100 YEARS OF MOBILISM

ETCHESCLOSER

POLYGONPUZZLE

GeoscientistThe Fellowship magazine of The Geological Society of London | www.geolsoc.org.uk | Volume 22 No 9 | October 2012

www.geolsoc.org.uk/podcasts

VOICE SQUAD! [ ]

Polygons may pointto wet Mars

New museum for Dorset?

Celebrating a century of continental drift

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OCTOBER 2012 03

CONTENTS GEOSCIENTIST

09 24

12 COVER FEATURE: WEGENER’S LONG WALKWolfgang Jakoby celebrates the centenary ofthe Continental Drift hypothesis

IN THIS ISSUE

18 ETCHES CLOSER Fossil collector and preparatorextraordinaire Steve Etches may be about to clinch adeal to establish a new museum in Kimmeridge

05 WELCOME Ted Nield wonders how the HLF canpossibly refuse the Kimmeridge Project’s application,which comes before them later this year

06 SOAPBOX Haydon Bailey concludes the debate on the future of micropalaeontology

07 GEONEWS What’s new in the world of geoscientific research

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

22 LETTERS We welcome your thoughts

23 BOOK & ARTS Two reviews by Joe McCall and David Nowell

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

FEATURES

REGULARS

OCTOBER 2012

Geoscientist is theFellowship magazine ofthe Geological Societyof London

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

EDITORIAL BOARDDr Sue Bowler FGSMr Steve Branch FGSDr Robin Cocks FGSDr Joe McCall FGSProf. Peter Styles 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 JLisle; Professor A R Lord(Secretary, Foreign &External Affairs); Mr PMaliphant (Vice president);Dr B R Marker OBE;Professor S B Marriott (Vice president); Dr GNichols; Dr C PSummerhayes (Vice president); ProfessorJ 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

OCTOBER 2012 05

DR TED NIELD EDITOR

ALFRED WEGENER INFIELD GEAR, GREENLAND. IT IS NOW 100 YEARS SINCEHIS VERSION OF CONTINENTALDRIFT WAS PUBLISHEDFront cover image: Alfred Wegener Institute

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EDITOR’S COMMENT GEOSCIENTIST

teve Etches - the legend of theLedges - has been collecting,preparing and describing fossilsfrom the Kimmeridge Clay for muchof his life. He has now amassed ahuge collection, which he keeps athis home in Kimmeridge and which

is available by appointment to researchers andvisitors. But this arrangement is far from ideal.For over 18 years Steve – possibly the most highlyregarded amateur geologist in Britain today - hasbeen trying to establish, in Dorset, a new home forhis amazing and highly specific museum ofKimmeridgian life.

Make no mistake about it - the Etches Collectionis renowned worldwide and has global scientificsignificance as the single largest collection ofmacrofossils from the Kimmeridge Clay Formationoutside the Natural History Museum (which inmany respects it greatly outstrips). Much of thematerial it contains is undescribed and completelynew to science. It is a unique resource - not only toacademics, but also to the County of Dorset, theJurassic Coast World Heritage Site on which it sits,and the public.

Problem is, it remains a private museum in aconverted garage - albeit one curated to the higheststandards, with strict humidity control. For thismaterial to be described, it needs to reside in amuseum with Registered Museum status. For thepublic to appreciate it properly, in order for schoolsand universities to use the collection as part oftheir teaching, the collection has to be somewherethat can accommodate them.

There have been many disappointments alongthe way, but finally, it looks as though the EtchesCollection is at last going to get the new,independent home it deserves.

A bid has been lodged with the Heritage Lottery Fund which, if successful, will set in train a series of events that will culminate in anewly built custom-designed museum on adonated greenfield site in the very village whereSteve has made his home. The land is secure, theplanning is secure; and there have been noobjections from the local community, whichsupports the project 100%.

We cannot conceive of a project better prepared,with more powerful moral and matching financialsupport, or that is more worthwhile, or moreeagerly anticipated than this. If the HLF were tofail at this late stage to back Steve’s nigh-on 20-yearfight for funding, this magazine at least wouldhave to question what exactly that body thinks it isthere to do.

SLEDGES LEGEND

The Geological Society of Londonaccepts no responsibility for the viewsexpressed in any article in thispublication. All views expressed,except where explicitly statedotherwise, represent those of theauthor, and not The GeologicalSociety of London. All rights reserved.No paragraph of this publication maybe reproduced, copied or transmittedsave with written permission. Usersregistered with Copyright ClearanceCenter: the Journal is registered withCCC, 27 Congress Street, Salem, MA01970, USA. 0961-5628/02/$15.00. Every effort has been made to tracecopyright holders of material in thispublication. If any rights have been omitted, the publishers offertheir apologies.

No responsibility is assumed by thePublisher for any injury and/ordamage to persons or property as amatter of products liability,negligence or otherwise, or from anyuse or operation of any methods,products, instructions or ideascontained in the material herein.Although all advertising material isexpected to conform to ethical(medical) standards, inclusion in thispublication does not constitute aguarantee or endorsement of thequality or value of such product or ofthe claims made by its manufacturer.

Subscriptions: All correspondencerelating to non-member subscriptionsshould be addresses to the JournalsSubscription Department, GeologicalSociety Publishing House, Unit 7Brassmill Enterprise Centre, BrassmillLane, Bath, BA1 3JN, UK. Tel: 01225445046. Fax: 01225 442836. Email:sales@geolsoc.org.uk. Thesubscription price for Volume 22,2012 (11 issues) to institutions andnon-members is £108 (UK) or £124 /US$247 (Rest of World).

© 2012 The Geological Society of London

SOAPBOX CALLING!

Haydon Bailey* was co-author of May’s Soapboxarticle, which gave rise to some stinging criticism ofmicropalaeontology. Here is his response

BY HAYDON BAILEY

Point-counter point

GEOSCIENTIST SOAPBOX

‘Recently the self-promotion ofmicropalaeontology has figured large inGeoscientist’, wrote Cornelia Kohler in theopening line of a letter that was starkly critical of this subject and itspractitioners. I would respond that, as no-one else is promoting us, we have topromote ourselves.

Kohler continues: ‘I agree that it is adisappearing core discipline and that it hasimportant applications’ – so far so good:‘But no one seems to ask why it is losing itssignificance. Unlike other disciplines,which are becoming more importantespecially in the petroleum industry,biostratigraphy has failed to enter the 21st Century.’

SIGNIFICANTI would respond that this discipline has notlost significance. If anything, it is assignificant as ever - in fact, even more so.Other disciplines need increasinglysophisticated technology to generate theirraw data and high-powered systems tomanipulate them. While the latter is truealso of biostratigraphy, it scores over otherdisciplines by the fact that generating itsraw data involves using a well-trained pairof eyes with an agile brain behind them.These represent a system that very rarelybreaks down, even when 21st Centurytools do.

Kohler says she strongly believes thatmicropalaeo ‘needs to reinvent itself andfree itself from thepast’. Here, I wouldecho comments byJohn Athersuchabout such newtechniques as‘biosteering’ andthe state-of-the-artsoftware tools wenow employ tomarshal our data.Kohler complains ofwhat she sees asmerely ‘saving’ the ‘old

ways’. Well, maybe – though that is not, Ithink, by any means ‘all’ we are saying.Sometimes “old ways” are there for areason – they work, and reliably. Atwellsite, for example, 21st Centurytechnologies are more widely used thanever before, but they are not immune frombreakdowns - nor are they, in the end, asintelligent as highly skilled people.

‘By ignoring its shortcomings, as it hasdone for long time, this discipline willfurther lose importance and appeal’ Kohlerconcludes. Well, if this were true I wouldagree but micropalaeontology has lostneither importance nor appeal - just itssupport within the broader geosciencecommunity - hence our ‘self-promotion’.

Kohler concludes: ‘There are sadly veryfew pioneers left and these are usuallyheavily criticised. So, I plead tomicropalaeontologists: stop patting eachother on the back, stop thinking it is aperfect discipline and start reinventingyourselves – geology needs you!’

BACK-PATTINGI’m unsure about this point, who these‘pioneers’ are and who is criticising them.But no-one has been doing any back-patting - quite the opposite.Micropalaeontology is probably one of themost competitive disciplines withingeoscience. No-one thinks it a “perfectdiscipline”; if anything, we are constantlyre-inventing the uses, applications andpresentation of our data.

But on one thing I believe ClaudiaKohler is, finally, correct, and on it we can conclude in a note of agreement. We are needed.

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 in500 words, the Editor would liketo hear from you.

Email your piece, and a self-portrait, to ted.nield@geolsoc.org.uk. Copy can only beaccepted electronically. Nodiagrams, tables or otherillustrations please.

Pictures should be of print quality – as a rule of thumb,anything over a few hundredkilobytes should do.

Precedence will always be givento more topical contributions.Any one contributor may notappear more often than once pervolume (once every 12 months).

MICRO-PALAEONTOLOGYHAS LOST NEITHERIMPORTANCE NORAPPEAL - JUST ITSSUPPORT WITHINTHE BROADERGEOSCIENCECOMMUNITY -HENCE OUR ‘SELF-PROMOTION’Haydon Bayley

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~06 OCTOBER 2012

* Haydon Bailey Network Stratigraphic ConsultingLtd., Harvest House, Cranborne Rd., Potters Bar,Hertfordshire EN63JF. Bailey and Jones’s Soapboxpiece was accompanied by an Online Special. E: Haydon@network-stratigraphic.co.uk.Cornelia Kohler’s letter appeared in the July issueof Geoscientist (22.06). This correspondence isnow closed.

OCTOBER 2012 07

Polygon puzzleDebate continues over the origin oflarge-scale Mars polygons hundreds ofmetres to kilometres in diameter, afterdecades of detailed observations.Similarity in geometric patterns on Marsand Earth has long captured theimagination. Geologists at the Universityof Texas at Austin examine these large-scale polygons and compare them tosimilar features on Earth's seafloor,which they believe may have formed viasimilar processes. Understanding thesemay in turn support the idea of ancientoceans on Mars.

