Contents - Earth Science Teachers` Association

Transcription

Contents
From the Editor
Hazel Clark
3
On the birth of PEST
John Reynolds
From the Chair
Maggie Williams
4
“Collecting” building stones – an unexpected obsession 40
Peter Kennett
Introducing the new ESTA President
Chris Carlon
6
The use of Android tablets for geological fieldwork – pitfalls
and possibilities.
44
Phillip Murphy
Communicating Geoscience: ESTA Annual Course and
Conference at Plymouth University, 2013
Mark Anderson
7
Morteratsch: A student’s view
Daniel Tudor
ESTA Conference 2012 in pictures
9
Volcanic Prediction … and saving the ESTA Chair
Designate!50
Mike Parker
Bring and share
11
38
47
The Geology of Bradgate Park: ESTA Conference fieldtrip,
30th September 2012
23
Keith Ambrose
UK Earth science curriculum update – reasons to be
cheerful?51
Bradgate Park field day at the Keyworth Conference led by
Keith Ambrose
30
Carole Rushall
Reviews55
Diary Dates
57
ESTA Conference visit to the National Stone Centre, Sunday
30th September 2012
32
Geoff Selby Sly
Crossword 2
59
Our Day Out at the National Stone Centre
Angela Bentley
Chris King
37
COPY Deadlines
TES 38 2 30 June 2013 for publication in September 2013
TES 39 1 31 December 2013 for publication in March 2014
www.esta-uk.net
TES Issue 38_1 Text.indd 1
Vol 38 No 1 2013 Teaching Earth Sciences 1
15/04/2013 12:00:08
Teaching Earth Sciences
Teaching Earth Sciences is published biannually
by the Earth Science Teachers’ Association. ESTA
aims to encourage and support the teaching of
Earth sciences, whether as a single subject, or
as part of science or geography courses.
Full membership is £32.00; student and retired
membership £16.00.
Registered Charity No. 1005331
Contributions to future issues of Teaching
Earth Sciences will be welcomed and should be
addressed to the Editor
Opinions and comments in this issue are
the personal views of the authors and do
not necessarily represent the views of the
Association
Designed, typeset and printed in the United
Kingdom by Hobbs the Printers Ltd, Totton,
Hampshire, SO40 3WX
Website: www.hobbs.uk.com
Editor TES
Hazel Clark
h.e.clark@ljmu.ac.uk
tes.esta@gmail.com
Editor ESTA News
Maggie Williams
hiatus@liv.ac.uk
Reviews Editor
Pete Loader
peteloader@yahoo.co.uk
Secondary Coordinator
Chris King
chris@cjhking.plus.com
Advertising
Hazel Mather
advert.esta@gmail.com
Higher Education Coordinator
Jim Andrews
jima@noc.soton.ac.uk
COUNCIL OFFICERS
Chair
Maggie Williams
hiatus@liv.ac.uk
Chair designate
Pete Loader
Secretary
David Bailey
deba@bgs.ac.uk
Treasurer
Carole Rushall
c.a.rushall@durham.ac.uk
Membership Secretary
Mike Tuke
miketuke@btinternet.com
Primary Coordinator
Tracy Atkinson
tracyatkinson@ymail.com
Front cover
Volcanic Bomb
at ‘Camping
Arenales’,Almagro
Volcanic bomb from one of
over 200 pyroclastic cones
and lava domes comprising
the Calatrava Volcanic Field
occupying 5000 sq km in
the south of the Castilla-La
Mancha region of Spain. Most date to Pliocene or
late Pleistocene although some fumarolic activity
was recorded in 16th - 18th cent. This volcanic
field lies in a continental rift setting and is one of
three areas of recent volcanic activity in Spain, the
others being Olot (Gerona,Catalonia) and Cabo de
Gata (Almeria). These are in alignment with the Auvergne and Eifel, and so are part of what is known
as the West European Rift.
This bomb sits in the grounds of ‘Camping Arenales’
in Almagro,28 km SE of Ciudad Real. It shows
spheroidal weathering.
Photograph by Peter Perkins
pjperkins@live.co.uk
Do you have a picture for the
cover? If so, please send it in.
®
MIX
Paper from
responsible sources
FSC® C020438
Exam Howler . . .
Another way to manage loss of life and damage
in an earthquake is by making everyone stand
far away from buildings
You can now follow us on Facebook. You can find us under Earth Science Teachers’ Association
2 Vol 38 No 1 2013 Teaching Earth Sciences
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:09
From the Editor
Hazel Clark
Phew it seems to have been yet another busy year and
we are only in March!.
Firstly, let me apologise for the extremely late arrival of this
issue. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I have been
unable to devote the time that I usually allocate in January
and February. I am currently sitting in a field centre in the
south Lake District after a long day in the field doing some
editing. Hopefully, what I miss here will be picked up in the
proof copy. So I will leave it to you to judge the quality of
the finished article!
Following my rant about cuddly creatures impinging upon
Earth science on the TV ….. they are at it again! On the
BBC news app I spied an article entitled “Fossil raindrops
probe ancient atmosphere” http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
science-environment-20575250. The caption for the
photograph reads “The pits seen here were created in ash
at a time when the Earth looked very different from today”.
Nothing too bad there you may say until you look at the
picture. Most of the raindrop imprints are obscured by a
meerkat. While it may be really clever to take a photo of a
meerkat, I personally would prefer the raindrop imprints!!!
I hope that you are keeping up to date with the ESTA
Facebook page. Maggie has been diligently adding material
to it on a regular basis (in fact has become quite an addict!)
and some of the rest of us have been dabbling more
sporadically. There is some really good stuff on there so
please check it out.
It was good to see so many of you at the BGS conference.
I am sure that those who attended would agree that there
was something for everybody and great fun was had by all
as you can see from the Conference photos. Our thanks
www.esta-uk.net
to David Bailey and his BGS colleagues for making us so
welcome and special thanks to Linda Marshall for making
it all run seamlessly. There are some articles associated with
the Conference in this issue and I hope to bring you more
in the next issue. I think that it is especially interesting to
compare the field leader’s version of the field visit with the
participants’ take on it! Then reflect on what your students
write compared with what you think you told them.
We can also eagerly anticipate the 2013 conference at
Plymouth. Mark Anderson, the conference convenor, has
put together a taster to entice us down to the far flung
areas of the south west. What a lot we have to look
forward to!!! I hope that you are saving your pennies or
badgering your school for some money/time off, as I am
certain that it will be a great investment.
As you are probably aware, it takes a lot of work to bring
TES to you. One of the difficult things is to find material to
fill in the gaps between articles so you are not left with a
lot of white space. I would be really grateful if you would
send in any exam howlers or photos of geological terms
with a difference under the banner of Geological Surprises
(for example the picture of cheese in this issue) or indeed
anything of interest.
As always, you can send articles to me at tes.esta@gmail.
com I am like a puppy dog with two tails if I get sent
unsolicited articles. So make it your new year’s resolution to
write up that article that has been fermenting for years and
make my day by sending it in. I look forward to hearing
from you soon!!
Hazel
15/04/2013 12:00:09
From the Chair
Maggie Williams
Conferences always provide excellent opportunities
to learn and share ideas with other enthusiasts and to
meet new people as well as old friends. In September
2012 ESTA’s 45th Annual Course and Conference was
held at the British Geological Survey’s Environmental
Science Centre at Keyworth, near Nottingham. This
event turned out to be the highlight of the year,
providing so much more than delegates could possibly
have expected with fantastic opportunities to explore
BGS ‘gems’ such as ‘The Geological Walk’ (a new and
striking addition to the Keyworth site), the Core Store
and the 3D Visualisation Facility. My thanks are due
to Prof John Ludden, Executive Director of the British
Geological Society, for his kind invitation to ESTA
to hold the ESTA Annual Course and Conference at
Keyworth. I would also like to express my thanks to
David Bailey for all of his hard work in convening the
2012 conference and to all of those members of staff
at BGS who either volunteered to run sessions during
the conference or contributed ‘behind the scenes’.
Together the ‘BGS Team’ provided the interesting,
awe-inspiring, challenging and enjoyable event that
I had hoped for and I wish to congratulate the team
on their success. At this point I would also like to
record my thanks to Linda Marshall (ESTA Conference
Manager) who worked closely with the ‘BGS Team’
and so quietly and efficiently ensured that the ESTA
conference ran smoothly.
I am also grateful for the support of the ESTA conference
that was provided by the Petroleum Exploration Society of
Great Britain (PESGB), MinSouth (a London-based Local
Society for the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining)
and the GeoBus project. PESGB provided generous financial
support for the 2012 conference. Without this sponsorship
not only would ESTA have struggled to produce such
a splendid conference event at a reasonable price, but
also would have found it difficult to generate the many
useful teaching resources, ideas and articles that you
see published in this edition of Teaching Earth Sciences.
Gavin Bowyer (from MinSouth) and Ruth Robinson (from
the GeoBus project) both supported the conference by
arranging two very interesting conference sessions for us.
4 Teaching Earth Sciences Vol 38 No 1 2013
The MinSouth session, run by MinSouth members and
AMC Consultants Martin Staples and Lily Whitehead, was
based on their experience of using digital modelling in
mineral exploration and mining. In contrast, Ruth’s session
was based on her experience of setting up an educational
outreach project for schoolchildren developed and run from
the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of St
Andrews.
At the 45th Annual General Meeting we welcomed Dr Chris
Carlon as ESTA President and voted Pete Loader Chair
Designate and Carole Rushall as Treasurer. I am very much
looking forward to working with Chris, Pete and Carole,
but would like to take this opportunity to place on record
my thanks to Professor Jon Gluyas and Jane Giffould. Jon
(retiring President) has made significant efforts to ‘advance
ESTA’s cause’ over the last two years and we wish him well
for the future. Jane Giffould has not only worked hard
work as Treasurer over the last three years, but has also
willingly provided her expert help and guidance during
the last three months to ease the ‘handover’ to the new
Treasurer.
Since the publication of TES 37.2, I have written an article
about GEOTREX for the Secondary Science Review (SSR)
for an Earth science themed edition that was published in
December 2012. SSR is a publication of the Association
for Science Education (ASE) publication and, if you don’t
already subscribe to this journal, it is worth tracking down
a copy to read for two reasons. Firstly, it is the first Earth
science themed edition journal that ASE has produced.
Secondly, it is a publication that includes a wide range
of Earth science themes. SSR December 2012, 94(347)
includes articles covering “Sub-Surf Rocks”, “The evolution
of the atmosphere”, “Inspiring a generation through the
Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site”, “Common Earth
science misconceptions in science teaching”. In addition
this Earth science themed edition includes an evaluation of
the impact of Earth Science Education Unit workshops. This
publication also gives detailed worked examples, produced
by Duncan Hawley, illustrating how fieldwork can form the
pedagogic focus for a thinking-skills approach to teaching
Earth science.
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:09
Earth Science Week is organised by the American
Geosciences Institute and has the objectives to:
•
•
•
•
Engage people in discovering Earth sciences
Remind people that Earth science is all around us
Promote opportunities in Earth science
Encourage geoscientists to share their knowledge
and enthusiasm about the Earth
• Work with others to illustrate Earth science is a
cross-curriculum subject.
Review of the National Curriculum has continued to
feature in other recent meetings I’ve attended and in
correspondence I’ve received. As I write it is just before
the start of the New Year and I am still worrying whether
or not ESTA has made a strong enough case for retaining
geology, particularly at Key Stages 3 and 4, in the National
Curriculum and for science and for geography. I expect ‘all
will be revealed’ in the near future, but in the meantime
I keep my fingers crossed and send you best wishes for
2013.
For the last two years the GSL has been bringing it to the
UK. During the last quarter of 2012 I responded to a plea
for help from Judi Lakin (Education & Training Officer at
the Geological Society of London) to provide activities
that could be put on the GSL website to mark Earth
Science Week (ESW) in mid-October. I provided items on
sedimentary grains and sedimentary rocks and a forensic
geology exercise. There were also contributions based
on Earth Learning Idea activities and other lesson plans
produced by two other ESTA members (Pete Loader and
Joanie Marion).
I hope you enjoy reading this edition of Teaching Earth
Sciences and, if you were unable to come to the 2012
conference, I also hope that this copy of TES will inspire you
join us in Plymouth for the 2013 ESTA Conference. Until
then, if you would like to find out more about the BGS,
PESGB, MinSouth or the GeoBus project please go to:
You may be interested to know that ESTA Council is
currently in the process of looking at what ESTA does now
and considering what we could include in our next 5-year
plan for the Association. At the Earth Science Education
Forum (ESEF) meeting, held at the start of December
2012, I was invited to explain what ESTA does to support
teachers of geology and Earth science in the UK and in this
meeting I outlined some of ESTA’s possible plans for the
future. Involvement with the Geological Society of London’s
initiative has given me the idea that ESW is something ESTA
should be supporting and should be celebrating again next
year. Watch this space for further details and plans for the
future and don’t hesitate to let me know what you think
our priorities should be to help you.
Finally, please don’t forget to get in touch with me if you
would like to:
www.bgs.ac.uk/
www.pesgb.org.uk/
www.minsouth.org.uk/
www.geobus.org.uk/
• let me know what you think ESTA should be
planning to do to help and support its members in
the future;
• find out how you can make a contribution to
GEOTREX and/ or STEGO (ESTA’s on-line teaching
resources);
• join one of ESTA’s working groups;
• become a Co-opted Council member.
