Geoscientist - February 2012

STRATEGICMETALS

Is the world facing a crisis -or an opportunity?

HONGKONG TENRegional Groupcelebrates first decade

GLANDYFIFAULTRoad improvementreveals new geology

GeoscientistThe Fellowship magazine of The Geological Society of London | www.geolsoc.org.uk | Volume 22 No 1 | February 2012

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FEBRUARY 2012 03

CONTENTS GEOSCIENTIST

09 18

14 COVER FEATURE: STRATEGIC METALSMark Tyrer explores the background to globalanxiety over strategic metal and mineral supplies

IN THIS ISSUEFEBRUARY 2012

18 STABILISING GLANDYFI Iain Bews reports on engineering geology at a notoriousbottleneck, and the new exposures it has revealed

05 WELCOME With China in the ascendant, all nations mustlook to their rocks, says Ted Nield

06 SOAPBOX Dust Busters - Mineral dust is annoying andhazardous. Hugh Datson and Brian Marker urge ameeting on monitoring and abatement

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

08 SOCIETY NEWS What your Society is doing at home andabroad, in London and the regions

22 LETTERS We welcome your thoughts

23 BOOK & ARTS Two reviews by Sarah Day and Pete Webb

24 PEOPLE Geoscientists in the news and on the move

27 CALENDAR Society activities this month

28 OBITUARY A distinguished Fellow remembered

29 CROSSWORD Win a special publication of your choice

FEATURES

REGULARS

n STONY METEORITES ON MARS Joe McCall explores the mystery surrounding meteoritic abundances on the Red Planet

ONLINE SPECIALS

Lyell Meeting 2012

Keynote Speakers:Chris Stringer Ancient Human Occupation of BritainHenk Brinkhuis IODP Wilkes Land Glacial HistoryKen Johnson EU Indonesian Throughflow projectBridget Wade Tanzanian Drilling ProjectWolfgang Kiessling PBDB – coral biodiversityPaul Upchurch PBDB – Cretaceous vertebrate biodiversityMark Sutton Imaging and Virtual PalaeontologyRichard Twitchett Co-evolution of Life and the PlanetRichard Edmonds Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site

Thursday, 29 March, 2012

Further information

For further information about the conference,please contact:

Ellie Duncanson-Hunter, Conference Office, The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG

T: 0207 434 9944

F: 0207 494 0579

E: [email protected]

W: www.geolsoc.org.uk/lyell12

Large-scale projects, involving multidisciplinary geoscience teams from numerous institutions,are playing an increasingly important role in modern palaeontological research. This meetingwill showcase the science being undertaken in these projects across the range ofpalaeontological disciplines, including key contributions from junior researchers. We willdiscuss the benefits and logistics of running these large-scale projects including funding,outreach and training opportunities.

Convenors: Drs Jeremy Young (UCL) and Tom Dunkley Jones (University of Birmingham)

‘Big Palaeontology’, The Geological Society, London

FEBRUARY 2012 05

DR TED NIELD EDITOR

GLOBAL DEMAND FOR NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES PUTSNATIONS ON THEIR METTLEFront cover image: Carsten Reisinger /Shutterstock.com

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EDITOR’S COMMENT GEOSCIENTIST

Geoscientist is theFellowship magazine ofthe Geological Societyof London

The Geological Society,Burlington House, Piccadilly,London W1J 0BGT +44 (0)20 7434 9944F +44 (0)20 7439 8975E [email protected](Not for Editorial)

Publishing HouseThe Geological SocietyPublishing House, Unit 7,Brassmill Enterprise Centre,Brassmill Lane, Bath BA1 3JNT 01225 445046F 01225 442836

Library T +44 (0)20 7432 0999F +44 (0)20 7439 3470E [email protected]

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFProfessor Tony Harris FGS

EDITORDr Ted Nield NUJ FGSE [email protected]

EDITORIAL BOARDDr Sue Bowler FGSDr Robin Cocks FGSDr Martin Degg FGSDr Joe McCall FGSDr Jonathan Turner FGSDr Jan Zalasiewicz FGS

Trustees of the GeologicalSociety of LondonDr J P B Lovell OBE(President); Professor P AAllen (Secretary, Science);Miss S Brough; Mr MBrown; Professor R AButler; Mr D J Cragg;Professor J Francis;Professor A J Fraser; Dr S AGibson; Mrs M P Henton(Secretary, ProfessionalMatters); Dr R A Hughes DrA Law (Treasurer); ProfessorR J Lisle; Professor A R Lord(Secretary, Foreign &External Affairs); Mr PMaliphant (Vice president);Professor S B Marriott (Vicepresident); Professor SMonro OBE; Mr D T Shilston(President designate); Dr CP Summerhayes (Vice president); Professor J H Tellam; Dr J P Turner(Secretary, Publications);Professor D J Vaughan; Mr N R G Walton

Published on behalf of theGeological Society ofLondon byCentury One Publishing Alban Row, 27–31 VerulamRoad, St Albans, Herts, AL3 4DGT 01727 893 894F 01727 893 895

E [email protected]

W www.centuryonepublishing.ltd.uk

CHIEF EXECUTIVENick SimpsonT 01727 893 894E nick@centuryone

publishing.ltd.uk

ADVERTISING EXECUTIVEJonathan KnightT 01727 739 193E jonathan@centuryone

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ART EDITORHeena Gudka

DESIGN & PRODUCTIONSarah Astington

PRINTED BY Century One Publishing Ltd.

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

The Geological Society of Londonaccepts no responsibility for theviews expressed in any article in thispublication. All views expressed,except where explicitly statedotherwise, represent those of theauthor, and not The GeologicalSociety of London. All rightsreserved. No paragraph of thispublication may be reproduced,copied or transmitted save withwritten permission. Users registeredwith Copyright Clearance Center: theJournal is registered with CCC, 27Congress Street, Salem, MA 01970,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-membersubscriptions should be addressesto the Journals SubscriptionDepartment, Geological SocietyPublishing House, Unit 7 BrassmillEnterprise Centre, Brassmill Lane,Bath, BA1 3JN, UK. Tel: 01225445046. Fax: 01225 442836. Email:[email protected]. Thesubscription price for Volume 21,2011 (11 issues) to institutions andnon-members is £108 (UK) or £124/ US$247 (Rest of World).

© 2012 The Geological Society of London

or many years, any UK geology studentinterested in pursuing a career in metalmining has assumed that he or shewould have to seek their future in – orunder – foreign fields, and expect toburn their boats into the bargain. Notany more.

In October last year, the go-ahead was finally givento a new gold mine in Scotland. This occasionedgreat media interest - and surprise among peopleliving beyond the villages and farms aroundCononish, near Tyndrum (where they have beenarguing its pros and cons for decades). Miningcompany Scotgold Resources now estimates that£50m of gold may eventually be recovered fromthem thar banks and braes of the Loch Lomond andTrossachs National Park.

The timing of this is clearly not unrelated torocketing prices during a time of financial recession.But gold is far from the only metal shooting up invalue. At the other end of the UK, at Hemerdon nearPlymouth, Wolf Minerals will soon exploit one of thelargest tungsten (and tin) resources in the westernworld. This new mine will provide security ofsupply for the UK, making it a net exporter by 2014and directly creating 230 jobs. Metal mining iscoming back home.

Both ends of the tungsten market are, as with somany strategic elements, dominated today by China.China dominates production; and not so long ago itflooded the market and prices tumbled. Now, Chinanow consumes much of its output, forcing globalprices sky-high. Hemerdon, producing 3000 tonnesper year, will be one of the biggest tungsten mines inthe world, and help to restore some balance.

Tungsten is an example of a “strategic metal”, ashortage of which could prove economically andpolitically sensitive - especially when reserves areconcentrated in just one or two countries. In ourfeature this week, Mark Tyrer (see p.14) exploresemerging concerns over the supply of strategicmetals and minerals - a concern which industry (andthe Society) are attempting to bring to the attentionof politicians in meetings and briefing notes (see p8).

Governments need to wake up to this. Chinaenjoys many advantages, including immense mineralwealth; but another is that, uniquely, it is more or lessrun by engineers and scientists – rather than lawyersand professional politicians. Technocrats make upmost of the Chinese politburo, and they are quick tograsp strategic scientific arguments. In a worldwhere increasingly, China keeps all the strategicminerals that it produces for itself, the rest of theworld must be on its mettle - and look to its rocks.

FCHINA SYNDROME

Mineral dust can be annoying and even hazardous. HughDatson and Brian Marker think the time is ripe for a UKmeeting on monitoring and abating it

BY BRIAN MARKER AND HUGH DATSON

Dust busters

GEOSCIENTIST SOAPBOX

Mineral working gives rise to dust fromextraction, handling, processing, transport,stripped areas, and waste tips and lagoons(especially in dry conditions). But it can bereduced through careful site, plant andequipment design, management andtraining. Even in the UK, despite all ourplanning, regulatory, health & safetyconstraints, we need to take a holisticapproach to dust emissions at and beyondminerals sites.

It is not always obvious where dustcomes from. The public may automaticallyblame a nearby quarry, while farming,roads, other industries or even naturalsources as distant as North Africa may beoverlooked. Establishing the origin andnature of dust deposits is thereforeessential before effective action can be taken.

New best-practice guidance for theminerals industry (produced by AEATechnology for the Minerals IndustryResearch Organisation) sets out site-basedstrategies for dust management andcontrol. To compliment this work, anevaluation of the impacts of dust beyondminerals sites is required.

When dust issues arise a number ofquestions follow. What is the source? Whatis its composition? How much has been

emitted? How has it been transported anddeposited? Does it cause annoyance? Is itpotentially hazardous to people, livestock,wildlife or crops? Who, if anyone, isresponsible? What, if anything, should bedone? Answering these questionsdemands good monitoring and samplingboth at emission and deposition.

Until recently, it has been difficult tosecure adequate representative samples.Questions have been raised about thevalidity of sampling protocols (such asBS1747(5)). Samplers located on site mightmeasure dust that doesn’t actually leavethe site. Equipment beyond siteboundaries might be tampered with. Careis needed in the transport, analysis andinterpretation of samples, as well ascalibration of data and interpretation.Models of dispersion require good data, atdesign stage, validation and subsequentpractical use. Much work remains to bedone on the health and environmentaleffects of dust emissions.

As understanding improves, it is wise tore-examine the fitness of planning andenvironmental permit conditions. We feelthat the time is right to review the state ofthe art and would be prepared to organisea meeting if there is sufficient interest fromthe geological and minerals communities.

More widely, IUGS Commission onGeoscience for EnvironmentalManagement has set up a Working Groupon Dust (www.iugs-gem.org/dust) to airgeological dust issues, not just frommineral working, but more widely. TheGroup met at the 4th International MedicalGeology Conference (Bari, Italy September2011), has a session at the 34th IGC inBrisbane, Australia in June 2012 and isseeking others at the European GeologicalUnion meeting in Vienna in March 2012.

SOAPBOX

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 [email protected]. 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).

EVEN IN THE UK, DESPITE ALLOUR PLANNING,REGULATORY, HEALTH & SAFETYCONSTRAINTS, WENEED TO TAKE AHOLISTIC APPROACHTO DUST EMISSIONSAT AND BEYONDMINERALS SITESBrian Marker & Hugh Datson

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If you are interested in giving a presentation at orattending a UK meeting on this subject please leteither Brian Marker ([email protected]) or Hugh Datson ([email protected] ) know and steps will be takento convene a meeting as soon as possible

Mineral dust – down with this sort of thing

FEBRUARY 2012 07

Cycle pathologyDetecting Milankovitch-band (orbitally-forced) cyclicity in stratigraphic dataholds out the tantalising possibility oftime calibration. Most of suchdetections derive from statisticalanalyses of power spectra; but in anew paper Vaughan, Bailey andSmith1 demonstrate that many(perhaps the majority) of those in theliterature (generated by proceduresthat have become the standard) are false.