Through examination of THEMIS,MOLA, Viking, and Mariner data andimages, planetary scientists have foundthat areas on the northern plains ofMars are divided into large polygon-shaped portions. Sets of suchpolygons span extensive areas of theMartian surface.

Writing in GSA Today, LorenaMoscardelli and her colleagues from TheUniversity of Texas at Austin present adetailed comparison of the geometricfeatures of these large Martian polygonsand similar features found in deep-seasediments here on Earth.

FINE-GRAINEDOn Earth, polygon-shaped areas, theiredges formed by faults, are common infine-grained deep-sea sediments.Some of the best examples occur in theNorth Sea and the Norwegian Sea andhave been imaged by 3D seismicsurveys conducted in the search foroffshore oil and gas deposits. Thesedeep-water polygons tend also to be akilometre or more across.

Moscardelli and her colleaguesconclude that the majority of thesepolygons form in a commonenvironment, when fine-grained claysediment in ocean basins deeper than

Above: Terrestrialdeep-water marinepolygons (front,color image) arepotentialmorphological andgenetic analogs tolarge-scale Martianpolygonal features(grayscale). Front: The terrestrialdeep-waterpolygons areimaged using 3-Dseismic-reflectiondata acquired by theoil and gas industryin offshore Norway(Brygge Fm.).Background:THEMIS imageryshows the characterof large-scaleMartian polygons inAcidalia Planitia(Vastitas BorealisFormation).

PLANETARY GEOLOGY

Martian polygons formed under similar conditions to those on Earth, say scientists from theUniversity of Texas, and lend support to ‘wet Mars’ hypotheses. Kea Giles reports

1 Deep-water polygonal fault systemsas terrestrial analogs for large-scaleMartian polygonal terrains LorenaMoscardelli, Tim Dooley, Dallas Dunlap,Martin Jackson, and Lesli Wood,Bureau of Economic Geology, JacksonSchool of Geosciences, The Universityof Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78713-8924, USA. Pages 1-9; doi:10.1130/GSATG147A.1,www.geosociety.org/gsatoday/archive/22/8/.

REFERENCES

GEONEWS GEOSCIENTISTIm

age © The G

eological Society of A

merica, Inc.

UNDERSTANDINGTHESE POLYGONS MAYIN TURN SUPPORT THEIDEA OF ANCIENTOCEANS ON MARS

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sediment-transport features on thesurface, areas of deformed anddisrupted polygons can be found –again, similar to disrupted polygonshere on Earth.

On the basis of these strikingsimilarities, the team argues that theMartian polygons were formed within athick, wet, and weak layer of fine-grained sediments that weredeposited in a deep-water setting,similar to the Earth polygons. Thus,these interesting geometric featuresmay provide additional evidence forthe existence of an ocean in thenorthern portion of Marsapproximately three billion years ago.

500m are shallowly buried by youngersediments. Typically the physicalmechanism of polygon formationrequires the existence of a thick, wet,and mechanically weak sediment layer.

Moscardelli and colleagues believethat the angle of the sea-floor slopeplays an important role in both theformation and preservation ofpolygons. Where the seafloor slope isgentle (less than half a degree),polygons have very regular shapesand sizes. In many locations wherepolygons have formed on top ofburied topographic features, theshapes of the polygons were altered,and in some cases broken up anddisrupted where the slopes weresteepest. Both observations areconsistent with deformation of softmarine sediments as they creep orflow down slope.

NORTHERN PLAINSOn Mars’s northern plains where thesurface is basically flat, polygons havevery regular shapes and sizes -remarkably similar to those found onEarth. In places where the topographyon Mars is more varied, and wherethere may be evidence for other

The Geological Society, London

Geotourism’s burgeoning literature has tended to focus on descriptions and case studies of moderninterpretative and promotional provision in protected areas and geoparks. The significant historicalantecedents of modern geotourism in Britain and Europe are comparatively neglected in the literature.Whilst these antecedents can be traced back to the elite 17th century travellers who ventured into wildlandscapes and visited caves and mines, early modern geotourism, with many of the features of itspresent-day provision, can be recognised if not so named from the opening of the 19th century. This latterperiod more than coincided with the emergence of modern scientific geology and the beginnings ofexcursion tourism; the organised publication of regional geology guide-books and geology fieldexcursions followed from the first quarter of the nineteenth century. The conference’s timeframe openswith the early reportage of elite travellers and the publication of the first travellers’ guide-books andcloses at the cusp of modern landscape and geoconservation measures, such as national parks, areas ofoutstanding natural beauty, national nature reserves, and the emergence of environmental interpretationand modern countryside leisure as forerunners to modern geopark provision.

Appreciating Physical Landscapes:Geotourism 1670–1970

October 22nd-23rd, 2012

HistoryOfGeologyGroup

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

Lithograph of Käse-grottee at Bad Bertrich from Dr. August Goldfuss’ Naturhistoricher Atlas, 1826

Summary Conference Information

The conference is split between: a

Paper Reading Day (22nd October) with 2 Keynotespeakers, 12 paper presentations, and a poster session.Registration (including Abstracts Volume, refreshments andwine reception); costs from £45-£65

Field-Excursion (23rd October) to the Isle of Thanet(including rail fare, guide, snack luncheon, and afternoontea); cost is £45

For further information about the conference pleasecontact:Conference Office, The Geological Society, Burlington House,Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BGT: 020 7434 9944 F: 020 7494 0579E: naomi.newbold@geolsoc.org.ukW: www.geolsoc.org.uk/geotourism12

Conference Organiser:

Tom Hose, University of Bristol, UKgltah@bristol.ac.uk

Follow this event on Twitter #apl12

OCTOBER 2012 09

Joe McCall, Geoscientist’s longest-serving Editorial Board member andDistinguished Service Medallist 2011,reflects on geology in the news

McCALL’SWORLD

Wreck of a medusoid?

Chirananda De (PalaeontologyDivision, Geological Survey of India)has reported important new finds ofEdiacara fossil assemblageassociated with simple tubular tracefossils Planolites. The fossils comefrom purple biomat-bearing shalesand siltsones of the Sonia Formation,Jodhpur Group, Marwar Supergroup,of Rajasthan, Western India1.

This discovery follows a similar onein the Vinhyans of Central India2,3, andmuch earlier discoveries in the KrolFormation of the lesser Himalaya4.Thus there are now three widelyseparated Neoproterozoic fossillocalities in peninsular India,

consistent with the global distributionof these rare and unique soft-bodiedfossils.

The fossils are all medusoids,similar to those found in NW Canadaand S Wales5, there being nobranching Charnia-like forms, whichdominate in Newfoundland6. OneSonia medusoid is hexagonal, a novelpeculiarity. Trace fossils Cruziana andRusophycus are found higher up inthe sequence, along with Diplicnites.

Trace fossils do occur in theNeoproterozoic5; but there are alsopossible trilobite body impressions onthe same bed, and in continuationwith Cruziana higher up6; so thissuccession appears to offer a more orless smooth transition into the

Below: A ‘medusoid’typical of theEdiacara fauna (notfrom India). Not allmay be as it seemshowever. Tateanainflata (once knownas 'Cyclomedusa'radiata) is nowthought to be anattachment disk ofunknown organism

PALAEONTOLOGY

Joe McCall describes an important new finding of Ediacaran fossils in peninsular Indiathat may be the first palaeontological marker of the base of the Phanerozoic

1 De, C and Prasad, S, 2012Discovery of Vendian Ediacaran fossilassemblage from the MarwarSupergroup, Rajasthan Indian Journalof Geosciences, Vol 65, No 3, pp241-242 .

2 De, C 2003 Possible organisms similarto Ediacaran forms from the BhanderGp, Vindhyan Supergroup, LateNeoproterozoic J of Asian EarthSciences 21, 387-395.

3 De, C 2006 Ediacara fossilassemblage in the Upper Vindhyans ofcentral India and its significance Ibid.,27, 660-683.

4 Shanker, R et al 2004 Ediacaran biotafrom the Jarashi (Middle Krol) andMahi (Lower Krol) Formations, KrolGroup, Lesser Himalaya, India JGeological Soc of India, 63, 649-654.

5 McCall, G J H 2006 The Vendian(Ediacaran) in the geological record:Enigmas in geology’s prelude to theCambrian explosion Earth ScienceReviews 77, 1-229.

6 Prasad, S and De, C, 2012 Maidenpalaeontological delineation of Pc-Cboundary from Peninsular Proterozoicbasin of Rajasthan Indian Journal ofGeosciences, Vol 65, No 3, pp 243-244.

REFERENCES

Tommotian. If this possibility is upheldby future work, it would represent thevery first palaeontological delineationof the Precambrian/Cambrianboundary in peninsular India.

10 OCTOBER 2012

GEOSCIENTIST SOCIETY NEWS

Would you consider standing for election to Council? Executive SecretaryEdmund Nickless issues the annual call for nominations

Are you willing to contribute to the work of the Society not only by becominga member of Council and one of its standing committees but also by serving onworking groups and undertaking particular tasks between meetings?

Whatever your background and expertise in the geosciences, membership ofCouncil enables you to influence the role of the Society in acting as a respectedvoice serving society and the geoscience profession.

Each of the 23 members of Council is a trustee of the Society, accountableto the Fellows and to other stakeholders and regulators, such as the CharityCommission. Trustees’ prime responsibility is to oversee the Society’s affairsand act prudently in the management of its financial resources.

Council meets five times a year, usually on a Wednesday. Four take place inthe afternoon (14.00-17.00). Papers are circulated a week in advance. There isalso a two-day residential meeting (early February) beginning in the afternoonand finishing mid-afternoon, the next day. Its purpose is to allow Council todiscuss issues such as strategy, business planning etc.

