Please note that all lectures are held in the School of Earth Sciences and Geography, William Smith Building at Keele University unless otherwise stated. The committee invites you to join them for a meal at the COMUS restaurant to entertain the speaker before each lecture (except the AGM). Please make your own booking with the restaurant mentioning that you wish to join the NSGGA party. The cost is approximately £9 for a two course meal (starter and main course with vegetarian option or main and dessert) not including wine or coffee. The COMUS restaurant telephone number is 01782 734121. If you wish to dine, meet in the restaurant at 6pm. WINTER LECTURES PROGRAMME 2009/2010 Thursday 8th October 2009 at 7.30 pm Speaker: Dr. Cathy Hollis (University of Manchester) ‘Minerals, hydrocarbon and porosity changes: a short history of fluid flow in Carboniferous limestone’ The Lower Carboniferous (Dinantian) has long been the focus for research into the tectono-sedimentary evolution of the UK prior to the onset of the Variscan Orogeny. There have also been many detailed studies on the early diagenesis of these carbonate platforms, and the mineralization that they host. The burial diagenesis of the Dinantian succession has received less attention, however, and yet it provides valuable information on the timing and mechanisms of fluid flow, hydrocarbon emplacement and mineralization within the developing Variscan Orogen. This talk will present a summary of the entire diagenetic history of the Lower Carboniferous, based primarily on studies on the Derbyshire Platform, and discuss how we can use this data to reconstruct fluid flow in a post-rift and compressional regime Thursday 12th November 2009 at 7.30 pm The Professor Wolverson Cope Annual Lecture Speaker: Professor Peter Worsley (University of Reading) 'Charles Darwin, the Beagle and Quaternary geology' During the Beagle voyage Charles Darwin engaged with a range of Quaternary geological features. These included modern calving glaciers, icebergs, coastal uplift, volcanoes and coral reefs. On his return to Britain he encountered the Ice Age hypothesis of Jens Esmark. Following contact with Buckland and Lyell he field tested the land ice hypothesis in North Wales and soon became a mountain 'glacialist', no doubt inspired by his experience of Tierra del Fuego. Thursday 3rd December 2009 at 7.00 pm Christmas Social and Buffet including a talk by Eileen Frazer 'The land that time forgot; geology and scenery of the Red Centre and McDonnell Ranges, Australia'. The buffet will be £10 per person including wine, please book on the attached flyer by post enclosing the necessary payment by Friday 20th November. Thursday 14th January 2010 Speaker: Dr. Richard Waller (University of Keele) Thursday 18th February 2010 Professor Andrew Willmott (Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory) Thursday 4th March 2010 AGM and Chairman's address Dr Ian Stimpson (University of Keele)

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Field Report Ossum’s Hill Geology Walk On the evening of August 11th I attended a geological walk lead by Mike Allen from the South Peak Estate of the National Trust to have a look at a new geological section that has been opened upon the side of Ossum’s Hill above the Manifold Valley. The geology of the area is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Geology around Ossum's Crag after The Hamps and Manifold Geotrail, Staffordshire RIGS 2007. Grey = Mixon Limestone Shales; Pale Blue = Ecton Limestones; Dark Blue = Milldale Limestone; Purple = Milldale Limestone Knoll Reefs

The walk departed from the car park opposite Wetton Mill which was the site of the shaft, dressing floor and smelter for the Botstone Lead Mine that operated until around 1850. Machinery was driven by a waterwheel from the River Manifold. The assent of Ossum’s Hill was via the footpath that follows the path of the Hoo Brook, a small misfit river in a wide valley carved by meltwater at the end of the last

Ice Age. Part way up a large Ash tree on the right marks the site of one of the entrances to the Botstone Mine (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Adit Entrance to Botstone Mine

The Hoo Brook valley sides show evidence of landslipage, probably the result of over-steepening of slopes by meltwater undercutting them. On the climb up the valley, many of the pauses for breath were used to discuss different facets of global climate change, both during the Ice Age and during the Carboniferous Period. The route then took us up a side valley to the left up beyond Ossum’s Hill Farm and then left again to the top of Ossum’s Hill where the depressions from numerous old mine shafts can be seen. The local farmer estimates the shaft

of one of them to be at over 50 metres deep. Over the hillcrest, the path then follows a farm track slanting down the hillside back towards Wetton Mill. It is here that the farmer, in widening the track, has opened up some new exposures of the Carboniferous Limestone. The upper part of the section displays the mid-grey coarse bioclastic crinoidal Ecton Limestone (Figure 3).