Maggie Williams, December 2012
hiatus@liv.ac.uk
Old photos never die – they just come back to haunt us!!!
Peter Kennett (one of the Association’s founder members) is endeavouring to write the
history of ATG/ESTA, from 1967 to the present day. Most of his early photos are of rocks
and not of people! Can anyone help by looking back through the albums and seeing if any
relevant photos come to light? If so, please can you scan them and email to Peter peter.kennett@tiscali.co.uk (in batches if they are too big), with a note about who they show, and if
permission to use them, with due acknowledgement, can be assumed
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:09
Introducing the new ESTA President
Chris Carlon
Reading back through
past ESTA Presidential
introductions it seems
that the invitation
to take on the role
usually comes “out of
the blue” with a “why
me?” reaction! That
was exactly my response
when Maggie Williams
rang me, so I’m clearly
the same as previous
Presidents and like them, it is a great pleasure and
honour to accept this position.
So why choose someone who has spent his life in mineral
exploration and exploration management? As H.H. Read
famously remarked “.. all other things being equal the best
geologists are the ones who have seen the most rocks”.
Minerals exploration geologists look for minerals in all
terranes, different rock types and any age of host rock
anywhere on Earth and even at the bottom of the ocean.
They employ many different remote sensed, geophysical
and geochemical techniques but still get “on the rocks”
with a hammer and hand-lens. They often build up an
encyclopaedic geological knowledge simply because
mineral exploration is “where have I seen that before”
geological detective work so they have every opportunity to
be the best geologists!
I grew up in Cheshire, a place renowned for its poorly
exposed “boring red rocks” hidden under a thick glacial
cover. At the age of 16 I started geology lessons at
school taught by a very enthusiastic and inspirational
geologist who was very involved with ESTA’s precursor
organisation the “Association of Teachers of Geology”.
He led us on a visit to the underground rock salt mine
at Winsford and my purpose in life was immediately
crystallised. A geology degree at Swansea, followed by
a PhD research project at Manchester University has led
to 40 years working for 5 major international mining
companies on numerous projects for a wide variety of
minerals in over 40 countries world-wide inclusive of
and as diverse as Chile, Russia, Sweden, Sudan, Iran and
Mongolia.
Well, that’s all well and good you might say, but how can
all this help ESTA?
Geologists simply love talking enthusiastically about the
subject and for me it started with teaching adult education
evening classes while still a research student. It grew with
OU tutoring to first, second and third level students and
has continued with talks to schools, universities, geological
societies and also non-geologists, environmentalists,
governments and NGO’s.
In 2006 while Head of Geosciences for one of the world’s
major resource companies, I became involved with ESEF
and the All Party Parliamentary Group for Earth Sciences.
After so many years working overseas I was immensely
encouraged by the work done in the UK to inspire and
support young people and their teachers, in opening their
eyes to the amazing subject of geology and the importance
of Earth- or geo-science. Having some responsibility for the
health of the Earth science discipline in a major resource
company has given me a much better understanding of the
training and recruitment of Earth scientists, why they chose
the subject, and recent patterns of education, employment
and career development.
Geology and its related Earth science applications in
chemistry and physics are such important aspects in our lives.
How the Earth treats us both benignly and violently; how
we treat the Earth environmentally and through resource
use and how we understand or do not understand Earth
systems are such fundamental subjects that they deserve
to be taught well and widely. ESTA plays an important part
in support of these aims, so I look forward to contributing,
working with Council and trying to add a little more to the
marvellous work that ESTA already does and continues to
develop. I look forward to meeting and talking to as many of
you as possible while President of ESTA.
Chris Carlon
Consulting Economic Geologist
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:09
Communicating Geoscience:
ESTA Annual Course and Conference
at Plymouth University, 2013
Mark Anderson
I attended my first ESTA conference at BGS, Keyworth
last year. My abiding memories of the event are of the
enthusiasm, immense commitment and enjoyment
shown by delegates, exhibitors and organisers alike.
This year Plymouth University plays host and we are
aiming to equal the excellent meeting of last year.
The University plays a central role in the cultural and
economic well-being of the city and, in delivering our
vision of excellent teaching, research and enterprise,
works in partnership with many other organisations
in Plymouth and the SW Region. Indeed, Plymouth
City Museum, the National Marine Aquarium, the
English Riviera Geopark and the Jurassic Coast will all
be involved at various stages of the meeting. Over
the course of the conference we hope to share our
enthusiasm for these partnerships, and demonstrate
how they can enhance the experience of students at
all stages of their education.
Technical Programme
Our keynote speaker is Dr David Rothery from the Open
University. David is well known for his appearances on
popular science programmes such as the Bang Goes the
Theory. He has written a wide range of books aimed at
communicating “key ideas” in the Earth Sciences and also
the wider place of Earth Sciences in understanding the
Solar System.
http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/pages/view.
asp?page=24543
We also have a wide-ranging set of workshops confirmed.
These will be held in the Earth Science teaching laboratories
in the Fitzroy Building:
• B
ringing fossils into the classroom (Jodie Fisher,
Plymouth University Jan Freedman, Plymouth
Museum)
• Microfossils as indicators of environmental change
(Malcolm Hart and Christopher Smart, Plymouth
University)
Lectures and exhibitions will be held in the Sherwell Centre,
a purpose built conference venue converted from a 19th
Century Church on the University Campus.
• E
ducation through Expeditions (Antony
Jinman, Polar Explorer and Explorer in
Residence, Plymouth University) http://www.
educationthroughexpeditions.org/
• Using simple tools to model with seismic data
(Gordon Neighbour and Jean Luc Berenguer)
• Virtual worlds and animations for teaching Earth
Science (Oxford University, Oxford Sparks and
Science Communication Team)
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:09
• A
careerinEarthSciences?Onlineresources
for Schools (Mark Anderson and Luke Angell,
Plymouth University)
• ModelsforvisualisingtheEarthin3D(TomArgles,
Open University)
• Primaryworkshops
• T
heEnglishRivieraGlobalGeoparkinTorbay(http://
www.englishrivierageopark.org.uk/). Again we will
examine opportunites for cross-curricular activites
whilst also examining classic geological stratigraphic
relationships and cave formation in limestones
• AtripintoCornwall,justovertheRiverTamarfrom
Plymouth. We will visit a wonderful self-contained
site near the village of Kingsand. Here we will
use “e-guidebooks” as a learning tool and as a
way of allowing students to conduct fieldwork
independently in a safe and supported environment.
We also have provisional workshops offered from the
following:
• V
irtuallyfieldwork?LessonsfromadigitalLakeland
landscape (Tom Argles, Open University)
• CommunicatingvolcanichazardsinSchools–
the volcano top trumps project (Jenni Barclay,
University of East Anglia and Paul Cole, Plymouth
UniversityandtheSTREVAprojectteam)http://
streva.ac.uk/
• ModelsforvisualisingtheEarthin3D(DavidBailey,
BGS) http://www.bgs.ac.uk/services/3Dgeology/
teachingandlearning/
• GeoBus(+)(RuthRobinson&KathrynRoper,University
of St Andrews) http://www.geobus.org.uk/
We will, of course be offering the usual conference
favourites such as bring and share. We will round off
the Saturday programme, once again, with the frenetic
excitement of a “Show and Tell” session.
On Sunday 29th September we will have an opportunity
to show off spectacular field resources that the SW has to
offer for teaching. We will focus our field visits towards
those areas where national and international recognition
of the teaching potential of the sites has generated a
wide range of educational materials that are available for
teachers of Earth Science to use in their teaching:
• T
heJurassicCoastofEastDevonandDorset
http://jurassiccoast.org/education. A spectacular
opportunity to walk through 185 million years of
EarthHistorybutalsoforamazingcross-curricular
activities. We intend to have guided tours
and a boat trip of the coast and, hopefully, an
opportunity to fly on the unique “Jurassic Airlines”
–anunforgettableflightbackthroughtimehttp://
jurassicairlines.co.uk/
8
Teaching Earth Sciences Vol 38 No 1 2013
Social Events
Early arrivals on Friday will have an opportunity for an
immersive experience in the University’s “dome” (our
Immersive Visualisation Theatre). We will demonstrate a
range of immersive environments, as widely different as the
solar system and a fly!! In the evening we will have a drinks
reception in Plymouth City Museum followed by traditional
West Country Fish and Chips on the University Campus.
After the workshops and presentations on the Saturday we
will reassemble at the National Marine Aquarium, close to
the historical Barbican area of the city. Here we will have a
tour of this unique research and teaching facility and dine
amongst the sharks ! Professor Iain Stewart will be our
master of ceremonies for the evening and, for the more
energetic delegates, we can walk over Sutton Harbour
to the Barbican for some harbourside drinks in the balmy
warmth of a late Summer evening!
We look forward to welcoming you to our University
and our city and offering you all a useful but enjoyable
conference.
Dr Mark Anderson (Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer)
in Structural Geology, School of Geography, Earth and
Environmental Sciences (Faculty of Science and Technology),
Plymouth University
For details please contact the conference manager, Linda
Marshall linmarshall@btinternet.
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:10
ESTA Conference 2012
How many businesses
can boast of their own
named bus stop?
(Photo by Hazel Clark)
The conference was held at BGS Keyworth (Photo by Hazel Clark)
The new facilities and geological walk through
time (Photo by Peter Kennett)
The BGS rock store could double as an Indiana Jones
film set (Photo by Hazel Clark)
Recreating experiments such as
thrusting in the NW Highlands
Mingling in the exhibition space
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:14
Infrared images show
whether we are
hot stuff
Viewing fossils in 3D
Carole Rushall, the
newly elected treasurer
Mike Tuke’s isostacy
experiments (Photo
by Peter Kennett)
Friday night ice
breaker BBQ
A tour of the cricket ground included a visit to the Library which holds
the largest collection of cricket books in the UK (Photo by Peter Kennett)
Conference dinner was
held at the hallowed
grounds of Trent Bridge
Cricket Club
(Photo by Peter Kennett)
The Dinner was held in the Long room (Photo by Peter Kennett)
ESTA Chair, Maggie arrives at
a field site in style
Is the retired web master
looking for new employment?
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:20
ESTA Conference ‘Bring and share’
– British Geological Survey Headquarters, 2012
Chris King
The ‘bring and share’ was so packed with items and enthusiasm this year that it was difficult to give everybody a
good ‘platform’ in our allotted time. So it is great that so many of the presenters have been willing to write up
their work for Teaching Earth Sciences. This helps those of us who were there to ‘re-live’ the experience, and all
those who weren’t there to read what happened – and to resolve to go to the Conference in Plymouth next year.
Presentations were made by all those below and, for asterisked items (*) – the write-up follows.
• E
lizabeth Devon and Peter Kennett, Earthlearningidea: ELI update*
• Pete Loader, St Bede’s College, Manchester: “Google Tectonics” and “Sedimentary Logging in the classroom” *
• Abigail Brown, Hagley Catholic High School, Hagley: “Geology – a Domestic Science: Food shopping and nail
varnish” *
• Joanie Marion, Rudolf Steiner School Edinburgh: “Revising Bivalves and Brachiopods”*
• Mike Tuke, ESTA Council: “Bikes, pylons and coral architecture”*
• Simon Kelley, Open University: “Virtual microscope”
• James Speed, Thomas Rotherham College: “Mineral Guess Who”
• Peter Williams, University of Liverpool: “UKESCC Authorware materials: Rock Deformation and Using a
Compass-Clinometer”*
• Phil Murphy, Leeds University :“Using android tabs in field work”
• Maggie Williams, University of Liverpool: “Geology and Coastal Erosion Resource Pack”*
• Paul Grant, ESEU: “Earth heating” (presented by Chris King)*
• Paul Denton, BGS: “School seismology website”
• Judi Lakin, Geological Society: “Plate tectonics: new online resource”*
• Becky Coates and Jim McQuaid, University of Leeds: “VolcaKnow: a smartphone app about volcanoes” *
• Mike Parker, St. Bede’s College, Manchester: “A core activity, Earthlearningidea”*
• Elizabeth Devon, Earthlearningidea: ‘Box Rock Circus”*
• David Bailey, BGS: “GeoBritain Map”*
• Chris Bedford, Radley College: “Fossil moulds and casts”*
• Isobel Geddes, Wiltshire Geology Group: “The ‘Chalk Links’ downloadable pdf Fact Sheets” (presented by
Elizabeth Devon)*
• Chris King, Keele University: “The A-level entry good news story”
Idea title: ELI Update: Geological mapwork from scratch and Geological mapwork from models
Presenter: Peter Kennett, peter.kennett@tiscali.co.uk
Brief description: A series of cardboard models
representing a range of geological situations. These are
part of a set of twelve activities, each of which provides
a geological map exercise which may be printed onto
cardboard, in colour or in monochrome for student use.
A further two activities involve interpretation of selected
portions of BGS maps, taken, with permission from the
www.esta-uk.net
BGS Opengeoscience website, http://www.bgs.ac.uk/
OpenGeoscience/
Age range: 14-19 years
Apparatus/materials needed: Print-outs of the maps and
sections provided on the activity sheets.
Availability of activity: www.earthlearningidea.com –
published on the web at intervals during 2012.