All Council members serve on a standing committee – External Relations,Information Management, Finance and Planning, Science, Professional orPublications Management (PMC). These usually meet quarterly; though recently the PMC has developed the practice of having one virtual and threeactual meetings.

From time to time all standing committees may establish short-lived workinggroups which could impose a further call on the time of Council members but inagreeing to stand for Council you should think of a time commitment of 8 to 10days annually for ordinary members of Council.

If elected to Council you will play an active role formulating and delivering theSociety's scientific and professional strategy, facilitating the communication ofnew scientific findings, engaging with and translating knowledge and expertadvice to society, policy makers and government, and in certifying goodpractice in the geoscience professions and teaching.

JOIN COUNCIL!Edmund Nickless – out, about and

on the lookout for new blood...

SOCIETYNEWS

This month’s mailing contains two nomination forms - one for the election of newCouncil members and the other for President-designate. Details of the process may befound on the forms and also in the ‘Governance’ section of the website. The closingdate for nominations is 4 January 2013 and nominations will NOT be valid unless theyare fully completed, signed and accompanied by a statement by the nominees.

Please return to Professor Alan Lord, c/o Executive Secretary, The Geological Society,Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG.

See online for a longer version of this report. The theme ofthis year’s Earth Science Week (15 - 19 October) is ‘Careersin Geoscience’, and will culminate with the third annual GEA.For further information: E: joanna.mears@geolsoc.org.uk.

Geoscience AcademyFrom geophysics to palaeontology, there are manyoptions for geology undergraduates. But what aboutschool? Joe Mears reports

At school, geology is rarely taught as a specialistsubject. Students are often introduced to the subject aspart of other science lessons, by teachers whosespecialism lies in other fields.

With the help of BP, the Geoscience EducationAcademy (GEA) was launched by the Geological Societyin 2010, to equip teachers with specialist tools forteaching geoscience as part of their science lessons.

“When I was at school, geology wasn’t taught” saysBP Director of Geology Nev Jones. “I had a teacher whosaw something in me and helped me study it. Theremust still be hundreds of students out there like me, whoneed to be pointed in the direction of geoscience.”

RESIDENTIALThe five-day residential course aims to provide teacherswith a variety of tools for communicating geoscience, aswell as an understanding of the careers available.Though places are limited, the learning material isdesigned to be passed on to other teachers, and supportcontinues long after the GEA is over thanks to theSociety’s Schools Affiliate Scheme, Schools GeologyCompetition and Earth Science Week. In this way, theGEA has reached a staggering number of studentsacross the UK.

As well as financial support, BP provides a chance forteachers to experience first-hand what goes on behindthe scenes at the company. At BP’s Sunbury offices,they learn the complexities of how oil is found, handlecore samples and meet geoscience graduates at thebeginnings of their careers.

Participants also visit the Natural History Museum tosee the same equipment used in a very different way, findout about research careers, and handle incrediblespecimens. All this builds a picture of where their ownstudents can fit into the future of the geosciences.

“The visits were an eye-opener to me” says JamesSalmon, a biology teacher who attended GEA 2011.“The ambience of the course was wonderful; fast-paced,demanding and provoking.”

BOOK NOWThe next GEA is on 19 – 24 October, and forms part ofthe Society’s continued efforts to develop and expand itseducational activities.

lectures][

Between 160,000 and 200,000 years ago a biologicalchange took place that would disrupt the naturalequilibrium of the Earth that had existed for the previous4.5 billion years - the evolution of Homo sapiens. Fromabout 70,000 years humans spread around the Earth.At first we made little impact but from about 9000 yearsago settled agriculture saw the first anthropogenicchanges to chemicals in the environment. That processhas continued and now, new substances, such asengineered nano-materials, have begun to be released.Politicians are battling to deal with just one of thechemical impacts of these changes - the accumulationof greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. But there aremany other serious chemical threats to the Earth as aplanet capable of sustaining human life.

Jane Plant is Anglo American Professor ofGeochemistry at Imperial College London. For over 30years she worked at the NERC British GeologicalSurvey, where she rose to become Chief Scientist. Janeis a world expert on environmental geochemistry andhas played a key role in raising public awareness ofgeochemistry and health, from element deficiencystudies in Africa and Asia, to linkages between diet andsuch illnesses as osteoporosis and cancer. Her best-known book – Your life in your hands – has sold several million copies worldwide and been translatedinto 20 languages.

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/shelllondonlectures12. Entry to each lecture is by ticket only. Toobtain a ticket please contact the Society around fourweeks before the talk. Due to the popularity of thislecture series, tickets are allocated in a monthly ballotand cannot be guaranteed.

Pollutants andHuman Health inthe Age of ManSpeaker – ProfessorJane Plant10 October 2012

Shell LondonLecture Series

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

OCTOBER 2012 11

SOCIETY NEWS GEOSCIENTIST

The Geological Society Club

The Long View Reflected

The Geological Society Club,successor to the body that gave birthto the Society in 1807, meets monthly(except over the field season!) at 18.30for 19.00 in the Athenaeum Club, PallMall. Once a year there is also aspecial dinner at Burlington House.New diners are always welcome,especially from among youngerFellows. Dinner costs £52 for a four-course meal, including coffee andport. (The Founders' Dinner, inNovember, has its own pricestructure.) There is a cash bar for thepurchase of aperitifs and wine. n 2012: 12 September; 17 Octobern 2013: 16 January; 20 February; 13March; 10 April (Burlington House); 15 May.

A Burlington House Lecture for the general public

Chris Orr, Royal Academician,painter, printmaker and writer’sengaging and often humorousdrawings and prints of cities(including New York, Nagasaki,Dresden and London) explore thedeep DNA of urban centres tounderstand their cycles of perpetualrenewal and creative energy. His work about London centres onthe River Thames, with which he hasbeen familiar all his life. Recently hehas been mostly working from apenthouse with a view of Bankside. In this lecture he will discuss his own

art, and that of other artists includingJames Whistler, J M W Turner, OscarKokoshka, Canaletto, Claude Monet, Walter Greaves, StanleySpencer and Wencelaus Hollarwhose 1647 ‘The Long View ofLondon from Southwark’ inspiredOrr’s recent work.n Tea/coffee from 17.30. Lecturestarts at 1800, Reception 1900.

Fellows of the Society wishing to dineshould send cheques, payable to‘Geological Society Club’, to: CallyOldershaw, c/o Shashu Lalji,Department of Earth Sciences, NaturalHistory Museum, Cromwell Road,London SW7 5BD. E: cally.oldershaw@btopenworld.com DR

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

For a list of new acquisitions click theappropriate link fromhttp://www.geolsoc.org.uk/info

FUTURE MEETINGSDates for meetings of Counciland Ordinary GeneralMeetings until June 2013shall be as follows:n 2012: 28 Novembern 2013: 6 February (1500);10 April

REGISTRATIONAdmission is free but by ticket onlyavailable from the Conference Office,Geological Society on 020 7434 9944 oremail: registrations@geolsoc.org.uk.W: www.burlingtonhouse.org

ne hundred years ago, in theGerman city of Frankfurt, ayoung man who at MarburgUniversity worked as aphysicist and meteorologisttold a meeting of the recently

founded Geologische Vereinigung (GV)how the Earth functions. He shocked themeeting of eminent geologists with anoutrageous idea – that since the LatePalaeozoic the continents and oceanswere not fixed - and that they had oncebeen grouped together in one vastsupercontinent, Pangaea, and one evenlarger ocean. The continent hadfragmented and the fragments driftedapart, five modern oceans formingbetween them.

Alfred Wegener and his ideas were notwelcomed and his ideas were rejectedfuriously by most geologists. However,he was convinced that his unorthodoxinterpretation explained a wealth ofmany puzzling observations better thanother theories - and in a manner thatdefinitely called for further tests. In thesame year, 1912, his ideas were publishedin an important geographical journal,Peterman’s Geographische Mitteilungen(PGM). Geographers seemed less hostileto his ideas, which Emile Argand(University of Lausanne) and an earlyconvert, later referred to as ‘mobilism’.

Early in the 20th Century, Earthscience was making great strides. Was there a general unifying theory, suchas cooling and shrinking, that couldembrace all the new discoveries?Influential geologist Eduard Suesssuggested that contraction causedepisodic sagging of the Earth’s surface, asformer continents foundered. But manythought that continents and oceans werepermanent. Little was known about the

seafloor then, and the concept ofgeological time was vague and relative.Lord Kelvin’s estimate of the Earth’scooling time provided millions of years,but uniformitarianism, combined withestimates of the rates of variousprocesses, seemed to demand muchlonger than that and certainly more thanthe paltry millennia of biblical creation.Palaeontologists envisaged ‘infinite’epochs of evolution. Radioactivity hadbeen discovered, but was not yetconvincingly applied to absolute dating.Earth evolution was the subject of manyspeculative ‘geotectonic hypotheses’.

MATCHWegener had not hitherto been involvedin the debate - surely an advantage - buthe was probably aware of it. This was inhis character; although focused onmeteorology and the study of theatmosphere, he was curious about theEarth as a whole and often looked atglobes and wondered about patterns ofland and sea. His fiancée, Else Köppen,in her 1960 biography of Alfred, quotesfrom a letter of January 1911: “My roommate … got Andree’s Handatlas(Scobel, 1910) as a Christmas gift. For hours we admired the magnificentmaps. A thought occurred to me: …Does not the east coast of South Americafit the west coast of Africa as though theyhad been contiguous in the past? Even better is the fit seen on thebathymetric map of the Atlantic whencomparing … the break-off into the deepsea. I must follow this up”. So we candate the spark that led to Wegener’srevolutionary mobilist ideas precisely to Christmas 1910.

