.

I had just asked SandyWhyte, a semi-retired oilconsultant and Hugh Black,now retired from the

construction industry, twoAberdonian lads in their 50s, howthey had come to own Europe’sdeepest man-made hole, thelongest lived quarry in the GraniteCity, with a bottom below sea leveland now, after 40 years of neglect,drowned beneath well over 100metres of water. It seems thatbasically, they bought it because itwas ‘a bargain’.

Aberdeen is built from its nativegranite, and its walls glistered inthe sunshine between showers theday I visited. Granite’s nearindestructibility gives Aberdeen astrangely paradoxical look of beingat once ancient and yet apparentlyfreshly minted. GleamingMarischal College (now leased bythe University to AberdeenCouncil) has recently been cleaned,enhancing this impression. As wedrive past it, Hugh points out thatwhile the building interior is ofRubislaw, the famous pinnacledfaçade is of another famousgranite, Kemnay, last used to facethe Scottish Parliament buildings at Holyrood.

CITY PSYCHEExtraction lies deep in the city’spsyche – granite from the ground,fish from the ocean, and nowoffshore oil and gas. But at first,Sandy and Hugh had no plan forthe old quarry, and bought itpurely out of sentiment. In theiryouth, both played in and aroundthe dizzyingly deep hole, with itsnear sheer walls. Hugh recalls,with a shudder, how one of hiscontemporaries once clamberedout along one of the steel cablesslung across it, and dangled overthe chasm. From these steel ropes(invented at Kemnay and named‘Blondins’ after the Frenchtightrope walker Charles Blondin,1824-1897), men were lowered andgranite raised. When charges wereblown in the quarry floor, workerswould be lifted clear - though toremove them entirely would havewasted too much time. Insteadthey were hoisted to an assumedsafe height, protected by the steel

bucket beneath them from anyupwardly mobile projectiles.

Some six million tonnes ofRubislaw Granite were removedduring its two century life, andyou can find it all over the world:from the Forth Railway Bridge toParliament Terrace, Westminster,to the former New York OperaHouse, and the Royal InsuranceBuilding in Calcutta - making itsvery last public appearance in thefacings of the NatWest Tower’sground floor podium. But sinceclosure in 1971 when pumpingceased, the quarry has beenslowly filling with pure, fishless water.

The land around the site hadalready been sold off. “The riskybit, the bit with all the water in it,was the last to go” says Sandy.Other buyers had expressedinterest, but only Hugh andSandy’s bid was written (it’s hardnot to say it) in black and white,unencumbered by caveats overplanning permission or surveys.

“We said, ‘We’ll take it,whatever’” says Black. “For acouple of Aberdeen guys to ownsuch a huge part of the City’shistory was just irresistible.”Black and Whyte bought theirprize for £60,000; whichconsidering it could swallowEdinburgh’s Castle Rock whole,conveys an amazing sense ofvalue. Oil company offices(including Chevron, where Sandy

Whyte once worked, andConocoPhilips) and a few housingdevelopments, peep over its rim.Otherwise, nobody would knowRubislaw Quarry was there,hidden, silent and still behind itswooded banks along affluentQueen’s Road.

One of the new owners’ firsttasks was to install a gatesomewhere, to allow access to thewater’s edge. A hole with almostsheer walls, Rubislaw has just oneaccessible piece of ‘coastline’, and Ifollowed them to it through apadlocked gate, past thedissuasive notices and barbed wirethat now reinforce it, over thetalon-like roots of the trees binding

I“FEATURE GEOSCIENTIST

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MAY 2013 17

Image: im

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the spoil bank, and down theother side via scrambling netspegged to the ground.

A pontoon jetty jutted out intothe still, black water, leading to abuoy from which hangs asubmersible pump. Worried thatthe water seemed to be still risinginexorably, Sandy and Hughdecided to try to pump some ofits six or seven million cubicmetres away. This was partlyinspired by caution over possibleclaims against them; but by thistime a plan as to what to do withtheir purchase was beginning toform in their minds.

“The quarry’s been ignoredfor 40 years and we thought –maybe there is a chance to dosomething here, because if wedon’t, there’s another generationgone” says Black. He and Whytehave since been vigorouslyinteresting local children in theircity’s industrial heritage and areconvinced, by theoverwhelmingly enthusiasticresponse in schools, that there ishuge potential for a heritagecentre to explain the Aberdeengranite industry to futuregenerations, as well as providinga focus for tourism.

Below: 3D sonarimage of RubislawQuarry, the deepestpart of which liesbelow OD. The ledgeto the SW, currentlysubmerged, will beexposed bypumping, under theproposed newscheme

▼ TIDEMARKHaving reached the jetty I noticedthere was now a grey tidemark allaround the lake, much as you’dexpect around a reservoir insummer, perhaps four metresbroad. The trees and bushes inthis zone were eerily festoonedwith skeins of tattered grey algae.This lowering had been the resultof just a few weeks’ pumping, at amodest 15 litres per second – notenough to make any perceptibledifference to the flow rate in thenearby Rubislaw Burn. In fact,barely one weekend after thepump was switched on, Hughand Sandy could hardly believehow far the waters had receded.To their relief and satisfaction, itappeared that recharge to thequarry was manageably slow.

After spending a fun dayshooting sonar from a craned-insurvey boat to establish thepresent underwater topography(fortunately, Aberdeen is not shortof such intrepid suppliers), thepair now plan to interest theuniversities, council and localindustry in an ambitious two-stage plan to open the site to thepublic. Beginning with aneducation and heritage centre,

combining industrial archaeology,ecology and geology withcommercial activity (business and conference centre) to make it commercially viable, they would then look to developing the site further as an outdooractivity centre.