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Figure 3: Bioclastic crinoidal Ecton Limestone

This was deposited on the lower part of the shelf slope as turbidites from the shallower shelf areas. As the path descends the hillside the transition can be seen to the underlying finer bedded and laminated micritic Milldale Limestone with thin beds of chert deposited under quieter conditions. Here is also displayed some tectonic deformation with a small fault and some local small-scale folding, probably related to the fault (Figure 4). Figure 4: Small-scale folding and faulting in Milldale Limestone.

The view across the Manifold Valley clearly displays the reef-knolls within the Carboniferous Limestones as upstanding mounds in the topography (Figure 5), but, with the light fading fast, we didn’t linger too long and descended the hillside back to the Manifold Valley floor and returned to Wetton Mill. Thanks go to the National Trust for organising the walk and Mike Allen leading it.

Ian G. Stimpson

Figure 5: Cross-section showing topography controlled by reef-knolls. Ossum's Hill is on the left. After The Hamps and Manifold Geotrail, Staffordshire RIGS 2007

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NSGGA NEWS Staffordshire RIGS Hamps and Manifold Trail Site Clearance Staffordshire RIGS plan to have an increased programme of site clearances starting with a section on the Hamps and Manifold Geotrail. Large tools, safety training and insurance will be provided by the BTCV. Saturday 14th November: SRIGS Geoconservation at Ladyside Wood in the Manifold Valley. Calling all hands! Leader: Dr Patrick Cossey Meet at 10.00am at Wetton Mill Car Park (SK 09535613) An opportunity to get stuck in with some important site clearance work with the Staffordshire RIGS Group, learn more about geoconservation in practice, the Lower Carboniferous of the North Staffordshire Basin and the Hamps & Manifold Geotrail. Following the successful launch of the Hamps and Manifold Geotrail, SRIGS are keen to continue the good work, originally undertaken on their behalf by BTCV, in re-exposing key sections of geological interest along the trail length. This meeting focuses attention on the famous Ladyside Wood section (SK 09525490 - a candidate site for the Tournaisian-Visean stratotype), where it is hoped that ‘careful gardening’ will improve exposure and reveal critical contacts between the ‘bedded’ and ‘knoll reef’ facies of the Milldale Limestones and the overlying Ecton Limestones. Distance on foot about 2km. Sturdy footwear, waterproofs and gardening gear, (especially gloves) needed. Please only bring small hand tools e.g. secateurs, loppers, hand saws. On this occasion a small hand trowel and fork and a few black bin liners for waste might prove especially useful. Further guidance and instruction will be given on site. In recognition of your generous support SRIGS are happy to provide a free packed lunch for all participants. However in order to do this we will need to know the numbers attending and of any special dietary requirements prior to the meeting. Please note that for logistical & safety reasons we will also have to limit the number on this visit to 25. To book your place on this visit and free lunch please contact Pat on 01782 294438 or email him at p.j.cossey@staffs.ac.uk Park Hall Site Clearance Saturday 27th February 2010: Geoconservation at Hulme Quarry National Nature Reserve Leader: Paul Shires Meet at 10am at Park Hall Country Park Visitor Centre (SJ 930447) A supervised geological management work-party will be held at Hulme Quarry National Nature Reserve (part of Park Hall Country Park) on Saturday 27th February 2010. The event will start at 10am and will finish for lunch at about 12.30pm. Any volunteers who wish to get involved should meet at the Park Hall Country Park Visitor Centre, off Hulme Road, Weston Coyney (telephone 01782 331889). The plan is to clear shrubs from on and near to the Triassic sandstone and conglomerate exposures in the quarries to improve access and appearance. There will also be work to clear vegetation from the fault features to improve visibility. If you require any further information please contact Paul Shires, Countryside Officer, on 01782 331889 Keele University Plans A Carbon Neutral Campus and Coal Bed Methane Extraction Keele University is exploring a range of exciting options for alternative energy sources and energy management. Directly related to its teaching and research expertise, these technologies would contribute to an innovative research hub for the study and development of sustainable forms of energy. The University has a strong track record in reducing carbon emissions and has recently been awarded the Carbon Trust Standard for consistent energy savings year on year. With its research expertise on sources of