Others had noted the match – Bacon,1620; Osmond Fisher, 1889; George

O

Wolfgang R. Jacoby* celebrates thecentenary of Alfred Wegener’s firstpublication on continental drift, thegreatest revolution in Earth sciencesince James Hutton

ALFRED WEGENER 100 YEARS OF MOBILISM

GEOSCIENTIST FEATURE

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Alfred Wegener on board of the ship "Godhaab", before

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Darwin, 1898; William Pickering, 1907;Frank Taylor, 1910; Alexander vonHumboldt, 1801. Wegener was not thenaware of them, and none of them hadthought of continental drift in quite theway he had. In 1910, Taylor attemptedto explain Mesozoic to Recent orogenyon a global scale by suggesting largechanges in planetary oblateness.Wegener remarked: “It does not appearthat Taylor has realised the immenseconsequences of such largedisplacements of continents. As he didnot investigate the implications despitetheir contradiction of traditional views,his suggestion has probably been metmostly with scepticism. For my workthis was not the starting point … I learntabout it later.”

Wegener began to look in earnest forevidence in the geological literature (not in those days the huge flood it istoday!). It was then that he came acrossearlier allusions to the fit of coastlines,and the palaeontological literature on ‘land bridges’.

He was alert to Theodor Arldt’s 1907book: Die Entwicklung derKontinente undihrer Lebenswelt [The evolution ofcontinents and their living beings], ananalysis of what some 20palaeontologists had to say about trendsin the evolution of species onlandmasses now facing one anotheracross wide oceans. Between Africa andBrazil, for example, he found thatdivergence began in late Early-Cretaceous, providing strong supportfor their former contiguity. On the basisof Arldt’s analysis, in 1921 he plotted theevidence for both convergence anddivergence against stratigraphic time toillustrate initial contact and laterseparation of continents.

CONNECTIONAnother persuasive argument was theconnection of geological structures, suchas coal-bearing Carboniferousformations, across oceans like theAtlantic. He clearly saw the climaticargument provided by evidence ofPermian glaciation on continents now far distant from one another. By reassembling continents Wegenerfound that a wealth of geological andgeophysical phenomena fell into place,which increasingly convinced him thatcontinental drift was a reality.

And so, as we mentioned above, on 6January 1912, at a meeting of theGeologische Vereinigung (GV) inFrankfurt, he went public for the firsttime, with a lecture entitled Die

Wegenerlaunching ameteorologicalballoon

The AlfredWegenerInstitute of Polarand MarineResearch inBremerhaven,Germany.Building nearthe Old Port inthe city

Dragon's Back(Elkhorn Scarp)in the CarrizoPlain – the traceof the SanAndreas Fault

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Alfred Wegener1930Far right:Wladimir PeterKöppen (1846-1940),Climatologistand Wegener’sfather-in-law

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Herausbildung der Großformen derErdrinde (Kontinente und Ozeane) aufgeophysikalischer Grundlage [BuildingEarth’s main crustal structures (continentsand oceans) on a geophysical basis]. Thiswas later published in GV’s journal,Geologische Rundschau. We have notedthat geological audience’s negativereaction; but a few days later, speakingon ‘Horizontal Drift of the Continents’ tothe Marburg Society for theAdvancement of Science, he enjoyed a more positive reception andimmediately afterwards began work onthe extended version ‘PGM12’, which hefinished in a few months. Six monthslater he boarded a ship for Greenlandand Iceland.

COLLEAGUES Wegener’s Marburg colleagues helpedgreatly by searching the literature andbringing him references: “Thegeologists recover everything I need andbring it to me, saving nine tenths of mytime. Otherwise it would have takenmonths…”. Young geology professorHans Cloos remained sceptical butconstructive, and Wegener updated hispaper with new results and arguments.Wegener wrote: “Such a large number ofsurprising simplifications andinterrelationships become visible afteronly a preliminary scanning of the maingeological and geophysical results, andfor that reason alone I consider itjustified, even necessary, to replace theold hypothesis of sunken continents bythe new one, because it appears to bemore successful. The old hypothesis[land bridges] has been demonstratedinadequate by its antithesis of thepermanence of the oceans. In spite of itsbroad foundation I call the new idea aworking hypothesis and I wish it to betaken as such, at least until it has beenpossible to prove by astronomicalpositioning with undoubtable accuracythat the horizontal displacementscontinue to the present day.”

So what made Wegener so sure hewas on the right track? Else Wegenerquotes from a letter he wrote in 1911 toher father Vladimir Köppen, who hadadvised his young protégé againstallowing himself to be ‘side-tracked’.Wegener responded: “I think youconsider my original continent[Pangaea] more fantastic than it is, andyou do not see that it is but aninterpretation of observations. … We must assume a land connection, e.g.,between South America and Africa,which ended at a certain time. It may

Wegener’siconic diagramof post Pangaeacontinental drift

The Bullard Fit –from ‘The Fit ofthe ContinentsAround theAtlantic’, co-authored bySir EdwardBullard, 1965

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16 OCTOBER 2012

have happened in two ways: (1) by thecollapse of a connecting continent or (2)by the widening of a great rift. … Thefirst one contradicts the modern conceptof isostasy and our physicalunderstanding. A continent cannot sink,for it is lighter than that on what it floats.Considering the second hypothesis, wefind a wealth of simplifications makingmore sense in the whole geologicalhistory; should we not throw the oldhypothesis overboard?”

In the early decades of the 20thCentury geographical research was closerto geology than it is today andgeographers were less inhibited bygeotectonic doctrines. The editor of PGM,Professor Langhans, accepted Wegener’smanuscript for publication unabridged, inthree parts. The article caused greatexcitement, and not all of it negative. Itsarguments ought to have made objectivegeologists think; but first reactions wereinevitably rather subjective. Manyrenowned geologists ridiculed the idea.

Strong opposition from geologists and(especially) geophysicists persisted fordecades worldwide, especially inGermany and America, even into the1960s. In contrast, several geodesists,especially the director of the GeodeticInstitute Potsdam, Friedrich RobertHelmert, considered drift a serioushypothesis. Unfortunately, in the 1930sgeodetic observations were too inaccuratefor adequate tests to be conducted. By thetime I was a student, in the late 60s, thetide was turning; but most of my teacherswere still very sceptical.

PALAEOCLIMATEAfter World War I, Alfred Wegenerworked in Hamburg; he and Else weremarried and moved in with her parents.Close cooperation developed betweenWegener and his father-in-law. Else wrotethat her father first opposed the newideas but as he became more involvedbecame convinced that the idea provided‘paths through the labyrinth ofpalaeoclimates’. Else wrote: “Often myfather waited impatiently for Alfred tocome home and to discuss newarguments”. Wegener himself wrote ofhow he enjoyed: “...a daily exchange ofideas with Köppen, and I had thesatisfaction that he, initially cool anddoubtful, increasingly warmed to drifttheory, and finally convinced himself thathere the ‘red thread’ through thelabyrinth of palaeoclimatology had beenfound. Several chapters were written insuch close exchange of ideas that thebounds of intellectual ownership can no

longer be decided”.Four years of criticisms, support and

hard work resulted in their book DieKlimate der geologischen Vorzeit [Theclimates of the geological past] (1924). Onepositive voice came from MilutinMilankovitch, who wrote: "I amimpressed by your splendid concise andconcentrated presentation. I am easilyconvinced by such a material of factswoven into a common idea.”

Wegener thought a lot about themechanism of drift. However, his priorityin ‘PGM12’ was to describe thephenomenon. Explanations could wait.After discussing isostasy and plasticity atlength and describing geosynclines in aquite modern way (as an isostaticresponse to sediment loading ofcontinental margins) Wegener wrote:“…what forces cause horizontal drift, isan obvious question … but premature. Itis first … necessary to exactly realise thereality and nature of the movementsbefore we can hope to understand theircauses.” He discussed polar wander, andthought of it as a consequence, not acause, of mass-changing redistributionrelated to drift. He considered tidal forcesa more likely cause. “Possibly for the timebeing, it is best to consider continentaldrift the consequence of accidentalcurrents inside Earth. Hopefully it will bepossible in the future to separate theaccidental aspects from the tendencytoward equilibrium in rotation.”

Interestingly, at first Wegenerenvisioned a phenomenon akin to‘seafloor spreading’. In ‘PGM12’ this ideais expressed twice, most significantly onpage 305: “… we now seem able toexplain the different ocean depths. Sincefor large areas we will have to assumeisostatic compensation of the seafloor, thedifference means that the seafloor webelieve to be old is also denser than thatbelieved to be young. Moreover, it seemsundeniable that freshly exposed sima …will for a long time maintain … highertemperatures (perhaps 100°C in theuppermost 100km on average) than old,largely cooled seafloor. … The depthvariation appears also to suggest that theMid-Atlantic Ridge should be regarded asthe zone in which the floor of the Atlantic,as it keeps spreading, is continuouslytearing open and making space for fresh,relatively fluid and hot sima from depth.”

WORLD WAR ONEWegener was wounded early in the war,and it was while convalescing in Marburgthat he wrote the first version of his 1915classic text Die Entstehung der Kontinente

AlfredWegener's copyof the firstedition of ‘DieEntstehung derKontinente undOzeane’, filledwith hishandwrittennotes

Memorialplaque, AlfredLothar Wegener,Georg-Wilhelm-Str 20, Berlin-Halensee,Germany

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One of the last, ifnot the lastpicture:Wegener withRasmusVillumsen,whose body wasnever found

WladimirKöppen in hisobituary ofAlfred Wegener1931, wrote: ‘Hisgreat silence,willing to makesacrifices andfriendly justicemade him to aqualified leaderof expedition.’

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laudia Pichler, A

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und Ozeane [The Origin of Continents andOceans], in which he replaced his earlier‘sea-floor spreading’ idea with a modelinvolving continental ‘rafts’ floatingthrough viscous sima. Why did he do this? Perhaps it was an arcticexplorer’s experience of ice as aflowing, solid ‘rock’.