Chartered architects andplanning consultants HallidayFraser Munro have devisedconcept drawings for a strikingsignature building, jagged as thecleaved granite itself, jutting outover the quarry - its apparentdepth enhanced by furtherlowering the water to expose thefirst ledge, 30 or so metres below,and measuring about 100 by 40metres. This would form the basefor diving and climbing and anyother activities. “We could evenuse the loch as a refugium for theArctic Char” says Sandy. Salvelinusalpinus, a highly flavoursomerelative of the salmon, is one of therarest fish species in Britain. It isfound naturally in deep, cold lakes(mostly) in Scotland, but it iscurrently at risk from acidification.There is no end, seemingly, to the possibilities.

Out of all the schools he hasvisited, Sandy recalls one inparticular - Kincorth, set amid thelast City council estate to be builtfrom local stone. “We could tell thechildren that they could look out ofany window and see - Rubislawgranite. Literally, it brought ithome.” So it is that the past bringslessons for the future; the oilbusiness, which rescued Aberdeenin the 1970s as quarrying wasdying, need only peer into thedepth of Rubislaw’s waters to seewhat one day will become of it.What will remain are the people of the Granite City, eager to keep faith with the past that made them. n

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSArchitectural drawings courtesy, FraserHalliday Munro. 3D modelling courtesyNCS Survey. Thanks also to KD Marine,Seatronics, and James Jack LiftingServices Ltd

18 MAY 2013

GEOSCIENTIST FEATURE

*Ted Nield is Editor of Geoscientist. His nextbook, Forgotten Land - a personal journey

through Britain’s vanishing underworld will bepublished by Granta later in the year

Architect’srealization ofthe approach tothe proposedbuilding

The new centrewill providespace forexhibitions andconferences

Visitors willgain aheightenedimpression ofthe scale ofRubislawQuarry oncethe water levelhas beenlowered

MAY 2013 21

READERS’LETTERS

Geoscientist welcomes readers’ letters. These are published aspromptly as possible in Geoscientist Online and a selectionprinted each month. Please submit your letter (300 words orfewer, by email only please) to ted.nield@geolsoc.org.uk.Letters will be edited. For references cited in these letters,please see the full versions at www.geolsoc.org.uk/letters

POIGNANT PARTNERS

Sir, Adding to Nina Morgan’s account of

geological partnerships (Distant Thunder,Geoscientist March 2013 p27) could I

mention that most poignant geological

relationship between Edward Greenly and

his wife Annie. In 1875 Edward had

become a friend of Annie when he was 14;

she was 11 years his senior, but with their

parents’ blessing they accompanied each

other on geological walks in the Bristol

district over four years. However, when

Edward was 18 his mother decided they

should be officially engaged; Edward

resisted, at which Annie was deeply hurt

and the couple parted for 11 years.

Edward joined the Geological Survey in

1889 and met Annie again in 1890, both

admitting to thoughts of the other through

the intervening years. Married in 1891, he

returned with Annie to his work in the

remotest part of Scotland. Aware of her

feeling of isolation he reluctantly left the

Survey in 1894, but was determined to

continue with geological mapping at his

own (and Annie’s) expense. He settled on

Anglesey as it was a self-contained

area that had never been mapped and

contained a large area of schists, with

which he was familiar.

He attributes much of his ‘outcrop’ style

of mapping – now universally adopted - to

Annie’s advice. Annie was a frequent

spectator, often sitting on hilltops while he

mapped and was his look-out for express

trains in railway cuttings. She visited him at

weekends bringing home-made food, often

walking five miles from the nearest station.

She made him send her ‘quarterly returns’,

as he would have in the Survey, giving the

linear miles of boundaries and the square

miles mapped. Annie, aged 75, died at

home in his arms; Greenly was devastated

but spent the next 10 years writing a two-

volume memoir that is essentially a tribute

to Annie.

Jack Treagus

With

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tefu

l acknow

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to tw

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om

/OH

meth

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s

Jack Treagus’s article on Greenly’s map ofAnglesey was published in Geoscientist 20.04,April 2010, and is available online. Editor

Annie Greenly Edward Greenly

Today, there is unprecedented interest inAntarctica on account of the role thecontinent plays in global environmentalchange and the proximity of centenaries ofthe various “Heroic Era” expeditions. It istherefore welcome that a more recent,ambitious, but little-known Germanexpedition is brought to the attention of awider English-speaking audience.Lüdecke (who teaches History of EarthScience at Hamburg University) andSummerhayes (former Director of theScientific Committee on AntarcticResearch) have written a fascinating andscholarly book for the bookshelf ofeveryone interested in polar history.

The book is an account of a marine andair expedition to Dronning Maud Land inEast Antarctica. The expedition wasprompted by political imperatives, the aimof the ruling Nazi Party being to achieveself-sufficiency for Germany inanticipation of war. Specifically, Germanywas trying to expand its whaling industry,since whales were a vast resource foranything from engineering-quality oils tomargarine and buying these abroad was a

drain on reserves. Thus, an expedition wasfunded under a four-year economicdevelopment plan by Hermann Göring,and sailed under an experienced polarmerchant navy captain, Alfred Ritscher, inthe MS Schwabenland.

Part one of the book covers expeditionorigin, political background, planning andmanagement. Part two describes journeysfrom Germany to Antarctica and back.Part three deals with the consequencespost-1939, especially the effects of WorldWar II, and how Germany subsequentlyemerged as a major contributor to Antarcticscience. Part four describes scientificoutcomes, with chapters on geographicalmapping, geoscience, the South Atlanticfloor, weather and climate, oceanography(including sea ice), and marine life(especially whales and whaling).

The expedition landed on the coast ofDronning Maud Land on 19 January 1939in a region they named Neuchwabenland,but without establishing a land-base. Theyundertook a series of aerial surveys usingtwo seaplanes, covering an area of250,000km2 and taking 16,000 photographs.They discovered an 800km-long mountainrange, in addition to an ‘oasis’ area offreshwater ice-free lakes, the now well-known Schirmacher Oasis.