Stratigraphic data suitable forspectral analysis comprisemeasurements of rock propertiestaken at regularly-spaced intervals.The key question concerns the natureof the peaks in the ‘red noise’ powerspectra that these data display. Dothe peaks represent cycles, or chancefluctuations from the noise?Significance tests are then used toanswer the question: “How unlikely isit that a peak in the observedspectrum was generated by the noise?”

QUASI-PERIODICOne problem in the detection of quasi-periodic (M-) forcing in stratigraphicdata is the generally unknownrelationship between stratal thicknessand geological time. The questionthus becomes: “Are there any cyclesin the data?” Answering this meanstesting each of perhaps hundreds offrequencies in the spectrum; butdespite using the canonical p < 0.05

threshold for detection, the multipletesting methods commonly used willresult in false positives for almost anyreasonably-sized dataset. This fact iseasily demonstrated with cycle-freesynthetic, random data. There aresimple methods to correct for theeffect of multiple tests, but these arenot routinely applied in cyclo-stratigraphic analysis.

The result of the significance test isconditional on the null hypothesismodel adopted for the noise in thedata series. Apparent ‘detections’ willarise wherever the noise model differssignificantly from the data, whether ornot this difference arises as a result ofcyclic variations or an undiagnosedmismatch between the noise modeland the noise spectrum in the data.

The model most often used in cyclo-stratigraphic work is the autoregressiveAR(1), a simple process characterisedby only two parameters. It would besurprising if a wide range of differentand complex sedimentary systems allgenerated variations with such simplestatistical properties. Vaughan et al.demonstrate that real datasets oftendisplay power spectra rather differentfrom the simplistic AR(1) case. Thisdata-model mismatch is anothersource of spurious cycle detections,and goes unnoticed because modelchecking is not routinely applied instratigraphic spectral analysis.

Vaughan et al. have analysed fourwell-known datasets for whichcyclicities have been claimed, applyingmodel checking and accounting formultiple tests. The cyclicity detectionswere reproduced in only one case.This suggests that the majority ofpublished reports of regularMilankovitch-band cyclicities (eg inPaleogene, Mesozoic, and olderstrata), and the resultantastrochronological time calibrations,are based on statistically unsounddetections. On a positive note, themore general approaches outlined byVaughan et al. allow for theinvestigation of a wider range ofspectral features than considered bythe standard approaches.

Above: Toarcian sandsat West Bay, Dorsetshowing 'cyclic'sedimentation patternfrequently ascribed toorbitally inducedclimatic fluctuations

SEDIMENTOLOGY

In the ever-intensifying quest to recognise climate-induced stratigraphic cyclicity insedimentary rocks, false positives may be the norm, says Simon Vaughan*

1 Vaughan, S, Bailey R J and Smith D G (2011): Detecting cyclesin stratigraphic data: Spectralanalysis in the presence of red noise.Paleoceanography, 26, PA4211,doi:10.1029/ 2011PA002195. Seealso Robin Bailey’s recent Soapboxarticle in Geoscientist, “Spare methe cycles”. 20.05 June 2011

REFERENCE

* Simon Vaughan Dept. Physics &Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester,LE1 7RH, UK E: [email protected]

GEONEWS GEOSCIENTIST

THE MAJORITY OFPUBLISHED REPORTS OFREGULAR MILANKOVITCH-BAND CYCLICITIES AND RESULTANTASTROCHRONOLOGICALTIME CALIBRATIONS AREBASED ON STATISTICALLYUNSOUND DETECTIONSSimon Vaughan

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Image: C

hristopher Jones / Shutterstock.com

Andrew Miller MP to speak on ‘Probabilities andPossibilities in Parliament: How a learned societycan help improve our decision-making’

The Sir Peter Kent Lecture, the Society's annualflagship lecture on science policy matters, will be givenby Andrew Miller MP, Chair of the House of CommonsScience and Technology Select Committee. Mr Millerwill explore how key decisions are made in Parliament,drawing on his experience of events where GeologicalSociety members have been among key experts calledupon to give evidence – including the 2010 volcanic ashcloud, the 2011 Japanese tsunami, and shale gas.

Andrew Miller was educated in Malta, Hampshire andat the London School of Economics, and holds aDiploma in Industrial Relations. His began his career asa geology technician at Portsmouth Polytechnic, wherehe developed an XRF and XRD laboratory. He thenmoved into industrial relations and was an official for theMSF Union, representing scientists and engineers. Hewas elected to Parliament in 1992 where as LabourMember of Parliament for Ellesmere Port and Neston,Mr Miller represents almost 70,000 electors. Nic Bilham

SIR PETER KENT LECTURE 15 MARCH

The Sir Peter Kent Lecture2012 will be delivered byAndrew Miller MP (left)

08 FEBRUARY 2012

GEOSCIENTIST SOCIETY NEWS

SOCIETYNEWS

Edmund Nickless writes: In 2010, Council asked a group led by formerPresident Peter Styles to conduct a review1 of the Society’s library collections andservices. Geoscientist 21.05 (June 2011) published an update on how thereview’s recommendations were being carried forward.

In line with these, Council agreed to reduce library net costs by £35k in 2012through new income and savings. The Library Advisory Committee identifiedjournals for cancellation based on criteria agreed by Council (including low usageand high cost-per-usage). Candidates were reviewed by the InformationManagement Committee and their cancellation has now been approved. Theyare: Bulletin d’information des geologues du bassin de Paris; Contributions tomineralogy & petrology; Coral reefs; Geodinamica acta; Journal of seismicexploration; Mathematical geosciences; Near surface geophysics; Surveys ingeophysics and Palaeontographica Abt. B: Palaophytologie.References: 1. See www.geolsoc.org.uk/libraryreview

Journal Cancellations

Nic Bilham writes: Rare Earth Elements (REE) have a wide variety ofapplications, and are increasingly important in the production of low-carbontechnologies such as wind turbines, electric traction motors and hybrid vehicles.Demand for REE has increased by more than 50% in the last decade, and isexpected to rise further. In 2009, China produced around 97% of global REE.Recent reductions in Chinese export quotas led to increased prices, and haveexacerbated concern about future security of supply. While geological scarcity inabsolute terms is not likely to be a problem, the technical, financial, environmentaland regulatory challenges which must be overcome to establish new REE minescould mean disruptions in supply over the next decade.

Geoscientists will play a vital role in the search for rare earth ore deposits andtheir extraction, in ensuring that as little damage is done to the environment aspossible in extraction, and in addressing questions about security of supply andfuture demand for REE. We hope that this briefing note will help to inform debateamong scientists, policy-makers, potential investors and other industry players.

REE Exercise

FUTURE MEETINGSn Council & OGMs: 1, 2 February (CouncilResidential): 1 February 2012 (OGM, 1800); 11 April (Council & OGM); 13 June (AGM); 26 September (Council & OGM); 28 November(Council & OGM).

A limited number of free tickets are available to Fellows,Friends and others on application. To apply please [email protected] by 1 March.

Fellows are invited to submit views to Jonathan Turner (Chair, Publications ManagementCommittee) via Ted Nield, Editor, Geoscientist, before the end of March. E:[email protected]

GSL Journal IndexesAt its November 2012 meeting Council discussed the current practice of producingan annual printed index for each of the Society’s journals, and made available withthe final part. For reasons of budgeting and cost-control the number of pagespublished in each journal each year is limited. Given that the ‘version of record’ isnow online (and available to all Fellows) and that most searches are via full-textsearch technologies, Council feels that the pages occupied by the printed indexwould be more effectively used for the publication of original science. Other societiesthat publish their own journals (e.g. the Royal Society) have come to the sameconclusion and most of our main journal competitors no longer include an index.

Download the briefing note at www.geolsoc.org.uk/ree

lectures][

The message from the rocks is thatwe should stop pulling the fossil carbon trigger. If wefail to do so, we risk a repetition of a global warmingevent that took place 55 million years ago. Such arepetition would be fine for Earth, but not so good forus. The message from the rocks presents a particularchallenge to the oil and coal industries, to which theycan respond by helping us to make the transition to alow-carbon economy. For some years to come weshall generate a great deal of electricity by burning coal,around the globe. The oil industry can store safelyunderground the carbon dioxide captured from coal-fired power stations, at a price that will be reasonablecompared with the alternatives.

n Programme – Afternoon talk: 1430pm 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. To obtain a ticket please contact the Society aroundfour weeks before the talk. Due to the popularity of thislecture series, tickets are allocated in a monthly ballotand cannot be guaranteed.

Rocks and ClimateChange - how we can stop pulling thecarbon triggerProfessor Bryan Lovell(President, Geological Society)15 February 2012

Shell LondonLecture Series

Contact: Naomi Newbold, The Geological Society, BurlingtonHouse, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG, T: +44 (0) 20 7432 0981 E: [email protected]

FEBRUARY 2012 09

SOCIETY NEWS GEOSCIENTIST

Rare Book of the Month!

Observations on the geology andzoology of Abyssinia, made duringthe progress of the British expeditionto that country in 1867-68 by W TBlanford. 1870.

Recently restored through theLibrary’s Sponsor a Book Appeal, W TBlanford’s Observations on thegeology and zoology of Abyssinia isan account made during the BritishArmy Expedition to rescue diplomatsimprisoned in Magdala (now AmbaMariam, Ethiopia). Charting the voyageout of Bombay harbour (where Blanfordwas Deputy Superintendent of theIndian Survey) across the Gulf of Adento the Red Sea, before the long rideinland across sandstone hills andenormous ravines, it is both a visuallyaccurate description of the landscapeand an engaging narrative of the thrillsand challenges experienced on thejourney.

The book is divided into three parts,

with detailed and comprehensivesections on Geology and Zoology,complete with various illustrations of theexpansive plateaux, militaryencampments and some beautifullycoloured lithographs of birds (drawn byJ G Keulemans). But it is Blanford’sPersonal Account that is the mostinteresting, the geologist proving to bea charming narrator: wide-eyed andoccasionally gung-ho with excitement,determined in his mission, precise in hisdescriptions. He revels at the fluke ofshooting a hyena by moonlight or thelong awaited discovery of some ‘oolithicfossils’; but he also notes the dangersof the trip, the loss of hundreds of packmules, the servant killed by a leopard.Despite this, he writes: ‘I have neverspent eight months more pleasantly.The country was most interesting, theclimate during the greater part of thetime perfect, and the fauna and geologyhad all the attractions of novelty’.

The Library thanks Dr ChristopherToland for his donation, allowing us toconserve this title, which was re-sewnand preserved with its original clothbinding by Aquarius Book Restorers.

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

The Geological Society Club, successor to the body that gave birth to the Societyin 1807, meets monthly (except over the field season!) at 18.30 for 19.00 in theAthenaeum Club, Pall Mall. Once a year there is also a special dinner atBurlington House. New diners are always welcome, especially from amongyounger Fellows. Dinner costs £50 for a four-course meal, including coffee andport. (The Founders' Dinner, in November, has its own price structure.) There isa cash bar for the purchase of aperitifs and wine.

2012: 29 February; 28 March; 11 April (Burlington House); 23 May.

Any Fellow of the Society wishing to dine should contact Dr Andy Fleet,Secretary to the Geological Society Dining Club, Department of Mineralogy, TheNatural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD. Email:[email protected] - from whom further details may be obtained. DR

The Geological Society Club

n GEOFACETS AVAILABLE IN THE LIBRARYElsevier’s Geofacets search tool is now available forFellows and Corporate Affiliates to use in the Library.Geofacets allows you to search the Lyell Collection aswell as Elsevier Earth science journals for map data,using a simple Google Earth interface. Selecting an areaof the Earth’s surface will bring up a list of all maps,sketch maps and other geographical data for that areafrom all articles in these collections.