Three more editions followed, thesecond (1920) written mostly inMarburg, the third (1922) in Hamburg,and the fourth in Graz (1929). Thesubject of seafloor spreading was nevertaken up again. In parts hisformulations became somewhatdefensive, but although the drivingmechanism still went unexplained, hisconviction remained unshaken that the‘mobilist’ view of Earth betterexplained Earth history and structurethan fixist hypotheses could. In thefourth edition, Wegener wrote:“Relative continental movements havebeen determined by purely empiricalmeans. … So were the planetarymovements of free fall. Then cameNewton and derived the laws ofgravitation. … The Newton ofcontinental drift has not yet appeared.”

He discussed mantle convection as apossible driving mechanism, but wrotecautiously: “If the theoreticalfoundations prove reliable … , which isnot yet clear, convection will have to betaken into account as an agent shapingEarth’s surface.” Summarising: “It mustbe taken for sure: the forces whichmove the continents are the same asthose that form the great fold mountainbelts. Continental drift, divergence andconvergence, earthquakes, volcanism,transgressions and polar wander areinterconnected in a grand causativescheme. … Which is cause and which effect, the future will show.” At much the same time, Arthur Holmes (1928) proposed the existenceof mantle convection resulting fromradiogenic heat. In his revised editionof Principles of Physical Geology (1965),Holmes treated many aspects of thepresent essay.

DEATH ON THE ICEWegener did not live to see his lastedition in print. He was away inGreenland, where he died in 1930 -shortly after his 50th birthday,returning from the central station onthe ice-cap to the western main station.He had intended to bring desperatelyneeded supplies and had to return onskis with only the one Greenlander,Rasmus Villumsen - who buried him in

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSI owe the opportunity to write this essay to theEditor of Geoscientist and his Editorial Board.Ted Irving contributed insights intopalaeoclimatology in untangling continental driftand polar wander, and the cooperation betweenKöppen and Wegener. I thank him for reviewingmy draft, many clarifying comments andcorrections. Exchange with numerouscolleagues over the years has helped me betterunderstand Wegener the man, and his science.Finally, I am grateful to Alfred Wegener himselffor the inspiration and encouragement that hislife and work have given me.

FURTHER READINGFor an extensive list of references and furtherreading, please consult the online version ofthis article.

his tent dug into ice, marking the graveby his skis. Their radio did not work.The following spring, a search partyfound the grave. Wegener probablydied of heart failure. Rasmus had taken his diaries - but himself neverreached the west station. His body wasnever recovered.

So what prepared Wegener tobecome the researcher who, a centuryago, introduced continental drift as ageneral theme in Earth history,explaining in such an engaging mannera much wider variety of terrestrialphenomena than any previous theoryhad done, and who, over the followingdecades, inspired others to go out andtest his ideas? We read of his very earlyinterest in nature, encouraged by hisparents - especially his mother. Hisfather was religious, but not dogmatic.Alfred and his brothers and sisters wereallowed great freedom. There werearguments between son and father; butin the end, Alfred followed his owninterests - which broadened as he grew older. Skilled at seeingconnections, he was able to formulateideas that explained them lucidly. On a global basis he assiduouslycollected observations and, afterreviewing them critically, boldlyaccepted their consequences. Hebecame courageous and was unafraid ofdebate and argument.

All these things are probablysignificant; but in the end we must takeWegener as the true ‘Newton ofcontinental drift’ – the man who mademobilists of us all. n

* Wolfgang Jakoby is Professor Emeritus ofGeophysics at the University of Mainz

Ted Nield visits the privatemuseum of a palaeontologicalpioneer as he nears what he hopeswill be the end of a 20-year quest

LEGENDKIMMERIDGE

Above: SteveEtches shows offhis collection to Professor Chris Wilson

Left (clockwise from top): SteveEtches: “It’s thecollection that’simportant – andit’s important thatit should be held ina RecognisedMuseum.”

A Plaster cast of avery rare fish in the KimmeridgiancalledAsthenocormussp. Generallythought to be afilter feeder

One of the mostcompleteLepidotes from theKimmeridge Clay,fin perfect

Still in preparationand not completeda complete newspecies ofIchthyosaur fromthe UpperKimmeridge Clay

hose who once perusedthe introduction toBritish MesozoicFossils, the BritishMuseum (NaturalHistory)’s essential –

and once ubiquitous - fossil-hunter’s guide, may rememberthe following line from itsintroduction: “The KimmeridgeClay is probably the leastattractive to the fossil collector ofall the British Jurassicformations”.

Fossilist extraordinaire SteveEtches would beg to differ. He has amassed a lifetime’scollection of thousands ofexquisitely preserved andprepared specimens, manycompletely new to science, thatsay otherwise. Next month, heshould hear if his 20-year battle tohave it displayed in a registeredmuseum with proper access forpublic and researchers, is finallyover. “If it is,” he told me, “I amgoing to have that quote carvedover the front door!”

Walking into Steve’s house, inthe almost impossibly picturesqueDorset village of Kimmeridge,neatly demonstrated the two sidesof his life. On the drive wereparked two vans marked “Webber& Etches Ltd., plumbing andheating engineers”. Inside, afterbeing ushered through kitchenand lounge, I found myself in awindowless outbuilding where, asthe lights flickered on, I saw waslined with exquisite fossils -Steve’s over-riding passion –together with the framedaccolades he has garnered fromthe world of geology. ThePalaeontological Association’sAward to AmateurPalaeontologists came first, in1993; followed by the R H WorthPrize of the Geological Society(1994), the Mary Anning Award ofthe Palaeontological Association(2005) and most recently, theGeologists’ Association’s HalsteadMedal (2006). That Steve has hadto sacrifice the wall space neededto put them on display, suggestshow much they mean to him.

FIRST FOSSILSteve was five when he collectedhis first fossil - an echinoid flintcast, which he put into his

mother’s button box for safekeeping. Fourth of five children,he accompanied his father on hiswork as a commercial andindustrial photographer, and ifthey finished work early theywould go together to remotebeaches, collecting anything ofinterest.

“I spent most of my earlychildhood searching for things”says Steve: “birds’ nests, badgerholes, dropped coins, spent guncartridges – anything. I was notreally interested in most subjectstaught at school. I saw no pointin sport and hated team games. I was always a loner and likednothing better than to go off onmy own. At the seaside I didn’tsunbathe – I found it very dull –and so went and investigated therocks.” Steve’s enthusiasm forhis collection is, and by his own account always was,infectious – his first convertbeing his own father.

It is easy to understand why.Steve is not a collector of any andall spectacular fossils. Hiscabinet of curiosities consistssolely of “anything that lived in,on, or swam or flew above theKimmeridgian sea”, and hisinterest in his specimens lies notjust in their beauty as objects, oreven in the thrill of finding and

revealing something new toscience, but for what they can tellus about life and death in theKimmeridgian. It is thisenthusiasm for the fossils as onceliving objects, and their post-mortem history, that makes Steve a truly inspiring guide to his material.

The first thing I noticed was ahuge sauropod humerus centrestage, but as Steve flitted fromspecimen to specimen, hardlyknowing where to begin, I beganto see the exquisite lagerstätte-likepreservation - of cartilaginousmaterial in the fossil sharks, theworld-beating quantity andquality of his pterosaur specimens,the insects – dragonfly wings(‘delicate filmed as new spun silk’ as Hardy might have said);the teuthids with soft partspreserved, the lobsters, barnacles,and the first ammonite egg-casesever discovered.

RESOURCESteve has always seen hiscollection as a learning resourcefor public and researchers; butmaking it happen has been a longand arduous job. Almost 20 yearsago there was a project to build anew museum in Swanage - whichwas strangled by red tape. Othersoffered attractive venues, but at

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OCTOBER 2012 19

unsustainable rents. A quarryowner once offered a freebuilding, only for the Council torefuse planning permission. Aprojected museum cum tea roomseemed poised to draw downthen-available rural developmentgrants for the restoration ofdisused rural buildings - butfoundered when it was discoveredthat the disused barn in questionwas listed. Cooperation withLulworth Heritage Centre – whereSteve currently has an exhibitionbased on the striking evidence ofpredation between species in theKimmeridgian - has been valuableexperience; but the location isobscure and the Centre has tocharge entry.

Things began to look up,however, when local landlord DrPhilip Mansel proposed making agreenfield site in Kimmeridgevillage available for a combinedMuseum of Jurassic Marine Lifeand village hall. This proposal,now going under the generalheading of ‘The Kimmeridge

Below: A fore fin ofOpthalmosaurusfrom the LowerKimmeridge Clay,Small MouthSands, Weymouth

▼ Project’ has met with universallocal approval (surely itself a firstin rural planning history) andgarnered pledges of funding froma green energy firm, the landfill tax credit scheme and a UShospital trust.

At the suggestion of theHeritage Lottery Fund Steveshowed his collection to JohnWoodward, former Director ofBovington Tank Museum, forwhose recent revamp he raised£25m, much from the HLF.Woodward took one look andimmediately offered his services asa project manager - advising thatonly the HLF could really do theproject justice. Next month, theywill hear whether the resulting bidhas been successful - that they arefinally on track to the £2m that theProject needs.

Steve’s mood is upbeat, but hehas known too muchdisappointment to count chickensyet. There’s a glint of steel; just ashe would never sell his collection,he won’t ‘sell out’, either. He’s no

pushover; he wants things the wayhe wants them, and that’s that.“What’s the point otherwise?” hesays. He also has very definiteideas about museums, and how thematerial should be presented. Heno more wants ‘dumbing down’than screeds of minute, learnedtext. Nor does he want peoplegoggling ignorantly at things theydon’t understand, too afraid toquestion, or unable to findsomeone to ask. He wants allguided, ideally in-person, tours –pre-recorded, failing that - so thatpeople actually do learn aboutwhat they are seeing.