However, the expedition included justone geologist/geographer and onegeophysicist. Ernst Herrmann describedthe geology and landscape as best hecould, without actually undertakingfieldwork, so most of his evaluation wasbased on aerial photography. He wasfurther disappointed that no other memberof the expedition was able to samplebedrock, but was delighted to find ninepebbles of metamorphic and igneous rocksin the stomachs of penguins! He also madeperceptive observations about the ice sheet,and speculated on the origin of thefreshwater lakes. Unfortunately, the warintervened on the expedition’s return, andseveral of the scientists were killed inaction, while many records were destroyedin bombing raids.

The book is a mine of information. It isextremely well-referenced, and includesextensive appendices. The book is wellproduced, with excellent illustrations. It isa readable and informative book, which Istrongly recommend.

Reviewed by Mike Hambrey

The Third Reich inAntarctica

THE THIRD REICH IN ANTARCTICA - THE GERMANANTARCTIC EXPEDITION 1938-1939CORNELIA LÜDECKE AND COLIN SUMMERHAYES,Published by: Bluntisham Books & Erskine Press, 2012.ISBN 978 1 85297 103 8, 259pp. List Price £27.50www.bluntishambooks.co.uk

Geologists arewell aware of thedouble edgednature of massextinctions – onespecies’ demise isanother’s opportunity– but the title of theNatural HistoryMuseum’s latestexhibition, ‘Extinction:not the end of the world?’ hasraised a few eyebrows. Is the Museumabout to question its own conservationmessage?

Fear not – though the headline iscontroversial, the content is as anti-extinction as an exhibition entitled‘Extinction: It IS the end of the world!’might be. And quite right too – part of themuseum’s remit is to promoteconservation, and to that end, it is a greatsuccess. Footage of extinct animals, music, voiceovers from scientistsmourning the lost species they study, a‘wishing tree’ on which visitors hang theirhopes for the future of the planet – none of these reflect the question mark in thetitle. Still, I couldn’t help feeling just alittle bit disappointed that the messagewasn’t more challenging. After all, hippos in Trafalgar Square in 2013 wouldjust be impractical.

Some thought-provoking issues areraised – is it right to wish some speciesextinct (smallpox, for example) for our ownconvenience? Do we only wish to preservethat which is beautiful? When resources arescarce, how do we decide what to keep andwhat to save? In general, though, themessage is familiar. Tiger skin coats,poignant photographs of rare flowers withno remaining habitats, and invasive species– literally – in an identity parade. Multiplechoice questions with only one realisticallyright answer – it’s wrong to use nature toour own ends without thinking of the cost.Of course it is.

Where the exhibition gets reallyinventive is in its design. The theme of‘things disappeared’ is everywhere – great,deliberate blank spaces between exhibits,animals stencilled in silhouette along thewalls. A combination of specimenspresented in living and dead poses, notnecessarily corresponding to their currentstatus. Bold, artistic installations – a fishtank containing the now homeless pupfishwithin a cut-out of a chainsaw; a gigantictuna tin hanging from the ceiling.

EXTINCTION: NOT THE END OF THE WORLD? NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM 8 February - 8 September2013, 10.00 - 17.50. Adults £9; Children andconcessions £4.50; Family £24; Free to Members,Patrons and children under 4

While the ‘extinctions = bad’ paradigmis never really challenged, then, the‘science is not artistic’ paradigm definitelyis. My own highlight was the soundscapeof museum scientists. While mourningTrafalgar Square’s hippos isn’t exactly thepoint, it is a poignant reminder of howfast things can change. We are sufferingfrom ecological amnesia, said one. Howcan we realise what we’ve lost, if we don’tknow what we used to have? Anargument for palaeontology, as well as art.

Reviewed by Sarah Day

22 MAY 2013

GEOSCIENTIST BOOKS & ARTS

Extinction: Not the Endof the World?

MAY 2013 23

Strong in the Rain

What, if anything, is appliedpalaeontology? Judging by this new book,it is mostly about industrial applications ofboth biostratigraphy and palaeobiology,and mostly applied to petroleum geology,and mostly about microfossils.

This is the third in a series of bookswritten by Dr Bob Jones (one the leadingapplied micropalaeontologists of hisgeneration) - the others beingMicropaleontology in Petroleum Exploration(1996, OUP) and Applied Palaeontology(2006, CUP). This volume is split into 10chapters covering: work-flows in appliedpalaeontology; biostratigraphy and allieddisciplines, and stratigraphic time-scales;palaeobiology; sequence stratigraphy;petroleum geology; mineral explorationand exploitation; coal geology and mining;engineering geology; environmentalscience; other applications and casestudies. It is a book of two halves: the firstconcerned with general palaeontologicalapplications; specific applications withcase studies fill the second half (withpetroleum geology taking the lion’s shareof these).

A major problem occurs halfwaythrough: many of the macrofossils groupscovered in the first half are hardlymentioned again, if at all, (e.g., look up‘trilobite’ or ‘graptolite’ in the index!) Thisraises the question: why were they includedin the first place, other than forcompleteness? Without them, the bookwould certainly be much slimmer, but adeeper coverage of the microfossil groupswould have been more relevant to thesecond half.

Black-and-white figures featureprominently in the volume, taken (withpermission) from other publications (someobviously originally in colour), including astaggering >50% from Jones (2006). Thisrather gives the book the feeling of aphotocopied training manual in places,which is perhaps what this book isintended to be.

It is a well-written and researchedvolume, and reflects the author’s broadworking experience, which also presentssome limitations. It should be of interest toteachers of palaeontology at all levels. Itcould also prove helpful to studentsseeking a postgraduate qualification inmicropalaeontology, and to thoseconsidering career in biostratigraphy.

Bob Jones shows admirably howapplications of palaeontology, andmicropalaeontology in particular, havebecome so diversified in recent years. Abroadly 50:50 divide betweenbiostratigraphy and palaeobiology in thefirst half demonstrates this point, alongwith the various applications discussed inthe second half (not all of them by anymeans purely stratigraphical, and not all ofthem by any means geological). This bodeswell for the future of the subject.

