(Founded in 1837, Registered Charity No. 220014)
The Society's President for 2012 - 2014: Professor Patrick Boylan
Introducing the Yorkshire Geological Society: get involved in geoscience in northern England
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From
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Publications: one of the Society's very popular field guides |
Find out more about the exciting geology of the region and internationally important developments in the Earth Sciences by joining the Yorkshire Geological Society. You will find a warm welcome at the YGS, and we are actively seeking new members to become involved with the Society.
Benefits include:
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Membership of the first geological society in northern England, founded 1837.
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A friendly, diverse group of enthusiastic people ranging from beginners to professional geologists.
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An exciting range of indoor meetings and lectures throughout the region on major topics of interest.
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A wide range of field excursions covering all aspects of the fascinating geology and landscape of northern England.
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Your own copy of our internationally renowned journal Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society and now free online access to the complete run of the Proceedings from 1839 onwards (Ordinary members only)
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Regular YGS Circulars keeping you informed of forthcoming meetings and geoscience events of the YGS and its many Corresponding Societies in the region, as well as popular articles on geology and related subjects, and free membership of the YGS-Members online e-mail Forum for both receiving and exchanging news and information likely to be of interest to other members.
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Regular book offers and discounts.
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| A field meeting at Stainland, W. Yorks.: examining the different Carboniferous sandstones on the moor. | Members hear lectures on the latest research: a reconstruction of "fire fountains" of gigantic lava eruptions in Siberia around 250 million years ago, which may have cause the mass extinction of 90% of the world's species. (Presidential Address of Prof. Paul Wignall, December 2010). | A Yorkshire Geology Month walk in Haworth, West Yorks., for the general public, identifying and explaining the origins of the many different building stones seen in the village. |
INDEX TO OTHER WEB PAGES
A Word from the President
Yorkshire Geology Month and the Society's wider summer programme got off to a splendid start at the National Coal Mining Museum, Wakefield, on Saturday 27th April, with a total of nine talks, three underground colliery tours, two local geological walks and around a dozen exhibitors in the displays area. Our thanks go to many individuals and organistion without whcih this very well supported event would never hsve been possible, particularly the National Coal Mining Museum and its staff, the principal organisers on behalf of the Society, especially Alison Tymon and John Knight, other members of the Society's Council and all our excellent speakers.
However, writing on 1st May we still have a further 19 Yorkshire Geology Month events to come, all of which deserve the sort of enthusiastic support we had from both members and non-members at Wakefield last weekend. Our Programme Secretary, John Knight, and his assistants have produced a very memorable summer field meeting programme, this time with perhaps an easterly bias (appropriate as our oldest Corresponding Society, the Hull Geological Society, is celebrating its 125th anniversary this June. Historically, perhaps the most interesting excursion is the Saturday 20th July field meeting in the Yorkshire Wolds, since the Society's first weekend excursion was one to the Wolds in July 1879, probably quite a surprise to the then membership who were predominantly from the West Riding and more interested in the coal, iron, limestone and clay of their own locality.
Dozens of people have been involved in planning and running Yorkshire Geology Month and our wider Summer 2013, so do please try to support these efforts and at the samebtime have a really enjoyable day out in one or more very interesting and attractive areas of our region. You will find details of the Society's Summer programme below on this web page, as well as in the annual Field Meeting Circular now in press, and due to be mailed out very soon.
Patrick Boylan, President
The Society's Summer 2013 (175th Anniversary) Programme: Remaining Full Day Field Meetings
Saturday 8th June 2013: Cadeby Formation (Permina - Zechstein Group) in the Boston Spa area, West Yorkshire: Leaders: Alison Tymon, Doug Holliday and members of the Boston Spa and District Geological Research Group (BADGERS)
Meet at 10:00 at the Green in the centre of Thorp Arch (NGR SE 433 459) (just across the river from Boston Spa. From the A1 take the A659 eastwards, in the direction of Tadcaster, which passes through Boston Spa, at which point a minor road crosses the bridge over the River Wharfe into Thorp Arch. There is on-street parking near the Green and across the river in Boston Spa.
Safety: This is a full day excursion through to approximately 16.00 hrs; however as this will be within easy reach of Thorp Arch and Boston Spa, participants can leave at their convenience - but if you decide to leave the party early you must inform the leaders. Lunch will be taken in the field, so a packed lunch is recommended, although refreshments can be obtained in Thorp Arch and Boston Spa. Walking distance: not more than approximately 4 miles. Please note: paths are very uneven in places, with tree roots, loose stones, gravel, mud and leaf litter. Exposures near the River Wharfe can be hazardous as the river banks are steep and slippery. Please ensure you have suitable footwear.
Programme: The Permian Cadeby Formation (formerly Lower Magnesian Limestone) is exposed at numerous localities in the area around Wetherby and Boston Spa. In addition to a plethora of small 18th and 19th century quarries for building stone, there are several large road and abandoned railway cuttings which supplement data from the natural sections in the banks of the River Wharfe. It is surprising therefore that there is no detailed published account of the geology of this area and that few of the exposures have been described and studied in detail. Both members of the formation (Wetherby and Sprotborough) are well exposed. The Hampole Beds at the base of the Sprotborough Member are especially well displayed at many localities.
The Boston Spa and District Geological Research Group (BADGERS), mainly comprised of local amateur geologists, has been established with the aim of locating, measuring and describing these sections. They intend to provide for the first time a complete, permanent record for posterity of this great wealth of geological data, while still accessible, in order to provide a greater understanding and a more complete knowledge of the geological history. The purpose of this excursion is to demonstrate the progress of this work and to make it known to a wider audience.