RECOGNISED MUSEUMThat glint of inner steel shines offSteve’s absolute (and entirelyjustified) confidence in the worthof his collection. “We have theworld’s finest ichthyosaur materialfrom the Kimmeridge. The NHMmay have the best fish collection,but for the Kimmeridge, ours is farsuperior. For pterosaurs, there’sno-one to beat us. I know whatI’ve got. I know it can’t bereplicated anywhere else...” thoughlest this sound like personalgrandstanding, he quickly adds:“But it’s the collection that’simportant – and that it should beheld in a Recognised Museum.”

Steve has been overwhelmed bypledges of support for theKimmeridge Project fromuniversity and museum academics,and expert individuals in the UKand abroad. He quotes ProfessorDesmond Donovan, who recentlysighed, with a shake of the head:“I’ve worked on these things allmy life, and yet you are showingme stuff I have never seen before.”

If all goes well, we shall soon allbe able to see stuff we’ve neverseen before – and could never seeanywhere else. n

FURTHER INFORMATIONTo find out more about the KimmeridgeProject: www.kimmeridgeproject.org

FURTHER READINGYou can obtain a copy of Steve’s book(written with Jane Clark), Life in Jurassic

Seas – the autobiography of a fossil

collector, by emailing Steve directly atsteveetches@hotmail.com. The bookis privately printed, has no ISBN and isnot available retail or online.

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GEOSCIENTIST FEATURE

Steve Etchesand (left)some of hisuniquecollection offossil teuthids

Far right:Parked vans inKimmeridgeprovide a clueto Steve’sother life

Ammonite eggcases... thefirst everdiscovered

Far right:Upperspecimens inthe image arePectinatitessp. Lowerspecimens ofGravesia sp

Steve’s R HWorth Prizefrom theSociety

Far right: Thegreen fieldsiteearmarked for theKimmeridgeProjectbuilding, iffunding isforthcomingInset: Plan ofthe proposedmuseum cumnew villagehall forKimmeridge

22 OCTOBER 2012

READERS’LETTERS

Sir, Geoff Glasby (Geoscientist July 2012)speculates that Jack Longland may havebeen mistaken when he stated (in Everest- the best writing and pictures of seventyyears of human endeavour : Ed PeterGilman) that three climbers reached8565m on Everest in 1933. Dr Glasbybases this on the fact that LawrenceWager, subsequently Professor ofGeology at Durham, then Oxford anddoyen of Skaergaard intrusion studies)reached this height alone. Not so.

As with most early expeditions, therewere two summit attempts, eachconsisting of a pair of climbers.Lawrence Wager climbing with PercyWyn Harris on 30 May reached thisaltitude, equalling that achieved byEdward Norton in 1924. They turnedback due to dangerous conditions andthe lateness of the hour. It was duringthis attempt that Wyn Harris found‘Mallory’s ice axe’ (it may equally havebeen Irvine’s) after it had been lost nine

years earlier when the two disappearedon the upper part of the mountain.

Two days later Frank Smythe turnedback at much the same height, climbingalone after Eric Shipton had been unableto continue. Notably, of all these, onlyMallory and Irvine were usingsupplemental oxygen.

Longland’s own heroism occurred on29 May when he led eight sherpas fromCamp Six to Camp Four through asevere blizzard, at a time when ‘sahibs’were expected to guide sherpas, ratherthan the reverse. He went on to becomea visionary Chief Education Officer forDerbyshire, established White Hall, theBritain’s first specialist outdoor educationcentre, and is justifiably viewed as thefather of outdoor education in the UK.Wager shares with Noel Odell, a greattradition of geologists on the earlyEverest expeditions.

Andrew Heald

WAGER AND EVEREST

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

Lawrence Wager

OCTOBER 2012 23

Planets: A Very ShortIntroduction

This most welcome geological map of Italyat one to a million is extremely welldrafted so that it packs in an incredibleamount of information. The excellent basemap is clear to read, including offshorebathymetry highlighting the submergedmorphology of the waters surrounding theApennine peninsula, along with Sicily,Sardinia and Corsica, which is part of thevarying overlap with neighbouringcountries.

Even if the geological presentation isslightly overwhelming, this comprehensivecoverage is beautifully executed, renderingit possible to assimilate fine detail within aunified stratigraphic framework. The captions for both keys are in bothItalian & English, and the insert, with thetectonostratigraphic units, are defined interms of the crust they were derived from during the Hercynian and thenAlpine orogenies.

While it is easy for those of us luckyenough to have grown up speaking theinternational language of science tobecome complacent, it is a pity that thistranslation - including the useful bilingualpamphlet explaining the authors’ approachto their work - was not read over by an

English-speaking geologist. That said, thetext provides an invaluable insight into thecomplexities of synthesising such variedgeology into one coherent overview.

The map itself is divided into over onehundred units, including superficialdeposits covering extensive areas, mostnotably the Po Valley, which clearlydisplays a number of underlying thrusts inred. Such faults riddle much of thegeological detail and yet somehow avoidbecoming overwhelming. Given that thismap was compiled at 1:500,000 it can onlybe hoped that it could be used as the basisfor a regional series. It will be a long timebefore many areas receive more detailedcoverage, as 1:10,000 surveying was halteda decade ago.

Many of those areas which have beencompleted have yet to be printed at 1:50,000and can only be previewed online atwww.isprambiente.gov.it/Media/carg/index.html. From here, clickon a region to see an index map, where redsheets have been published and orange inpress awaiting publication can be selectedfor interactive viewing, with a ‘zoom’ and‘explore’ system. This includes satelliteimagery, location of boreholes andsinkholes, 1:50,000 sheet lines, and bothBouguer gravity contours and shading.

A discussion of the wider implications ofceasing classical 1:10,000 mapping - both inItaly and now in Britain - can be foundonline in a longer version of this review.

Reviewed by David Nowell

Geological Map of Italy

1:1,000,000 CARTA GEOLOGICA D’ITALIA 5TH EDN. B COMPAGNONI AND F GALLUZZO ET AL, Published by:Servizio Geologico d’Italia (Geological Survey of Italy) Publication date: 2011List Price unstated, c. €10 (cf. national gravity map),folded only. http:// sgi.isprambiente.it/geoportal/catalog/main/home.page

This belongs to a series of ‘very shortintroductions’. The first chapter - SolarSystems – is very condensed writing, full offacts: then come chapters on RockyPlanets; Giant Planets; Giant planets’satellites and rings, and Asteroids. I found the last named particularlyinteresting, because we are now reallyestablishing known facts about theirnature, on account of actual sampling andclose imagery, backing up the earlierreliance on spectrography.

Chapter Six covers Trans-Neptuneobjects: here we are by contrast gropingour way towards a reasonableunderstanding of these assorted plutoids,which can be Plutinos, Kuiper belt objectsor Scattered Disk Objects, and of coursealso satellites such as Charon. There seemsto be a rash of classification at a very earlystage of knowledge (dare one say thatNASA is rather too keen on classification?).More will be known about these objectswhen the ‘New Horizons’ mission reaches Pluto (now a Plutino or dwarfplanet) in 2015.

Chapter Seven is equally fascinating,covering Exoplanets, of which some 500 orso are now known from our galaxy, despitethe fact that the Kepler telescopic mission iscovering only a small wedge of it. Rotheryestimates that there are 10,000,000,000exoplanets in our galaxy, of which 100million may be habitable; but it is anyone’sguess. The mind boggles at the potentialpopulation of planets in further galaxies.Exoplanet discovery dates from only 1995,and relies on variations in starlight, transitsand even direct observation. A warninghere: NASA scientists have defined the‘habitable zone’ in multiplanet exoplanetsystems in which life could exist (based onphysical conditions), but so far there hasbeen little consideration of the nature andhistory of evolution, which is partlycontrolled by external factors such asplanetary development through time,nature of ‘suns’ and configuration ofplanets. Each planet surely will have itsown evolutionary development, sui generis,

PLANETS: A VERY SHORT INTRODUCTIONDAVID ROTHERY, Published by Oxford University Press2010 ISBN: 978-0-19-957350-9 135 (pbk)List Price £7.99 RRP $11.95 USA

BOOKS & ARTS GEOSCIENTIST

and none will be like matches of ours?1

This is an excellent introduction, but notfaultless: Figure 10 (Mars) shows an‘impact crater’ (Rothery’s term) with asurround of a flow of some sort (now lavaor slurry?) which must be geneticallyrelated to the crater and a similar, olderfeature, behind. These are not ice sheets. I think a volcanic explanation is morelikely. But this just shows what a wealth ofmaterial still awaits specialistinterpretation in these fascinating images.

Reviewed by Joe McCall

Reference: available online

n NEW! The Million Death Quake - thescience of predicting Earth's deadliestnatural disaster Roger Musson. October2012 Palgrave Macmillan 250pp ISBN 978-0-230-11941-3 pre-pub softback.

n NEW! Natural Hazards of JamaicaParris Lyew-Ayee Jr & Rafi Ahmad (Universityof West Indes Press, Mona GeoinformaticsInstitute). ISBN: 9789766402594. 150ppLarge format, colour.

REVIEWS: COPIES AVAILABLEWe have received the following books.Please contact ted.nield@geolsoc.org.uk

if you would like to supply a review. You will be invited to keep the reviewcopy. See Geoscientist Online for a full up-to-date version of this list.

24 OCTOBER 2012

GEOSCIENTIST PEOPLE

n PETER COOK Peter Cook CBE,former BGSDirector, has beenhonoured with thelaunch of thePeter Cook

Centre for Carbon Capture andStorage Research by the Hon.Michael O’Brien, VictorianMinister for Resources andEnergy. The CooperativeResearch Centre forGreenhouse Gas Technologies(CO2CRC) will direct researchat the new Centre, which hasbeen sponsored by Rio Tintowith $3 million in funding overthree years. A further $3 millionin Rio Tinto funding over threeyears will support the CO2CRCOtway Project, Australia’s firstdemonstration of geologicalcarbon dioxide storage, as afield site for carbon storageresearch. E: pjcook@co2crc.com.au; W: www.co2crc.com.au

n EDMUND NICKLESSEdmund Nickless,ExecutiveSecretary of theSociety, has been elected aFellow of the

Geological Society of America.His citation highlights the many ways in which MrNickless has advanced thegeological sciences - as aresearcher, Assistant Director ofBGS, and as ExecutiveSecretary – and praises hisfostering of international links with societies in the United States and across the world.