The Library operates a sponsorshipscheme to help preserve and restore itsrare books. For more information, contactMichael McKimm in the library, or go to:www.geolsoc.org.uk/sponsorabook

Find out more: www.geofacets.com

Elections to Council 2012-2013In the October issue we invited Fellows to nominatenew members of Council. Ten nominations have beenreceived for six vacancies. The results of thispreliminary ballot will determine the list for the formalvote at the Annual General Meeting on 13 June 2012.

Philip Allen, Secretary, Science, is retiring fromCouncil. Council proposes that Jane Francis, acurrent member of Council, should succeed Philip inthat role. Council also proposes that Susan Marriott,Vice President, and Jonathan Turner, Secretary,Publications remain on Council for a further year tosmooth the rotation of Officers.

Below are supporting statements of the candidatesfor election, together with a table showing the expertiseof the present Council (for biographies of the continuing members of Council are at www.geolsoc.org.uk/biographies).

10 FEBRUARY 2012


COUNCIL MEMBERS

Present Council (2011-2012) Nominees for new Council (2012-2013)

PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENTS

SECRETARIES

TREASURER

OTHER MEMBERS OF COUNCIL

Dr J P B Lovell

Mr P MaliphantProfessor S B MarriottDr C P Summerhayes

Professor P A Allen (Science)

Mrs M P Henton (Professional)

Professor A R Lord (Foreign & External Affairs)

Dr J P Turner (Publications)

Dr A Law

Miss S BroughMr M BrownProfessor R W H ButlerMr D J CraggProfessor J E FrancisProfessor A J FraserDr S A GibsonDr R A HughesProfessor R J LisleProfessor S K MonroMr D T ShilstonProfessor J H TellamProfessor D J Vaughan Mr N R G Walton

Retiring members of CouncilProfessor P A AllenMr M BrownDr J P B LovellProfessor S K MonroProfessor D J VaughanMr N R G Walton

Mr D T Shilston

Mr P MaliphantProfessor S B MarriottDr C P Summerhayes

Professor J E Francis (Science)

Mrs M P Henton (Professional)

Professor A R Lord (Foreign & External Affairs)

Dr J P Turner (Publications)

Dr A Law

Miss S BroughProfessor R W H ButlerMr D J CraggProfessor A J FraserDr S A GibsonDr R A HughesProfessor R J LisleProfessor J H Tellam

Nominations for CouncilMrs N K AlaDr M G ArmitageProfessor A G BrownProfessor N A ChapmanProfessor J DavidsonMr D A JonesDr B R Marker OBEDr G J NicholsDr H RoseProfessor B Vining

BALL

OTIN

G ONLINE VOTINGFellows are encouraged to voteonline by logging onto theFellows-only part of the websitewww.geolsoc.org.uk/vote2012 Please follow theinstructions.

POSTAL VOTING A postal ballot paper is enclosedfor those unable to vote online.Fellows should make their markagainst the names of up to sixcandidates. Papers with marksagainst more than six names will

be invalid.The ballot paper should be placed

in the envelope provided, whichshould be sealed and returned toreach the Society not later than 31March 2012. Unless we are able todetermine your eligibility to vote theenvelope will not be opened andyour vote will be invalid. Pleasetherefore write your full name on theback of the envelope. No othermatter should be enclosed. NOTE: Fellows may only voteonly once, either online or byreturning the postal ballot.

FEBRUARY 2012 11


n NATALYN ALAI am dedicated todevelopinggeosciencestudents andprofessionalsthrough chartershipand beyond, and

believe that the more challenging theproblem, the greater the capacity forlearning. I believe the GeologicalSociety, in collaboration with otherinternational institutions, can play animportant role in ensuring theenvironmentally sustainable use ofwater and energy resources.

I am a Director at Atkins and apractising contaminanthydrogeologist with over 20 years’international experience. I have a BSin Engineering Geology and an MS inHydrogeology from Texas A&MUniversity. I became a CharteredGeologist in 2000 and am also aChartered Scientist and aProfessional Geologist in California. Iserve as a scrutineer for the Society,a member of the Society’s degreeAccreditation Panel, and am active inother professional organisations. Ihave provided training courses,lectures andpresentations/publications forinternational conferences andtechnical journals in groundwater riskassessment and modelling.

My professional and businessexperience will provide valuable supportto the Council. If elected, I would focusmy efforts on promoting the Society’scollaboration and interaction withinternational organisations, expandingthe Society’s influence and technicalparticipation in the contaminated landand hydrogeology professions, andcontinuing to support the developmentof geoscience professionals.Proposer: D J Cragg Supporters: M Rivett, O Mills

n MICHAEL ARMITAGEI am Chairman of SRKConsulting and, after aspell as a minegeologist, have spentthe last 20 years as aconsulting geologist onexploration and mining

projects worldwide. I completed mydegree at the University of Cardiff andmy PhD at the University of Bristol andam a Chartered Engineer as well as aChartered Geologist. I have writtenseveral papers on resource estimationand have helped develop internationalresource reporting codes. For manyyears I was joint MSc course co-ordinator at Cardiff and until last yearwas external examiner for an MSc atImperial. I have been a Fellow since1993, was a founding member of theSouthern Wales Regional Group(Chairman in its formative years). I haveacted as scrutineer of chartershipcandidates for many years.

I believe the Geological Society is the

most active, relevant and appropriateprofessional body for all UKtrained/based geologists in theminerals sector and would like to usemy industry, management andacademic experience to attract moregeologists into membership, and toensure it continues to represent,encourage and support geologists inall spheres (academic and industrial). Iwould also like to help improveknowledge of the Society withinschools and encourage the teachingof geology at this level.Proposer: R Bowell Supporters: P Bridges, P Maliphant

n ANTONY BROWNI am a Quaternarygeologist withinterests ingeomorphology,palaeoecology andgeoarchaeology. Myparticular speciality is

fluvial sediments from the Miocene tothe present. Currently, I direct thePalaeoenvironmental LaboratoryUniversity of Southampton (PLUS)and previously was a Professor atExeter and Lecturer at Leicester. Mywork has been in geomorphology andclimate change in the East Midlands,fluvial geomorphology andpalaeohydrology in East Africa,Romania, Greece and Siberia.Currently, I am extensively involved inthe landscape history of SouthernBritain; from 1999 – 2003, I wasChair of Devon RIGS (RegionallyImportant Geological Sites) Group andam a long-standing member of theUssher Society (Geosciences SWEngland). I have consulted widely toindustry in the UK and overseas, andwas appointed Soils and ForensicPalynologist to the United NationsInternational Criminal Tribune for theFormer Yugoslavia, (Bosnia operation,1997 – 2003), and have been amember of the Forensic SciencesAdvisory Group.

Strengths I would bring to theCouncil include my commitment tothe widest possible promotion ofEarth sciences to the Government,NGOs and general public and with myrecent involvement in theAnthropocene debate, the views ofrank-and-file members can be heardconcerning proposals on thegeological timescale.Proposer: P Fookes Supporters: R Scrivener, J Bennett

SUPPORTING STATEMENTS FORCOUNCIL NOMINEES

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Below: Votingopen - now is thetime for all goodmen and womento come to the aidof the Society

12 FEBRUARY 2012


n NEIL CHAPMANThe Society isincreasinglyresponsive to thecritical importance ofnational and globalenergy policy andassociated

environmental and nuclear powerissues. I believe that I can help furtherthese aspects of our activities. I havebeen principally involved in researchingand developing the concept ofgeological disposal of radioactivewastes since the 1970s, acting asadviser to national and internationalagencies and governments worldwide.I am currently a partner at MCMConsulting in Switzerland, VicePresident of the Arius Association forregional and international undergroundstorage, and part-time ResearchProfessor in the Department of MaterialsScience and Engineering, University ofSheffield. I served as Chairman of theITC School of Underground WasteStorage and Disposal for eight years.My previous career included 13 years atBGS (latterly, managing the FluidProcesses Research Group) andconsultancy work, including 10 yearsmanaging Quantisci’s GeoscienceGroup in the UK. I have been a Fellow ofthe Society since the 1970s and wasamong the first Chartered Geologists,also serving on the Council of theInstitution of Geologists. In 1990 theSociety awarded me the William SmithFund and in 2010 the Institution of Civil Engineers awarded me the James Watt Medal.Proposer: R S J Sparks Supporters: J D Mather, W R Alexander

n JON DAVIDSONI became part of the UKacademic community in2000 and immediatelyjoined the GeologicalSociety assuming it wasthe ‘right thing to do’,as the representative

body of UK geoscientists. But I realisedthat few of my colleagues are actuallymembers. I want to contribute to theSociety by increasing its vibrancy andacademic relevance. I think we can domore to support geoscience visibilityfrom primary education onwards, andwe can promote employability ingeosciences to students andgovernment alike. I can offer experiencein developing strategy across allied

bodies such as CHUGD, and anoptimism in our capacity to deliverchange, as demonstrated in therecent engagement that the Society,united alongside CHUGD and BGS,has had with government.

Currently I am Deputy Head ofScience Faculty (Research) atDurham University and serve on theUniversity’s Council, which hasinducted me into the responsibilitiesand duties of trustees. I was Chair ofthe Durham Earth SciencesDepartment (2002-5) with 17 years’prior research and teachingexperience in US universities. I havebeen a Fellow of the Society for 10years, and served in the past on theEducation Committee (while Chair ofVMSG, 2006-9)Proposer: D A C Manning Supporters: S A Gibson, D Pyle

n DAVID JONESI am a younghydrogeologist,working towardsChartership. Ihold a BSc (Hons)in Geology (2004)and MSc in

Hydrogeology (2007), both fromCardiff University.

Since joining ProfessionalCommittee last year I have seengood work being done to encourageFellows to work towards andachieve Chartered status. I ampassionate about Chartership and ifelected I will work to ensure theSociety has the tools in place toprovide applicants with thementoring and guidance needed toreach that goal.

As current Chair of the SouthernWales Regional Group, I want tosupport the regions. Our regionalgroups provide a close link to thewider Fellowship and generate manyexcellent events such as the SchoolGeology Challenge and Early CareerGeologist Award. These encourageand support our younger members,and show them that they hold avalued place within the Society.

I have been a STEMNET (ScienceTechnology EngineeringMathematics Network) ambassadorsince 2009, promoting thegeosciences in schools and atcareers events across South Wales.I want to continue this work withinCouncil to capture the imagination ofFellows and the wider public about

the contribution geoscientists canmake in understanding andaddressing environmental challenges.Proposer: P Maliphant Supporters: S Neale, M Eynon

n BRIAN MARKER OBEGeoscience isfundamental tonational wealth,health, safety andenvironment. Weknow that, but manyadministrators,

politicians and members of the publicdo not. In the 1980s and 1990s,planning guidance was prepared thatembedded geosciences in theplanning system. But Government isnow sweeping that guidance away. Iam keen to help the Society respondto that challenge based on longexperience in Government serviceproviding advice to non-geologists. Aninternational perspective was addedby work for IAEG and IUGSCommissions. Close links with theresearch community through NERCand EPSRC committees and theBoard of the BGS reinforced mystrong belief in vigorous research tounderpin policy. But outreach isequally important. My interest in widercommunication of geosciencedeveloped through work in adulteducation and more recently editingpublications relevant tocommunication (GS SpecialPublications 305 and 250). I alsoparticipate in Society business throughvalidation of Chartered Geologistapplications and the Editorial Board ofthe QJEGH. This background could beof use to Council in the Society'sdeveloping desire to communicate thevalue of geology at all levels, especiallyto school students, the general publicand non-geological professionals. Proposer: R E AllingtonSupporters: M G Culshaw, L J Donnelly

n GARY NICHOLSThe GeologicalSociety has been apart of my career asa geoscientist sinceI joined as anundergraduatestudent in 1978.