All the strata to be seen are of shallow marine to supratidal in origin. The lower Wetherby Member contains bedded dolomite with numerous patch reefs and stromatolitic algal deposits. It broadly exhibits a shallowing upwards trend. The upper Sprotborough Member comprises cross-bedded oolitic dolomite deposited as subaqueous dunes. The junction between the two members is taken at a significant discontinuity (Hampole Discontinuity); the overlying Hampole Beds are thought to have been deposited at a time of total or partial withdrawal of the sea from the area. The remainder of the Sprotborough Member shows a return to deeper (though still relatively shallow) water sedimentation.
The excursion will pay particular attention to the previously undescribed section at Front Wood, Thorp Arch [432 460]. Following recent clearance of the site, the subtidal, intertidal and supratidal beds at the top of the Wetherby Member are now very well displayed as well as the basal Sprotborough strata including the Hampole Beds. A walk along the River Wharfe will provide views of the largely inaccessible exposures of strata lower in the Wetherby Member. Higher parts of the Sprotborough Member will be examined nearby in Thorp Arch [432 460]. One notable identification feature of the lower part of the member is the common occurrence of structures interpreted as burrows. If time permits, and there is sufficient interest, a road cutting at Bramham [427 425] will be visited where the Hampole Beds and overlying strata (here showing strong barite mineralisation) are exhibited.
Selected References:
Cooper, A.H. & Gibson, A. (2003): Geology of the Leeds district. Sheet Explanation of the British Geological Survey, 1:50 000 Sheet 70.
Smith, D.B. (1968): The Hampole Beds – a significant marker in the Lower Magnesian Limestone of Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society, 36, 463-477.
Smith, D.B. (1989): The late Permian palaeogeography of north-east England. Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society, 47, 285-312.
Maps: Ordnance Survey 1:25 000 Explorer Series No. 289 Leeds
British Geological Survey 1:50 000 Sheet 70 Leeds
Saturday 20th July: A walk in the Yorkshire Wolds - the Kiplingcotes Area: Leader Mike Horne
Meet at 10.30am at the public car park of the old Kiplingcotes station, in the buildings of which is the antiques centre “Granny’s Attic” (NGR SE 928 438). From Market Weighton follow minor roads (Spring Road past Market Weighton School) in the direction of South Dalton (approximately 3 miles to meeting point). Granny’s Attic is situated at one of the access points to the recreational track route along the bed of the disused railway now designated Hudson Way. The disused railway which connected Beverley to Market Weighton is named after the infamous George Hudson who was a 19th century rail magnate.
Programme: A circular walk of about 8 miles, visiting four geological exposures en route. The excursion will last approximately 5 hours and lunch will be taken in the field; ensure you bring packed lunch and drinks.
Safety etc.: Walking will generally be easy although there may locally be some short steep slopes, but note that the route may be muddy and slippery; please ensure robust safe footwear is worn. Exposures in this classic area, in disused quarries and cuttings, have generally been designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or otherwise protected, so no hammering of outcrops is permitted; there may be loose material that can be broken for inspection. For management of numbers, it is proposed to limit the number of participants to around 16. Please register your interest to attend either with the Programme Secretary (John Knight: jaknightuk@btinternet.com and 01773 836253) or directly with the Excursion Leader (Mike Horne: 01482 346784 (evenings).
The Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks of the Market Weighton area, and specifically adjacent to Kiplingcotes, have been summarised in some detail by Felix Whitham in the description of Excursion 15 of the Society's Yorkshire Rocks & Landscape Excursion Guide (3rd Edition 2006) and participants are recommended to bring their copies. (This is still on sale: see the Society website). In addition to classic sections of Cretaceous and Jurassic strata, the excursion will also observe landscape features, including the major glacial overflow channel now known as the Goodmanham Channel, cut between Kiplingcotes and Market Weighton (see Figure 15.2 in Excursion 15, Yorkshire Rocks & Landscape). The area is also characterised by a number of prehistoric earthworks of which a summary of the features around Kiplingcotes can be found in Kendal & Wroot 1924 (The Geology of Yorkshire, Route 53: On the Wolds).
Selected Reference:
Whitham F. (2006): Excursion 15 in Yorkshire Rocks & Landscape – A Field Guide (3rd Edition eds Scrutton C. & Powell J. 2006). Yorkshire Geological Society.
Maps: Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Sheet 106 Market Weighton;
Ordnance Survey 1:25 000 Explorer Series No. 294;
British Geological Survey 1:63,360 Sheet 72 Beverley
Sunday 25th August 2013, 10am.: The Chalk of North Lincolnshire, Leader: Paul Hildreth
Meet at 10am: In the car park of the transport café, Barney’s Café du Chauffeur (DN38 6LB), on the west-bound side of the A18 (NGR TA 056 106). Leave the M180 at the Humber Bridge (A15) and Humberside Airport intersection (Junction 5) and follow the A18 towards Humberside Airport; within 300 m the meeting point is on the right hand side of the road. For those who arrive early it will be possible to purchase breakfast, teas/coffees and to use the toilets at the café. The group will travel by car from the meeting place and return to the same place at the end of the excursion, so it will be possible, and subject to numbers may be necessary, to leave some vehicles at the car park and travel in shared vehicles.
Programme: We will visit two quarry sites: Bigby Quarry (NGR TA 0600 0785) and Ulceby Vale Quarry (NGR TA 1042 1336). This will be an all day trip so participants should bring a packed lunch, although overall timing will be at the discretion of the leader and the time the group wish to spend at each site.
Safety: If participants wish to leave the group for lunch or depart early they must inform the leader before doing so. Walking will generally be on easy gradients but there may be areas of loose and slippery surfaces and there may be loose material liable to fall adjacent to rock faces; suitable robust footwear should be worn and hard hats are recommended.