Reviewed by James Powell

Applications ofPalaeontology

APPLICATIONS OF PALAEONTOLOGY - TECHNIQUESAND CASE STUDIES ROBERT WYNN JONES, Published by Cambridge UniversityPress, 2011 ISBN 978-1-107-00523-5 (hbk) List price:£80.00 www.cambridge.org/9781107005235

The authors relate the experiences of sixindividuals during the Great East JapanEarthquake and the tsunami andFukushima Nuclear Disaster thatfollowed. This is not a treatise ongeohazards but this thoroughly engagingtext illustrates the socio-economic impactsof these tragic events at both the personaland community level.

A number of issues struck me as beingboth important and of more generalapplication. The ground upon whichsome tsunami protection walls werefounded dropped in response to theearthquake, presenting particularlydifficult challenges to the designers ofsuch structures. Other walls deflected thetsunami away from the communities theyprotected but towards nearby towns,compounding the destruction there;though that seems to be an issue thatought to be less difficult to accommodatein design. Ponding of the retreatingtsunami behind sea walls, preventingresidents from escaping, perhaps indicatesthat the walls were insufficient for thetask at hand. This seems to illustrate thedifficulties inherent in ensuring thatlessons from historic events aremaintained. Memories are short.

I was also struck by the roles ofindividuals in the governance process thatdealt with the response to the FukushimaNuclear Disaster. Prime Minister Kanwas seemingly directly responsible forpreventing the abandonment of thecomplex, which might well have led tothe plant’s six reactors and seven nuclearfuel pools, as the authors put it, spirallingout of control.

However, the issue that gave megreatest pause for thought was thevarying levels of impact (of the tsunami)in one community; some lost everythingwhile others, separated by just one cityblock, were not affected at all. Perhapsunwittingly, the book makes a verypowerful case for the application of aplanning-led approach to tsunami risk-management and the location ofvulnerable buildings, infrastructure and

STRONG IN THE RAIN: SURVIVING JAPAN’SEARTHQUAKE, TSUNAMI, AND FUKUSHIMANUCLEAR DISASTER LUCY BIRMINGHAM AND DAVID MCNEILL, Published byPalgrave-Macmillan, 2012. ISBN 978-0-230-34186-9(hbk). List price £17.99 www.palgrave.com/books

BOOKS & ARTS GEOSCIENTIST

populations on higher ground well awayfrom potential inundation.

The content of this relatively short texthad a much greater impact on me than itslength might suggest. I found manyparts of the narrative very moving,illustrating the all-too-human impacts ofthe disaster. The text is also highlyinformative - a must-read for anyoneinterested in geohazards, particularlyearthquakes and tsunamis, as well asthose with an interest in nuclear power.

Reviewed by Mike Winter

n NEW! Risk & Uncertainty Assessment forNatural Hazards. Edited by Jonathan Rougier,

Steve Sparks and Lisa Hill. Cambridge

University Press 2013 574pp hbk

n NEW! Global Optimization Methods inGeophysical Inversion (2nd Ed) by Mrinal K

Sen and Paul L Stoffa. Cambridge University

Press 2013 289pp hbk

REVIEWS: COPIES AVAILABLEPlease contact ted.nield@geolsoc.org.uk if youwould like to supply a review. For a full list goto www.geolsoc.org.uk/reviews

24 MAY 2013

GEOSCIENTIST PEOPLE

n JANE FRANCIS

Jane Francis has been

appointed as the new Director

of the British Antarctic Survey

(BAS). Jane Francis, a geologist

by training, is Professor of

Palaeoclimatology at the

University of Leeds where she is

currently Dean of the Faculty of

Environment. She has research

interests in ancient climates,

particularly of the polar regions,

and has undertaken numerous

scientific expeditions to the

Arctic and Antarctic, working in

collaboration with research

teams from many other

countries. In 2002 she was

awarded the Polar Medal in

recognition of her contribution

to British Polar Science.

n CLAUDIO VITA-FINZI Claudio Vita-Finzi (Earth

Sciences, Natural History

Museum) has been elected a

Fellow of the British Academy.

PEOPLEJohn Baird Simpson

John Baird Simpson (1894-1960) was born inGlenferness, Nairnshire inScotland, and studied for aBSc in Agriculture at theUniversity of Aberdeen. Ongraduation in 1914, heenlisted in the RoyalEngineers and was latercommissioned into theGordon Highlanders, butduring service in France waswounded and badly gassed.

Returning to civilian lifein 1918, Simpson resumedhis studies at the University,finally leaving in 1920 with aBSc in Pure Science withspecial distinction inGeology. Later that sameyear he was appointed to thefield staff of the GeologicalSurvey in Scotland. He waspromoted Senior Geologistin 1932 and then DistrictGeologist in 1945.

LEWISIANDuring his time with theSurvey, Simpson was amajor contributor to themapping of the WesternHighlands and Islands ofScotland, including theLewisian of Coll and Tiree,the Mesozoic sediments andTertiary lavas of Morven andon the Moine Schists of bothMorven and Arisaig.Additionally, his detailedinvestigations aroundAyrshire, Dumfriesshire andEast Lothian providedinvaluable data for the re-appraisal of Scottishcoalfield reserves.

Outside of his Surveywork, Simpson studied the

effects of glaciation inScotland and became theleading authority on fossilpollen. He attributed hisupbringing in rural Scotlandas first sparking his interestin geology: “As a boy it wasmy good fortune to have tocycle to and from schoolthrough a mile-long glacialchannel which, even to mythen untutored eye, couldhardly be other than anancient watercourse,although now devoid ofwater and lacking anorthodox head. These veryperplexities, however, madeit my problem, andwrestling with it gave mymind a geological slant andstimulated the reading ofgeological works. So whenyears later the true nature ofthis channel was revealed tome in the crystal-clearlectures of Professor Gibb atAberdeen, it seemed naturalthat glacial channels and

kindred paths shouldhenceforth be my chosenway through life”.