My direct involvement has beenthrough the Journal as an editor andas a member of the Specialist GroupsCommittee as Secretary of BSRG.

FEBRUARY 2012 13


The Society has been a venue forresearch conferences I haveattended, including one I co-convened, and I value the BurlingtonHouse Library. The Society forms alink between my research interests,through conferences and specialistgroups, my publishing activities (I amSpecial Publications co-editor forSEPM), educational outreach work,in relation to which I am Governor ofan FE College, internationalgeoscience teaching through MScprogrammes by Distance Learning Ihave led, industry-based training (Ico-ordinate postgraduateprogrammes based on industrycourses) and other aspects of theresearch-industry interface throughmy role as Chair of the Board ofDirectors of CASP. With thesediverse geoscience interests, and myposition as Senior Lecturer inSedimentology at Royal Holloway(which I have held for over 20 yearswith interludes seconded to BAS and2 years as professor at UNIS inSvalbard) I believe I can make a well-informed contribution to the work ofthe Society.Proposer: D J BlundellSupporters: L E Frostick, J D Mather

n HOWARD ROSEAfter graduation Ibecame a Fellow ofthe Society early ina long career inindustry as a civilengineer always inactivities with

geological perspectives. Nearly all ofmy career has been spent with twoof the best known British

geotechnical investigation companies,with engineer and managerresponsibilities in, among other things,marine and land ground investigations.This included several years living andworking in the Middle East. As well ashaving an active interest in the SocietyI am a member of the Institution ofCivil Engineers and I serve currently ontwo of its southern regionalcommittees. I believe a good workingrelationship between the Society andthe Institution has considerableadvantages for both and it should beencouraged. If I become a member ofCouncil I shall want to use my industryperspective to promote the Society,and, at the same time, contribute to itsorganisation affairs. Proposer: D NorburySupporters: J C Woodward, D A Earle

n BERNIE VININGI have been a Fellow since 1972and it has been aprivilege to beinvolved in its manyactivities over thistime, particularly as

President of the Petroleum Group. Ihave also had the honour of beingTechnical Chairman of the SeventhPetroleum Geology Conference (2009)and as Deputy Chairman in thepreceding Sixth Petroleum GeologyConference (2003).

I am Chief Geoscientist for BakerHughes worldwide and Professor ofPetroleum Geoscience at RoyalHolloway, University of London(RHUL). I have enjoyed over 35 years’petroleum exploration and productionexperience worldwide, of which 30

BACKGROUND OF CONTINUING MEMBERS OF COUNCIL

Name Expertise Sector

Samantha Brough

Rob Butler

David Cragg

Jane Francis

Al Fraser

Sally Gibson

Tricia Henton

Richard Hughes

Adam Law

Richard Lisle

Alan Lord

Paul Maliphant

Susan Marriott

David Shilston

Colin Summerhayes

John Tellam

Jonathan Turner

Environmental Geoscience

Structural Geology

Engineering Geology

Palaeoclimatology

Petroleum Geology

Igneous Petrology

Environmental Geology

Information Management

Petroleum Geology

Structural Geology

Micropalaeontology

Engineering Geology

Sedimentology

Engineering Geology

Marine Geology/Geochemistry

Hydrogeology

Structural/PetroleumGeology

Industry

Academe

Industry

Academe

Academe/Industry

Academe

Government (retired)

Government

Industry

Academe

Museum

Industry

Academe

Industry

Academe/Government/Industry

Academe

Industry

were with Exxon. I joined consultancyGaffney, Cline & Associates in 2005, working for a diverse client-base worldwide.

My current research interests are incarbonates and Neoproterozoicpetroleum systems. I am also highlyinvolved in career developmentinitiatives for the geosciencecommunity. I hold a doctorate ingeology from King’s College, Universityof London. I am also a member of theAAPG and SPEE; a CharteredGeologist and a European Geologist.

I believe that my energy andenthusiasm, combined with a breadthand depth of industry and academicexperience, well positions me to makea contribution to the work of theSociety by becoming a member of Council.Proposer: C M R FowlerSupporters: D A Waltham, E G Nisbet

s economies grow and ourreliance on technologyincreases, so too does theworld demand for non-renewable resources, inparticular, some of the

scarcer metals. Since the military relianceon Strategic Metals was identified duringthe Cold War, developed nations havebecome very concerned that the worldsupply of some elements comes fromrelatively few sources. Foremost amongthese are the rare earths, but for all ofthem, high demand and limitedalternatives may restrict technologicaldevelopment1.

The House of Commons Science andTechnology Committee’s May 2011 reporton Strategically Important Metalsaddressed how the UK should proceed inthis economically and technologicallysignificant field – and concluded thatscientific input could transform theircurrent scarcity into an opportunity forUK business.

Applications of the rare earthelements2 (REE) are diverse, spanningcatalysts, electro-optics, semiconductors,magnets and related devices (datastorage, power generation, motors etc.).Other critical raw materials include thesoft metal Indium, which is used in flat-screen displays and as the dopant in II-VIcompound semiconductors, in novelbatteries and in photovoltaic devices.

CHINAThe issue has come to a head as theChinese economy has blossomed. Chinaholds the majority of the known reservesof lanthanide elements and,understandably, would prefer to exporthigh ‘added value’ products, rather thanlower value raw materials. Someestimates3 put China’s holdings at >90%of global reserves, and a political decision

to reduce exports from China by 70% hasinevitably pushed the price of these metalsvery high indeed. The British GeologicalSurvey (BGS) produced an informativereview4 of these metals in 2010 on behalf ofMinerals UK, and the Geological Societypublished a briefing note on the Rare EarthElements in November 2011.

Rare Earth Elements comprise thelanthanides and the closely related metalsscandium and yttrium, with which theyare often associated in nature. Althoughsome of them are not especially rare, thereare few rich ores and many of those knownoutside China are in remote locations. Tocompound this awkward situation, therecycling of these metals is in its infancy.

Lithium is a more abundant elementthat is also not yet recycled effectively.When I visited the lithium operations ofUmicore, in Olen, Belgium, our host askeda simple question: “What have you donewith your old mobile phone?” Withoutexception, the visitors admitted that theirold phones were lying in a drawer! Manyexpensive devices will be stored in thisway at the end of their lives - in case theyare needed - before they enter the recyclingcircuit, should such a circuit exist.

In nature, REEs occur in a wide range ofminerals, often complex carbonates,phosphates, silicates and arsenates.Despite their name, they are not, in fact, allthat ‘rare’. Cerium, for example, is aboutas abundant as copper in the Earth’s crust(~68ppm) but, unlike copper, is rarelyconcentrated into abundant ores. Theirsimilar chemistries mean that the REEmetals are notoriously difficult andexpensive to separate from each other. Atthe time of writing the commonest REE,cerium, has a 99% spot price of around£90/kg. Metal prices are furthercomplicated by rapidly evolving markets.

Neodymium is one of the moreabundant REE metals, for example, but our

A

Mark Tyrer* asks whether the our growing reliance onRare Earth Elements constitutes a crisis or an opportunity

STRATEGICMETALS AND MINERALS

GEOSCIENTIST FEATURE

▼

Rare Earth Elementscomprise thelanthanides (see righthand arrow leadingfrom Group 3) and theclosely related Group 3metals scandium (21)and yttrium (39)

Image ©

udaix / Shutterstock

“rebuilding a US rare earth supply chainmay take up to 15 years”. Miningoperations at Mountain Pass and at MountWeld (Western Australia) are alreadygetting underway, but it seems likely thatfor the next decade or so, China willdominate the world supply of thesemetals. If it chooses to sell them asfinished products rather than as rawmaterials, the rest of the world has twochoices: buy them or do without! The latteroption appears unlikely; it also seemsimprobable that alternative technologieswill become available over the next few years.

A natural question to ask would be -what is the best strategy for the UK toadopt? This was the basis of the House ofCommons Science and TechnologyCommittee’s inquiry into StrategicallyImportant Metals. This was launched inNovember 2010 under the Chairmanshipof Andrew Miller MP (the Society’s 2012Sir Peter Kent Lecturer – see p8). TheGeological Society presented written andoral evidence to the Committee, whichreported on the 17 May 2011. To mark thelaunch of the report, the Parliamentaryand Scientific Committee brought togetherAndrew Bloodworth (BGS), HazelPritchard (University of Cardiff) and TonyHartwell (Environmental SustainabilityKTN) to discuss how the availability ofcertain elements affects the UK now (andin the future) and involves expert scientificinput across the entire supply chain; from exploration and mining to therecycling of materials.

COLLABORATIONThe report stresses the need for focusedresearch. Speakers at the May meetingreferred to the need for verticallyintegrated research. Collaboration anddeveloping continuity of ideas throughoutthe value chain is in its infancy, yet in thiscase, seems very important indeed. Forexample, the concerns of the explorationgeochemist and the industrial recycler mayseem poles apart, yet they are surprisinglyclose. Both are concerned with similarchemistry and both rely on a soundthermodynamic understanding to reachtheir goals yet, unless the need forcollaboration is recognised, each mayremain unaware of the other’s work.

The urgency of this issue may fostercollaboration and engagement betweenother ‘links in the chain’, generating newideas and shared understanding. Oneimportant research need is the continuedgathering of comprehensive high-qualitydata. For example, are there sources ofstrategic metals that have not yet been

16 FEBRUARY 2012

GEOSCIENTIST FEATURE

insatiable demand for “supermagnets”keeps its price high - approximately twicethat of cerium. The neodymium alloyNd2Fe14B has a phenomenal magneticsusceptibility - so much so that a one-grammagnet can lift an object 1000 times itsown mass! As a result, much greentechnology is dependent on thesepowerful light magnets in motors andgenerators, for example.

Further affecting the value ofneodymium (and samarium) is theunprecedented demand for portableelectronic devices, which use thesemagnetic alloys in their transducers.Interested readers can see price chartsupdated hourly on the web. A newspaperarticle5 of March 2011 reported that: “At$72 a kilo, cerium oxide, used in polishingglass and lenses, is now 15 times moreexpensive than it was a year ago;neodymium has more than trebled invalue to $115 over the same period.Analysts do not expect them to cool off forat least two years”.

CURIOSITIESIt is interesting to consider how we cometo be in this situation. Since theirdiscovery in the late 18th Century, REEsremained chemical curiosities for morethan 100 years. As industrial applicationsdeveloped throughout the 20th Century,new discoveries provided commercialsources for these metals from India, Russia,North America, Greenland and ultimatelythe Monazite mines of South Africa.

Around 30 years ago, the United Stateswas the largest producer (largely from theMountain Pass Mine, in California) untilChina flooded the market with low-costrare earths to supply a rapidly growingdemand. This was possible for two mainreasons. First, much of the Chineseproduction comes from the REE-richtailings of the Bayan Obo iron mine ininner Mongolia, the largest known depositof both rare earths and of fluorite,occurring as a rift along the edge of theSino-Korean craton. It is estimated thathalf the world's known REE reserves arein this one location. The second reason isthat China was not restricted byenvironmental or other legislations,allowing it to undercut other suppliers tothe point where commercial competitionbecame futile and production in the rest ofthe world all but ceased.