For the management of numbers and transport, intending participants are requested to communicate their intention to attend, or ask for more information, by calling the leader on 01652 655784 by Sunday 17th August.
The leader (Paul Hildreth) writes: "Chalk is arguably England’s most recognisable and familiar rock type but to many it remains (undeservedly in my opinion) a sequence of monotonous white, pure limestones with the odd marl and flint band. I hope during the course of this day to begin to demonstrate that the Chalk is far from monotonous; it has its own complexities and geological ‘secrets’.
The Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society in 1978, contained a paper by Chris Wood and E.G. Smith entitled “Lithostratigraphical classification of the Chalk in North Yorkshire, Humberside and Lincolnshire”. This paper reclassified the Chalk Group of the Northern Province, introducing new names for marker bands and establishing clear lithostratigraphic divisions. Many of the new names were from locations in north Lincolnshire. Felix Whitham, also publishing in the Proceedings, followed the lead of Wood and Smith and extended their work into east Yorkshire.
The Chalk Group of the Northern Province can be divided into five formations, Ferriby, Welton, Burnham, Flamborough and Rowe. Only the first three are present in north Lincolnshire. (Some would argue for a sixth, lowest, Hunstanton Formation equivalent to the Red Chalk). This year, the society’s 175th anniversary year, sees the publication in the Proceedings of my own contribution to the lithostratigraphy of the Chalk in north Lincolnshire and east Yorkshire which recognises the significance of a conspicuous flint-rich member of the Burnham Chalk Formation, the Vale House Flints.
This trip will focus on the lithostratigraphic characteristics of the different formations as outlined by Wood and Smith including detailed examination of key marker bands at two contrasting localities. The variation and significance of flint-type will be outlined and hopefully there will be the opportunity to discuss the origin of the different flint types observed. We will also visit the type-section for my Vale House Flints Member. Both locations feature in the BGS Memoir."
Locality 1 – Bigby Quarry (NGR TA 0600 0785) – Ferriby Chalk with a good (though deteriorating) exposure of the Totternhoe Stone overlain by the lowest beds of the Welton Chalk (including the ‘Black Band’). This quarry is quoted in Wood and Smith (1978) and is one of Chris Wood’s favourites in the area (personal communication).
Locality 2 – Ulceby Vale Quarry (NGR TA 1042 1336) – Burnham Chalk with key marker bands (Ulceby Marl and Ulceby Oyster Bed) and type section of the recently proposed Vale House Flints Member. There is also a section of folded and faulted chalk which may be an item of interested discussion. This quarry occupies a site adjacent to that of Vale House Quarry mentioned in Wood and Smith’s paper.
References
Wood, C.J. and Smith, E.G. (1978): Lithostratigraphical classification of the Chalk in North Yorkshire, Humberside and Lincolnshire. Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society. 42, 263-287.
Whitham, F. (1991): The Stratigraphy of the Upper Cretaceous Ferriby, Welton and Burnham formations north of the Humber, north east England. Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society. 48, 227-254.
Hildreth, P.N. (2013): The Vale House Flints Member, a flint-rich unit of the Burnham Chalk Formation of the Northern Province in East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, UK. Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society. 59 (in press).
Gaunt, G.D., Fletcher, T.P. and Wood, C.J. (1992): Geology of the country around Kingston upon Hull and Brigg. Memoir of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, Sheets 80 and 89 (England and Wales). 71-101.
Saturday 21st September 2013: Cayton Bay and the Rotunda Museum Scarborough: Leader: Professor Peter Rawson (University of Hull & Scarborough Museums Trust)
Meet 10.00 hrs at the top of the footpath (NGR TA 067 843) leading down to the middle of Cayton Bay. The footpath goes off the old coast road (now closed) and there is ample parking on this road: turn onto it at the adjacent roundabout (NGR TA 066842) on the new stretch of the A165. Bring a packed lunch.
Safety: Stout footwear and appropriate clothing: it can be windy and wet! We will be walking on both rocky and sandy shores and members who wish to work close to the cliff face will need to bring a hard hat.
Programme: Cayton Bay exposes Middle and Upper Jurassic rocks overlain by a thick till sequence with extensive landslips. The party will go first to Osgodby Point at the northern end of the bay, where Middle Jurassic non-marine and marine sediments are well exposed, including the Millepore bed (Lebberston Member) and overlying Gristhorpe Member. We will then return to Tenants Cliff to examine the Tenant’s Cliff Member of the Lower Calcareous Grit Formation: these Oxfordian sediments are heavily bioturbated by crustacean burrows. From here we head south-eastwards towards Red Cliff, a magnificent cliff exposing a marine sequence of Callovian to Oxfordian age. Only the lowest beds are accessible but numerous fallen blocks provide a good impression of the lithology and faunas higher beds. On the shore beneath, in the intertidal zone, the underlying Cornbrash Formation is visible, resting on the top of the non-marine Scalby Formation.
On leaving Cayton Bay in the early to mid-afternoon we will drive to Scarborough to visit the Rotunda Museum as guests of the Scarborough Museums Trust. The museum has recently been restored as a geological museum dedicated to William Smith, under whose guidance the central rotunda was designed. There is currently a temporary display on Scarborough’s lost dinosaurs, including numerous footprints collected by two of our Past Presidents, Mike Romano and Martin Whyte.
If time allows we will take a short walk along the sea front to see some footprints in situ.
Selected References:
Whyte, M. & Romano, M. (2006): Itinerary 19 in Yorkshire Rocks & Landscape – A Field Guide (3rd Edition eds Scrutton C. & Powell J. 2006). Yorkshire Geological Society
Rawson, P.F. & Wright, J.K. (2000): Introduction (pp. 1-15) and Itinerary 7 in The Yorkshire Coast (3rd edition). Geologists’ Association Guide no. 34.