15/04/2013 12:00:20
Idea title: ELI Update: Take it or leave it? – the geoconservation debate : When is collecting wrong, and when is it right? –
try to decide for yourself
Brief description: Asking pupils to discuss which minerals/
rocks/ fossils could be collected and which should be left
for others to use or enjoy. Ten photographs of a range of
items shown where they occur, are presented on screen.
Pupils are asked to say, on a 10 point scale, whether the
item could be collected and taken home “Free to collect
at any time by school students, if safe and legal” (0), up
to “Can only be collected under licence. Take a photo
instead” (10).
Age range: 11 – 18 years
Apparatus/materials needed: Photographs of
appropriate geological items on site, either projected onto
a screen, or printed; a “key” to the graded 0 to 10 scale.
Ammonite, vein of fluorspar (‘Blue John’), plant fossil and ripple marks (Peter
Kennett).
Take it or leave it? – the geoconservation debate, published
on the internet in March 2012.
.......................................................................................................................................
Idea title: ELI Update: Jigging – using density to separate different materials
Brief description: A simple practical activity used to
separate minerals of different density from each other.
It is a small scale version of a method which was used
for centuries. A mixture of crushed minerals of markedly
different relative density (e.g. galena, barite, fluorite and
calcite) is poured into a plastic tube with a gauze sealed
to the base and is then vigorously shaken up and down in
a bucket of water. Within about 30 seconds, the minerals
separate out into discrete layers, with the densest at the
base. Never fails!
Availability of activity: www.earthlearningidea.com.
Jigging – using density to separate different materials,
published on the web, June 2012.
Apparatus/materials needed: a jig (or more than one for
group work) (jig is made quite simply by cutting a length
of about 25 cm of PerspexTM tube and fixing a piece of
gauze to the base, by heating the gauze and pressing the
tube onto it so that it melts enough to hold it; rough edges
are smoothed off with a file; gauze such as that used for
a Bunsen burner is suitable); a bucket nearly full of water;
mineral samples of different density, crushed to about
3mm diameter (this can be done between two hammers,
followed by sieving to remove powder); a hand specimen
containing several minerals, to match those supplied in
crushed form (optional, but useful to challenge pupils at
the start as to how they would separate the minerals).
The jig in action, after 30 seconds of jigging up and down in the bucket of water
(Peter Kennett)
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:21
Idea title: ELI Update: Building Stones 1– a resource for several Earthlearningidea activities (followed by three more detailed
Building Stone activities using some of the same photographs)
Brief description: A small group activity in the
identification of a wide range of rock types, using naturalscale photographs of rocks used as building stones or
for ornamental purposes. The sheets of photographs are
intended for use as the basis for several further activities.
Apparatus/materials needed: Sets of the photographs
provided: the simple branching key provided.
published on the web at intervals during 2012.
The late Fred Broadhurst enthusing ESTA members about building stones at the
Trafford Centre (Peter Kennett)
....................................................................................................................................
Idea title: Sedimentary Logging in the Classroom
Presenter: Pete Loader, St Bede’s College, M/c, M16 8HX
Brief description: A 1 metre (or other) plastic tube (a
suitably reinforced container that once housed a curtain
pole is ideal) is filled with sediments of different types (to
show a variety of mineralogy, textures and colours). To
ensure a sharp, rather than a diffuse boundary between
fine sediment overlying coarser sediment, it is best if
the finer sediment is initially contained in a see-through
plastic bag which prevents settlement into the open pore
spaces in the coarser sediment below. With care, suitable
sedimentary structures can be achieved – load structures,
graded beds, cross bedding, imbricate structures etc.
A typical contained sedimentary sequence used in the classroom.
www.esta-uk.net
This enables sedimentary logging to be taught in the
classroom before going into the field. A suitable program
for drawing and manipulating graphic log data (SEDLOG)
can be downloaded free at http://thames.cs.rhul.ac.uk/
sedlog/.
Age range: 16 +
Apparatus/materials needed: Reinforced see-through
plastic container, a variety of sediments of different
textures, colour and mineralogy.
An example of a graphic log using Sedlog
15/04/2013 12:00:22
Idea Title: Geology – a domestic science! Food shopping revision activity
Presenter: Abigail Brown, Hagley Catholic High School,
ab296@hagleyrc.worcs.sch.uk
Brief description: Bring in a shopping bag of food items
and see if the students can work out what geological
concepts you are attempting to illustrate – and then discuss
the limitations of using food items! Can be done with a
PowerPoint of images (available from ab296@hagleyrc.
worcs.sch.uk).
5.
6.
7.
Possible food items (and suggested geological
interpretations):
1. Jacket potato – pluton cools faster on the outside
forming chilled margin, stays warmer in the middle
forming larger crystals. Alternative interpretation is
pillow lava – rigid skin forms as quenched by sea water,
but still squidgy inside.
2. Bread and toast – contact metamorphism, baked
country “rock” is harder. Isochemical reaction – only
thing which was added was heat. If you can achieve
uneven toasting so that it is most browned at one edge
this could represent greatest alteration closest to the
intrusion i.e. higher grade contact metamorphism.
3. Kiwi fruit cut in half – coral with septa. Do they
reach all the way to the corallite wall – is this a good
analogue? Is it more rugose or scleractinian?!
4. Almonds and hazelnuts – brachiopod and bivalve
symmetry rules. Do they all obey the rules (cf.
8.
Gryphaea sp.).
Peas, potatoes, raisins, rice krispies, boulders (poorly
named!), onion bhajis – sediment sphericity and
roundness – see where they plot on the diagram (e.g.
see Edwards & King (1999) p88).
Digestive biscuit, tomato, strips of pitta bread, fish
fingers – Zingg diagrams (discs, sphere, blades, rods
respectively). An alternative is a plate (disc) of fish
fingers, chips and peas (rods, blades and spheres).
Piles of sugar, couscous, potatoes, pulses (e.g. lentils,
chick peas, mung beans, split peas, aduki beans, pinto
beans) – mass movement/slope stability. Encourage
students to bring something in and predict whose
item can sustain the highest angle of repose. Add
some water, then too much, at different speeds. What
governs stability? Packing, porosity and permeability
can be revised here too.
Finally, breccia or conglomerate cherry rock cakes!
Age range: 14-18
Apparatus/materials needed: Bag of shopping (see
above for suggested items) or PowerPoint of food images
(available from ab296@hagleyrc.worcs.sch.uk) – or both.
Reference: Edwards, D. and King C. (1999) Geoscience –
understanding geological processes.
London: Hodder and Stoughton
....................................................................................................................................
Idea Title: Geology – a domestic science! Using nail polish
to determine palaeolatitude
Presenter: Abigail Brown, Hagley Catholic High School,
ab296@hagleyrc.worcs.sch.uk
Brief description: Magnetic nail polish (available in many
colours online from around £2 including a magnet and
postage and packing) contains small iron particles. If a
normal fridge-type magnet (with stripes of alternating
polarity on one side producing what is called a “Halbach
array”) is held over the nail polish immediately after it is
applied, a permanent striped pattern is then produced in
the nail polish.
This can be applied to a study of the Earth’s magnetic field,
and how it varies with latitude. A simple demonstration
involves cutting slices of magnetic printer paper (about
£1 for an A4 sheet) and taping them to the reverse of a
diagram of the Earth, perhaps indicating the inclination of
the magnetic field at various latitudes (as in Figure 1). The
slices of magnetic paper are aligned with the inclination
(the magnetic stripes usually run up and down the paper –
but check the orientation first using the nail polish), so that
when nail polish is applied to the paper on top of them,
the magnetic paper causes the iron particles in the polish to
align and produce a striped pattern at different angles (see
Figure 1) – rather like revealing a magnetic inclination in the
rocks.
Figure 1: (after WJEC 2011 GL5 Theme 3 Q1)
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:22
The completed version of the worksheet shown in Figure 2
illustrates how this approach can be extended to be used
as a class activity. Using the demonstration diagram of the
Earth with the magnetic slices taped to the reverse (without
the nail polish applied to reveal the hidden inclination),
the students rotate the sheet so that they can place the
bottom of each cell (in the “Inclination” column) directly
on the surface of the Earth for each of the latitudes stated,
and paint nail polish into each box. There will then be a
permanent record of the inclination at each latitude on
their worksheets (as shown in Figure 2).
The second phase of the activity is to use this record of
how the inclination varies with latitude to determine
the palaeolatitude at which three radiometrically dated
basalt “samples” crystallised. A resource (Figure 4) with
three circles of magnetic printer paper (or fridge magnets)
taped to it at different orientations (representing different
inclinations) is provided and the students lay their second
worksheet (Figure 3) over the top of this resource and again
paint the nail polish over the top. They can then use the
inclination recorded on their worksheets to interpret the
palaeolatitude at these different times, and can thus infer
that during the Carboniferous (for example), Britain was at
the equator.
Figure 4: Basalt “samples” worksheet for determination of palaeolatitude
Figure 2: Completed version of inclination worksheet
An acceptable (but less fun) alternative to the nail varnish
and magnetic printer paper approach is to tape small
chunks of corrugated cardboard to the reverse of the
diagram of the earth showing the inclination of the
magnetic field at different latitudes. The cardboard chunks
are aligned with the inclination at each latitude and
when a crayon is rubbed over the top of the diagram, the
inclination is revealed.
Age range: 14-18
Figure 3: Completed version of palaeolatitude worksheet
www.esta-uk.net
Apparatus/materials needed: Magnetic nail polish
with fridge-type magnet (available online, e.g. eBay, from
£2 including postage and packing) and magnetic printer
paper (available online, approximately £1 per sheet of
A4), or corrugated cardboard and crayons if preferred.
Diagram to show inclination of the earth’s magnetic field
at different latitudes (e.g. see WJEC 2011 GL5 Theme 3
Q1). Worksheets shown above (available from ab296@
hagleyrc.worcs.sch.uk).
15/04/2013 12:00:22
Idea title: Of bikes, pylons and coral architecture
Presenter: Mike Tuke, miketuke@btinternet.com
Brief description: Last year at the ESTA Conference I
showed how to make a model to show the parts of a
solitary coral in 3D. The purpose here is to explain the
purpose of those parts. Corals live in very high energy
conditions and need to be strong to survive the force of the
waves.
I have long believed that students are more likely to
remember the geological information I give them if it can
be related to something they already know about, hence I
start my lesson on coral architecture with a bike in the front
of the class.
First some engineering: take four strips of wood and make
a square by putting a bolt through each corner. The square
is not very strong because it can easily be squashed into a
diamond. However if you take a fifth strip of wood of the
same length and join it to opposite corners you have very
strong and stable diamond shape made of two triangles
(Figure 1). This is the same shape as the frame of your
bike. The diamond bike frame was invented by Mr Starley
in 1885 in Coventry. It made bikes stronger and safer and
easier to ride. His company, the Rover Bike Company was
so successful it transformed the fortunes of that city.
The triangle is also the basic engineering structure seen in
pylons, metal bridges and much else.
Make a rectangle out of strips of wood as in Figure 2. This
represents a longitudinal section through a solitary coral.
Like the square it has not much strength. However if we
now put dissepiments on to form triangles (Figure 3) it
makes it much, much stronger.
Take a plastic flower pot. This represents the coral wall. It
can be squashed easily. However if we now insert septa
into the opening it becomes much stronger even though
the septa in the model are only thin card. The septa in a
real coral are only thin but because of the large number of
them they give the coral great strength just as the spokes in
a bike wheel do.
So the purpose of the dissepiments and the septa are to
give the coral the strength it needs to resist the force of the
waves.
Apparatus/materials needed: Bike with diamond frame.
Ask one of your students to bring his bike into class. Check
that it does have a diamond frame and wheels with spokes
first.
Square. Five pieces of wood about 50cm long by 2cm wide
by 8mm thick. Four nuts and bolts 25mm long.
Coral wall. Two pieces of wood 40cm long, 4 pieces 25cm
long all about 2cm wide by 8mm thick, 8 25mm nuts and
bolts. The dissepiments once fitted should be cut so that
they do not protrude beyond the coral wall and should be
labelled so you know which piece fits which side and which
is top and bottom. You will need a saw and a drill to make
the models. Cut a thin piece of card to represent the polyp
and staple it to the centre of the top tabula.
Septa. You will need a plastic flower pot about 15cm
diameter at the top. Take a 3cm length of a piece of
25mm diameter dowelling, a piece cut from broom stick is
suitable. Make 4 cuts with a saw into the end, each about
15mm deep. The cuts should radiate from the centre and
be 45o from each other (diagram 4). Cut 8 pieces of card of
the right thickness to fit tightly into the saw cuts and of the
same radius as the top of the flower pot. Slot them into the
dowelling.
If you wish to teach this without reference to bikes then
just start with the rectangle. If you wish to simplify the
septa model just use a section of a plastic cup or yoghurt
pot and two intersecting pieces of card.
Figure 1: Diamond with cross bar
making two strong triangles
Figure 2: Cross section of coral wall
with tabulae
Figure 3: Cross section of coral with
dissepiments
Figure 4: End of section of broomstick
showing
saw cuts
Age range: AS/A2
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:22
Idea title: UKESCC Authorware materials: Rock Deformation and using a compass-clinometer.
Presenter: Peter Williams School of Environmental
Sciences, University of Liverpool . T.J.P.Williams@liv.ac.uk
learning environments. Please e-mail Peter Williams for
details how to do this.