An American study6 in 2010 assessedthe viability of commercial primaryproduction in the rest of the world andconcluded that “rare earth deposits in theUnited States, Canada, Australia andAfrica could be mined by 2014” but that

▼

Yttrium metal indendritic,massive andmachined form.Inset: Yttriumwas commonlyused as the redphosphor in CRTdisplays and isnow a majorcomponent in‘YBCO’superconductors(YBa2Cu3O7)

China currentlydominates theproduction of rareearth elementsworldwide

Rare Earth Oxides.Clockwise fromtop centre:praseodymium,cerium,lanthanum,neodymium,samarium, andgadolinium

The two mostabundant REEminerals areboth cerium-richphases: Left andcentre: CeriumMonazite (Ce, La,Pr, Nd, Th, Y)PO4Right: Bastnäsite(Ce, La)CO3F

FEBRUARY 2012 17

FEATURE GEOSCIENTIST

found or adequately exploited? Howeverimplausible it seems, much of our owncountry remains unexplored on a detailedmineralogical and geochemical level. Inaddition, we know of industrial processesthat concentrate some strategic elements(for example in combustion residues) andit seems reasonable to expect others tocome to light.

So far, the focus of this and othergovernments has been on a developing astrategy for the next few years, bridgingthe period of the Chinese monopoly onglobal REE supplies. One view is that ourdemand for strategic metals as rawmaterials is minimal because Britain’smanufacturing base is now so small andbecause we import finished goods orcomponents. But little considerationseems to have been given to the future. In that medium term, strategic metals indevices will, collectively, reach the criticalmass for recycling. Perhaps a betterquestion to ask then is - how do werecycle these elements?

RECYCLEThere are of course, two answers. We canexport our waste overseas, where it willbe reprocessed and re-imported as newgoods, albeit at a price. Alternatively, wehave the specialist knowledge and skills inthe UK to do it ourselves. Certainly, ifnative sources are exploited, this willrequire a technological infrastructure toprocess the minerals (or industrialresidues) which, in turn, opens upopportunities for recycling materials asthey become available. It is hoped thatsomeone in government recognises this asan opportunity to be encouraged.

The area needs both research anddevelopment. We need research into ournatural resources and the technologiesneeded for their efficient exploitation andre-processing, as well as into themechanisms acting on the supply chain.How exactly do we get those old phonesout of desk drawers? Would a financialincentive similar to a deposit on areturnable drinks bottle help? Research wecan do, but development is an area wherewe as a nation are less successful.

Recent governments seem to feel thatmarket forces will sort things out withminimal intervention from them, but inthis case I have my doubts. Althoughstockpiling and ‘rare earth hedge funds’may distort market prices, theircontribution to greening the planet seemsmore questionable. Industry needs anincentive to establish the technology withwhich these metals will be recycledefficiently and in the UK, we might look to

the Technology Strategy Board to providea lead.

There is a real opportunity here toshape our own technological futures andthe contributions of scientists will besignificant. At the Parliamentary andScientific Committee meeting, onequestioner asked the Chairman aboutscientific understanding in politics andgovernment, specifically how manysenior civil servants hold scientificqualifications. To his credit, AndrewMiller turned the question on its head,saying that he hoped debates like thiswould encourage our brightest youngscientists to apply for the Civil ServiceFast Track recruitment programme.

Career change to politics anyone? n

1 Moreley, N & Eatherby, D (2008) MaterialSecurity. Ensuring resource availability for theUK economy Strategic report produced by theResource Efficiency Knowledge TransferNetwork ISBN 978-1-906237-03-5 OakdeneHollins, Aylesbury.

2 Kara, H et al. (2010) Lanthanide Resourcesand Alternatives Report DFT-01 205 on behalfof the Department of Business, Industry andSkills. Oakdene Hollins, Aylesbury.

3 Highley, D E et al. (2004) The EconomicImportance of Minerals to the UK Report,CR/04/070N on behalf of the Office of theDeputy Prime Minister. British GeologicalSurvey, Keyworth.

4 Walters, A et al. (2010) Rare earth ElementsCommodity Profile Report on behalf of MineralsUK. British Geological Survey, Keyworth.

5 Foster, P (2011) Rare earths: Why China iscutting exports crucial to Western technologiesThe Daily Telegraph, 19th March 2011.London.

6 US Government Accountability Office (2010)Rare Earth Materials in the Defense SupplyChain Washington DC

n The House of Commons Science andTechnology Committee report on StrategicallyImportant Metals + Government response:www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/science-and-technology-committee/inquiries/strategically-important-metals/

n The Geological Society’s briefing note on RareEarth Elements: www.geolsoc.org.uk/ree

REFERENCES

* Mark Tyrer is an independentgeochemist, based in Derbyshire andLondon. He is a Research Manager forMIRO, the Mineral Industry ResearchOrganisation, Visiting Professor of

geomaterials at Coventry University and HonoraryResearch Fellow at Imperial College. © M Tyrer;FBSR to ‘Geoscientist’ and the ‘Geological Society ofLondon’ without reservation.

At the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences we offer courses covering all aspects of Earth Sciences. Our part-time MRes/Postgraduate Diploma in Earth Sciences is ideal for students who want to undertake a limited amount of supervised research on a shorter timescale than for an MPhil or PhD. This type

for entry into the Earth Science professions, all of which contain a strong element of research work. As well as a range of laboratory and IT skills, the degree teaches practice in organising a research project and publishing its results. All formal teaching takes place in the evening at our central London location.

study is dedicated to a research project under the supervision of a research active member of staff. Applicants must have a good degree in Earth Sciences, Geology or related subject. Admission is biennial (2012, 2014 etc). Successful students can go on to study a PhD/MPhil in Earth Sciences. The Department is part of the highly rated UCL/Birkbeck Joint Research School in Earth Sciences, facilitating access to a wide range of research resources and expertise.

www.bbk.ac.uk/geology 020 3073 8032 London’s evening university

For more information please email: [email protected] To apply for one of our programmes please go to: www.bbk.ac.uk/es/prospective

MRes Earth Sciences Part-time, 2 years

18 FEBRUARY 2012

stuary and mountainscombine to create abeautiful setting atGlandyfi, on the Mid-Wales coast. Major civilengineering contractor

Carillion is breaking-out the Silurianrocks and stabilising the slope, torealign the A487 trunk road onbehalf of the Welsh Government.

The A487 is an important N-Sroute in Wales, which narrows atGlandyfi, a hamlet on the southernflank of the Dyfi estuary. In theshadow of Snowdonia and eightkilometres SW of Machynlleth,Wales’s ancient capital, nightmaretailbacks can occur as lorries andbuses try to pass one another. The1.3km section of narrow road isperched above the Cambrian

Railway. A steep slope rises to theeast, and several residentialproperties pin the narrow snakingroad in its current location. Localswere rewarded for their years ofpatience when the WelshGovernment employed consultantsParsons Brinkerhoff to design animprovement.

Gifford (now as Ramboll, theglobal engineering andenvironmental consultancy) iscarrying the design forward, astechnical advisers to the WelshGovernment. Two retained cuttingswere included as Contractor-Designed (Design and Build)elements in the EngineeringConstruction Contract, managed byconsultants EC Harris. The £10mcontract was awarded to Carillion in

March 2011. Tony Gee wasemployed by Carillion to design theretained cuttings. Constructionstarted in earnest in April 2011.

EXISTING SLOPESThe slopes that currently confine theroad alignment need cutting to allowfor widening and straighteningwork. These slopes typicallycomprise colluvium aboveweathered bedrock, with fresh,intact bedrock beneath. Gradientsare typically 1 in 5 (but steeperwhere bedrock is exposed). Thecolluvium is a granular-cohesivematerial, the strength and stability ofwhich derive from cohesion of theclay matrix, and a degree of interlockfrom the included gravels andcobbles. The source material is

GLANDYFISTABILISING

Iain Bews* reports on engineering geology and construction at a notoriousbottleneck, and investigates the new exposures before they are covered forever

Above: Dyfi Estuaryshowing part ofexisting A487E

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FEBRUARY 2012 19

weathered bedrock, comprisingsandstone, siltstone and mudstonebeds of the Silurian Devil’s BridgeFormation (DBF) and BorthMudstones Formation (BMF. Theexploitation of structural weaknessesby water and gravity has led to zonesof relatively deep weathering,producing clayey gravel with cobblesand occasional boulders.

Late Caledonian (Acadian) foldinghas created a series of synformal andantiformal axes that trend obliquelyto the slope. Through most of thescheme these lead to unfavourablebedding and cleavage orientationsthat could facilitate wedge and planefailure upon excavation of the newroad alignment - an unacceptable riskto the highway as well as amaintenance liability. Two sectionstherefore require stabilisation:retained cutting RC1 is 15m high and500m long, and was underconstruction at time of writing.Retained cutting RC2 is 12m highand 250m long, and was due tocommence later in 2011.

The window on the geologyexposed to view constantly changesas excavation and constructionprogress. A recent geologicalsnapshot was observed by GeologistsRhian Kendall from the BritishGeological Survey, Dr Bob Mathews(Countryside Council for Wales) andProfessor Bill Fitches (Central WalesRIGS group) who visited the siteduring construction of RC1. BGSmapping indicates that the bedrockconsists of DBF, a multilayeredturbidite sequence. The mudstone-dominated section at the southernend of RC1 closely resembles thepartly coeval BMF, whichinterdigitates with DBF elsewhere inthe area; whereas sandstoneturbidites become more common inthe northern part of RC1.

The primary discontinuity set isthe cleavage, which is very welldeveloped, slaty and strongly obliqueto bedding (bedding is also strong insandy layers). Cleavage strikesparallel to the fold axes, and istypically unfavourable for the cuttingslope, combining with sub-verticaljoints and minor faults, could enableslabs and wedges to slide out.Stereographic analysis was carriedout (by Parsons Brinckerhoff) duringpreliminary design, to inform slopestabilisation requirements.

Burrows and erosional features

Rock structureexposed, wallconstruction inbackground

Plan of site withBGS overlay

Rock-wheelat work

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within plastic sleeves ensures a 120-year design life. The anchors arespaced at intervals of two metreshorizontally and three metresvertically, in up to four horizontalrows. The system has built-inredundancy, so if one anchor fails,the load is safely distributed to thesurrounding anchors.

Gee’s analysis showed that themaximum stress occurred in the toprow; the RC1 top row anchors are11m long, with 5m bonded length.The bond length was designed to begrouted into moderately strong rock(12MPa Unconfined CompressiveStrength), to give design anchorloads of up to 650kPa. Suitabilitytests were conducted on three trialanchors during the design stage.All installed anchors will beacceptance tested to 135% designload, and locked-off at 110%. Theanchors are being drilled, installedand tested by specialistsubcontractor CAN Geotechnical.

The anchored face slopes at 12°to the vertical. The slopes arecovered by a mesh and sprayed-concrete wall, against which theanchors are stressed. Back-of-walldrains are installed before fixing the mesh.

Carillion elected to excavate therock in benches using toothedbuckets, peckers and rock wheels,rather than blast. GPS guidance isfitted to the excavator for the finaltrim, to achieve millimetre-perfectprecision, where fracture geometryallows. A cleaner finish is achievedon the lower benches, as the fresherrock encountered at depth is lessprone to overbreak.

Working area is extremely

limited where steep rock slopes risefrom the existing road, with largeslabs (that look ready to slide ifdisturbed!). Dowels and rock-catchfences are being employed to stabilisethese and protect workers and public.

REWARDINGAs a civil engineering project withsignificant geotechnical content in achallenging geological setting,Glandyfi is an interesting andrewarding project. Proven slopestabilisation techniques, cleverprogramming, a strong emphasis onsafety, and collaborative workingwithin the project team are beingsuccessfully utilised to deliver a well-needed and long-awaited roadimprovement. I hope that this articlehas at least scratched the surface ofthe wealth of geological interestwhich a project such as Glandyfi canprovide. This interest will continueas further exposures are created, andthe engineering challenges whichthey provide are overcome. n

FEBRUARY 2012 21

FEATURE GEOSCIENTIST

such as flute casts are preserved,and lustrous purple manganeseoxides coat many bedding surfaces.A fault system is apparent withinthe sandstone-rich section; in thedeformed fault zone the bedsrapidly steepen and change inorientation. A 0.6m thick quartzvein, which may be part of an enechelon array, is prominent withinthe deformation zone. The quartz isstrong and hard, as evidenced bydamage to the teeth of the rock-wheel during excavation.