Simpson received manyhonours throughout hiscareer. In 1932 he waselected Fellow of the RoyalSociety of Edinburgh, thefollowing year theUniversity of Aberdeenawarded him the degree ofDSc and he was awardedthe Clough Medal by theEdinburgh GeologicalSociety for the period 1953-1954. The Lyell Medal waspresented to Simpson in1954 on his retirement fromthe Survey, in recognition ofhis contributions to geology.Simpson’s enthusiasm forgeology was passed downto his son Morven andgrandson Graeme Simpson,both of whom followed inhis footsteps by becomingFellows of the Society.

Simpson’s son Dr Morven Simpson and grandchildren Dr Graeme Simpsonand Colin McKenzie made the presentation, fittingly, beside the bust of SirCharles Lyell (l-r: Colin McKenzie, Morven Simpson (seated), Graeme Simpson)

Geoscientists in the newsand on the move in the UK,Europe and worldwide

CAROUSEL

All fellows of the Society areentitled to entires in thiscolumn. Please email ted.nield@geolsoc.org.uk, quoting yourFellowship number.

Photo: Wendy Caw

thorne

*www.geolsoc.org.uk/archives

The Library and Archives have received the Lyell Medal awarded to

John Baird Simpson in 1954. Archivist Caroline Lam* reports

MAY 2013 25

PEOPLE GEOSCIENTIST

Geologist and science writer Nina Morgan explores the trials and tribulations 18th C travel

DISTANT THUNDER Trip adviser

In April 1841, John Phillips, the

nephew of William Smith who

went on to become the first

professor of geology at Oxford

University, was working under

Henry de la Beche as a field

geologist for the fledgling

Geological Survey of Great Britain.

Even though the job kept him

away from home and also required

‘foreign’ travel (in Wales!), Phillips

viewed it as a potentially good

career opportunity.

“Mr De la Beche has talked to

me this morning a good deal, and

it certainly appears that the

engagement is likely or at least

wished to be permanent and

good.” he wrote from Tenby on 22

April 1841 to his sister Anne at

their much-loved home in York.

But, he admitted, the

accommodation – a single

room “in the same

house as a couple of

the young Ordnance

Surveyors” was

less than ideal.

“Whether I shall

thoroughly and

entirely like it [the

job opportunity], I

cannot now tell,” he continued,

“most probably I shall; but without

some home to go to; some place

for my books and instruments I

shall be rather embarrassed.” The

antidote for his homesickness, he

believed, was for his sister to join

him for the field season.

Anne must have been quick to

agree to this plan because by 28

April, Phillips was writing to her to

extol the virtues of a house he had

taken over May and June and to

advise her on travel

arrangements. His letters

demonstrate an encyclopaedic

knowledge of transport options

and timetables.

The plan was for Anne to travel

to Tenby accompanied by their

maid Mary, and much-adored

dog, Cholo. The two-day journey

involved a train to Birmingham,

an omnibus or fly to the

railway station in

Gloucester and a coach

to Bristol. After

spending the night at

Ivatt’s Gloucester Hotel,

Hotwells, the party was

directed to proceed next

day by Steamer for an

11-hour trip to Tenby, where, he

writes: “…I will meet you. The

landing is rather crowded but not

so as to embarrass anybody but

Cholo, and most likely I will get a

man specially to aid your

disembarkation [sic], and take your

boxes to No 2 Rock Place or

whatever else your fairy home on

these cliffs is called.”

Phillips also provided

instructions for dealing with their

copious luggage, which included

his books, papers and scientific

instruments as well as household

necessities and clothes. “I should

think if you could make up one box

of my things, or even two, and two

or at most three for yourself;” he

went on: “(You can pay for the

excess, be sure to offer to pay for

the excess, at York, letting the

office know that you take it and are

aware of its being too heavy), you

may perhaps manage. If not send

my boxes to the Institution Bristol

care of Mr Stutchbury by Railroad.”

[Phillips’s underlining].

Anne, he implies, should travel in

a first class carriage, while “as is

usual” Mary, the maid, should

travel 2nd class. But as for the

Mug mystery solvedThe Society engraved tankardmystery case has been solved,writes Dawne Riddle

Prof. Emer. Alec Kenyon-Smith

has recognised the mug pictured in

the February issue as a relic of the

1970s. “The mugs were a small

part of that tumultuous period” he

told Geoscientist.“In 1970-71, I, then Alec Smith,

became Treasurer - succeeding

William Bullerwell, and inheriting

stewardship of the Society’s

finances, which were in a parlous

state.” He goes on to spill the

HELP YOUR OBITUARISTThe Society operates a scheme for Fellows to depositbiographical material. The object is to assist obituaristsby providing contacts, dates and other information, andthus ensure that Fellows’ lives are accorded appropriateand accurate commemoration. Please send your CVand a photograph to Ted Nield at the Society.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTThis vignette is based on 6letters written by John Phillipsto his sister Anne between 28April and 1 May 1841, whichare part of a series of 234letters written by John Phillipsto Anne Phillips which are heldin the archives of the HopeLibrary at the Oxford UniversityMuseum of Natural History.

dog, even champion trip

adviser Phillips was at a loss.

Writing on 30 April he admits:

“How you will bring poor Cholo

I do not even conjecture.

Perhaps they will let him be

with you in the carriage.”

If only travel websites had

been invented then, Phillips’

mind could have been put at

rest. The website

www.nationalrail.co.uk advises

that: “Passengers may take

with them, free of charge …

dogs, cats and other small

animals (maximum two per

passenger) provided they do

not endanger or inconvenience

passengers or staff.” One less

thing to worry about!

beans on Council’s cunning plan to

prepare the Fellowship for a full-

scale appeal for donations to ease

the situation. Step one, he says,

was to be a campaign of

“increasing the Society’s profile”.