PEOPLE 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.

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, theSociety 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 commissionedare marked with an asterisk (*). The symbol § indicates thatbiographical material has been lodged with the Society.If you would like to contribute an obituary, please emailted.nield@geolsoc.org.uk to be commissioned.

You can read the guidance for authors atwww.geolsoc.org.uk/obituaries. To save yourselfunnecessary work, please do not write anything until you have received a commissioning letter.

Deceased Fellows for whom no obituary is forthcoming havetheir names and dates recorded in a Roll of Honour atwww.geolsoc.org.uk/obituaries.

Published online twice a year,the magazine is an eclectic mix ofarticles on geodiversityconservation initiatives andinterpretation, often withinternational input.

Earth Heritage magazineColin MacFadyen (SNH) writes:Earth Heritage is the UKgeological and landscapeconservation magazine,produced by the natureconservation agencies –Natural England (NE), ScottishNatural Heritage (SNH) and theCountryside Council for Wales(CCW), in partnership with theGeologists’ Association.

ParalympianDawne Riddle writes: Fellowswho watched the Paralympicsmay well be interested to knowmore about geologist Dr KarenDarke (www.karendarke.com),who first entered theParacycling World Cup in 2009.She formed part of the BritishCycling team in the road raceon a hand-cycle. Darke hasbeen paralysed from the waistdown since a climbing accident20 years ago, when she was21. By then she had alreadyclimbed Mont Blanc and theMatterhorn, but has sinceclimbed El Capitan (Yosemite),kayaked the Alaska coastlineand skied across Greenland.Next year she will attempt toreach the South pole. She haswritten two books about herlife, the second of which is outshortly and is called Boundless.

To download current andprevious issues, and tosubscribe free, visitwww.earthheritage.org.uk.

Dr Karen Darke

Bowler, Christopher Michael Lance *Chappell, Bruce *

Chapman, W T *Hooper, Peter Ralph

King, Bruce *Middleton, John *

MacLean, Ronald G *Williams, Colin L *

OCTOBER 2012 25

PEOPLE GEOSCIENTIST

Nina Morgan speculates on the role of uniformitarianism in international relations

DISTANT THUNDER Climate Change

Charles Lyell’s Principles ofGeology was arguably one of themost influential geology booksever written. First published inthree volumes between 1830-1833, it ran to 12 editions, thelast published posthumously. Inhis autobiography CharlesDarwin described Lyell’s book as‘of the highest service to me inmany ways’ and the first volumeserved as Darwin’s ‘DesertIsland’ book on the Beagle. ButLyell’s observational powers andkeen sense of reasoningextended well beyond the realmsof rocks and Earth processes.He also appeared to delight inamateur anthropology.

SPURREDIn A second visit to the UnitedStates of North America, Lyellrecalls how, spurred on by aremark by a Boston resident that‘We ought to be happier than theEnglish, although we do not lookso’ [Lyell’s italics], he was movedto speculate on the origins ofnational characteristics.

“I suspect,” Lyell wrote, “thatthe principal cause of thedifferent aspect of the Anglo-Saxon race in England andAmerica is the climate. Duringboth our tours through theUnited States, my wife and Ienjoyed excellent health. But, henotes, “we were told that, if westayed a second year, we shouldfeel less vigorous...”

The reason, he conjectures isthe weather. “English travellersoften ascribe the more delicatehealth of the inhabitants here [inthe United States] to their in-doorhabits and want of exercise. Butit is natural that they shouldshrink from exposing themselvesto the severe frosts and long-

continued snows of winter, andto the intense heat of thesummer’s sun. An Englishman isusually recognised at once in aparty, by a more robust look, anda greater clearness andruddiness of complexion; and it issurprising how distinguishable heis even from persons born ofEnglish parents in the UnitedStates. It is also a curious fact,which seems generally admitted,that the native Anglo-Australiansbear a considerable resemblanceto the Anglo-Americans in lookand manner of speaking, which is a mystery, for there iscertainly in that case no analogy between the climates of

the two countries.”But, since the Anglo-Saxon

‘invasions’ of America andAustralia are, relatively speaking,comparatively recent, perhapsuniformitarianism had not yetprogressed as far in theseregions. If that is the case, onewonders what Lyell might havewritten had he lived long enoughto publish a 13th edition of hismost famous work.

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.

If the past is the key to yourpresent interests, why not jointhe History of Geology Group(HOGG)? For more informationand to read the latest HOGGnewsletter, visit:www.geolsoc.org.uk/hogg,where the programme andabstracts from the Conferenceon Geological Collectors andCollecting are available as a pdffile free to download.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSources for this vignette include:A second visit to the United

States of North America, byCharles Lyell, published in twovolumes by John Murray in

* Nina Morgan is a geologist andscience writer based near Oxford

1849; and the chapter coveringthe voyage of the Beagle inCharles Darwin’s Autobiography.

Charles Lyell – from theSociety’s portrait collection

26 OCTOBER 2012

GEOSCIENTIST OBITUARY

Oil geologist with encyclopaedic knowledge of the world’s basins and a pioneer in applying plate tectonic theory

STEPHEN JOHN MILLS 1942-2012

OBITUARY

tephen John Millsdied peacefully onSaturday 7January, 2012 inCalgary, Canada

after a long and courageousbattle against Parkinson’sDisease. Steve was wellknown to many peopleinternationally in the E&Pindustry. During his time inLondon he was a regularattendee at courses andsymposia organised by theSociety as well as a regularvisitor to the Library.

Steve was born on 20November 1942 in Gosforth,England and educated at StBees School, Cumbria (1956-61). He graduated fromDurham University with aBSc (Hons) in Geology(1964) and later an MSc inmicropalaeontology fromLondon University (1965).

BURMAH OILHis first job was withBurmah Oil Company(Ecuador, 1965). He worked

in general explorationgeology, including fieldworkin the Santa Elena Peninsulaand later in the Oriente Basin.

In 1972 Steve wastransferred to Burmah’s Perthoffice (W. Australia).Burmah’s giant NorthwestShelf gas/condensatediscoveries made theseexciting times. He was laterappointed District Geologistin the Bonaparte Gulf Basinand his work resulted in themulti-TCF gas/condensatediscoveries at Sunrise,Troubadour and Kelp. Hewas later involved infieldwork in Indonesia andPortuguese Timor. FollowingBurmah’s sale of Australianassets Steve was transferredto London, where he becameresponsible for exploration inBurmah’s Central North Seaassets. He later moved toBNOC (Glasgow).

While in Ecuador andAustralia Steve becameexcited by global platetectonics and applied these

He was a perfectionist andbrought this trait into allrecommendations anddecisions in which heparticipated. Steve was agood manager, alwayssupportive of his staff.Despite an affable mannerhis standards wereextremely high and hedemanded the same fromhis team.

In late 1990 CanadianOxyoffered him the position ofInternational ExplorationVice President in Calgary,which he accepted. At thattime the company wasexpanding and theinternational new venturegroup was an exciting placeto work. Steve inspired allwith his quiet competenceand extraordinary globalknowledge. In 1996 he leftCanadianOxy to pursue aconsultancy career. By 2000Steve decided todiscontinue this andredirected his energytowards military history.

Steve will beremembered as agentleman, an excellentgeologist, a militaryhistorian and above all as aloyal and trusted friend. Hewas erudite, broadly read, alinguist and a wonderfulraconteur. His great spiritand firm determinationwere amply demonstratedduring his long illness.

concepts to his basinanalysis of the NW Shelf ofAustralia, and the North Sea.At BNOC he became muchadmired for his skill in beingable to condense a play - itsplate tectonic setting andprospectivity attributes - intoa single diagram.

In 1979 he moved toHudbay Oil International(Calgary) as Manager ofGeology worldwide. Hedeveloped an attractive andwell-balanced portfolio ofassets at Hudbay, adding toalready existing assets thereand acquiring new onesthroughout Southeast Asia,Europe, Latin America andAfrica. Steve was well likedand highly regarded by themanagement and board ofthe parent company.

AMAZING DETAILIn 1981 Hudson’s Bay Oiland Gas was acquired byDome Petroleum, whichthen sold its internationalassets to Lasmo. Steve thusmoved back to London(early 1983), assuming theposition of InternationalGeology Managerworldwide at Lasmo.Throughout his seven yearswith Lasmo he filled varioussenior explorationmanagement andinternational new ventureroles, impressing all with hisability to talkknowledgeably yet modestlyabout any sedimentary basinin the world. Hisphenomenal memory couldrecall conversations,discussions, meetings andreports in amazing detail.

‘

By Robert W Duke and J Bruce Blanche, withcontributions from Phil Wright,Dave Boote, Brian Hodgson,Dave Powell, John Hogan,Don Poynton and Jenny Miles

S

OCTOBER 2012 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

Field Observation &Geomorphological Mapping

Structural Modelling and AnalysisUsing MOVE

2, 3 or 5 Day Introductory &Advanced Geochemistry Courses

Introduction to Micromine

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Cone Penetration Testing

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Lapworth’s Logs

1-5 October

2-4 October

8-12 October

9-10 October

10-12 October

19 October

22-26 October

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University of Sussex, Brighton. This week-long field course provides professional training infield observation, geomorphological mapping and dGPS surveying skills. Fees, - discount forFellows – apply. See website.

The 3-day course in our Glasgow office is an ideal hands-on introduction to the Move softwaresuite and also covers the geological theory behind Move. Fees apply. See website.

Rougemont Hotel, Exeter, Devon. Introductory Geochemistry course aimed at people in thepetroleum industry. See website. Fees apply.