Other than a little sphaleritewithin the quartz vein, weencountered no lead, copper or zincmineralisation - characteristic of theCentral Wales Orefield. Thedeformation zone is probablyassociated with the GlandyfiLineament, a composite structure that here marks a divide in the vergence of Acadian foldsand cleavage.

RC2 was not yet excavated attime of writing, but we lookforward to the exposures it willprovide, particularly as theregionally significant Llyfnant Fault(a transverse normal fault ofpossible Variscan age) passesthrough the site. We will again beon the lookout for mineralisation,but sadly our experts have assured us that no gold can beexpected here.

RETAINED CUTTINGSThe Contractor-Designed retainedcuttings are complex geotechnicalstructures and subject toGeotechnical Category III checksand approval by the TechnicalApproval Authority (TAA). TheCat. III checks are being performedby consultant WhiteYoungGreen,and the TAA role is beingperformed by the WelshGovernment. The geotechnicalcertification procedure is inaccordance with HD 22/08Managing Geotechnical Risk.

Complying with the contractrequirements set out in the WelshGovernment’s Works Information,and with relevant standards, TonyGee has designed a masonry-facedreinforced concrete wall. In order toprevent slope failure, the designincludes a grid of double-corrosionprotected and re-stressible rockanchors, using 36mm and 40mmDywidag bars. Grout encapsulation

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSJulian Wilson, Contracts Manager, Carillion,for initiating and reviewing this article.Austin Weltman, Chris Young and TimNgai of Tony Gee, who designed the retainedcuttings. Tudor Roberts of the WelshGovernment, for review. Rhian Kendall,BGS, for geological expertise. Dr BobMathews, CCW, for geological expertise andreview. Professor Bill Fitches, CentralWales RIGS and Geoscience Wales Ltd, forgeological expertise and review.

Above: Flute castsand burrows on baseof cross-laminatedturbidite sandstone

* Iain Bews, BSc CGeol FGS is working forGifford, part of Ramboll as Client’s GeotechnicalSupervisor on the A487 Glandyfi Improvement

Photo courtesy, B

ill Fitches

22 FEBRUARY 2012

READERS’LETTERS

Sir, I enjoyed reading about Richard Thornton'scontributions to African geology andLivingstone's Zambezi Expedition. Readers maybe interested to know that Thornton's grave inthe Shire Valley was 'rediscovered' in the 1960s.By appropriate coincidence this fell to an Englishgeologist carrying out systematic mapping forthe Geological Survey of Malawi. I was shownthe grave in the early 1970s during asecondment to that Survey from BGS. By thattime the grave had been adopted by theMalawian authorities, and a headstone with anexplanatory inscription had been erected.Perhaps some reader may know whether it isstill being tended?Peter BennettRichard Boak replies: Having already submitted thearticle about Richard Thornton (Geoscientist 21.7August 2011 p18), I was fortunate enough to be sentto Malawi on a short consultancy contract. On a dayoff, I managed to visit Thornton’s grave, overlookingthe Shire River just north of Chikwawa. Althoughmarked on the tourist map of Malawi, the grave is not

THORNTON UNEARTHED

GEOLOGY’S HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE

ALPHABET SOUPSir, In several recent letters, namelyJohn Gahan's ‘Volcanoes andinnocence’ (Geoscientist 21.10November 2011) and associatedcomments, abbreviations are usedwithout being preceded by the fullversion of the name. While obviousabbreviations such as BGS mightpass muster in this publication, it issurely inexcusable?Iain A WilliamsonEditor writes: Apologies if the alphabetsoup of climate change has become alittle thick of late. Iain is right; we normallydo employ the rule of placingabbreviations in brackets after first use ofthe full version in any piece. However, inLetters particularly (where space is verytight) we take a judgement aboutfamiliarity. Iain cites 'BGS' (BritishGeological Survey) as an abbreviation thatwe can reasonably expect our readers toknow without explanation, for example. Ifwe were writing for the general public wewould not take this view.

The letters to which Iain refers includeabbreviations of verbose titles and terms,namely IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel onClimate Change) and AGW(Anthropogenic Global Warming) whoseuse, even once, may save several lines.We took the view that 'IPCC' ought to befamiliar to everyone who keeps up withcurrent affairs. 'AGW' we accept isprobably only familiar to those adept inthe jargon of climate change, and shouldindeed have been explained in full.

VOLCANIC GASSir, Your correspondent's assertionthat "there is no CO2 fingerprint thatidentifies anthropogenic carbondioxide from that produced byvolcanism", is arguably off the mark.Leaving aside that the amount ofcarbon dioxide accumulated in theatmosphere (the Keeling curve andice core data) very largely correlateswith fossil fuel combustion(calculated from commercial sales)minus ocean absorption (calculatedfrom change in pH), there is anotherfingerprint clue.

Fossil fuel carbon, unlike volcaniccarbon, is depleted in 13C, as iscarbon from deforestation. Boththese sources are anthropogenic.Both these sources are biotic carbonand as such passed through thebiosphere's photosynthesis filter thatprefers 12C (depleting 13C). Indeedchapter two of the 2007 IPCCscience assessment covers thispoint (its figure 2.3). Also volcaniccarbon is depleted in 14C whereascarbon from deforestation is not. Jonathan Cowie

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 [email protected] will be edited. For references cited in these letters,please see the full versions at www.geolsoc.org.uk/letters

n NOVEMBER COVERThe ammonite on theNovember cover has beendiagnosed as Coroniceraslyra, from the L. Sinemurian(Jurassic – pic. Courtesy,Murray Edmunds). We aregrateful to him and Prof. John

Cope for help in identifying this cropped Agencyphoto. More on the Society blog entry, 13 Dec2011: ‘All in a whorl’. See front page link.

n DEC/JAN FEATUREWe got our Nicols in a twistover this picture, whichshould have been captioned“William Nicol (right) reads tohis blind uncle”. Thank youfor all those who wrote inwondering how a blind man

could have invented the polarisingmicroscope, and remarking upon his strikingresemblance to Dr Strangelove.

NOTES & CORRECTIONS

easy to find, and I needed considerable help from thelocals. I’m pleased to report that it’s still in goodcondition (see photo), beneath a baobab tree, and itwas an emotional moment for me.

Sir, Emlyn Koster writes (Geoscientist 21.9October 2011 p18) “geology’s holisticperspective should become integral to manyimportant societal and scientific issues is longoverdue”. Is he ignorant, therefore, of thecontribution of geologists, and that we are -and have long been - indispensable to the needs of society? Geology’s holisticperspective is all around us: it is our economicand social wealth.

The world is currently going through thelargest ever increase in societal wealth.Hundreds of millions of people globally (not justBrazil, Russia, India and China) are goingthrough the transformation from poverty tomiddle class (the so-called $5000 threshold)with the positive environmental and socialimplications that this brings. This wonderfuleconomic phenomenon has come about as a

result of a positive feedback loop driven bydemand for housing and modern necessitiessuch as refrigerators, air-conditioners, bicycles,telephones, computers and cars. All requiremetals that are found, evaluated and mined bygeologists and engineers.

Central to this world-wide economictransformation is a robust minerals industry. At the epicentre of that industry are geologists,supplying energy minerals, iron for building,copper for electricity collection and distribution,gold as a currency hedge, specialist minerals for modern communication devices and the rare metals critical for next-generation greenenergy supply.

As the bumper sticker says “if it can’t begrown, it has to be mined”. Geology already hasa critical societal, economic and scientific role.Julian Vearncombe

FEBRUARY 2012 23

n Modelling Uncertainty in the EarthSciences Caers, J (2011), Wiley-Blackwell

n Basic Geological Mapping (5th Ed)Lisle, R J, Brabham, P & Barnes, J (2011),Wiley-Blackwell

REVIEWS: COPIES AVAILABLE

Interested parties should contact theReviews Editor, Dr. Martin Degg 01244513173; [email protected], only.Reviewers are invited to keep texts.Review titles are not available to orderfrom the Geological Society PublishingHouse unless otherwise stated.

The Earth on Show

Heavy Crude Oils is a comprehensivereview of all aspects of heavy crudes. Part 1 deals with definitions, compositionand geological origins. A brief review ofthe key terms, such as ‘heavy’, ‘extra-heavy’, ‘bitumen’, ‘tar sand’ and ‘oil sand’(the book uses “heavy crudes” for all ofthem), is followed by a section on thestatistical importance of the world’s heavycrude resource.

Part 2, the biggest section, details thereservoir habitat and the productionmethods commonly used to exploit heavycrudes. Oil sand mining is used forcompletely immobile crudes, where thereservoir is excavated wholesale and theseparated sand returned to the groundafter processing. Crudes which are tosome degree mobile can be producedeither “cold” or by heat-treating them.

Part 3 examines the transport of heavycrudes, and the various methods ofreducing viscosity. These include heattreatment (I was surprised to learn that itis possible for heat treatment to worsenthe rheological properties of crudes),

dilution with solvent, aqueous emulsions,and techniques still in the experimentalphase, such as core annular flow. Part 4looks at upgrading of heavy crudes,focusing on the lowering sulphur andmetal contents. The processes of de-asphalting, visbreaking, coking andhydrotreating are described, and theirrelative merits and de-merits examined.Much of this section was new to me, but itis very clearly written and all the termsand various acronyms are fully explained.

Part 5 tackles the environmental issuesthat arise out of the very nature of heavycrude production, such as the problems ofsand treatment and disposal in bitumenmining; the large amounts of waternecessary to generate steam for steamsoaking; and the amounts of CO2produced by steam generation and bysome of the upgrading processes. Part 6looks at the ongoing technical challengesassociated with major heavy oil projects.This section also contains useful summaryfigures for the costs involved, and a costcomparison with conventional crudeproduction.

The book is very clearly written(written in French, it has been Englishedby a native speaker) and would usefullyserve any company that is interested ininvesting in heavy crude exploration andproduction. Given the amount ofuntapped heavy crude out there, moreand more companies will no doubt beinvestigating that possibility in the not toodistant future. This book is a very goodplace to start.

Reviewed by Pete Webb, Petrus Consulting, High Peak, Derbyshire

Heavy Crude Oils: FromGeology to Upgrading

HEAVY CRUDE OILS: FROM GEOLOGY TO UPGRADING– AN OVERVIEW ALAIN-YVES HUC (ed.) Published by: Editions TechnipPublication date: 2010 ISBN: 978-2-7108-0890-9.439pp. List price: $US115.00; €100.00,www.editionstechnip.com

Today’s scientists, whether celebrating orcomplaining about it, often seem to thinkthat ‘public outreach’ is a new trend. But,as Ralph O’Connor’s wonderful study ofthe early years of geology The Earth onShow - Fossils and the Poetics of PopularScience, 1802-1856 proves, being able tosell your subject was as important 200years ago as it is now – perhaps more.

“If men competent to the task disdainto popularize science the task will beattempted by men who are incompetent:popularised it will be”, said John Crossein 1845. Luckily, early 19th Centurygeologists included in their ranks suchmen as William Buckland, Charles Lyelland later Hugh Miller – characters morethan capable of holding a crowd.

Connor outlines, entertainingly and inmeticulous detail, the tools these earlychampions of geology used, dispellingsome popular ‘myths’ surrounding thescience’s early years - particularly thatgeologists were at loggerheads with thereligious establishment. Yes, there were‘liberals’ and ‘literalists’, but these weretwo points on what O’Connor calls a‘spectrum of debate’.

Early geologists won respect byincorporating, not openly challenging,established ideas about Earth’s history. Towin over a public familiar with thenarrative tropes and imagery of the Bookof Genesis, Paradise Lost and ChildeHarold, it was necessary to draw on thesethemes rather than dismiss them. Thus,strange new creatures were likened todragons or biblical monsters, geologists toByronic heroes and the early Earth to Hell.