This was to be achieved (partly) by

re-desigining the logo. The

tankards (and the lovely polyester

Fellow’s tie in various shades of

drab) were both manifestations of

the redesign (now long abandoned).

“I cannot recall how many mugs

were made – we had no spare

funds” Kenyon-Smith admits.

IN MEMORIAM WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/OBITUARIES

THE SOCIETY NOTES WITH SADNESS THE PASSING OF:

In the interests of recording its Fellows' work for posterity, the Society publishes

obituaries online, and in Geoscientist. The most recent additions to the list are

shown in bold. Fellows for whom no obituarist has yet been commissioned are

marked with an asterisk (*). The symbol § indicates that biographical material has

been lodged with the Society.

If you would like to contribute an obituary, please email ted.nield@geolsoc.org.ukto be commissioned. You can read the guidance for authors at

www.geolsoc.org.uk/obituaries. To save yourself unnecessary work, please do

not write anything until you have received a commissioning letter. Deceased

Fellows for whom no obituary is forthcoming have their names and dates recorded

in a Roll of Honour at www.geolsoc.org.uk/obituaries.

Bailey, Kenneth *

Blackburn, James Kirk *

Bowler, Christopher

Michael Lance *

Chapman, W T *

Gray, David AHolroyd, J D *

Jones, Brian Lloyd *

Middleton, John *

Million, Ronald *

Williams, Colin L *

Zwart, Hendrik *

26 MAY 2013

GEOSCIENTIST OBITUARY

Oil industry geologist, an expert in the history of geology and the role of the Church of England in its development

GEORGE CHARLES MARTIN FULLER 1926-2012

OBITUARY

ohn Fuller was bornat Hastings in Sussexand attended KentCounty Grammarschool, entering

Queen Mary College in 1945to read botany and chemistry.

He returned to University(Chelsea Polytechnic) in 1949after demobilisation to readgeology, using the last of afew 15 shilling savingscertificates to attend classes.He was awarded a BSc withFirst Class Honours in 1951.It was during hisundergraduate studies thathe became interested in thepetrological aspects ofstratigraphy through theinfluence of W F Fleet. After toying with the idea oftaking up a job with ShellJohn eventually decided tocontinue with his academiceducation. He enteredEmmanuel College,Cambridge to undertake PhDstudies under the supervisionof Percival Allen and MauriceBlack. His PhD on the‘Sedimentary petrology of thePermo-Triassic of South-westScotland’ was successfullydefended in 1954. It wasduring his time at Cambridge that he married

Anne Nightingale whom hefirst met while attendingChelsea Polytechnic.

SASKATCHEWANAfter completing his PhD Johnlooked around for gainfulemployment. By chanceJohn’s wife, Anne, had heardthat the Government ofSaskatchewan was advertisingfor a geologist at itsdepartment of MineralResources in Regina. Duringinterview at the AgentGeneral’s Office John was toldthat they couldn’t give himmoney for his passage but ifhe could report to theAdministration Building inRegina before the end ofSeptember 1954, he would beguaranteed employment in theGovernment’s Petroleumbranch. John arrived inCanada in time and his careeras a petroleum geologist wasunderway. He also took outCanadian Citizenship.

After four years with theDepartment of Mineralresources John left - havingrisen to the position ofPrincipal Geologist. In 1956he was awarded the BarlowMemorial Medal of theCanadian Institute of Mining

1969, to the Amoco CanadaPetroleum Company Ltd,Calgary as the staffgeologist, where heconducted studies intostratigraphy and petroleumgeochemistry before takingup a position as ChiefGeologist at Amoco EuropeIncorporated’s office inLondon (1971-80) andRegional GeologicalManager for Amoco Europeand West Africa Inc. (1980-86). During this time Johnalso undertook work inRomania and the DanubeDelta (1980-81).

From 1986 John’shistorical interests becamemore prominent, andextended into examining therole of the Church ofEngland in its history. In1984 he and John Martin ofBP - both highly regardedapplied geologists began topromote the formation of aGroup within the GeologicalSociety to raise awareness ofthe history of geology andits input into the profession.John became one of thefounding members ofHOGG (History of GeologyGroup), which held itsinaugural meeting in 1994.

John was active inGeological Society affairshaving served on Councilfrom 1975-78, and becameVice-President from 1977-78.He also served on the NERCGeological AwardsCommittee from 1977-79.

He leaves his wife, Anne(also a Fellow of this Society)and two sons.

and Metallurgy for hiscontributions. He joined theAmerada PetroleumCorporation in 1958 spendinga total of three years workingin Saskatchewan, NorthDakota, Montana and Albertamaking a detailed study ofWilliston Basin.

BIRMINGHAMThe lure of academia calledagain and John returned toEngland in 1961 to take up aResearch Fellowship withFred Shotton at the Universityof Birmingham. It was herethat his applied ‘history ofgeology’ interests weresparked, while working on apaper concerning theIndustrial basis ofstratigraphy. He gained thePresident’s Award of theAAPG in 1961 and hisaddress developed into abicentenary paper on WilliamSmith and John Strachey(AAPG 1969). John alsodeveloped interests in thesocial history of geology,which he presented as akeynote address on ‘TheGeological Attitude’ for theAAPG Annual meeting in1971. John had a longassociation with the AAPGand was awarded itsCertificate of Merit in 2000.