Brief Description: Two web-based units from the UKESCC
software package updated using Xerte free software. The
two units can be accessed at: pcwww.liv.ac.uk/~tjpeter/
rocdef/ and pcwww.liv.ac.uk/~tjpeter/compclin/. It is
also possible to package the units for individual institution’s
Age range: designed for first year undergraduates, but
might also be interesting for final year A level students who
are thinking about Earth Science undergraduate courses.
Apparatus/materials needed: Internet connection.
Idea title: Geology and Coastal Erosion Resource Pack
Presenter: Maggie Williams School of Environmental
Sciences, University of Liverpool (on behalf of Frank
Bennett, Ranger – Wirral’s Coast).
Brief Description: This resource pack aims to provide a
resource for students, teachers and members of the public
with an interest in learning more about Wirral’s coastline.
The pack includes maps, photographs, health and safety
advice, information about the coastline and its geology,
detailed descriptions of sites along the coastline and
provides links to websites giving further information about
various topics (e.g. the SSSI and RIGS sites in Wirral, Wirral
Shoreline Management Plan and resources for teachers).
The resource pack is in digital format and can be emailed
on request by contacting: Maggie Williams at: hiatus@
liv.ac.uk or Frank Bennett (Ranger – Wirral’s Coast) at:
frankbennett@wirral.gov.uk
Age range: 11 – 95
Apparatus/materials needed: Internet connection.
Idea title: Investigating solar energy absorption of the Earth
Presenter: Paul Grant, p.r.grant@blueyonder.co.uk
Brief description: Examine a composite satellite image of
the Earth, and note that there are four predominant colours
(green, yellowish, deep blue and white), then measure
the temperatures of swatches of these colours exposed to
either solar or artificial radiation.
Global implications: discuss the implications of the
variations of absorption of solar radiation on different
Earth surfaces represented by the colour swatches. Discuss
‘feedback’ and potential consequences. Discuss the
consequences of ice loss from the West Antarctic, and
compare this with the effects of the annually-increased
summer melting of Arctic Sea ice during the past ten years.
Age range: 14-19
Apparatus/materials needed: Infra-red (IR) thermometer
(e.g. from Maplin at £19.99), pieces of paper of the
necessary colours; sunlight. Alternative using artificial light:
40 Watt desk lamp 20cm above surface, illuminate for 300s
prior to measurements being taken
The experimental set up (Paul Grant)
Colour Temperature reading oC
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Average
Black
50.3
49.4
52.6
52.1
52.8
53.8
54.3
53.7
53.3
53.5
52.58
White 30.1
28.4
29.5
28.7
28.1
29.6
29.4
28.6
27.5
27.4
28.73
Blue
48.8
48
50.3
50
51.1
51.3
50.3
51.7
50.3
50.2
50.20
Green 50.4
49.6
50.9
50.9
52.6
51.7
51.8
51.1
50.3
50.2
50.95
Yellow 37.1
36.8
36.5
37
37.9
37.2
37.1
37.6
36.8
37.4
37.14
Tabulated results. Ambient temperature 22oC, on 2/9/12, @ 13:00 BST; outside : direct sunlight; 10s
residence time / measurement
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:22
Idea title: Plate tectonics: new online resource
Presenter: Judi Lakin, the Geological Society, judi.lakin@
geolsoc.org.uk
Brief description: The new educational resource – Plate
Tectonics – has just been made live and can be accessed
using the link: www.geolsoc.org.uk/plate-tectonics
This project has been generously (and patiently)
sponsored by Centrica. The writers are named on the
acknowledgements page, and were led by Pete Loader and
Ian Kenyon, who have worked extremely hard.
Age range: 11 upward
Apparatus/materials needed: Web access
The Geological Society ‘plate tectonics’ online resource home page
Idea title: VolcaKnow
Presenter: Presented by Becky Coates on behalf of
VolcaKnow team (contact: Jim McQuaid, j.b.mcquaid@
leeds.ac.uk, School of Earth & Environment, University of
Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT.
Brief description:
The VolcaKnow smartphone app.
We have developed a smartphone ‘app’ which will provide
a “one-stop-shop” for students who are interested in/
researching volcanoes. There are a great many excellent
websites about volcanoes but there is nothing currently
available for smartphones. The app will provide an
authoritative guide with links to the best websites on the
subject.
There is a range of categories into which volcano
“information” is grouped, these include:
How Are Volcanoes Formed? Which will include topics such
as Structure of the Earth, Plate Tectonics, Types of Volcano,
Inside a Volcano and Types of Lava
Volcanic Hazards (Pyroclastic Flows, Lahars, Volcanic Ash,
Volcanic Gas and What Causes an Eruption?)
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:23
planning on a number of “a day in the life of……” style
interviews. There will also be a gallery as well as direct links
to the best volcano photos and movies online.
The app will include a map showing all Holocene volcanoes,
they are split into type so that the user can select which
volcanoes they want to display, the map include tectonic
plates again which can be turned on and off. Each volcano
is linked to its webpage on the Smithsonian (http://www.
volcano.si.edu/world/list_allnames.htm).
Part of the Holocene volcanoes map
An example from VolcaKnow smartphone app.
There will be some more esoteric topics such as; The
Volcanic Features of the UK, Volcanoes in Space and a Hall
of Fame.
Topics are subdivided into material for different age groups
(typically Key Stages 3,4,5 as well more in depth for
undergraduate level). There will be revision and teaching
aids also. In the future it is hoped to include research
topics from academics involved in volcanic research. Given
our access to people actively working in the field we are
We will take the weekly RSS feeds Smithsonian / USGS
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report and use these to highlight
volcanoes on the mapping screen based on their current
activity status. There are currently a number of apps which
do this for earthquakes but nothing for volcanic activity.
Age range: KS 3-5 plus undergraduate.
Apparatus/materials needed: This is a smartphone
application (‘app’) which can be installed onto Apple iOS
devices (e.g. iPhone & iPad) and also Android devices (e.g.
Samsung Galaxy 2)
Idea title: A Core Activity (an Earthlearningidea)
Presenter: Mike Parker, St Bede’s College, Alexandra Park,
Manchester, M16 8HX. mikeparker1985@hotmail.com
Brief description: A simple card sort exercise to allow
students to consolidate knowledge and give evidence for
the composition of the core. Students sort evidence
cards into groups (density, meteorite, seismic) to piece
together evidence about the Earth on the composition of
the core.
Apparatus/materials needed: Core Evidence Cards
(good to laminate to allow for multiple usage) – see
www.earthlearningidea.com
Idea title: Demonstrating the formation of external and internal fossil moulds, and the distinction between moulds and casts.
Presenter: Chris Bedford, Radley College, cmb@radley.
org.uk
external and /or internal casts using plaster of Paris (or
similar).
Brief description: Mix alginate with water to ‘double
cream’ consistency. Pour over a shell (placed concave-up) in
crystallising dish. Allow it to set (this takes a few minutes).
Alginate sets to a rubbery consistency which can then be
peeled off and broken away to show the impression of the
outside of the shell (external mould) as well as the inside
(internal mould). This could be taken further by making
www.esta-uk.net
Apparatus/materials needed: Alginate (normal set)
casting material – from the art department, or online;
modern shells (best with strong external features);
crystallising dish(es) – from the chemistry department.
15/04/2013 12:00:23
Idea title: Box Rock Circus: Earth Science out of doors
Presenter: Elizabeth Devon, elizabeth@earthlearningidea.com
Brief Description: Box Rock Circus is set in a 7m diameter
circle, edged by granite setts. The obelisk is nearly 2m high.
There are two sets of dinosaur footprints running through
the circle, set in a safety play surface of Safamulch, a
product made from re-cycled tyres.
used to work out size of the dinosaurs and their gait but,
best of all, to tell stories. Did the big one really eat the little
one? There are also resin fossil casts set into one block
for children to do fossil rubbings. These are proving very
popular indeed.
The Circus was built as an educational and recreational
resource for the village and surrounding area. Box is 6
miles east of the City of Bath, at the southern edge of the
Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
Local schools and groups such as the local geological
societies, natural history, local history and wildlife societies
have visited and are booking visits.
If further details are required, please visit the website –
http://www.boxrockcircus.org.uk
Age range:
2 – 102
Of course, you don’t need a rock circus to teach basic
rock identification and the rock cycle out of doors – but
it does make life easy. It is possible to teach KS2 and 3
Earth science requirements of the National Curriculum
at the Circus. This is especially true if some of the
Earthlearningidea (ELI) activities are used, either on site or
back in the classroom. The ELIs ‘Make your own rock’ and
‘Metamorphism – that’s Greek for “change of shape” isn’t
it?’ are particularly relevant. The quarry blocks (all relatively
local) from Silurian to Jurassic can be used to demonstrate
plate tectonic movement. Also, the circle represents the
age of the Earth; black marks on the granite setts indicate
the appearance of some organisms and red marks indicate
the five mass extinctions in the Phanerozoic. The two sets
of dinosaur footprints running through the circle can be
Apparatus/materials needed: Lots of specimens, large
blocks of rocks from local quarries, a friendly stonemason,
hours and hours and hours of time, endless patience, notto-be-defeated attitude to fund-raising, ability to fill in lots
of forms with irrelevant questions, an understanding family.
Box Rock Circus (Elizabeth Devon)
Idea title: Chalk Links
Presenter: Isobel Geddes, geddes@
wiltshiregeologygroup.freeserve.co.uk
7. Chalk and its influence on art and literature
8. Chalk and its influence on the horse racing industry
Brief description: Downloadable themed fact sheets (in
pdf format) have been produced by geology groups in
Wiltshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Hampshire on how
the chalk rock beneath the English downland influences
landscape and human activities – they are suitable for
geography project use wherever chalk underlies the
landscape:
Age range: 11-18
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Chalk links to landscape
Chalk and groundwater
Chalk and chalk streams (Hampshire watercress)
Chalk links to archaeology
Chalk and industry (whiting)
Chalk and building materials (stone and brick)
Apparatus/materials needed: Downloadable themed
fact sheets in pdf format link:
http://www.oxfordshiregt.org/chalk_links.htm These fact sheets can be reproduced and used free by
educational establishments and local not for profit groups.
If you would like higher resolution copies, or to link to
these factsheets from other websites please contact
the North Wessex Downs AONB office by telephone:
01488685440 or email: info@northwessexdowns.org.
uk
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:23
Idea title: GeoBritain map
Presenter: David Bailey, British Geological Survey,
Keyworth, Nottingham, NG12 5GG, deba@bgs.ac.uk
Brief description: The GeoBritain Map is a simple online
database listing events, geotrails, museum collections,
amateur geology groups and other resources designed
to encourage and support anyone developing an interest
in geology. The interface is a Google map of the UK with
‘pins’ identifying a local group, site or event. Clicking on
a pin will reveal further information – usually a website or
other contact details. The aim is to help people discover
activities and resources in their local area rather than search
for items by name.
The GeoBritain Map builds on a web page originally
designed to help users find information about specific sites
on other BGS web pages. The current version includes
information that could be easily sourced via existing public
websites. We have made a minimal attempt to verify the
accuracy of third-party data and so far have not addressed
sophistications such as polygons to indicate the area of a
Geopark or other large area, rather than a pin placed at a
key locality such as a visitor centre.
We hope that users will help us to build the database by
sending us information on localities and events in their local
area and by keeping the information up to date. Feedback
is also welcome. Please let us know if you find any errors in
the data or technical problems with the web page. You can
email new information or use the ‘Tell us what you think’
link on the right hand side of the page. This is a feature
for feedback on every page in the ‘Discovering Geology’
section.
Age range: All ages
Apparatus/materials needed: Access to the World Wide
Web and any standard browser.
URL: http://www.bgs.ac.uk/discoveringGeology/
geologyOfBritain/geoBritainMap/home.
html?src=topNav
Or navigate to the BGS home page, select ‘Discovering
Geology’ from the navigation bar, then select ‘GeoBritain
Map’ from the links listed in the ‘Geology of Britain’ panel.
The GeoBritain map on the British Geological Survey website.
Idea title: Revise bivalves and brachiopods
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:23
Idea title: Revise bivalves and brachiopods
Presenter: Joanie Marion, Edinburgh. jm_academic@
hotmail.co.uk
Brief description: The PowerPoint presentation has
full instructions and is available from the email address
above. The worksheets are also available and include the
following: (a) Card sort [or key definition scramble]; (b)
Unlabelled views of both fossils. (1) Students do card sort
[or unscramble the worksheet]. (2) Students place the card
in the correct places [or correct number from scramble] on
the unlabelled fossils. They also draw a line of symmetry.
Plenary: worksheet – comparing bivalves and brachiopods.
Extension: exam question on environmental indicators. Full
answers are available for teachers with the worksheets and
on the PowerPoint.
Age range: AS/A2
Apparatus/materials needed:Pens/pencils
Comparing Bivalves and Brachiopods
Feature
Bivalves
Brachiopods
Size of shells
Same
Pedicle (top) is larger than brachial
Symmetry of valves (draw)
Between valves (equivalve – same size and
shape)
Down middle of valve (inequivalve – different
size and shape)
Muscle scar types
Adductor only (closes)
(means valves open on death)
Adductor and diductor
(usually valves closed on death – unless
broken up)
Pedicle opening / foramen
No
Yes
Pallial sinus/line
Yes
No
Environment
Shallow marine and FRESH
Deeper water = MARINE ONLY
Geological history
Late Cambrian
More species abundant after Permian
extinction.