“What if there was an ancient, verylarge sort of octopus, like the kraken ofmythology?” asked US geologist MarkMcMenamin, in the now notorious GSApress release entitled Ancient kraken lairdiscovered. “A cunning sea monster ...akraken of such mythological proportionsit would have sent Captain Nemo runningfor dry land.”

Amid all the outrage this fancifulrelease evoked among the strait-laced, no-one remarked on the age-old nature of this

THE EARTH ON SHOW - FOSSILS AND THE POETICSOF POPULAR SCIENCE, 1802-1856RALPH O’CONNOR, Published by: Chicago University Press2008. ISBN: 9780226616681 (cloth) 9780226616704(e-book). 542pp List price (cloth): $47.00,http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/

BOOKS & ARTS GEOSCIENTIST

narrative trick. “Imagine an animal ofthe lizard tribe” writes Gideon Mantell in1827, “three or four times as large as thelargest crocodile...such a creature musthave been the Iguanadon!”

Wildly speculative, yes; but stories likethese bring geology to life for theuninitiated. Though a historical study,‘The Earth on Show’ demands to be takenseriously by today’s scientists and sciencecommunicators. It is a brilliant reminderof how empathising with your audienceis as important as presenting the bestfactual evidence – a skill which perhapscomes more naturally to the poet.

Reviewed by Sarah Day

24 FEBRUARY 2012

GEOSCIENTIST PEOPLE

n MARCIAN D BLEAHU Marcian D Bleahu(former Director ofthe GeologicalInstitute of Romania)was awarded the

Percival Allen Medal of theAssociation of EuropeanGeological Societies (AEGS) atMAEGS-17, held in Belgrade lastyear. The Percival Allen Awardwas created to reward Earthscientists who have contributedgreatly to fostering internationalrelations in their science.

n ANDREW HURST Andrew Hurst(Professor ofPetroleum Geology,University ofAberdeen) has been

awarded the AAPG Grover EMurray Memorial DistinguishedEducator Award, ‘in recognitionof distinguished and outstandingcontributions to geologicaleducation’. Hurst received theaward jointly with ProfessorHoward Johnson, ShellProfessor of Petroleum Geology,Imperial College, London.

n NEAL MARRIOTT Neal Marriott(currently GSLDirector ofPublishing) willassume the new role

of Director of Publishing, Libraryand Information Services from 1January 2012 and have over-arching responsibility formanaging both PublishingHouse and Library. The posthas been created to ensureoptimal sharing of skills andexperience across these

PEOPLEGlossop Award and Medal, 2011Members of the Engineering Group gave an enthusiastic receptionto the 12th Glossop Lecture and the winner of the Glossop Award

Adler deWind writes: TheRoyal Geographical Society’slecture theatre was packed onNovember 23 last year tohear Eddie Bromhead(Professor of GeotechnicalEngineering, KingstonUniversity London) deliverthe 2011 Glossop Lectureentitled ‘Reflections on theresidual strength of clayswith special reference tobedding-controlledlandslides.’ The lecture waspreceded by a presentationfrom the 2011 Glossop Award

winner, Sophie Gibb (KeyGeoSolutions Ltd.) on‘Application of presplitblasting to final faces in hardrock quarries.’

PRESENTATIONThe Award and Medal werepresented to Ms Gibb andProf Bromhead by EmmaSlack, Rudolph Glossop'syounger daughter. Ms Gibbwas presented with a copy ofthe recently published bookRudolph Glossop and the Rise ofGeotechnology, by Ronald

Williams, as reviewed by IanSims in the previous issue.She also received a chequeand certificate.

The evening waspresided over by DavidEntwisle (BGS), Chair of theEngineering Group, whoannounced at the meetingthat Prof. Bromhead willtake over Editorship of theQuarterly Journal ofEngineering Geology andHydrogeology (QJEGH) in 2013, in succession toMike Winter.

Eddie BromheadEmma Slack andSophie Gibb

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 [email protected], quoting yourFellowship number.

departments and to supportimplementation of Library Reviewrecommendations. SheilaMeredith’s successor, to berecruited in the first half of 2012(following a review of librarymanagement requirements) willreport to Neal.

n SOSPETER MUHONGO Sospeter Muhongo,University of Dar EsSalaam and Editor-in-Chief of theJournal of African

Earth Sciences (and HonoraryFellow of the Society) has beendecorated with the Ordre desPalmes Académiques, aFrench Order of Chivalry foracademics, cultural andeducational figures. Originallya decoration founded byEmperor Napoléon(Established in 1808 byNapoleon) to honour eminentmembers of the University ofParis, it was established as anorder in 1955 by PresidentRené Coty.

n TED NIELD Ted Nield, Editor,Geoscientist, hasbeen commissionedby Granta Books towrite his third book for

them. Provisionally titled Beyondthe Vale – a personal journeythrough time’s lost landscape, thebook will combine personalmemoir with the history of our useof Earth materials, and warn thatthe vanishing of Britain’s quarries,mines and spoil heaps hasdivorced us from our planet’s past.

Photos:Ted N

ield

FEBRUARY 2012 25

PEOPLE GEOSCIENTIST

Hong Kong visit

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.

IN MEMORIAM WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/OBITUARIES

THE SOCIETY NOTES WITH SADNESS THE PASSING OF:

Allen, Anthony William* Friedman, Gerald M*§ Oates, Francis * Collie, Michael* Hepworth, Barrie* Price, Ivor C*Cruickshank, Arthur Humphreys, Adrian * Uko, Suzuki*Edwards, Wilfrid Thomas* Kwolek, Julian Kenneth* Young, Roger Andrew*

In the interests of recording its Fellows' work for posterity, the Society publishesobituaries online, and in Geoscientist. The most recent additions to the list areshown in bold. Fellows for whom no obituarist has yet been commissioned aremarked with an asterisk (*). The symbol § indicates that biographical material hasbeen lodged with the Society.

If you would like to contribute an obituary, please email [email protected] be commissioned. You can read the guidance for authors atwww.geolsoc.org.uk/obituaries. To save yourself unnecessary work, please donot write anything until you have received a commissioning letter.

Deceased Fellows for whom no obituary is forthcoming have their names anddates recorded in a Roll of Honour at www.geolsoc.org.uk/obituaries.

▼

Accreditation HK-styleTraining Scheme Accreditation isbeing developed as a partnershipbetween the Society andparticipating companies to addressthe need for structured training andmentoring for early careergeologists and help them developthe necessary competencesrequired for Chartership (moreinformation on www.geolsoc.org.uk). Around 60 younggeologists took part in a series ofcompany meetings and onearranged by the HKRG. They leftno doubt as to Hong Kong’sinterest in Chartership, and theHKRG has an important role toplay in fostering this. The Societypresently has some 12 scrutineers

on the list in Hong Kong, and at ameeting arranged with CGeols andat the dinner produced a furthernine recruits (as well as furtherenquiries about Accreditation).

We also visited Hong KongUniversity, where Professors LungChan and Andrew Malonedescribed how the geology degreeis being changed from three tofour years. The present degreeboasts an accredited pathway, andwe hope that in the new structuremost, if not all, students willgraduate with an accrediteddegree. All in all this was a mostfruitful visit, and our thanks are toPaul Cheung and his HKRGcommittee. BGA star rises in the East

Ian Jack (Hong Kong RegionalGroup) writes: HKRG can lookback on the last 10 years withpride, having arranged numerousmeetings, fieldtrips andconferences; maintainedprofessional standards; promotedthe role of geoscientists; liaisedwith related professional bodies;and facilitated mentoring andscrutineering for charteredgeologist candidates in Hong Kong.

We hope that the next decadewill be even more successful as

we build on this legacy,maintaining our busy programmeand undertaking new initiatives.The HKRG is therefore alwayseager to hear from geoscientistsinterested in sharing theirexperiences and ideas.

All Committee memberscontributed to the dinner’ssuccess, but special thanks go toPhilippa Halton and Celia Choy.Thanks also go to David and Billfor taking the time out from theirbusy schedules to visit us inHong Kong.

Officer Bill Gaskarthaccompanied David on his visit.

Meetings were held, withgeologists in the Hong KongGovernment’s GeotechnicalEngineering Office, Arup, Jacobs,AECOM and Atkins, to promotethe Society’s proposal foraccrediting Company TrainingSchemes. This met withconsiderable interest, and it islikely that applications will bereceived soon. (At the time ofwriting once course had alreadybeen submitted, by GammonConstruction).

President-elect David Shilstonand Chartership Officer BillGaskarth visit Hong Kong’sRegional Group.

The HKRG held its 10thAnniversary in November andinvited President-elect DavidShilston as guest speaker at itscelebration dinner on Friday 18 atthe Hong Kong Football Club (seebelow/right/left). The occasionpresented an opportunity for theSociety to develop contacts withcompanies and geologists inHong Kong and with Hong KongUniversity, and hence Chartership

Below: Hong Kong foodies. Back: Ken Ho (Geotechnical Office CEDD), Celia Choy(Secretary HKRG) Front: David Shilston, Paul Cheung (HKRG Chairman), Bill Gaskarthat the 10th Anniversary Dinner

Graduates and students of HKU Earth Scienceswith Prof Lung Chan and Prof Min Sun

GEOSCIENTIST PEOPLE

Antony and Cleopatra, Napoleonand Josephine, Paris and Helen ofTroy. These are just a few of thepassionate love affairs that haveliterally, it seems, changed thecourse of history. But what aboutthe influence of true love on thedevelopment of geology? Thepivotal role played in the 19thCentury by intelligent and lovingsisters and wives in assisting theresearches of their brothers andhusbands is now increasinglyrecognised and acknowledged.But important though thesecontributions are, one could arguethat they essentially filled in detailsrelated to the understanding ofgeology – albeit often veryimportant ones. But in one case,at least, the love of a good womandid have a profound effect on thecourse of geological history.

According to his biographer,

Archibald Giekie, RoderickMurchison “had entered the[military] service with high hopes ofdistinction, but by a series ofunfortunate circumstances andthrough no fault of his own, hehad been grievouslydisappointed”. The end ofNapoleonic Wars dashedMurchison’s hopes ofdistinguishing himself in activeservice, and when he returned toEngland from France in 1815,Murchison was at a veryloose end.

But in earlysummer of thatyear, things beganto look up.Murchison wasintroduced to

Charlotte Hugonin, described bythe mathematician, MarySomerville, as “an amiable andaccomplished woman, with solidacquirements which few ladies atthat time possessed [and] hadtaken to the study of geology”.After what must have been awhirlwind romance, the pair weremarried at the end of August.

Marriage marked a real turning-point in Murchison’s life. “Fromthis time he came under theinfluence of a thoughtful,cultivated, and affectionatewoman” Geikie records. “Quietlyand imperceptibly that influencegrew, leading him with truewomanly tact into a sphere ofexertion where his uncommonpowers might find full scope”.According to Somerville, it wassoon after his marriage thatMurchison “began that careerwhich has rendered him the firstgeologist of our country”.

One of Murchison’s greatestachievements was his delineation

and definition of the Siluriansystem in Wales. But

when it became obviousthat some of the stratadefined by Murchisonas lower Silurian wereequivalent to stratadefined by theReverend AdamSedgwick as Upper

Cambrian, geological

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 Conference onGeological Collectors andCollecting are available as a pdffile free to download.

* Nina Morgan is based in Oxford.

With St Valentine’s Day in mind, geologist and science writer Nina Morgan*, contemplates true love

DISTANT THUNDER Love on the rocks

PEOPLE...