Yorkshire Geology Month May 2013
Wednesday 22nd May 1.30pm – 4.00pm Rocks and Landscapes of Penistone Hill, Haworth, organised by Bradford Countryside Volunteers. Meet William Varley at the Haworth Brontë Parsonage Car Park (SE 029 373) for a 2½ mile circular walk following the new Penistone Hill Geology Trail. A booklet is available in the Haworth Visitor Centre at £2.00. Footpaths are fairly level, but uneven in places. You will see disused quarries with sandstones, mudstones and a coal seam, as well as find out more about the quarrying history of Penistone Hill. If the weather is good, views across the Upper Worth Valley and the Pennine Moors will be excellent.
Tues. 28th May 2013 11.30am - 1.30pm: Robin Hood's Bay fossil walk, organised by the North East Yorkshire Geological Trust. An opportunity to see the fossils of hundreds of Jurassic, as well as sea creatures of the rocky foreshore & sometimes seaweed. Meet at the Robin Hood’s Bay slipway, NZ 953 048. £2.
Wednesday 29th May day walk from 10.30pm: Geology and Quarrying on Ilkley Moor, organised by Bradford Countryside Volunteers. Meet William Varley at the Cow and Calf Car Park, Ilkley (SE 131 468) for a 5 mile circular walk to the top of the moor looking at the geology and quarrying remains. Bring a packed lunch and wear suitable footwear and windproof clothing.
Thursday 30th May 2013 2pm – 4pm: Robin Hood's Bay fossil walk, organised by the North East Yorkshire Geological Trust. An opportunity to see the fossils of hundreds of Jurassic, as well as sea creatures of the rocky foreshore & sometimes seaweed. Meet at the Robin Hood’s Bay slipway, NZ 953 048. £2.
Thursday 30th May 2013: meet at 1.30pm: Filey Brig – Explore the History and Geology of one of Yorkshire coast’s most famous landmarks. Guided Walk organised by the North East Yorkshire Geological Trust. Meet at Coble Landing, Filey, TA 121 810. Easy - £2.
Saturday 1st June: 125th Anniversary Celebrations of the Hull Geological Society at the University of Hull:
lectures on the contribution of the Society to different aspects of geology over the 125 years: speakers include Dr Derek Gobbett, Ian Heppenstall, D Kristian Saether, Mike Horne, Prof. Patrick Boylan, Prof. Pete Rawson and Dr Roger Connell. The programme will be followed by an anniversary dinner. For further details check nearer the time on the Society’s website: http://www.hullgeolsoc.org.uk.
Outline Programme for the remainder of 2013
[Saturday 2nd June: Hull Geological Society will have a full day special programme to mark the Society's 125th Anniversary]
Saturday 8th June: Field Excursion: research on the Boston Spa Permian - Leaders Alison Tymon, Doug Holliday and Mike Mawson (Joint meeting with West Yorks. Geological Trust)
Saturday 20th July: Field Excursion, Yorkshire Wolds - centred on Kiplingcoates, walk of about 8 miles - Leader Mike Horne
Saturday 21st September: Less well-trodden route of the North Yorkshire Coast - centred on Cayton Bay - Leader Pete Rawson
IMPORTANT: Saturday 14th September: proposed Scarborough Fossil Festival and Dinosaur Symposium has now been postponed to 2014
Saturday 19th October: Buxton campus of University of Derby: "Mineralization and hydrothermal processes in the South Penines and Derbyshire" - joint meeting with Manchester Geological Association and University of Derby, with possible related field excursion on Sunday 20th October
Saturday 9th November at University of Leeds: "Carbonate Rocks" - joint meeting with Leeds Geological Association
Saturday 7th December, oolley Hall, Wakefield: Annual General Meeting, Presidential Address by Patrick Boylan and President's Reception and Dinner
Book Review: Caves and Karst of the Yorkshire Daves, 2013
Caves and Karst of the Yorkshire Dales, edited by Tony Waltham and David Lowe, 2013, 264 pages (A4), all in colour, with 165 maps and diagrams, 49 tables, and over 350 photographs. (British Cave Research Association, Buxton, ISBN: 978-0-900265-47-1 hardback, (£70), 978-0-900265-46-4 paperback (reduced price of £20 to 30th June 2013, then £25). UK delivery is included in these prices. (British Cave Research Association, (http://www.bcra.org.uk/bookshop for online purchases; postal address: The Old Methodist Chapel, Great Hucklow, Buxton, SK17 8RG.)
Though very small in comparison with some foreign cave and karst regions, the Yorkshire Dales caves and karst (stretching in places into some adjoining counties) is much the most important in Britain, with a combined length of around 500 km of known cave passages in Britain, with 65 cave systems of over 1km in length and at least 1500 identified caves. While sport caving and related survey have been of great importance for well over a century, scientific exploration and investigation were established by the mid-19th century, and as a consequence of both strands the Yorkshire Dales are almost certainly the most intensively explored and researched cave and karst region in the world.
The region was of course covered in Cullingford’s 1953 pioneering GB-wide British caving : an introduction to speleology but the major landmark in the knowledge and understanding of the Yorkshire Dales caves and limestone landscapes was the 1974 volume The limestones and caves of north-west England, almost 500 pages long, compiles and edited for the British Caver Research Association (BCRA) by Tony Waltham. Long out of print and – in a way happily – now very out of date due to the major advances in both exploration and scientific research and understanding, the great news is that almost 40 years on Tony Waltham has been able to edit, produce and to a significant extent write this magnificent successor volume with David Lowe and his co-editor.