Burlington House. This course is being held over 2 days and includes Introduction toMicromine (Day 1) and Introduction to Exploration (Day 2). Fees Apply. See website.

IGI Ltd, Hallsannery, Bideford, Devon. Aimed at petroleum geoscientists who wish to beginusing basin modelling software in their work. Fees Apply. See website.

Nottingham. FUGRO. Free. Introductory course and technology update on Cone PenetrationTesting theory and application. See website for other dates. Will also run on 14 December(Wallingford), and 23 November (Exeter). E: s.poulter@fes.co.uk W: www.fes.co.uk

University of Sussex, Brighton. Visualisation, interpretation and synthesis of spatial datasets isan essential requirement of geological and geomorphological assessment. Fees Apply. See website.

‘Lapworth’s Logs’ are a series of e-courses involving practical exercises of increasingcomplexity. ‘Lapworth’s Logs’ provide training in applied geology for civil engineers,engineering geologists, environmental engineers, hydrogeologists, and anyone interested inground modelling. Contact: info@lapworthslogs.com. Lapworth’s Logs is produced byMichael de Freitas and Andrew Thompson. Price dependent on number of users/duration of licence.

DIARY OF MEETINGS OCTOBER 2012

Meeting Date Venue and details

Deep-Water Continental Margins: FinalExploration Frontier? Geological Society

Brofiscin Quarry - Securing RemediationThrough Part IIa, Southern Wales

Hot DesertsEngineering Group

Operations Geology Workshop Petroleum Group

Pollutants and Human Health in the Age ofMan, Geological Society, Shell

The Long View ReflectedBurlington House Lecture

Military Applications of Geology for the Cross-Channel Invasion, Solent

Appreciating Physical Landscapes:Geotourism 1670 – 1970History of Geology Group

East Africa – Petroleum Province of the 21stCentury? Petroleum Group

1-2 October

3 October

4 October

5 October

10 October

16 October

17 October

22-23October

24-26October

Burlington House. Bringing together geologists, geophysicists, mathematical and physical modellersseeking to understand the evolution of continental margins and their economic importance. See Website for details and registration. Office contact: Steve Whalley T: 020 7434 9944 F:020 7494 0579 E: steve.whalley@geolsoc.org.uk

Room 1.25, Earth Sciences, Main Building, Cardiff University. Speakers: Trystan James (EA) Peter Stanley (EA) Ewan Thomas (Geotechnology). 1730 for 1800.

Burlington House. See Website for details and flyer. Fees apply. Office contact: Steve Whalley T: 020 7434 9944 F:020 7494 0579 E: steve.whalley@geolsoc.org.uk

Kings College Conference Centre, University of Aberdeen. Fees apply. See website to register. Office contact: Laura Hayward T: 020 7432 0983 F: 020 7494 0579 E: laura.hayward@geolsoc.org.uk

Burlington House. A Shell London Lecture - see p.11

Geological Society, Burlington House. See p.11

University of Portsmouth. Speaker: Ted Rose. Evening meeting. Contact: Karen Allso (Secretary) E: karen.allso@ramboll.co.uk

Burlington House. The significant historical antecedents of modern geotourism in Britain and Europe. Fees apply - see website for details and registration. Office contact: Naomi Newbold T: 020 7434 9944 F: 020 7494 0579 E: naomi.newbold@geolsoc.org.uk

Burlington House. Fees apply – see website for details and registration. Office contact: Steve WhalleyT: 020 7434 9944 F: 020 7494 0579 E: steve.whalley@geolsoc.org.uk

28 OCTOBER 2012

GEOSCIENTIST OBITUARY

Carbonate sedimentologist who transferred his interest from Waulsortian mounds to modern, living reefs

GEORGE RICHARD ORME 1931 - 2012

OBITUARY

ichard Orme was a student of theSheffieldUniversityGeology

Department, graduatingwith Honours in 1955.Richard was quiet andstudious, with a good senseof humour (the Goon Showwas a particular favourite)coupled with a naturalorganizational flair that heput to good use as Presidentof the student geologicalsociety. His attention todetail also showed when hewon the Fearnsides prize forhis undergraduate fieldproject. Born in Worksop,Nottinghamshire on 19 May1931, Richard passed awaypeacefully on 16 January2012 in Brisbane, Australialeaving his widow, Awen.

AVONIANRichard Orme’s career incarbonate sedimentologyfollowed his doctorateresearch On the stratigraphy

and petrology of the normal andreef facies of the Avonianlimestone, Derbyshire in the late1950s under Prof LeslieMoore, then Head of Geologyat Sheffield. For this researchRichard received his PhD in1960. Sheffield’s localCarboniferous geologysupported an active researchcentre at the University, andthe excellent outcrops andlarge commercial quarries ofthe Peak District providedRichard with his training. His research on limestoneswas further developedthrough a year’s assignmentto the Geology Department ofAberystwyth under ProfWood, where he met hisfuture wife Awen.

FOSSIL REEFSHaving studied fossil reefs,the move to recent ones was alogical step, facilitatedthrough a scholarship toColumbia University, NewYork (1960-62) where, underthe tutorage of Norman

expedition to reefs offEastern New Guinea andtook part in a Japanesesubmarine dive off theGreat Barrier Reef. Hismain interests, however,were with the NorthernGreat Barrier Reef Province(North of Corktown, LloydBay area).

Richard once invited meover to Brisbane to samplehis cellar of French wines;sadly I was never able totake up his offer.

Newell and John Imbrie hestudied the reefs of BiminiIsland in the Bahamas. A short return to Sheffieldfollowed when in 1962Richard was offered a NATOscholarship to work in theSheffield Department. Theoffer of an AssistantLectureship (1963) providedthe security for Richard andAwen to marry, and theyremained in Sheffield untilJanuary 1967 when Richardtook up an appointment asSenior Lecturer in theDepartment of Geology andMineralogy in the Universityof Brisbane, Queensland,Australia. Here he rose tobecome Associate Professorand Head of Department,and remained until hisretirement in 1996.

Through his knowledge ofreefs, Richard became amember of the Great BarrierReef Committee concernedwith the running of HeronIsland. He also joinedRhodes Fairbridge on an

Compiled by Ray Bate withmuch help from Awen Orme

R

‘

OCTOBER 2012 29

CROSSWORD GEOSCIENTIST

All correct solutions will be placed in thedraw, and the winner’s name printed inthe November issue. The Editor’sdecision is final and no correspondencewill be entered into. Closing date -October 24.

The competition is open to all Fellows,Candidate Fellows and Friends of theGeological Society who are not currentSociety employees, officers or trustees.This exclusion does not apply to officersof joint associations, specialist or regional groups.

Please return your completed crosswordto Burlington House, marking yourenvelope “Crossword”. Do not encloseany other matter with your solution.Overseas Fellows are encouraged toscan the signed form and email it as aPDF to ted.nield@geolsoc.org.uk

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SOLUTIONS AUGUST

ACROSS: 6 Gypcrete 8 Inlier 10 Temper 11 Lava Tube12 Alsatians13 Inca 15 Hogback 17 Arsenic20 Elmo 21 Decompose 23 Efferent 25 Nelson27 Anomie 28 Treatise

DOWN: 1 Gyre 2 Scopes 3 Aeolian 4 Sieves 5 Verb7 Erratic 9 Lattice 12 Atoll 14 Chine16 Bioherm18 Remanie 19 Acetate 21 Diesel 22 Oolith24 Fens 26 Ouse

WIN A SPECIAL PUBLICATION

The winner of the August Crosswordpuzzle prize draw was Nicola Watson

of Chester-le-Street.

CROSSWORD NO. 162 SET BY PLATYPUS

1 Subvertical discordant sheetintrusions (5)

4 Weathering along surface-parallel planes creating onion-skin effect (9)

9 Southern Australian desert,famous among meteoritehunters (9)

10 Mountain kingdom of theHimalaya (5)

11 Palaeontological object erodedfrom one formation anddeposited in another (7, 6)

14 Lunar-induced oscillation (4)

15 Chronometers (10)

18 Cancer expert (10)

19 Jetty (4)

21 Involving many sovereignstates (13)

24 London lecture sponsor (5)

25 Liable to nab an electron (9)

27 Rameses, Amenhotep,Hatshepsut, Nefertiti and co.(9)

28 French love, usually observedcleanly in England (5)

1 Long-term wearing away of Earth's surfaceand reduction of relief (10)

2 London university institution discoverspotassium chloride (3)

3 Extreme diet (6)

4 Enclosing an object within a solid substrate(9)

5 Iron-containing mineralogical chemical prefix(5)

6 Ground failure (8)

7 North American caledonide mountains (11)

8 Slippery swimmers, rendered more so inLondon by 4-downing in jelly (4)

12 Arguing in a way common in science, bywhich one object or concept is explained interms of another at a lower level. (11)

13 Non-scientific interpreter of the heavens (10)

16 Milton, pursuing melancholy, asks a 'pealingorgan' to dissolve him into these (9)

17 Blood-clotting factors in mammals (8)

20 Most common continental oxide (6)

22 Northern Spanish wine province (5)

23 Man, Wight, Scilly, Portland etc (4)

26 Same, Greekly (3)

ACROSS DOWN

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s.poulter@fes.co.ukwww.fes.co.uk/courses

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30 OCTOBER 2012

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The Geological SocietyBritish Geological Survey, Nottingham

Wednesday 7 November 2012

Contact Information

Tel

Email

Web

Careers Day is the essential meeting place for geosciencestudents and the geoscience industry, where university

undergraduates and postgraduates will have the chance to findout about the latest career options and talk to industry leaders

about how they might gain entry into that sector.

The day will run from 10am – 4pm and will includepresentations on careers, a CV writing workshop, an interview

techniques workshop and an exhibition fair. The day will endwith a beer reception.

Registration

This event is free to attend and covers all delegate material,lunch and a beer at the reception, but you must register for the

event and the workshops must be pre-booked.

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