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renewable energy, the University is uniquely placed to act as a 'land-lab' to explore, test and develop sustainable energy resources. The vision is to generate as much of its energy needs on campus as possible, with the aim of halving its dependence on external energy sources and aims to become 'carbon-neutral' in its energy production and consumption within ten years. Keele's plans to develop sustainable energy resources on campus took a massive step forward when Staffordshire County Council's planning committee approved the University's application for two exploratory boreholes to be drilled on site to test the viability of extracting methane gas from unmined coalbeds.

From the Keele Hub for Sustainability www.keele.ac.uk/facs/sci/keelehub/ John Myers’ Award 2009 Winners Update Julie Boyce, who received the John Myers’ Award for best M.Geoscience project this year, has been awarded a research assistantship at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. from October 4th to December 12th with Dr. Elizabeth Cottrell. From there she then going to Monash University in Australia to study for a Ph.D. on "Stratigraphy, geochemistry and origin of products of complex volcanic centres, Newer Volcanics basaltic field, Victoria", supervised by Dr. Ian Nicholls and Dr. Reid Keays, starting January 2010. OTHER SOCIETIES NEWS Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining 2009/10 Note: The IMMM now meets in the William Smith Building at Keele University. Normally 7.30pm start Monday 5th October The Legacy of Past Mining – Stabilisation by Drilling and Grouting

Steve Rule M&J Drilling services Monday 2nd November The economics of Renewable Energies

Richard Green Birmingham University Monday 7th December Rib Control Advances at Daw Mill Colliery

Jon Bowler UK Coal Ltd Monday 11th January Hydrogeological modelling assessment for the mining industry

Mike Doyle Wardell Armstrong LLP Monday 1st February Vibration Monitoring Of Wind Turbines

Ian Stimpson Keele University Monday 1st March Challenges of a Low Carbon Society

Julia King Aston University Saturday 13th March 7.00pm Annual Dinner Keele Hall, Keele University Secretary: Christine Blackmore cblackmore@wardell-armstrong.com West Midlands Group of the Geological Society 2009/10 Lectures to be held alternatively at Birmingham University (Dome Lecture Theatre, Geology Department) and Wolverhampton University; (Room 202, School of Applied Sciences, Wulfruna St ) at 6.30pm (*unless otherwise stated). Tuesday 13th October 'Licence to Chill - 2.6 million years of Ice Ages in Britain and their wider

context'. Johnathan Lee Venue: Birmingham University Tuesday 10th November 'Stabalisation of ther Severn Valley Landslips at Ironbridge’

Neil Rushton (Telford Wrekin DC) Venue: Wolverhampton University Tuesday 15th December ‘Limited Life Geotextiles’ and AGM. Professor Bob Sarsby (School of

Engineering and the Built Environment, University of Wolverhampton) Venue: Birmingham University

Monday 25th January 8pm ‘The Legacy of Past Mining – Stabilisation by Drilling and Grouting’ Steve Rule M & J Drilling. Venue: Dudley Museum, St James Road, Dudley, 8pm

Monday 1st February 7pm 'How The Earth Made Us’ Dr Iain Stewart Venue: Haworth Lecture Theatre, Birmingham University

Tuesday 9th March 'SGV’s for Mercury' Naomie Earl (Environment Agency) Venue: Wolverhampton University

Tuesday 13th April An applied geology talk TBA. Venue: Birmingham University Tuesday 11th May Joint meeting with the GA. Venue: Wolverhampton University More details at http://www.geolsoc.org.uk Secretary: Mr Adrian Jones adrian.a.jones@uk.mwhglobal.com

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East Midlands Geological Society Diary Dates 2009/10 Indoor meetings take place in lecture theatre B3 of the Biology building at the University of Nottingham. Sunday 27th September Trip: Afternoon visit to Chatsworth House (provisional date).