Early Cambrian
Decimated after P/T extinction – pushed into
deeper water niches
An example worksheet – with answers in italics.
Direct Debit
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copy of your letter of cancellation to ESTA)
If you wish to set up a Direct Debit Instruction to pay your futures ESTA subscriptions,
there is a Direct Debit form enclosed with this copy of Teaching Earth Sciences. The form
should be completed and returned to C. A. Rushall (Treasurer) at the address shown on
the form.
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15/04/2013 12:00:23
The Geology of Bradgate Park: ESTA
Conference fieldtrip, 30th September
2012
Keith Ambrose
Bradgate Park forms part of the outcrop of
Precambrian rocks which give rise to the unique
landscape of Charnwood Forest (Figure 1).
Key to units:
MM: Mercia Mudstone Group
SF: Swithland Formation
SP: Stable Pit Member
SD: South Charnwood Diorites
H: Hanging Rocks Formation
Bd: Bradgate Formation
SB: Sliding Stones Slump Breccia
BH: Beacon Hill Formation
Figure 2 illustrates the part of the sequence seen in
Bragate Park and Figure 3 illustrates what the geologiy of
Charnwood Forest is thought to be with all of the overlying
Triassic and Quaternary sediments removed.
1 Old John Tower
The outcrops around Old John Tower expose a sequence
of well-bedded volcaniclastic tuffs of the Beacon Hill
Formation, Charnian Supergroup. You can see the fine
detail of the bedding that varies from thinly laminated to
medium bedded alternations of volcaniclastic mudstone,
siltstone and sandstone. Within this sequence, we can see
a number of very well developed sedimentary structures,
in places highly polished by decades of footwear. The main
features we can see are graded bedding, microfaulting,
scouring and a variety of soft sediment deformation
features, including wavy bedding, rafted and truncated
laminae, load casts (Figure 4), pillow structures and
flame structures. The tuffs were laid down in the seas
surrounding active volcanoes, and the material entered the
sea either by fallout from the air or by turbidity currents,
the latter resulting in normal graded sequences. Layers
of coarser and finer sediment created density contrasts
in the wet sediment pile, allowing the formation of load
casts, pillow and flame structures. Being an area of active
volcanoes, there would also have been many earthquakes.
These resulted in the micro-faulting and probably aided
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the formation of the soft sediment deformation structures.
Higher up in the sequence, we can see a bed that has
been very locally subjected to soft-sediment deformation,
producing a series of slumps; note how abruptly this
deformation terminates.
2 Sliding Stones Slump Breccia
The Sliding Stones Slump Breccias is a key part of the
Charnian sequence, forming an important marker bed that
is traceable over a very wide area around the Charnian
anticline. Exposed are some spectacular breccias that are
poorly sorted and composed of many clasts of different
sizes and up to 3 m long. They are fragments of tuffaceous
mudstone and siltstone that were very soft when ripped up
and redeposited, hence many of them have been distorted
– one particularly contorted fragment is known locally as
the Swiss Roll Structure. Clasts of felsic and intermediate
lava have also been found at some localities. The clasts
are set in a matrix of volcaniclastic sandstone. The deposit
represents plastic deformation in a proximal debris flow
that resulted from a submarine landslide, probably
triggered by an earthquake. The breccia fines upwards
and the higher beds exposed contain very few clasts, with
volcaniclastic sandstone being predominant.
On the highest beds, the mudstone clasts are absent
and we can see a very good example of what has been
interpreted as a water or gas escape structure. You can see
how the bedding locally sags and is completely broken up
in parts and that it only affects one bed, with undisturbed
layers above and below. The event was very localised
and synsedimentary. The sediment was still very soft and
waterlogged. Because the bedding sags downwards, we
can assume that the water or gas forced the sediment
upwards, creating a hollow into which it fell back. Some
water or gas escape structures take the form of a small
volcano-like feature above the sediment layer that has been
affected. A more recent theory is that such structures can
also be produced by thixotropic shaking of the waterlogged
sediment, again probably triggered by an earthquake
shock. This could also lead to dewatering.
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Figure 1: The geology of Bradgate Park, showing the route of
excursion (in black, with optional route shown as dashed line).
Numbered localities are described in the text.
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15/04/2013 12:00:24
Figure 2: A simplified lithostratigraphy of the Charnian Supergoup. The shaded
part of the sequence are the beds that outcrop in Bradgate Park and Swithland
Wood.
3 Bradgate House – Home of Lady Jane Grey, the 9
day Queen of England
We now move on to look at a completely different rock
type. Here, and in many exposures leading to the Newtown
Linford entrance to the park, we see exposed the South
Charnwood Diorite, originally known as ‘Markfieldite’.
This is a coarse grained intrusive igneous rock that cooled
slowly at relatively shallow depths (1-3km). You can see
a mixture of crystals that include dark mafic minerals –
amphibole and pyroxene making up 40-50% of the rock,
pale quartz and pink alkali feldspar. The quartz and feldspar
form as intergrowths of a granophyric texture, due to a
process known as ‘under cooling’, hence the rock is known
as a granophyric diorite. If you look on the joint planes,
you can see evidence of epidote (green) and haematite
(red) mineralisation, and veins of quartz. You can also see
very good evidence of slickensides on some of the joint
surfaces, indicating differential movement within the mass
of rock in response to major tectonic earth movements.
The South Charnwood diorites represent the youngest
phase of igneous intrusion in the Charnian Supergroup
and cut through all the succession. They have not yet been
radiometrically dated but possibly comparable rocks at
Nuneaton, 30 km to the south-west, have given a U-Pb
age of 603 million years. However, new U-Pb zircon dating
on the Charnian sequence in Charnwood Forest has given
dates of around 560 million years. Thus the igneous rocks
of Nuneaton either have an incorrect date, or do not
correlate with the South Charnwood Diorites.
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4 Stable Pit Quartzite
This locality features an excellent exposure of well bedded
quartzite, dipping at 15-20º to the northwest, and in
places you can make out cross bedding, also dipping
to the northwest. It is medium grained and the grains
are well rounded. Part of the Brand Group, it has been
equated with the basal Cambrian Quartzite that occurs in
several places in England, the nearest being the Hartshill
Sandstone Formation in the Nuneaton area. Very little
detail can be seen in the rocks to allow an accurate
interpretation of the depositional setting, but the cross
bedding suggests deposition in current-agitated, nearshore
marine environment. Elsewhere in the country, rocks of this
age show variations in depositional setting from shoreface
to turbidites and deep water settings. You can see that the
rock has been mineralised with quartz veins and there is
also evidence of haematite staining on some joint plains.
The quartz veins are particularly prominent on an E-W trend
but there is also a set of veins trending N-S. These can be
seen to be cut out and displaced by the E-W veins in places.
On one bedding surface on the top of the outcrop, you
can see a series of sub-parallel ridges. These may represent
current ripples, again suggestive of fairly shallow water
environments.
On the west side of this exposure, you can see a small
notch in the face. This marks the position of a small dyke
about 1 m wide, trending east-west, and composed of
quartz diorite. This appears to be structurally controlled as it
is parallel to the cleavage trend, to quartz veins within the
rock and prominent joints. We have been unable to date
this but it may be of Ordovician age and an offshoot from
the nearby Mountsorrel intrusion that lies to the northeast.
5 Mercia Mudstone
We are now visiting one of the few places where the
Mercia Mudstone can be seen exposed in Charnwood
Forest. It is a former brick pit that probably supplied the
clay to make the bricks for Bradgate House. You can
see the well bedded, nearly horizontal sequence of red
mudstones that contrasts well with the steeply dipping
Charnian sequence. Within the face, you can see a
green bed, which is a dolomitic siltstone or fine-grained
sandstone. These Triassic rocks are also well exposed in
many of the quarries, where they show a very marked
angular unconformity with the underlying Charnian rocks
that represents a time gap of around 300 million years. The
unconformity surface is highly irregular, with the Mercia
Mudstone infilling deep palaeo-valleys carved into the
underlying hard Precambrian rocks.
The Mercia Mudstone represents the deposit of a vast
desert that existed in the Mid- to Late Triassic times. This
desert covered a much larger area than any of the deserts
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Figure 3: The geology of Charnwood Forest, showing the location of Bradgate Park. Inset at lower right shows actual outcrops of Precambrian and Cambrian
rocks (black), separated by Triassic ‘cover’ strata.
we see today. However, this was not a sandy desert but a
dust desert with a high water table that allowed the windblown dust to accrete by sticking to the damp surface.
The high water table also resulted in the precipitation of
gypsum (Ca SO4) very close to the sediment surface, and
this mineral is commonly seen in these rocks although it
tends to be dissolved away close to the ground surface
and thus cannot be seen in the quarry face. Like modern
day deserts, there were violent rainstorms in the Triassic
and these led to the deposition of the thin siltstone and
sandstone beds. By late Triassic times, all of Charnwood
Forest was buried beneath Triassic strata, which were
in turn overlaid by a thick sequence of Jurassic and
Cretaceous marine mudstones and limestones, including
the Chalk, as the local crust subsided. During the Cainozoic
uplifts, at the time of the Alpine Orogeny, the younger
Mesozoic rocks were stripped away leaving the Mercia
Mudstone and Charnian rocks exposed. The land surface
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15/04/2013 12:00:24
Figure 4: Soft sediment load cast structures in the Beacon Hill Formation at Old
John Tower. The scale is a £1 coin
was finally sculpted to its present day form during the ice
ages and subsequent perma-frost conditions when large
areas of ground moved by solifluction processes. This
process resulted in the accumulation of loose, surficial
debris called ‘Head’.
Keith Ambrose
kam@bgs.ac.uk
Figure 5: The dewatering/gas escape structure at the Sliding Stone exposure
References and further reading
Ambrose, K., Carney, J.N., Lott, G.K., Weightman, G. & McGrath, A. 2007
Exploring the landscape of Charnwood Forest and Mountsorrel. Keyworth,
Nottingham: British Geological Survey.
Bland, B.H. & Goldring, R. 1995 Teichichnus Seilacher 1955 and other
trace fossils (Cambrian?) From the Charnian of Central England. Neues
Jahrbuch for Geologie und Palaeontologie (Seilacher Festschrift) 195, pp.523.
Boynton, H E & Ford, T D. 1995 Ediacaran fossils from the Precambrian
(Charnian Supergroup) of Charnwood Forest, Leicestershire, England.
Mercian Geologist, 13, pp.165-183.
Carney, J N. 1995 Precambrian and Lower Cambrian rocks of the
Nuneaton inlier: a field excursion to Boon’s and Hartshill quarries. Mercian
Geologist, 13, pp.189-198.
Carney, J N. 1999 Revisiting the Charnian Supergroup: new advances in
understanding old rocks. Geology Today, 15, pp.221-229.
Carney, J N. 2000a Igneous processes within late Precambrian volcanic
centres near Whitwick, north-western Charnwood Forest. Mercian
Geologist, 15, pp.7-28.
Carney, J N. 2000b Outwoods-Hangingstone Hills. In: Precambrian Rocks
of England and Wales. Geological Conservation Review Series No. 20. pp.
43-48. Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough.19
Carney, J N, Alexandre, P, Pringle, M S, Pharaoh, T C, Merriman, R J &
Kemp, S J. 2008 40Ar-39Ar isotope constraints on the age of deformation
in Charnwood Forest, UK. Geological Magazine, 145, pp.702-713.
Carney, J N, Ambrose, K A, Cheney, C S & Hobbs, P R N. 2009 Geology
of the Leicester district. Sheet description of the British Geological Survey,
1:50 000 series Sheet 156 (England and Wales).
Compston, W., Wright, A.E., & Toghill, P. 2002 Dating the Late
Precambrian volcanicity of England and Wales. Journal of the Geological
Society London, 159, pp.323-339.
Ford, T D. 1999 The Precambrian fossils of Charnwood Forest. Geology
Today, 15, pp.230-234.
www.esta-uk.net
Ford, T D. 2000 Precambrian palaeontological sites: Charnwood Forest. In
Precambrian Rocks of England and Wales. Geological Conservation Review
Series No. 20, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough,
pp.185-193.
Hatch, F H. 1909 Text-book of Petrology, London.
Lapworth, C. 1882 On the discovery of Cambrian rocks in the
neighbourhood of Birmingham. Geological Magazine (2), 9, pp.563-565.
McGrath, A.G. 2004 A Geological walk around Bradgate Park and
Swithland Wood. Published by the British Geological Survey on behalf of
ODPM and MIRO.
McIlroy, D, Brasier, M D, & Moseley, J M. 1998 The Proterozoic-Cambrian
transition within the ‘Charnian Supergroup’ of central England and the
antiquity of the Ediacara fauna. Journal of the Geological Society of
London, 155, pp.401-413.
Moseley, J. 1979 The geology of the Late Precambrian rocks of
Charnwood Forest. Unpublished PhD Thesis, University of Leicester.
Moseley, J, & Ford, T D. 1985 A stratigraphic revision of the late
Precambrian rocks of Charnwood Forest, Leicestershire. Mercian Geologist,
10, pp.1-18.