Portrait of Sir RoderickImpey Murchison 1st Bt.,by Stephen Pearce

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSources for this vignette includethe DNB entry for RoderickMurchison; the DNB entry forCharlotte Murchison; Life of Sir

Roderick I. Murchison Based on

his Journals and Letters by

Archibald Geikie, John Murray,

1875; and Personal Recollections

from Early Life to Old Age of Mary

Somerville with selections fromher Correspondence by herdaughter, Martha Somerville,John Murray, 1874.

Bath discoveriesThe recent Bath DiscoveriesConference, celebrating thePetroleum Group’s 30th birthday,was attended by 165 people in themagnificent surroundings of Bath’sPump and Meeting Rooms. Theconference, entitled Major

Discoveries of the 21st Century‘Standing on the Shoulders ofGiants’, presented an impressivearray of 22 talks over two and ahalf days. A longer account byMike Bowman can be found in theonline version of this issue.

26 FEBRUARY 2012

warfare erupted. The result wasa protracted dispute which wasonly solved after severaldecades by the adoption of anew system – the Ordovician.It’s pure speculation, of course –but if Murchison had never metCharlotte, would the Ordovicianever have come into existence?

FEBRUARY 2012 27

CALENDAR GEOSCIENTIST

DIARY OF MEETINGS FEBRUARY 2012

Meeting Date Venue and details

Theme evening: GeochemistryEast Midlands Regional

Söderströmstunneln: geotechnicalchallenges for an innovative immersedtunnel in StockholmEngineering Group

Rocks and Climate Change: How we canstop pulling the carbon trigger?Geological SocietyShell

Wine, Whisky and Beer: The Role ofGeologySouth Wales Regional

Forensic GeologyCentral Scotland Regional

A Geological Journey through Wine-Franconia, Bavaria. Eine geologische Reise durch Weinfranken

The Geomicrobiology of the Nuclear FuelCycleNorth West Regional

Tbc

8 February

15 February

18 February

21 February

23 February

23 February

Venue: University of Nottingham. Evening meeting. Talks: Field basedgeochemistry (speaker Anna Whittaker) and GBASE (speaker Tbc).Contact: David Boon E: [email protected]

Venue: Burlington House. Time: 1730 for 1800. Speakers: JohannesGlückert, Tilo Spahn and Ralf Astalosch (Zublin GroundEngineering).Contact: Alexandra Booer, Coffey Geotechnics Ltd, Atlantic House,Simonsway Manchester M35 0AW T: +44 (0)161 499 6800 E: [email protected]

Venue: Burlington House 1500 and 1800. Speaker: Bryan Lovell(President, Geological Society of London). A Shell London Lecture. See p9 for details.

Venue: Room 1.25, School of Earth & Ocean Sciences, Main Building,Cardiff University, CF10 3AT. Time: 1030 for 1100. Speaker: Alex Maltman. Contact: Maria Clarkson E: [email protected]

Venue: David Livingstone Centre, Glasgow. Time: tbc. Speaker: Dr Laurance Donnelly. Contact: Caroline Lasham E: [email protected]

An Evening Lecture & Social Event. Venue: The Kenn Centre, Kenn, NearExeter, EX6 7UE. Speaker: Gordon Neighbour. Time: tbc Contact: Dani Pullen E: [email protected]

Venue: University of Manchester. Time: 1830. Speaker: Prof. Jon Lloyd(Professor of Geomicrobiology, University of Manchester). Contact: Chris Berryman T: 01925 291111 E: [email protected]

Can’t find your meeting? VISIT

www.geolsoc.org.uk/listings

full, accurate, up-to-date[ ]

CENTURY ONE PUBLISHING IS THE UK’S BRIGHTEST AWARD-WINNING CONTRACT PUBLISHING AND ADVERTISING SALES AGENCY. WE WORK EXCLUSIVELY

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To plan your ad campaign inGeoscien�st magazine contact:Jonathan Knightt: 01727 739 193e: [email protected]: www.centuryonepublishing.ltd.uk

28 FEBRUARY 2012

GEOSCIENTIST OBITUARY

Pioneer of quantitative microanalysis and chemical thermodynamics in igneous petrology

IAN STUART EDWARD CARMICHAEL 1930-2011

OBITUARY

an Carmichael, larger-than-life petrologist whointroduced quantitativemicroanalysis andchemical thermodynamics

into igneous petrology, died inBerkeley, California on 26August 2011.

Ian did his BA inCambridge where he cameunder the influence of C ETilley. Since Tilley did not,apparently, want him as aPhD student he moved toImperial College where hebegan research undersupervision of George P LWalker. His thesis (1958)focused on Thingmuli, aTertiary volcano in easternIceland. Ian used his field andpetrographic skills to addressone of the most contentiousissues in Earth science at thetime, namely the origin ofsilicic magma, and whether itcould form solely by crystal

fractionation of basalt, orwhether assimilation of oldercontinental crust was required.The problem went to the veryheart of crustal evolution, and his was a classicdemonstration of the evolutionof basalt to rhyolite.

MICROPROBEOn completion of his thesis, Ianbecame a lecturer at ImperialCollege. He developed hisresearch on the crystallisationpaths of feldspars in silicicmagmas and became closefriends with William SMacKenzie, who was followingsimilar ideas experimentally inManchester. In 1963, Ian took asix-month leave at theUniversity of Chicago, whereone of the first electronmicroprobes was beingdemonstrated. He quicklyrealised that this instrumentwould revolutionise petrology

speed measurements, andtheir heat contents up to1700°C. One of the best-known fruits of this work isthe MELTS computerprogram of one of Ian’sstudents, Mark Ghiorso.Despite, however, hisemphasis on microanalysisand experiment Ian’s researchwas always field-orientatedand he maintained an activefield programme into his 70s.

Ian became DepartmentChairman in Berkeley, aposition he held on twoseparate occasions. He alsospent 15 years as AssociateDean and Associate Provostat UC Berkeley, at the sametime serving as Editor-in-Chief of Contributions toMineralogy and Petrology. In1986 he was invited to reviewmy department atNorthwestern University at atime when we feared closure.Once Ian and Karl Turekian(Yale) had reported andbrowbeaten the Dean, theUniversity reprieved us,delivered a pat-on-the-backand awarded us an extrafaculty position.

Ian was a Fellow of theRoyal Society. Hiscontributions were alsorecognised by the BowenAward (AGU), the Day Medal(GSA,) the Murchison Medal(GSL), the SchlumbergerMedal (Min. Soc., GB), andthe Roebling Medal (Min.Soc. Am.).

and therefore asked to extendhis leave to collect more data.When his request was refusedIan resigned, finding himselfaged 34, with a wife and threeyoung children, in Chicago, inthe dead of winter, without ajob. Before long he was invitedto the University of California,Berkeley to give a lecture andthis turned into a tenuredposition as an AssociateProfessor.

In 1964, when the study ofmagmatic rocks was largelydescriptive, Ian Carmichaelwas asking detailed questionsabout whether the crystals inerupted lavas could be usedquantitatively to determine thetemperatures, pressures,dissolved water concentrations,and oxidation states of themagmatic liquids from whichthey crystallised. The answersnecessitated, firstly, detailedmicroanalysis of crystals andmatrix and secondly athermodynamic approach tocrystal-melt equilibrium. Thelatter was hindered by the lackof information on thethermodynamic properties ofmagmatic liquids under in situhigh-temperature conditions.

Nevertheless, Ian and hisstudents came up withinnovative ways of estimatingand extrapolating theseproperties, which gave himsome bones to support histhermodynamic approach.Soon thereafter (1971) hediscovered a moth-balledcalorimeter in the MaterialsScience department and he andhis students began to measurethe properties of silicateliquids, including theircompressibilities from sound

By Bernard Wood

For a longer version – see online.Follow ‘Obituaries’ link, bottomright, Geoscientist front page

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FEBRUARY 2012 29

CROSSWORD GEOSCIENTIST

All correct solutions will be placed in thedraw, and the winner’s name printed inthe April issue. The Editor’s decision isfinal and no correspondence will beentered into. Closing date - February 27.

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 to scanthe signed form and email it as a PDF [email protected]

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

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

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

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SOLUTIONS NOVEMBER

ACROSS: 6 Zeolites 8 Yawing 10 Zooids 11 Evolving12 Premature 13 Rule 15 Clinker 17 Cheddar20 OPEC 21 Allotropy 23 Mimicked 25 Phloem27 Bowels 28 Nutation

DOWN: 1 Zero 2 Alpine 3 Osseous 4 Zygote 5 Onan7 Testate 9 Wavered 12 Polyp 14 Loamy 16 Nacrite 18 Hotspot 19 Sliding 21 Arkose 22 Oblate 24 Iron 26 Eyot

WIN A SPECIAL PUBLICATION

The winner of the NovemberCrossword puzzle prize draw wasHelen Jackson of Hungerford.

CROSSWORD NO. 154 SET BY PLATYPUS

6 High-silica muscovite (8)

8 UN educational and culturalagency headquartered in Paris(1,1,1,1,1,1)

10 Coarsely foliated high-grademetamorphic rock (6)

11 Fine-grained muscovite (8)

12 Side-to-side shearing action (9)

13 Swirling, reverse current formed when fluid passes an obstruction (4)

15 Riverine (7)

17 Boulder stranded far from home (7)

20 African rift triangle (4)

21 Scientist who studies the living world (9)

23 Lustrous grey metalloid toxin, found chiefly in themineral stibnite (8)

25 With same chemical formula butdifferent molecular structure (6)

27 Water nymph, both in biologyand myth (6)

28 Instrument for measuringelectrical resistance (8)

1 Become reduced in thickness, as fromGirvan to Moffat (4)

2 Cut down into its bed as a result of rejuvenation (6)

3 Earthquake-related (7)

4 Berber nomad of the Sahara (6)

5 Rabbit or hare's short, erect tail (4)

7 Largest Class of Arthropoda (7)

9 Assorted waste products of living things, Latinly (7)

12 Type of stereo net where equal angles on asphere surface project as equal distances (5)

14 Superficial deposits (5)

16 Patina applied to boulders by millennia ofdesert dew (7)

18 Transition metal discovered by WilliamWollaston, but too hard for striking a medal (7)

19 Many angled two-dimensional figure (7)

21 Marine seismic source, producing waves inthe 1000 - 10,000 Hz band (6)

22 Smoothed by the application of heat and steam (6)

24 Tenth antediluvian patriarch (4)

26 Biblical paradise (4)

ACROSS DOWN

30 FEBRUARY 2012

RECR

UITM

ENT

Convenors:David Smith • Robin Bailey • Peter Burgess • Alastair Fraser

Burlington House, London, UK

An international conference to explore the relationship between the preservedstrata of the rock record and the passage of geological time. Stratigraphicpractice can only be as sound as the underlying assumptions relating stratawith time. Our focus will be on identifying, evaluating and updating themodels that lie behind stratigraphic methods. The scope of the conference willextend from the controls on preservation of strata in the record, through thequalitative and statistical properties of strata, to the implications for analysis,interpretation, modelling and prediction.

Call for papers:Contributions (oral or poster) are invited, around the following themes:

• Accumulation of the record: rates and gaps

• The biostratigraphic record: accumulation and quantification

• Subsurface stratigraphy: contributions from well and seismic data

• The architecture of the record: statistical and modelling approaches

Abstracts of up to 250 words should be sent to [email protected] by 30 April 2012.

The 2012 William Smith Lecture will be given by Professor Peter Sadler(University of California, Riverside).

Further information

For further information about the conference, please contact:

Ellie Duncanson-Hunter, Conference Office, The Geological Society, Burlington House,Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG

T: 0207 434 9944 F: 0207 494 0579E: [email protected] W: www.geolsoc.org.uk/wsmith2012

4–5 September 2012

William Smith Meeting 2012

Strata and Time:Probing the Gaps in our Understanding

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Documents

Geoscientist - February 2012