Leader: Ian Thomas Saturday 17th October Exceptional New Vertebrate Discoveries From Dinosaur Sites On The Isle Of

Wight & The Pterosaurus Of The Isle Of Wight David Martill & Steve Sweetman

Sunday 18th October Trip: The Geology of the Matlock Gorge Area. Leader: Lynn Willies Saturday 14th November Charles Darwin (1809-1882) - a Mercian 'glacial' geologist. Peter Worsley Saturday 12th December My house fell in a hole - problems with soluble rocks. Anthony Cooper Saturday 23rd January A geotour of Oman - world class geology and a great tourist attraction

Professor Hugh Rollinson Saturday 13th February Presidential address Tim Colman Saturday 13th March AGM followed by Members' Evening More Details at www.emgs.org.uk Secretary: Mrs Janet Slatter, 100 Main Street, Long Whatton, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 5DG

01509 843297 e-mail: janet.slatter@btinternet.com Black Country Geological Society Diary Dates 2009 Lecture meetings are held at Dudley Museum, St James’s Road, Dudley. 01384 815575 7.30 for 8pm start unless stated otherwise. Monday 28th September Why a Black Country Geopark?- Incredible and Unique Geology of Course!

Graham Worton Monday 26th October To be arranged Monday 30th November Members' Evening More details www.bcgs.info Manchester GA Diary Dates 2009/2010 Saturday 26th September Manchester GA Dinner Saturday 10th October Manchester University stones Wednesday 14th October Spiders: The Ultimate Predators (evening lecture) 400 Million Years of

Evolution Saturday 21st November Darwin and the Voyage of the Beagle (day of lectures) Saturday 12th December Volcanoes and Volcanic Hazards (evening lecture) Saturday 16th January Scenes from the Precambrian Wednesday 17th February Presidential Address Wednesday 10th March The Sichuan Earthquake Disaster More Details at www.mangeolassoc.org.uk Field trips: Contact Marjorie Mosley gmrigs@hotmail.com Shropshire Geological Society Diary Dates 2009/2010 SGS Lectures are generally held at Shire Hall, Shrewsbury, commencing at 7.15pm for 7.30pm. (a nominal charge is levied for attendance by non-Members) Wednesday 14th October African iron ore mining (guest speaker: Dr Ian Cope) Wednesday 11th November Forensic geology (guest speaker: Dr Stuart Black) Wednesday 9th December 7.00pm start: AGM and lecture Darwin in Llanymynech

(guest speakers: Gordon Hillier and Jeanette Bolton) Wednesday 13th January New research into glacial geomorphology of the Shropshire-Cheshire Basin

(guest speaker: Dr Geoffrey Thomas, Department of Geography, Liverpool University)

Wednesday 10th February How stalagmites reveal Quaternary climatic history (guest speaker: Dr Ian Fairchild)

Wednesday 10th March British earthquakes (guest speaker: Dr Ian Stimpson) More Details at www.shropshiregeology.org.uk/SGS/SGSintro.html Secretary: Karen Whitaker: herts_and_flowers@hotmail.com

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North West Regional Group of the Geological Society Lecture meetings start at 6.30pm unless otherwise stated Thursday 24th September Geothermal energy recoverysystems Mike Moggeridge (Magpie Drilling)

Williamson Lecture Theatre, Manchester University Wednesday 14th October Lessons Learned from Some Recent Geotechnical Failures David Hight

(Imperial College, London) The Renold Building, Manchester University Thursday 12th November CLEA, SGVs and a Summer of Progress. Simon Clennell – Jones (WSP)

The Centre Lecture Theatre, Birchwood Park, Warrington Thursday 3rd December AGM and Quiz Night Stamford Arms, Bowden Wednesday 14th January LPG Storage in Salt mines under Cheshire. David Richardson (Costain)

Ramada Hotel, Chester Monday 25th January Third World Mining – Economics, Social cost and the environment