Pharaoh, T C, Webb, P C, Thorpe, R S, & Beckinsale, R D. 1987
Geochemical evidence for the tectonic setting of late Proterozoic volcanic
suites in central England. In Pharaoh, T C, Beckinsale, R D, & Rickard, D
(Eds) Geochemistry and Mineralization of Proterozoic Volcanic Suites.
Geological Society of London Special Publication, No.33. pp.541-552
Ramsey, D. 2007 New light on early slate & granite extraction in Northwest Leicestershire. Leicestershire Industrial History Society Bulletin 18,
pp.3-79.
Sutherland, D S, Boynton, H E, Ford, T D, Le Bas, M J, & Moseley, J. 1994
A Guide to the geology of the Precambrian rocks of Bradgate Park in
Charnwood Forest, Leicestershire. Transactions of the Leicester Literary and
Philosophical Society, 87 (Revised Edition). 36pp.
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Figure 6: Selected Precambrian fossils from various localities in Charnwood Forest
Vizan, H, Carney, J N, Turner, P, Ixer, R A, Tomasso, M, Mullen, R P, &
Clarke, P. 2003 Late Neoproterozoic to Early Palaeozoic palaeogeography
of Avalonia: some palaeomagnetic constraints from Nuneaton, central
England. Geological Magazine, 140, pp.685-705.
Watts, W W. 1947 Geology of the ancient rocks of Charnwood Forest,
Leicestershire. Leicester. Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society.
Wills, L J, & Shotton, F W. 1934 New sections showing the junction of
the Cambrian and Precambrian at Nuneaton. Geological Magazine, 71,
pp.512-521.
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:26
ESTA Annual Conference
27th - 29th September 2013
Plymouth University
Mid-Devonian 390Ma
© PALEOMAP Project (www.scotese.com)
Conference theme : Communicating Geoscience
for further information contact the ESTA Conference Manager, Linda Marshall
linmarshall@btinternet.com tel: 01297 551077
E
S
T
A
Earth Science
Teachers' Association
w w w .esta-uk.net
Registered Charity No. 1005331
earthsciences@plymouth.ac.uk
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Vol 38 No 1 2013 Teaching Earth Sciences
29
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Bradgate Park Field day at the
Keyworth Conference led by Keith
Ambrose
Carole Rushall
Chris, in true teacher mode, asked the group to consider
the evidence shown in the rocks so far and asked “what
would the environment have been like when the rocks
were formed?” Elizabeth was the star pupil suggesting
deposition in water of a possibly volcanic ash material.
Kevin joined the group and explained the geology of
the immediate area. Elizabeth’s deductions were correctthe rocks had a volcaniclastic origin accumulating on a
Precambrian sea floor.
Upon closer examination, the delicate laminations in a well
walked path exposure show a good example of a ‘load’
structure
Figure 1: Even toilet blocks can be used as an educational resource.
Twelve ESTA members were dropped off at Hunt’s Hill on
a cold and very windy Sunday morning. The first point of
interest was the toilet block built with local volcanic stone
(including the roof made from Cambrian Swithland Slates).
We entered Bradgate Park and walked up the hill towards
the Old John Tower where we were to meet the visit leader,
Keith Ambrose. We examined exposures along the way
and found evidence of graded bedding, cross bedding and
disturbed laminations in fine-grained sediment.
Figure 3: Laminated sandstone with ‘load’ structure.
We then visited a ‘secret’ location to view the famous
Precambrian Charnian fossils – secret because of recent
vandalism. Fortunately we were still able to see some of the
fossils.
The group then descended the hill walking east for
about 500m to the Sliding Stone Slump Breccia. This was
explained as a submarine debris flow and forms the base of
the Bradgate Formation. It showed interesting contortions
such as the ‘Swiss Roll’
Figure 2: Chris posing a question.
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Keith finally took the group a short distance to a small
quarry where the Stable Pit Member was exposed. This
Lower Cambrian quartzite would make an interesting site
for study - as would any of the sites we visited during the
day. The picture shows Mike examining a quartz diorite
dyke which could be of Ordovician age. Keith explained
that it was difficult to date as there were insufficient
trace minerals but it could be associated with the nearby
Mountsorrel intrusion.
Figure 4: The ‘Swiss Roll’ contortion.
Keith then showed the group a further interesting feature
in this formation and asked for any explanations. The
bedding locally sags and has been interpreted as a water
escape structure. Keith explained a recent theory that
it could have been the result of thixotrophic shaking of
waterlogged sediment.
Figure 6: Mike examining a quartz diorite dyke.
This visit was an excellent introduction to some of the
oldest rocks in England. All of the sites we visited could
be easily accessed by groups of different levels. Keith’s
knowledge and detailed hand-outs were comprehensive
and well received. For return visits to the area David
recommended the BGS booklet and geological map
Exploring the landscape of Charnwood Forest and
Montsorrel of which Keith is one the authors (Ambrose, K.
et al. 2007).
Figure 5: The sag structure.
We had our packed lunch on the coach and drove to the
car park at the Newtown Linford entrance to Bradgate
Park. We did not have much time to fully investigate the
afternoon exposures but Keith took us to a few of the main
sites of interest.
Close to the ruins of Bradgate House a family were
enjoying their picnic sitting on an excellent exposure
of the South Charnwood Diorite (previously known as
‘Markfieldite’). They were somewhat bemused when we
all hovered around their spot until we explained what we
wanted to see. In this coarse grained granophyric diorite
we identified green epidote, red haematite, quartz veins
and slickensides.
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Reference
Ambrose, K., Carney, J.N., Lott, G.K., Weightman, G. &
McGrath, A. 2007 Exploring the landscape of Charnwood
Forest and Mount Sorrel. A walkers’ guide to the rocks
and landscape of Charnwood Forest and Mount Sorrel.
Keyworth, Nottingham: British Geological Survey.
Exam Howler . . .
Water table is a table that
shows the amount of water
that there is in an area.
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ESTA Conference visit to the National
Stone Centre, Sunday 30th September
2012
Geoff Selby Sly
Summary
13 ESTA Members attended the National Stone Centre on
a damp Sunday morning. They must have enjoyed it as the
original intention was 2 hours on the trails but we stayed
out for 4 hours. The site consists of 6 disused quarries. The
walk took in four of the quarries, all of which are in the
Carboniferous Limestone and display numerous marine
fossils of about 300Ma including brachiopods, crinoids,
corals and dermal denticles (placoid scales). Within the
site there are examples of a lead mine; lime kilns and the
Millennium Wall which displays various rocks and the
variety of construction of dry stone walls found around the
British Isles.
First Trail
Starting outside the Discovery Centre the first display is a
set of steps made from rocks representing the succession
from the Precambrian to the Palaeogene (Figure 1)
There is a description of the rock forming each step which
includes its geological formation, classification, source and
any specific uses and from lower to upper is as follows:
Precambrian – Wentnor Group – Strinds Formation. 550560Ma
• S andstone probably deposited in a braided river
delta, but changed by intense Earth movements
• Slightly metamorphosed fine sandstone
• From Dolyhir Quarry, Old Radnor, Pawys, Wales
• Used for tough road stone
Ordovician – Early Caradoc Series. 463Ma
ranite – similar to green slate but formed from a
• G
batholith of igneous intrusions associated with a
subduction zone along the north eastern edge of
the Midlands Microcraton.
• Granodiorite
• Mountsorrel Quarry, Nr Loughborough,
Leicestershire.
• Used for road stone
Ordovician – Windermere Super Group – Borrowdale
Volcanics. 454Ma
• M
ade up of ash particles (tuff) from pyroclastic
flows. Earth movements later (Devonian) created
the slatey cleavage.
• Green Slate
• Broughton Moor Quarry Coniston, Cumbria
• Used for Worktops, roofing and building.
Silurian – Wenlock Series. 425Ma
• M
uddy Limestone, Lagoonal. Brachiopods, corals
and trilobites.
• Limestone
• Lea and Coats Quarry, Wenlock Edge
• Used for building, lime burning and aggregate
Carboniferous – Visean. 330Ma
xceptionally pure limestone (99% calcium
• E
carbonate), deposited in tropical seas just south of
the equator
• Limestone
• Brassington Moor Quarry, Derbyshire
• Used in plastics, paints, pollution control, glass, soil
treatment and ceramics
Carboniferous – Namurian. 316Ma
• Braided river complex fed from mountains in the
North.
• Course Sandstone (Grit)
• Crossland Quarry Huddersfield
Permian – Cadeby Formation. 256Ma
•
•
•
•
Coastal Mudflats alongside deserts
Dolomitic limestone
Bolsover Moor Quarry, Derbyshire
Used for Aggregates, agriculture and building.
Trassic – Anisian Stage – Sherwood Sandstone Series. 240230Ma
• H
ot deserts about 25oN of equator. Windblown
sands with flash floods
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15/04/2013 12:00:30
• Sandstone
• Cove Quarry, Dumfries and Galloway Scotland
• Used as a building stone
Jurassic – Tithonian Stage. 146Ma
•
•
•
•
Tropical waters with oolitic banks
Limestone
Jordans Quarry, Portland, Dorset
Used for building stone and sculpture
Palaeogene – Antrim Basalt group. 62-58Ma
• V
olcanic ‘hot spot’ basalt lavas spread from South
West Scotland to Iceland. Includes the Giants
Causeway in Antrim
• Basalt
• Glenwherry Quarry, Balleymena, Co Antrim.
• Roadstone and concrete aggregates
Figure 1: Geological succession steps (Photo by Hazel Clark)
Moving to the Lead Mine
The lead mine was in use about 200 years ago. There is a
stone wall lining (termed ginging) around the top layer of
the mine and the shaft is currently 10m (30ft) deep but was
deeper when the mine was operational. Hand/foot holds
can be seen in the lining of the shaft
This shaft was found on the day that work started
on building the Discovery Centre. As a result, the site
of the building was moved 5 metres to the west so
the mine feature could be preserved.
Figure 2: Gigantoproductus sp.
Almost all the quarries on this site are intersected by lead
veins and there are approximately 120 mine shafts.
The Fossil Beds
Carboniferous Lagoonal Limestone.
This site illustrates bedding in the Carboniferous Eyam
limestone (Cawdor). We used the evidence of the fossils
and their relationship to bedding to make deductions about
the environment of deposition.
The brachiopod, Gigantoproductus (Figure 2) lived on
the sea bed and fed off plankton. Plankton are animals
and plants which float in water. Plants need sunlight to
survive therefore the depth of water must be less than
200m due to the inability of sunlight to penetrate deeper
into the water column. The large number of brachiopods
in the beds would indicate that plankton must have been
abundant which would indicate the water depth to be
considerably less than the 200m, possibly as low as 50m.
Rugose coral fossils on the same beds would build up a
three dimensional structure by extracting calcium carbonate
from the sea water. This would require the water to be
warm.
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Figure 3: The North East Quarry
Figure 4: An example of the crinoids on the bedding surface in the floor of the
North East Quarry
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Figure 5: View from the Pound looking towards Black Rocks – note the hogg hole
in the wall (Photo by Hazel Clark)
Figure 6: Internal construction of a typical dry stone wall (Photo by Hazel Clark)
Crinoids also lived on the sea bed. They look like plants but
are animals, they hold themselves on the sea bed by ‘hold
fasts’ looks similar to a root but they are not very long. Any
strong movement of water would knock them over which
would reduce their ability to trap plankton. So the water
must have been fairly calm for most of the time.
faults. These lines can be seen in 3D as cracks down
the quarry face and across the quarry floor.
So these 3 fossils tell us that when the beds were forming
330Ma the sea was shallow, warm and calm, probably a
lagoon. To the east of the fossil beds the remains of a Reef
can be seen. This is the ‘smoking gun’ in the evidence of
lagoon environment because everything to the north of the
reef would lagoonal whereas everything to the south was
deep ocean.
At the end of the fossil beds is a vein of barytes but most
of the view is of soil as this has been washed onto the veins
over the years.
North East Quarry
This quarry (Figure 3) was the last of the National Stone
Centre quarries to be closed.
This area was once fields, but quarrying has revealed
the first few metres of the Earth’s crust. The
limestone beds here would have been deposited as
flat layers of limey mud at the bottom of the broad
shallow tropical lagoon. The mud was made up of
the remains of shells, ejected pellets, skeletons etc.
Each layer solidified, turned into stone with the
pressure of the water column above and gradually
more sediment on top. A lull in the amount of
sediment being deposited results in a harder surface
which is then covered by sediment as deposition
it restarts, results in the bedding plains forming.
Earth movement tilted the beds so they now dip to
the east and (just as if you tried to bend concrete)
caused them to break, forming vertical joints and
Some of these joints later filled with fluids rich in
lead, barytes and other chemicals, which crystallised
out to form mineral veins. The remains of old lead
mines can still be seen in the rock faces. As with
almost all rocks, the brown, red and yellow colouring
is due to the natural iron oxide (i.e. rust)
Within the ‘floor’ of the quarry are numerous
crinoids some of which are up to 1m long.
On the face to the west end, there is an area of
brown about third of the way up from the floor,
this has been caused by iron staining as it filtered
through the limestone. On the right of this staining
there is a hole about half way up the face. This is the
remnants of a lead mine where the shaft has been
blasted away during the quarry working.
On the floor on this west side are numerous
boulders of limestone, these are the actual size
of the rocks from a blast on the face. They would
have been transported to a crusher for reducing
down to a cobble size of 3 – 4cm for use in road
construction. Indeed this quarry was operated for
aggregate to use in the construction of the M1
through Derbyshire. The quarry closed in 1966 as
the M1 moved north into Yorkshire.