Finding academic liferather impoverished after hisoil industry days, Johnreturned to Amerada after ayear in England. He becamethe District Geologist andStaff Geologist for Calgary,exploring for carbonate andevaporite-related reservoirs inthe Western Canada Basin. He subsequently moved, in

‘

By Alan Bowden

J

Photo

: Ted

Nie

ld

MAY 2013 27

CALENDAR GEOSCIENTISTCan’t find your meeting? VISIT

www.geolsoc.org.uk/listings

full, accurate, up-to-date[ ]ENDORSED TRAINING/CPD

Course Date Venue and details

Lapworth’s Logs n/a ‘Lapworth’s Logs’ are a series of e-courses involving practical exercises of increasingcomplexity. Contact: info@lapworthslogs.com. Lapworth’s Logs is produced by Michael deFreitas and Andrew Thompson.

DIARY OF MEETINGS MAY 2013

Meeting Date Venue and details

Petroleum GeologyEast Midlands Regional

Engineering Geology and Geomorphology in theDesign, Operation and Rehabilitation of QuarriesWestern Regional Group

A Thermogeological Journey: 150 years on fromKelvin, 100 years on from Zoelly and 50 years from SumnerWest Midlands Regional

5th Annual Carbon Capture and Storage SummitACI

Appalachian-Caledonian Evolution Recorded on AngleseySouthern Wales Regional

A solution for climate, food security and ecosystem servicesSoil Conservation Service of Iceland

Geological Society of America's 125th AnniversaryScottish Field tripsGSA, GSL

TBC

14 May

14 May

15-16 May

22 May

26-28 May

27 May –07 June

Speaker: Dorothy Satterfield. Convener: John Black E: johnblack@insitusolutions.co.uk

Venue: S H Reynolds Lecture Theatre (Room G25), Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building. Speaker: Ruth Allington. Time: Refreshments1800 for 1830.

Venue: University of Wolverhampton. Speaker: David Banks – Director, HolymoorConsultancy Ltd and author; “An Introduction to Thermo-geology – Ground Source Coolingand Heating”. Time: Refreshments 1800 for 1830.

Venue: Rotterdam. For list of panellists and agenda, see website. Convener: Paul Flynn E:delegations@acieu.net

Venue: Room 1.25, Earth Sciences, Main Building, Cardiff University. Speaker: Dr DavidSchofield (British Geological Survey) Time: 1730 for 1800.

Venue: Iceland. A conference and field trip on soil carbon sequestration. For details seewebsite. Convener Andres Arnalds E: arna@land.is

The Great British Tertiary Volcanoes: Exploring the Palaeogene centres of Skye and Rum: 27 May – 1 June 2013, and Structure and tectonics of the NW Highlands of Scotland: fromdeep crust to hydrocarbon reservoirs. 2 – 7 June 2013. For all details and registration, see website.

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28 MAY 2013

GEOSCIENTIST OBITUARY

Marine geophysicist who pioneered studies into the tectonic and environmental history of the Southern Ocean

PETER FRANK BARKER 1939-2012

OBITUARY

r Peter Barker,who died on 25June 2012 aged73, was a marinegeophysicist who

led pioneering studies tounravel the tectonic andenvironmental history of theSouthern Ocean over morethan three decades.

Peter was born andbrought up in northStaffordshire. At the age of11 he won a scholarship toNewcastle Grammar Schooland in 1957 entered KingsCollege London to readphysics, graduating 1960.As a teenager he developeda passion for outdooractivities together with hislife-long friend, geologistJohn Bradshaw, who lateremigrated to New Zealand.After they both graduated,

Peter and John arrangedstudent expeditions to Icelandin 1960 and 1961. Throughone of these, Peter got toknow Jenny, whom hemarried in 1963. Peterundertook postgraduatestudy at Imperial College,and became involved inmarine geophysical work inthe Arabian Sea.

ANTARCTIC In 1964 Peter moved toBirmingham University tojoin the Antarctic MarineGroup (AMG), whichProfessor Donald Griffithshad established in theDepartment of GeologicalSciences. A year later,Griffiths handed over itsmanagement to Peter, wholed and developed it over thenext 21 years. During this

for outstandingachievement and service toBritish polar explorationand research. He waswidely respectedinternationally, and wasinvited to sail as Co-ChiefScientist on four DSDP andODP expeditions, makingfundamental contributionsto understanding thetectonic and environmentalhistory of South Atlanticand Southern oceans. Peterbecame a leading figure inthe Antarctic and SouthernOcean geosciencecommunity, activelyfostering internationalcooperation. He continuedworking at BAS untilretiring in 1999, andsubsequently as anemeritus scientist for afurther three years. Peterremained a ‘sea-goingscientist’ beyondretirement, his last voyagebeing as an invitedparticipant on a cruise tothe Scotia Sea aboard a USresearch vessel in 2008.

SHROPSHIREIn 2005 Peter and Jennymoved to rural Shropshire,enabling them to embracetheir passion for hill-walking. Peter was stillworking on papers in theearly part of 2012. Aninternational symposiumon Scotia Arc geology willbe held in Spain in May2013 in his honour. He issurvived by his wife Jenny,son Dan and daughter-in-law Nicola.

time he was PrincipalScientist on many researchcruises on RRS Shackletonand RRS Bransfield, the datacollected on those cruisesunderpinning our presentunderstanding of thegeological structure andtectonic evolution of theScotia Sea region. Manyearly-career scientists tooktheir first steps in researchunder Peter’s guidance at AMG.

Peter became Head of theBritish Antarctic Survey(BAS) Geophysics Divisionin 1986, and moved toCambridge. During his firstfew years, Peter played animportant part in specifyingthe scientific facilities on anew polar research vessel,RRS James Clark Ross,launched in 1991. BAS stilloperate the ‘JCR’ and, eventoday, visiting scientistsremark on what an excellentplatform it is for multi-disciplinary marine research– a testament to its designvision. Peter went on to lead several researchcruises on JCR.

Peter was awarded thePolar Medal in 1991 (picture) By Rob Larter

D

‘

PETER WASAWARDED THE POLARMEDAL IN 1991 FOROUTSTANDINGACHIEVEMENT ANDSERVICE TO BRITISHPOLAR EXPLORATIONAND RESEARCH

~

~

MAY 2013 29

CROSSWORD GEOSCIENTIST

All correct solutions will be placed in the

draw, and the winner’s name printed in

the July issue. The Editor’s decision is

final and no correspondence will be

entered into. Closing date - 20 May.