Twenty leading authorities on cave and karst geology, geomorphology, hydrology, palaeontology, biology and archaeology among other subjects have contributed substantial chapters, beginning with excellent introductions to the geology and character of the Dales by the two editors, the geology of the limestones by Colin Waters and David Lowe, and the very considerable effects of glaciation by Wishart Mitchell. However, all sixteen chapters are very accessible to expert and the general reader alike, and extremely well illustrated with clear maps, diagrams and other illustrations and both historic and new photographs, the majority in colour.
Without in any way detracting from the many other contributions, perhaps two chapters above others demonstrate the extraordinary advances in scientific study of the region, and of cave science overall, since the early 1970s. These are those on the chronology of the caves, by Alf Latham and Derek Ford, and on speleothems and palaeoclimates by Tim Atkinson. When the original volume was published the only direct dating technique was Carbon 14, which at the time could barely reach back for 40,000 years, while I know only too well from my own researches on the Middle and Upper Pleistocene at the time attempts to reconstruct past climates and environments had to be based on mostly fairly flimsy and often limited stratigraphical and fossil evidence.
The introduction of direct dating of stalagmites and flowstones in caves using the new Uranium-Thorium method on deposits beyond the C14 range was a major breakthrough. This was first used successfully in Yorkshire in 1998 to produce 115,000 year old date for the stalagmite over the Last Interglacial (Marine Isotope Stage 5e) hyaena den deposit of Kirkdale Cave near Kirby Moorside (outside the Yorkshire Dales area), and soon afterwards (in 2001) an almost identical U-Th date was obtained for the flowstone covering the directly comparable bone bed towards the top of the very long sequence of deposits in Victoria Cave near Settle. The chapter on dating the caves give a very clear summary of the half a dozen or more completely new techniques for the direct dating of deposits that have been developed over recent decades, with effective ranges of well over half a million years if not more.
Similarly the volumes shows that there have been major advances in assessing past temperatures and climates, both directly and by comparison with the wealth of past climate data now available from deep sea cores and more recently ancient ice cores. Thus we now know that the extreme warm period during the last interglacial during which hippos and other tropical and sub-tropical mammals migrated and lived as far north as Yorkshire, with fossils found in e.g. Victoria Cave, Kirkdale Cave and in the Aire valley in Leeds, had average global temperature around 4oC warmer than today, but lasted only a very few thousand years.
The sixteen chapters are as follows:
The Yorkshire Dales, by Tony Waltham and David Lowe
Geology of the limestones, by Colin Waters and David Lowe
Glaciation and Quaternary evolution, by Wishart Mitchell
Karst geomorphology, by Tony Waltham
Limestone pavements, by Simon Webb
Travertine and tufa, by Allan Pentecost
Cave geomorphology, by Tony Waltham and Phil Murphy
Geological influences on the caves, by David Lowe
Hydrogeology of the karst, by John Gunn and Simon Bottrell
Chronology of the caves, by Alf Latham and Derek Ford
Speleothems and palaeoclimates, by Tim Atkinson and Phil Hopley
Holocene environments, by Margaret Atherden
Cave biology, by Graham Proudlove
Bats in the caves, by John Altringham and Anita Glover
Cave palaeontology, by Terry O'Connor and Tom Lord
Cave archaeology, by Tom Lord and John Howard
Tony Waltham’s original 1974 volume also included detailed entries on each of the known caves and potholes within the Dales, but again the number, and the amount of data on each, had expanded greatly since that date. The BCRA therefore intends to publish the much updated and expanded individual cave reports section as a separate volume, initially in e-book format during 2013 and 2014, though it is hoped that it might be possible to produce this as a second print volume in due course.
While this book is going to be a ‘must have’ for just about every specialist in the different subject areas, and most specialist speleological libraries and institutes around the world, there is equally just as much for those with a more general interest in the geology, history and natural history of Yorkshire, and many hours of pleasurable reading for anyone with a love for the Dales.
Patrick Boylan
GEOLOGY AND WIKIPEDIA
One of the most remarkable internet developments of recent years has been the emergence in 2001 and very rapid expansion over the past decade of the Wikipedia cooperative internet encyclopaedia. This is completely free, thanks to the efforts of many hundreds of thousands of contributors, many of them leading authorities in their fields, and research studies suggest it is now on average as accurate and informative as some expensive commercially-published encyclopaedias. Another important feature is that anyone can contribute additions, corrections and new articles to Wikipedia, which are in turn checked and if necessary amended by the Wikipedia community, under the guidance of the non-profit Wikipedia Foundation. (Full details of Wikipedia and all aspects of its operations can be found on its website at: http://www.wikipedia.org/).
Currently Wikipedia has over 4 million articles in English and a total of over 9 million across more than 200 other languages. However, the subject coverage is still very uneven, something that is a concern to the Wikipedia Foundation and many of its volunteers and users. Some major sciences are currently of special concern to the Wikipedia Foundation. Of particular interest to us out of the over 4 million English articles there are less than 500 geological ones. Also, more than half of this tiny number are what Wikipedia calls a “stub” – short and incomplete, often unreferenced, pieces that fall below the standard expected for a full Wikipedia article – and which therefore need revising and expanding.
Earlier in the year the Foundation asked the Geological Society of London to host a free one day intensive briefing and training (paid for by Wikipedia) for 10 or 11 invited Fellows each from the Geological and Chemical Societies. The aim was to try to increase the number of UK geologists and chemists familiar with Wikipedia, in the hope of encouraging active participation in developing coverage of these sciences on Wikipedia. The YGS Web Editor, Patrick Boylan, was one of those invited, and he is now an accredited Wikipedia Administrator. In addition to helping to develop new Wikipedia articles and to expand and edit existing ones, he can now advise YGS members on both using and expanding the coverage of geology on Wikipedia. We now have a main Yorkshire Geological Society article – which other members of the Society are now strongly encouraged to contribute to.