The Crinoid Beds
We investigated the crinoid beds (Figure 4) and discussed
the theories for the catastrophic death assemblage:
• H
ydrocarbons were forced out over the sea surface
which smothered the crinoids. Some evidence of
bituminous material on the wall facing the beds.
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olcanic ash covered the area boiling the water,
• V
killing the crinoids. Bonsall volcano 4 miles away.
Last known eruption 290Ma
• Shark attack. Sharks swam through the area eating
the calyx. Calyx was held together by a skin which
decomposed quickly. Note the position of a few of
the stems and fronds. They are in situ but the calyx
is missing, this tends to negate the this theory.
mast) is the area of a small coalfield at the edge of the East
Midlands Coalfield. These coals formed as the area became
overgrown with swampy vegetation. Later, gradual earth
movements and climatic change caused the swamps to dry
out and form deserts. The hills to the south of Wirksworth
are composed of red and buff soft sandstones, clays and
pebble beds which were formed in these desert conditions.
Beyond them further to the south are the sticky red marls.
Before leaving this point we looked at the rock face at the
side of the crinoids beds. This was a wall of the lead mine.
There are deposits of barytes to the right hand side (near to
the path) with some small deposits of lead within.
To the West is the, now dormant, Middlepeak Quarry which
was operational until the 1990s, producing aggregate for
roads.
View of landscape
Behind the millennium wall is a shear drop into the South
East Quarry and looking towards the East of the NSC there
is a view of the Black Rocks (Figure 5). The landscape has
been influenced by the geology. The lower ground in front
is made up of Bowland Shales (mudstone; siltstone and
sandstones) which were laid down after the limestone but,
as it is softer, it has been eroded. The muddier waters were
the prelude to large deltas forming from the north which
killed off the limestone forming plants and animals as they
needed clear water. The clays and silts were in turn covered
by sand and coarse grit, forming the Namurian “Millstone
Grit” series. Lenses of these grits form the higher ridges of
the hills to the east. Many of these hills are broken by small
cross faults. Slightly to the south (looking towards the radio
Dry Stone walls
The “Pound” is a demonstration of drystone walling in
the Peak District. There are examples of hogg holes to
allow sheep through and preventing larger animals from
passing. To the side of the pound is an artist’s impression of
an industrial chimney made of limestone and constructed
by the drystone wall system. The landscape behind the
chimney, to the horizon, is of Ashover Grit covered by the
trees. Below is the Bowland Shale Formation, then below
the shale is the Carboniferous limestone.
Millennium Wall
This was a project to bring together and demonstrate the
various drystone walling techniques (Figure 6) and building
stones used around Britain and was built to celebrate the
Millinnium. The following table shows the geographical
areas represented and the stone used:
1
West Yorkshire
Carboniferous, Westphalian (Coal Measure) sandstone
2
Cotswold
Middle Jurassic, oolitic limestone
3
South Yorkshire
Gritstone salvage offcuts
4
South East Scotland
Carboniferous, dolerite
5
Derbyshire
Carboniferous, Namurian (Millstone) Grit and Dinantian Limestone
6
South Wales
Carboniferous, Blue Pennant sandstone,
7
Caithness
Devonian mudstone (“slate”)
8
West of Scotland
Quartz dolerite
9
South West Scotland
Devonian glacially rounded granite (reclaimed)
10
Central Scotland
Devonian sandstone (reclaimed)
11
Isle of Skye
Tertiary Basalt lava (reclaimed)
12
Cumbria
Ordovician Borrowdale volcanic tuff/slate
13
Northumbria
Carboniferous, Westphalian (Coal Measure) sandstone (Ganister)
14
Cheshire
Carboniferous, Namurian (Millstone) Grit
15
Lancashire
Sandstone (gritstone)
16
Sutherland
Precambrian welded quartzite
17
Cumbria
Silurian Brathay Blue slate
18
North Wales
Ordovician/Silurian Greywackes glacial boulders
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Figure 7: Story board giving details of the walling technique – in this case the
Highland single boulder dyke (Photo by Hazel Clark)
Figure 8: The example of the Highland single boulder dyke(Photo by Hazel Clark)
Reef Quarry
There is virtually no bedding at this location because it
was the front of the reef and subject to rougher sea and
disturbance of sediments. The limestone here is decidedly
fossiliferous. Many of the fossils are hollow and the cavities
have been lined with crystals, possibly indicating that
there was little disturbance after death. The cave to the
south east side is possibly an underwater cave system filled
with silt which developed shortly after the limestone was
formed. Mineral-rich fluids migrated into the cave system
and on cooling crystallised out, forming lead and barium
deposits. Ripple marks can be seen on the underside of
overhanging stratum.
thought unsuitable for canal construction. During this time
the railways were extending across the country so it was
decided to build a railway line instead, which passed over
the bridge. We looked at the archway. It was originally held
together by lime mortar, which is flexible allowing the arch
to move slightly as the weight of the trains passed over
it then to flex back into its original position. Some later
repairs used cement. We noted that there is no cement
to the sections to each side of the arch i.e. no wastage of
materials. The criteria in the 19th Century is “If not needed
don’t do it”.
Deep Quarry
The shear quarry face of approximately 30m depth. The
top beds dip steeply southwards and there is some sign of
slumping, but the lower beds are nearly level. About 2m
from floor of quarry there is a band of clay formed from
volcanic ash. This ash was possibly derived from a volcano
in the Bonsall/Matlock Bath area.
Lime Kiln
The base of lime kiln dates from the 1770 – 1830 period.
The method involved a layer of fuel (coal, charcoal or
wood) overlain by layer of limestone cobbles in a repeated
sequence. Firing the lower layer of fuel heats and breaks
the limestone down to powder which then allows the next
layer of fuel to be ignited. The process converts limestone
(CaCO3) into quicklime (CaO).
After lunch in the Discovery Centre we ventured out onto
the Cromford and High Peak Trail and then Steeplehouse
Quarry.
Steeplehouse Quarry
At the entrance to the Steeplehouse Quarry is a narrow
gauge railway run by a group of enthusiastic volunteers.
Some members of our group decided to have a ride on the
train to the Limestone blocks which had been extracted
from this quarry up to the 1970s. The polished limestone
provided the grey fossil ‘marble’ flooring for parts of
Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport and Blackburn Cathedral.
Within the blocks of limestone in this quarry there are signs
of sharks’ presence in the form of dermal denticles which
are sometime referred to as sharks teeth but are actually
sharks skin scales. We were joined at this point by Robin,
one of the rail enthusiasts who was also a geologist. He
gave us all a talk on the ‘denticles’ and the actual sharks
teeth found in the quarry.
We then returned to the Discovery Centre for a nice cup of
tea before making our way home.
Geoff Selby-Sly
Director, National Stone Centre
gfss50@googlemail.com
Cromford and High Peak Trail
The trail was built in 1830 and the original plan was for
a canal but as limestone is notoriously permeable, it was
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Our day out at the National Stone
Centre
Angela Bentley
At 9:00 am on Sunday 30th September Fiona and
I were at the new BGS building choosing our
packed lunches. We had enjoyed a very interesting,
entertaining and educational ESTA weekend and were
going on to the National Stone Centre for a fieldtrip
on our way home.
We visited the Millennium Dry Stone Wall where sections of
walls can be seen showing the traditions, stones and styles
of walling from different regions of Britain. I must admit
to being surprised at the beauty and variance in each wall
with some stones looking like they could only be lifted by
Hercules himself!
We travelled in convoy and managed to arrive at Middleton
without losing too many of our party. We were met by the
leader, Geoff Selby Sly and after a cup of tea we braced the
elements to look at the steps made from rocks depicting
the succession in the British Isles then moved on to an old
lead mine adjacent to the Discovery Centre. Hazel explained
to us the term ‘pig’ for the molten lead comes from iron
smelting: when the liquid iron was poured into the trough
the blocks attached looked like piglets feeding hence -pig
iron. We were also told that mines were marked with a
nick when a new owner wanted to take over a mine. After
three weeks and three nicks the mine was legally owned by
the new miner. If the original miner came back he would
find that his mine had been nicked – which is the origin of
‘you’ve been nicked’.
The knowledgeable, helpful and enthusiastic staff at the
Stone Centre made our visit pleasurable. After our very
tasty packed lunches we visited another quarry and had a
jaunt on a jolly little open air train which captured the spirit
of our excursion. Afterwards we were joined by a local
geology expert who has tirelessly been trying to preserve
the fossils in situ by exposing and turning huge boulders.
He pointed out some fossilised shark skin dermal denticles
that protects shark skin from damage and parasites in
addition to improving their fluid dynamics, there were also
shark teeth amongst other reef fossils. Jaws in the Peak
District? – good title for A2 coursework!
The area was originally a reef with a lagoon behind and
is a SSSI because of the amazing geology. We saw the
fabulous crinoid beds, I must admit that standing in the
cold imagining a warm tropical lagoon had a slight sadistic
quality.
Angela and Fiona (Photograph by Maggie Williams)
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There is certainly scope for fieldwork and subsequent
coursework at the National Stone Centre. We had a terrific
day out and are really looking forward to seeing everyone
again at next year’s ESTA conference in Plymouth.
Angela Bentley
abnstaff@aquinas.ac.uk
View of part of the Millennium Wall illustrating some of the range of walling types
15/04/2013 12:00:39
On the birth of PEST
John Reynolds
It certainly doesn’t seem 20 years since the 1993 birth
of PEST, amid the seismic events accompanying the
arrival of the National Curriculum.
For most of the 1980s I was teaching Geography and
Geology to CSE, O- and A-level in Stoke and in 1985
agreed to become Treasurer of the then Association
of Teachers of Geology (ATG). Suddenly, much activity
was triggered by the impending arrival of the National
Curriculum. GCSEs replaced CSE and O-levels in 1986/7.
Many of us were involved in writing teaching materials for
often-reluctant non-geological Science teachers to help
them teach the geological content now included in the
Science curriculum. These Science of the Earth units for
KS4 and KS3 were well-received, pleasing the Treasurer
with excellent sales! The change of name in 1988 to the
Earth Science Teachers’ Association reflected the shift of
emphasis.
A small ATG Primary Group had been developing teaching
materials during the 1980s and pioneered in-service
training sessions at Annual Conferences. The arrival of
the National Curriculum gave extra impetus to the Group.
Members included teachers from Yorkshire, Staffordshire,
South Wales, the National Stone Centre, the Natural
History Museum & Northampton Science Service. In 1988
I returned to Primary teaching, for which I had trained and
had spent seven happy years at the start of my career. My
classroom teaching for Y5/6 included developing Earth
science activities for KS2 children and their teachers.
In those early days of the NC, Primary Science and
Geography Co-ordinators were given 20 days INSET over
2 years in half-day slots. My party piece was on rocks and
their uses, performed at 4 LEA Centres in Staffordshire and
Keele University. Over 100 teachers took away samples of
common rocks, sets of worksheets and plenty of ideas.
Needless to say, a lot of rock needed to be collected and
then processed by hammer in my garden! The venture
formed the basis of many ESTA activities – Conference
workshops, Rock Kits, two PESTs and the Rocks and Soils
packs.
ESTA Council was happy to fund a separate centre pullout section of the quarterly Teaching Earth Sciences, called
Teaching Primary Earth Science – shortened to PEST. They
would be on yellow paper and be made available for £5 per
annum to anyone, as a separate subscription from full ESTA
Membership.
After a short gestation, the first issue was published in
Spring 1993 on fossils, a topic found fascinating to most
children, but largely ignored in the NC. Background
information for teachers was balanced with activities
for children – making a flicker book and plaster casts of
fossils. Several thousand copies of PEST 1 were printed and
distributed free in Primary Geographer and Primary Science
Review, as well as Teaching Earth Sciences. Copies were
handed out at workshops run by members of the Primary
Group at ESTA, GA, ASE Annual and Regional Conferences,
as well as locally in our own school pyramids.
PEST 2, Introducing Rocks, followed in Summer 1993,
PEST 3 – Soil, in Autumn 1993 and PEST 4 – Mountain
Building, in winter 1993. At this time ESTA members
were involved in writing the well-received pair of INSET
Handbooks – Earth Science for Primary/Secondary Teachers.
Very time-consuming was the production of our Working
with Rocks pack, and later Working with Soil, both funded
by the Dennis Curry Charitable Trust. They included work
relating to Literacy and Numeracy strategies as well as Earth
science, and were useful for teachers looking for help with
NC Guidance for Year 3 Unit 3D: Rocks and Soils. For good
measure we helped the Ordnance Survey to produce the
UK Geology map in their UK Wall Map series, designed for
KS2/3 level. The first colour proofs had the same blue for
the sea as for Carboniferous rocks!
Thus began the hectic round of writing quarterly issues
of PEST and delivering workshops at three conferences
each year. Over the twenty years the Primary Team have
kept up with the adaptations and changes to the Primary
National Curriculum. The workshops have evolved and
many new ideas included, from food to cross curricular
topics. The PESTs have branched out to cover such issues
as environment and sustainability, often with a fun aspect,
and sometimes involving guest writers. The team itself
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15/04/2013 12:00:39
has included many people over the years, not just primary
teachers but also those involved in study centres, museums
and other branches of Education. Those were the days and
they still are! We have a new Primary National Curriculum
about to start thus new ideas need to be developed.