The competition is open to all Fellows,

Candidate Fellows and Friends of the

Geological Society who are not current

Society employees, officers or trustees.

This exclusion does not apply to officers

of joint associations, specialist or

regional groups.

Please return your completed crossword

to Burlington House, marking your

envelope “Crossword”. Do not enclose

any other matter with your solution.

Overseas Fellows are encouraged to

scan the signed form and email it as a

PDF to ted.nield@geolsoc.org.uk

Name ....................................................

...............................................................

Membership number ...........................

Address for correspondence ..............

...............................................................

...............................................................

...............................................................

...............................................................

...............................................................

...............................................................

...............................................................

...............................................................

Postcode ..............................................

SOLUTIONS MARCH

ACROSS: 1 Bouma 4 Upanishad 9 Ennobling 10 Orbit

11 Disengagement 14 Reef 15 Descriptor

18 Saturation 19 Torc 21 Orthodontists

24 Verso 25 Triumviri 27 Limestone 28 Capon

DOWN: 1 Breadcrust 2 Urn 3 Albany 4 Univalent 5 Algae

6 Isomeric 7 Habitations 8 Data 12 Spectrogram

13 Precession 16 Crocodile 17 Grottoes 20Atomic 22 Outdo 23 Oval 26 Imp

WIN A SPECIAL PUBLICATION

The winner of the March Crosswordpuzzle prize draw was Dr Michael

Golden of Cranleigh.

CROSSWORD NO. 169 SET BY PLATYPUS

1 Between slope and continent (5)

4 Lofoten whirlpool (9)

9 Plant scientists (9)

10 Ground engineering

professionals' new club

(1,1,1,1,1)

11 Not following the underlying

rocks in structure or age (14)

14 Effeminate-sounding society for

the preservation of Gavioli and

co. (1,1,1,1)

15 Anxiously awaiting an ageing

treatment (10)

18 Containing calcium carbonate

(10)

19 Fossilized plant matter

constituting more than 50% by

weight (4)

21 Professionals who specialise in

putting their subjects to sleep

(13)

24 Pluvious (5)

25 Fantastical (9)

27 Central voussoirs (9)

28 Convenient refuge in the rock of

ages (5)

1 Pluto's realm (10)

2 Treelike being incapable of summary (3)

3 Becoming less coarse, sedimentologically

speaking (6)

4 Russian-sounding sheet silicate (9)

5 Dosing salt, likely to give you runs in the

Derby (5)

6 Common-sounding device for removing

flue gases (8)

7 Withdrawals of the sea (11)

8 Beach west of Lulworth exposing

Cretaceous rocks from Chalk to Wealden

and Purbeck Beds at the eponymous rocks

(4)

12 The ability of a fluid to flow into a narrow

space unaided (11)

13 Teenager (10)

16 Engineering ability to withstand stresses (9)

17 Aids a reaction but does not take part in it (8)

20 Of the smallest particle of a chemical

element that retains its chemical properties

(6)

22 Portable covered chair (5)

23 Long journey, classically on foot (4)

26 Frigid club for builders of infrastructure (1,1,1)

ACROSS DOWN

WE HELP KEEP THE WORLD MOVING

POST DOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE POSITION

Deep Subsurface GeoscientistStarting salary will be £26,450 per annum.

The British Geological Survey, part of the Natural Environment Research Council, is the UK’s premier geoscience strategic mapping and research organisation. We are offering a 3 year post doctoral research position, working within the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Research Associate Training Programme.

BGS staff typically work in teams on a range of projects supporting a broad spectrum of scientific objectives from “blue-skies” research to highly focussed commercial contracts. The varied nature of the work programme, which includes opportunities to undertake personal research and to publish or present at international conferences, is highly valued, as is BGS’s commitment to training and developing its staff.

As a Deep subsurface Geoscientist Research Associate, you will undertake training in scientific research methods and will pursue a supervised schedule of personal research. You will incorporate geoscientific reservoir models of the subsurface into the TOUGH2 and ECLipse flow simulators and develop suitable flow simulations for a wide range of injection scenarios. In addition you will also consider the application of these techniques to low and/or fracture porosity media. Other duties include analysing key storage processes occurring in the reservoir on a range of timescales (e.g. dissolution, convection), developing additional software modules to link to TOUGH2 as required and assess current approaches to analytical modelling of fluid flow in porous media and compare these with numerical solutions.

Qualifications and Experience:We are looking for applicants who hold, or expect to hold, a PhD degree in geophysics, physics, mathematics, or related subject. Full details of the skills we are looking for are detailed in the further documentation.

A resettlement award will be given at the end of the training contract. A detailed training programme will be agreed. Working hours will be 37 per week excluding lunch breaks. A generous benefits package is also offered, including a company pension scheme, childcare voucher scheme, 30 days annual leave plus 10.5 days public and privilege holidays. Consideration will be given to offering a permanent employment contract at the end of the training contract.

Applications are handled by the RCUK Shared Services Centre; to apply please visit our job board at http://www.topcareer.jobs/ and submit your up-to-dateC.V. and covering letter, which clearly outlines why you are applying for this post and how you meet the criteria described in this advertisement. Applicants who would like to receive this advert in an alternative format (e.g. large print, Braille, audio or hard copy), or who are unable to apply online should contact us by telephone on 01793 867003, Please quote reference number IRC88112.

Closing date for receipt of application forms is 17 May 2013.

The Natural Environment Research Council is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. People with disabilities and those from ethnic minorities are currently under-represented and their applications are particularly welcome. The British Geological Survey is an Investors in People organisation. There is a guaranteed Interview Scheme for suitable candidates with disabilities.

30 MAY 2013

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