We look forward to seeing many additional articles relating to Yorkshire geology on Wikipedia soon, and will be exploring possibilities for laying on a demonstration and introductory editing sessions for the Society during 2013. In the meantime anyone interested, whether experienced Wikipedia users or complete beginners, can contact Patrick Boylan at: P.Boylan@city.ac.uk
Proceedings now fully digitised from vol. 1 (1839) to vol. 59 Pt.2 (Nov. 2012) with free online access to individual YGS members
Instructions for YGS member access to the Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society 1839 to 2011 in the Lyell Collection
This notice contains important information that will enable you to access the online. Please make sure that you retain the address label from the envelope containing your latest YGS Circular– this contains your YGS membership number, which you will need to activate your subscription.
Following the launch of the Proceedings in the Lyell Collection, individual members who subscribe to the journal can now view the entire archive from Volume 1 (1839) online.
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Yorkshire Geological Society
Latest part of Proceedings of Yorkshire Geological Society (vol. 59 Pt. 2 November 2012) on line on the Lyell Collection at: http://pygs.lyellcollection.org/content/current
Cast of an Ediacaran sea floor from Charnwood Forest, Leicestershire, U.K., showing current-aligned specimens of Charnia (top) and Bradgatia. In this part of the Proceedings, Howe et al. recount the history of early observations of the globally important Ediacara fossils from Charnwood Forest, dating from as far back as the mid 19th Century. It was Ford’s 1958 paper published in the Proceedings (Vol. 31, 211–217), which described and named Charnia masoni, that changed the accepted scientific interpretation of comparable fossils from elsewhere in the world, as Howe et al. explain. Reproduced by permission of the British Geological Survey. © NERC. All rights reserved. CP12/126. (See Howe, Evans & Carney - this Part)
Contents
Dean R. Lomax & Benjamin G. Hyde: Ammonite aptychi from the Lower Jurassic (Toarcian) near Whitby, North Yorkshire, UK
S.K. Donovan: Taphonomy and significance of rare chalk (Late Cretaceous) echinoderms preserved as beach clasts, north Norfolk, UK
Stephen J. Donovan: Notes on Lower Devonian crinoids in the collections of the British Geological Survey, Keyworth
S.K. Donovan: An unusual accumulation of crinoids from the Silurian of the Howgill Fells, Cumbria, UK
Chris Andrew, Paddy Howe & Christopher R.C. Paul: he linguliform brachiopod Discinisca in the Lower Jurassic Charmouth Mudstone Formation of Dorset and Alum Shale Member of Yorkshire
T.F. Cotterell, B. Young & R.E. Starkey: Plumbogummite from Upper Teesdale, County Durham, Northern Pennines, UK
Mile P.A. Howe, Mark Evans, John N. Carney: New perspectives on the globally important Ediacaran fossil discoveries in Charnwood Forest, UK: prequel to Ford, 1958.
Dinah M. Smith, Jan A. Zalasiewicz, Mark Williams, Ian P. Wilkinson, James J. Scarborough, Mark Knight, Carl Sayer Martin Redding, and Steven G. Moreton: The anatomy of a Fenland roddon: sedimentation and environmental change in a lowland Holocene tidal creek environment
Some British Geological Survey Memoirs for Yorkshire to download
In a major new development for the Society, the British Geological Survey (BGS) had made
available to the Society's website full facsimile copies (in PDF format, including all
illustrations) of some earlier Geological Survey Memoirs, listed below. These are now
available for downloading for personal, academic, educational, non-commercial research and
other non-commercial use, from the Yorkshire Geological Society website
http://www.yorksgeolsoc.org.uk/ only. All users must agree to the BGS terms and conditions
before downloading each Memoir.
Go to Geological Survey Memoirs index page
Searchable Indexes to 138 years of the Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society (1837-1995) now available on line
The Society has been publishing its Proceedings since 1837, and its many thousands of pages contain a great deal of original research and other unique material relating to the earth sciences, especially in respect of Yorshire and adjacent regions, both also nationally and internationally. Complete reference sets of the PYGS are held by many leading regional and national libraries including the British Library, the Geological Society LIbrary, and the Society's own library, now part of the University of Leeds Library (which members of the Society can apply to use as a benefit of membership via the General Secretary of the Society).
Over the years the Society has published three cumulative indexes to the Proceedings, but it has been an aim of the Society's Council to make these indexes available on line via this website to help members and others to search and explore the rich resources available in the Proceedings.
We are delighted announce that thanks to the generous help of Pinpoint Digital of Winsford, Cheshire, which has undertaken the necessary scanning of the published indexes free of charge, these are now available as searchable PDF files as follows:
Index to PYGS volumes 1 to 25 (1837-1946)
Index to PYGS volumes 26 to 37 (1947-1970)
Index to PYGS volumes 38 to 50 (1970-1995
To access each index click on the appropriate link above to open or download the file. (Each is very large - over 2Mb - so unless you have a fast broadband connection it is advisable to download the files onto your own hard disk, and then search from there. Whether using an index on line or from a downloaded file simply open the file in Adobe Acrobat and then use the normal Acrobat "Search" (or "Find") facility. Any geological term, placename or author name can be used to search each index: Acrobat will then give you a list of occurences in the subject or author indexes, and each occurence is highlighted in colour within ePDF (facsimile) image of the index page.
Very many thanks to Pinpoint Digital Document Management and Storage Systems for their sponsorship,and particularly John Hatton for his advice and practical assistance.