Kevin D'Souza Technical Director (Wardell Armstrong) The Swan Public House, upstairs room, Winwick

Thursday 11th February The Updated Specification for Site Investigation (SISG) Derek Smith (Coffey) Williamson Lecture Theatre, Manchester University

Tuesday 4th March Maintaining Motorway Assets: the Geotechnical Realities Chris Danilewicz (A-one+) The Centre Lecture Theatre, Birchwood Park, Warrington

Thursday 25th March Oil Exploration – unlocking value by technical innovation Mike Bowman (BP Exploration) Venue TBC

Thursday 22nd April Landslide Assessment & Management Venue. Ian Nettleton (Coffey) Venue TBC

Tuesday 25th May 5.30pm Field Trip ‘A Walk through the Desert’ Styal Country Park. Quarry Bank Mill, Styal Trip is 2 to 2.5 hours so 5.30pm prompt start

More details at http://www.geolsoc.org.uk Secretary: Chris Berryman chrisberryman@terraconsult.co.uk Liverpool Geological Society Diary Dates 2009 Meetings are held at Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool See website liverpoolgeologicalsociety.org.uk for details of the programme of meetings and field trips. For the field meetings contact Tom Metcalfe t.metcalfe@blueyonder.co.uk Hon. Secretary: Joe Crossley lgsjoecrossley@hotmail.com NSGGA - Next Committee Meeting Thursday 19th November 2009, at 7.00pm in the School of Earth Sciences and Geography, Keele University Staffordshire RIGS Group For details about the group and meetings, contact: SRIGS Secretary: Sue Lawley c/o Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, The Wolseley Centre, Wolseley Bridge, Stafford ST17 0WT

01889 880100 e-mail: slawley@staffswt.cix.co.uk

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Contacts List: NSGGA Committee 2009-10 Chairman: Dr Ian Stimpson

24 Sorrell Gardens, Newcastle-under-Lyme, ST5 3FA 077790 83243 e-mail; i.g.stimpson@esci.keele.ac.uk

Vice-chairman: Elizabeth Hallam 49 Birch Road, Congleton, Cheshire, CW12 4NN 01260-275616 email: kande@kandehallam.f9.co.uk

General Secretary: Eileen Fraser, 47 Longdown Road, Congleton, Cheshire CW12 4QH 01260 271505 email: mailto:frasers@netfraser.me.uk

Treasurer: Carol Fereday, 24 Brookside Close, Newcastle-under-Lyme ST5 2HX 01782 712467 email: candm.fereday@btinternet.com

Membership Sec.: Mike Brown, 6 Spring Close, Rode Heath, Stoke-on-Trent ST7 3TQ 01270 878130 email: mabrown1@sky.com

Speakers’ Sec: Dr Bob Fletcher, 40 Oaklands, Guilden Sutton, Chester, CH3 7HE 01244 300705 email: fletcher@barryknoll.freeserve.co.uk

Field Sec.: Nick Hulley 3 Honeysuckle Close, Upper Tean, Staffs, ST10 4LZ 01538 722017 email: nicholas.hulley@btinternet.com

RIGS Liaison Officer: Dr Richard Waller, 2 Bunts Lane, Stockton Brook, Stoke-on-Trent, ST9 9PR 01782 505282 email: r.i.waller@esci.keele.ac.uk

Bulletin Sec.: Mike Fereday, 24 Brookside Close, Newcastle-under-Lyme ST5 2HX 01782 712467 email: candm.fereday@btinternet.com

Executive Committee (honorary): Dr. Colin Exley; Terry Jones; David Thompson; Ted Watkin.

Honorary Life Member: Ann Myatt Executive Committee (elected):

Dr Lloyd Boardman; Dr Peter Floyd; David Osborn; Janet Osborn; Brenda Kay; Gerald Ford. Executive Committee (co-opted):

Don Steward, John Reynolds Why not visit the NSGGA web pages: www.esci.keele.ac.uk/nsgga

Produced for the NSGGA by Mike Fereday 24 Brookside Close, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs, ST5 2HX and Ian G. Stimpson, Earth Sciences & Geography, Keele University, Staffs, ST5 5BG