Yorkshire Rocks and Landscape – the popular YGS Field Guide, Third Edition
Yorkshire,
famed for its scenic beauty and its rich industrial heritage, contains some of the most
interesting geology and scenery in
This book is a stimulating field guide to
twenty-one locations selected to give comprehensive coverage of the geology, minerals,
rocks, fossils and landforms of the area. Excursions vary from easy half–day walks to
longer outings. Some are in moorland areas such as the Craven Inliers and the Pennines;
others cover the
Dinosaur
Coast, famous for its rugged beauty and natural history, and
coalfields adjacent to the major cities.
Click here for more details, including the full Contents List
A major Yorkshire Geological Society Publication!
Carboniferous Hydrocarbon Geology: the southern North Sea and surrounding onshore areas
edited by
John Collinson, David Evans, Doug Holliday & Neil Jones,
2005
Click here for full details and samples of the full colour illustrations!
Price now reduced to £10 plus £5 p. & p. Cheques should be made
payable to Yorkshire Geological Society. Please send your order form to: Dr J H Powell,
British Geological Survey, Keyworth,
Nottingham,
NG12 5GG
Important Notice to Members and others:Short Communications: Proceedings and Circular/Web Site
Rapid publication of short papers is common amongst journals, particularly those published weekly, monthly or bi-monthly, as a way of disseminating information quickly on topical or contentious issues, exceptional new discoveries or major developments. Given its publication schedule, the adoption of such a publication strategy is not appropriate for the Proceedings. Nevertheless, as a way of encouraging the membership to make more use of the Proceedings, and for that matter the Society’s other vehicles for publication, the Circular and web site, Council would welcome more short communications. Short communications submitted to the Proceedings might include anything for which it would be worth having a permanent published record, for example descriptions of new and/or temporary exposures. Those intended for the Circular or web site could include more topical or newsworthy items, including brief reports of field meetings, new fossil/mineral occurrences, photographs of interesting geological features with a brief description or the work of RIGS groups. Short communications to the Proceedings should not exceed two published pages, approximately 2,000 words (or equivalents including figures) and will be subject to the normal review and editorial procedures, although a Summary will not be necessary. Please send your contributions in the usual manner to the Editors (see ‘Instructions to Authors’ in the PYGS as a general guideline).
For the A5 format of the Circular (and web site), contributions should be 300-400 words, but can include colour photographs and figures; these will also be subject to editorial review. These items should be sent to the Circular Editor in the first instance (see back page of the Circular for details).
Stewart Molyneux, Principal Editor PYGS
Keith Park, YGS Circular Editor
Patrick Boylan, YGS Web Editor
 |
Price £9.99, plus postage and packing (£3.00 - note the increase due to recent big price rises in postal costs); cheques should be made payable to "Yorkshire Geological Society". Please send your order to: Dr Claire Dashwood, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham, NG12 5GG. E-mail: cfoster@bgs.ac.uk |
Field Trip Safety Issues
1. The YGS takes the safety of its members extremely seriously. However, attendees of field meetings must also take responsibility for their own and other participants’ safety. In order to ensure the safety of all participants the YGS reserves the right to limit or refuse attendance at field meetings.
2. You must declare to the field trip leader, at the start of the field trip, any disabilities or medical conditions that may affect your ability to safely attend a field meeting.3. Inform the leader if you leave the meeting early.
4. The Leader is not expected to provide First Aid – ensure that you have adequate supplies for your own needs.
5. Wear appropriate clothing and footwear for the locality and time of year. Anticipate potential changes in weather conditions.
6. Children must be accompanied and supervised by a responsible adult at all times.
7. The Leader’s decision is final on any matters relating to each field meeting.
Corresponding Societies
(Please contact the society representatives and/or websites shown for the latest information)
CRAVEN & PENDLE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY: Contact: Paul Kabrna e-mail: paul_kabrna@hotmail.com or http://www.cpgs.org.uk/ (usual meeting place for indoor lectures: The Rainhall Centre, Barnoldswick)
CUMBERLAND GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY: Secretary: Rosemary Vidler, 11 Blencathra View, Threlkeld, Cumbria, phone no 017687 79326, e-mail: rosevidler@freeuk.com; http://www.cumberland-geol-soc.org.uk/, For details of excursions please contact Alan Smith on 01768-771.068
EAST MIDLANDS GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY: Janet Slatter, tel. 01509-843.297; e-mail: sec@emgs.org.uk or http://www.emgs.org.uk (usual meeting place for indoor lectures: Lecture Theatre B3, Biological Sciences Building, University of Nottingham)
EAST MIDLANDS REGIONAL GROUP OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY: Secretary: David Boon, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham, daba@bgs.ac.uk
EDINBURGH GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY: e-mail: secretary@edinburghgeolsoc.org; http://edinburghgeolsoc.org/ Excursions Secretary: Richard Smith, 13 Burnside Park, Balerno, Midlothian EH14 7LY, tel. 0131-449.4290, e-mail: richard13burnside@gmail.com
THE GEOLOGISTS' ASSOCIATION: http://www.geologistsassociation.org.uk/: The schedule of field meetings for 2012 includes the following in the wider YGS region: (For further details and to book places please e-mail or telephone Sarah Stafford at the GA Office: geol.assoc@btinternet.com, tel. 020 7434 9298)
HUDDERSFIELD GEOLOGY GROUP: Julie Earnshaw (Secretary). Telephone: 01484 311 662 or e-mail: earniehome@ntlworld.com
HULL GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY: Mike Horne. Tel: 01482 346 784 or e-mail: secretary@Hullgeolsoc.org.uk web: http://www.hullgeolsoc.org.uk (Usual meeting place for indoor lectures: Department of Geography, University of Hull, at 7.30 pm. N.B. for security reasons the door is locked at 7.40pm). Please contact the Society if you wish to come to a field meeting so that the leaders will know how many people to expect. The Society reserves the right to exclude people who are not wearing the necessary protective clothing/equipment. For further information 'phone 01482 346784. Hull Geological Society Website - http://www.hullgeolsoc.org.uk
Saturday 1st June 2013 - 125th Anniversary meeting and dinner.
Sunday 9th June 2013 - field meeting to Speeton led by Jack Doyle. Saturday 15th June 2013 - 125th Anniversary field meeting to Kelsey Hill and Keyingham led by Stephen Whittaker.
Saturday 22nd June 2013 (provisional) - field trip to Flamborough led by Mike Horne.
LANCASHIRE GROUP OF THE GEOLOGISTS’ ASSOCIATION: Secretary: Jennifer Rhodes, e-mail: sjrhodes@hotmail.com
LEEDS GEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION: Anthea Brigstocke (General Secretary). Tel: 01904 626 013: E-mail: lga@brigstocke.myzen.co.uk Field Meetings: Judith Dawson Tel. 0113 270 1069 e-mail: dawsonemail@tiscali.co.uk or http://www.leedsgeolassoc.freeserve.co.uk (usual meeting place for indoor lectures: Rupert Beckett Lecture Theatre, Michael Sadler Building, Leeds University at 7pm.
LEICESTER LITERARY & PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY - SECTION C GEOLOGY: Chairman and contact: Dr. Joanne E. Norris, 0116 283 3127, j.e.norris @ ntlworld.com; Website: http://www.charnia.org.uk/ Usual meeting place for indoor lectures (unless otherwise stated):
Lecture Theatre 3, Ken Edwards Building, University of Leicester at 7.30pm, refreshments from 7.00pm.
MANCHESTER GEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION: Jane Michael. Tel: 0161 366 0595, e-mail: jane.michael1[at]tesco.net or http://www.mangeolassoc.org.uk (usual meeting place for indoor lectures: Williamson Building, Department of Geology, University of Manchester)
NORTH EASTERN GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY: Prof. Gillian FG Foulger, University of Durham, tel. 0191-334.2314, e-mail: g.r.foulger@durham.ac.uk. Lectures are at 7.30pm in the Arthur Holmes Lecture Room, Science Laboratories Site, University of Durham. See website for more details: http://www.northeast-geolsoc.50megs.com
NORTH EAST YORKSHIRE GEOLOGY TRUST: contact@neyorksgeologytrust.com; website: http://www.neyorksgeologytrust.com/: Kathryn Brown,North East Yorkshire Geology Trust, 5 Station Workshops, Robin Hoods Bay, Whitby, N. Yorks. YO22 4TG Tel. 01947 881000
NORTHERN REGIONAL GROUP OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON: Secretary: Dr Mark Allen, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Durham, e-mail: m.b.allen@durham.ac.uk
NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE GROUP OF THE GEOLOGISTS ASSOCATION: Eileen Fraser Tel: 01260 271505 email: fraser@fraserco.co.uk http://www.esci.keele.ac.uk/nsgga/ (usual meeting place for indoor meetings: William Smith Building, University of Keele at 7.30pm
ROTUNDA GEOLOGY GROUP (SCARBOROUGH): contact Sue Rawson, tel. 01723-506.502, email: suerawson@yahoo.co.uk (usual meeting place Room CG7, Scarborough Campus of the University of Hull, Filey Road, Scarborough): Outline Summer 2013 Field Programme:
Saturday June 8 Rosedale Ironstone Industrial Archaeology and Geology: Chris Hall & Prof. Pete Rawson
Saturday July 6 Interglacial and Post Glacial Phenomena in Wykeham, Broxa and Harwood Dale: Peter Robinson
Saturday August 10 The Lower Jurassic of Staithes and Port Mulgrave: Prof. Paul Wignall
Saturday Sept. 7 The Middle Jurassic of Cloughton and Hayburn Wykes: Dr Steve Livera
SORBY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY: Ken J Dorning, Geologists Group Secretary, e-mail: geology@sorby.org.uk; website: http://www.sorby.org.uk/
WESTMORLAND GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY: contact: E-mail: mail@westmorlandgeolsoc.org.uk http://westmorlandgeolsoc.org.uk/ Meetings start at 8 pm (unless otherwise stated) and are held in the Abbot Hall Social Centre, Kendal.
YORKSHIRE MID-WEEK GEOLOGY GROUP: West Yorkshire based informal mainly amateur and retired group that organises monthly field meetings or museum visits on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays. Details in regular Newsletters and on the Group's website: http://mwggyorkshire.webspace.virginmedia.com/. Contact: mwggyorkshire@virginmedia.com
YORKSHIRE REGIONAL GROUP OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY: Contact: Marina Kirkpatrick <yorkshireregionalgroup@gmail.com>
© 2013: Yorkshire Geological Society c/o Patrick Boylan, 2a Compass Road, Leicester LE5 2HF, UK. E-mail: P.Boylan @ city.ac.uk Last updated: 20th May 2013
Web Editor: Patrick Boylan, 2a Compass Road, Leicester LE5 2HF, e-mail: P.Boylan @ city.ac.uk
(With thanks to Paul Kabrna, the YGS's first Web Editor, for photographs,
and the present banner heading and other images, and to Clare Gordon, Librarian, Earth
Sciences, University of Leeds, for assistance in maintaining the YGS archive site on the
Leeds University server from 1999 to 2007).