Today’s very small Primary Team needs your help to
continue the good work.
From 2013 the team have decided to call PEST “Primary
Earth Science Teaching” to bring it in line with the acronym
that has always been used for it, and have slightly changed
the primary logo to reflect this. For 2013 we plan to update
some of the materials published in the early issues of PEST
and trust that you and your children enjoy them as much as
we old fossils did in writing them.
The Primary Team are looking for
new members to share in the fun of
thinking up new PEST activities and
work sheets. If you have skills to offer,
please contact the Primary Team at
estaprimary@hotmail.co.uk
John Reynolds
jr.reynolds1@virginmedia.com
Reminders to ESTA members
Subscriptions
Membership subscriptions for 2012/13 should have been paid on 1st October 2012.
If you haven’t renewed your subscription yet then please send a cheque to:
Mike Tuke (Membership Secretary) at Old Farm House, Waterloo Farm, Great Stukeley,
Cambridgeshire, PE28 4HQ
Current membership rates are £32 (full/institutional), £16 (student/retired)
Direct Debit – did you know?
• An easy way of renewing your subscription to ESTA and saving on postage stamps is to pay by
Direct Debit.
• ESTA’s Direct Debit collection date is on or after 1st October each year.
• The Direct Debit Guarantee is offered by all Banks and Building Societies that take part in the
Direct Debit Scheme.
• You can cancel a Direct Debit to ESTA at any time by writing to your Bank or Building Society.
You should also send a copy of your letter to ESTA.
If you would like to set up a Direct Debit Instruction, fill in the application form enclosed with this
edition of TES and send it to the Treasurer at the address given on the form.
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“Collecting” Building Stones –
an unexpected obsession
Peter Kennett
“What on Earth are you doing, photographing a
penny stuck to that shop-front here in Piccadilly?”
“Well, I’m a geologist......”
“Oh yeah!”
This conversation did not actually happen during a recent
endeavour to record a wide variety of building stones,
but it clearly went through the minds of passers by and
the people in the shops. So, what brought me to risk
the inquisitive gaze of the general public in the cause of
science?
It all started when the Earthlearningidea (ELI) team, Chris
King, Elizabeth Devon and I decided to publish an activity
outlining how to investigate the geology of gravestones.
(We have kept the well-used title of “Will my gravestone
last?” since we couldn’t think of a better one. See www.
earthlearningidea.com for details). At its simplest level,
pupils only really need to be able to recognise “granite”,
“sandstone”, “marble” and “slate”, with the recent
addition of “gneiss” in modern cemeteries. However,
many youngsters would like to go further than this. Until
recently an excellent set of 16 postcards of building
stones were available from Manchester Museum, but this
is no longer the case. We therefore decided to follow
Manchester’s example and build our own, larger collection
of photographs, also at natural scale.
Given that many of Earthlearningidea’s users live in
other countries, this would not always be practicable,
so we decided to build up our own, larger, collection
of photographs, also at natural scale. A 1p piece has a
diameter of 2cm and was stuck lightly to every surface
first, to enable a constant scale to be demonstrated. After
a lot of trial and error, we found that a Nikon D60 digital
SLR camera, mounted on a tripod and with the lens set
to 55mm zoom gave the right result. A piece of dowel
23cm long enabled a constant distance between the
surface and the front of the lens to be maintained. Stray
reflections, especially when photographing a dark stone
such as a gabbro, could be a nuisance and I had to suffer
the ignominy of being told later by my sister (younger than
I am) that a Polaroid filter would help!
Given the above set-up, it became possible to produce A4
sheets of photos containing six photographs, each 3 inches
square, at natural scale. In all, 36 different building stones
have appeared on the ELI website so far, and many more
are awaiting an opportunity to produce further sheets as
extension material.
A brief description of each building stone is provided, with
several examples being given below:
Clearly, we had accumulated more than enough
photos and descriptions for one activity, so they have
been published as five separate items on the www.
earthlearningidea.com website over the summer of
2012. The first publication titled ‘Building stones 1 – a
resource for several Earthlearningidea activities’ contains all
36 photographs together with their descriptions. Pupils are
encouraged to use the key provided to group the pictures
into igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks (once
they have been cut up into packs and the names removed).
Pupils can then proceed to identify each rock more
precisely, on the grounds of texture and colour as seen in
the photographs.
Having set the scene, ‘Will my gravestone last?’ follows,
with details of how to organise a trip to the graveyard, first
to identify the rock types used and then to investigate their
weathering properties.
The remaining three activities focus in turn on igneous,
sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, and allow a more
detailed examination than was possible in the introductory
activity.
Acquiring a sufficient variety of building stones in the first
place required a degree of local knowledge and sufficient
familiarity with them to be sure of their identification.
Thanks to having followed Eric Robinson around on several
occasions, and having listened to him explaining the
stones used in the centre of Sheffield gave me sufficient
confidence to sally forth with the camera. The first place
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South West England Granite, England
was our local churchyard, at Ecclesall Parish Church, where
many of the great and the good of Sheffield lie under
some very expensive and ornate tombstones, ranging in
date from 1795 to the present day. This was relatively
easy, being watched only by schoolchildren on their way
home and a few squirrels, and I was able to ‘bag’ a good
variety of ‘granites’, gabbros, local sandstones, Carrara
Marble, and some of the newly fashionable Indian gneisses.
However, the only Shap Granite grave lay in deep shade
and I was aware that there was a much better example
Kemnay Granite, Aberdeen, Scotland
(1p coin is 2 cm in diameter)
All photographs by Peter Kennett
forming the cladding of the relatively recent Law Courts in
the city centre.
Knowing that the Law Courts were covered by extensive
CCTV cameras, and that they had even taken my penknife
off me on a previous visit, I felt it prudent to ask the
security man first! The Shap Granite has some superb
‘heathen’ (xenoliths) but I decided against explaining this
to the man, in case I was misunderstood and simply got on
and took the photographs. Having started, I found more
Igneous – Imperial Mahogany Granite, Red Hills, South Dakota, USA (Jessops shop front, Sheffield, 2012)
The attractive red-brown colour comes from the feldspars, and the pale blue is quartz. The dark minerals are
ferromagnesian minerals. The presence of blue quartz in an igneous rock usually indicates that it has undergone some
degree of metamorphism after it had cooled. This is borne out by the appearance of subtle banding in the rock when
seen in bulk. It is of Precambrian age (i.e. more than 542 Ma).
Sedimentary – Portland Limestone, Isle of Portland, England (Sheffield City Library, 2012)
Portland Stone was popularised by Sir Christopher Wren, when he used it in the rebuilding of St Paul’s Cathedral after
the Great Fire of London in 1666, and it now features in many public buildings throughout the U.K. Examination
under a hand lens shows that it is often composed of spherical ooids of calcium carbonate, 1mm or so in diameter.
These were produced by the action of algae on a warm sea floor, and subjected to the action of currents, during the
Jurassic Period (200-146 Ma). Shelly fossils of oysters resist weathering rather better than the bulk of the limestone
and the extent to which they stand proud of the surface allows an estimate of weathering rates to be made when the
age of the building is known, e.g. by using a tyre depth gauge.
Metamorphic – Broughton Moor Slate, Lancashire, England (Paving at the fountains in the Peace Gardens,
Sheffield, 2012)
This slate could be classified as a sedimentary, igneous or metamorphic rock! It was formed when volcanic ash was
blasted out of a volcano in Ordovician times (488-444 Ma). The ash settled in surrounding water, with the coarser
particles settling first, grading up to the finer ones. It later underwent metamorphism at a destructive plate margin in
the Caledonian Orogeny (mountain-building episode) and acquired a cleavage at a high angle to the original bedding.
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15/04/2013 12:00:39
Rubislaw Granite, Aberdeen, Scotland
and more examples of attractive building stones, including
some with good sedimentary structures, as I worked my
way up the city centre. After asking permission at the
Yorkshire Bank (Rapakivi Granite) and Jessops Photographic
(Dakota Imperial Mahogany), I didn’t bother any more
and simply set up the gear where I felt like it, sometimes
kneeling on the pavement to shoot the lower plinth of a
building, or aiming straight down at an exotic kerbstone.
The only conversation came when I was having trouble with
sky shine on a highly polished window sill of ‘Emerald Pearl’
Larvikite, on a former lavishly furnished branch of Barclays
Bank, now converted into a restaurant. A voice behind me
said. “Tek it at an angle, luv and tha’ll avoid t’reflection”.
He then advised me to go to the Geology Department at
Sheffield University to find some more. “They’ve shut it”.
“Oh, ‘ave they? – reight then”, and off he went.
Rubislaw Granite with xenolith
I had heard conflicting reports about the origin of the
Larvikite, both the greenish Emerald Pearl and the iridescent
Blue Pearl. The rock is well known as a marker erratic in
the tills of the East Coast, having been brought over by the
ice from its only known occurrence in Norway. However,
it was now rumoured to be coming from India or China.
Puzzled, I contacted the major stone importer in the region,
Pisani plc in Derbyshire and was told that it IS only known
from Norway, but that huge quantities are shipped out
to India and China for cutting and polishing and are then
transported back to Europe! Pisani were so helpful that
I arranged to call in when I was nearby and was allowed
to look round their yard – a veritable Aladdin’s Cave for a
geologist. Huge polished slabs of every conceivable igneous
and metamorphic rock filled the yard, with the sedimentary
rocks being displayed under cover. Many of them were
completely new to me, originating mostly from China and
India, but with some from
Brazil, Spain, Portugal and
Scandinavia. Most of these
wonderful rocks are probably
destined for kitchen work
surfaces, but some will find
their way into the cladding
of buildings, either in their
own right, or as matching
stone in repair work. For
example, the well known
Balmoral Red Granite from
Scandinavia is often matched
Pisani plc’s yard, Cromford,
near Matlock
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15/04/2013 12:00:40
Balmoral Red Granite, Finland
nowadays by a much cheaper Chinese equivalent, which is
quite difficult to distinguish from the Scandinavian rock.
By now, ‘collecting’ building stones had become as
obsessive as acquiring cigarette cards of battleships in
my youth (and no, I never have smoked!). Aware of Eric
Robinson’s books on the building stones of London, I took
the opportunity of a meeting at the Geological Society to
roam along Piccadilly, St James Street and Pall Mall, book
in one hand and camera in the other. The most amazing
rock type was the reddish rudistid limestone, forming the
plinth below the window of a café on St James’ Street. This
time, it was the café customers who were left wondering
what was going on. Immediately outside the Geological
Society on Piccadilly, the pavement was being renewed in
beautifully clean ‘York Stone’ displaying ripple bedding –
again a worthy subject for a photograph, (even if it possibly
comes from Lancashire!).
More delights awaited inside Burlington House itself. The
superb reception desk, built in 2007 of traditional British
stones, is worthy of study and there is an accompanying
leaflet. Unfortunately it is not possible to photograph
a sufficiently clear area of any of these slabs without
dismantling the desk, but it is a feast for the eyes.
Several of the older furnishings in the foyer are of ‘marble’
(in fact, fossiliferous limestones), but one of the most
distinctive is in a rather cramped area where I was reliably
informed by Ted Nield that Darwin and Huxley would
certainly have stood for a time on their visits. It is in a place
that the ladies cannot enter, and my photograph did not
come out well enough in the gloom to show the stone, so I
shall have to go again the next time I call!
www.esta-uk.net
Shap Granite, Cumbria, England
The latest venture has been to visit the John Lewis branch
in Sheffield and ask to see their ‘granite’ worktop samples.
I had hardly heard of most of them, many of which have
been given Italian names, although they almost certainly
come from China and India. All this has made me realise
that truly, “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing”,
and I need a more informed source if I am to add to the
collection. I have now found a book called the Building
Stone Heritage of Leeds, where the authors, (Murray
Mitchell and the late Francis Dimes) have clearly consulted
archives dating back to the 19th Century in their quest for
accuracy. I feel a trip coming on, where I can use my free
pensioner’s pass for a day in Leeds....!
References
Day, S. & Nield, E. (c 2007) Handsome Accommodation – a Guide to
the Geological Society of London’s Apartments. London: The Geological
Society.
Dimes, F.G. & Mitchell, M. (2nd ed 2006) The Building Stone Heritage of
Leeds. Leeds: The Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society Ltd.
Kennett, P. et al (1999) The Building Stones of Sheffield (A3 folded card).
Sheffield: Sheffield Building Stones Group.
Price, M. T. (2007) Decorative Stone: The Complete Sourcebook. Thames
and Hudson
Robinson, J.E. (1985) London Illustrated Geological Walks, Book Two.
Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press Ltd, for the Geologists’ Association.
Earth Learning Idea www.earthlearningidea.com
Acknowledgments
I am most grateful to Messrs. Pisani for showing me around their
wonderful stone yard at Cromford and to Elizabeth Devon for her
comments on the first draft and for telling me about the Decorative Stone
source book.
Peter Kennett
peter.kennett@tiscali.co.uk
15/04/2013 12:00:40
The use of Android tablets for
geological fieldwork – pitfalls and
possibilities.
Phillip J Murphy
Android devices are widely available at a variety of
price points in today’s mobile communication market.
On the University of Leeds first year Geological
Sciences degree Lake District field trip 28 out of 43
students had an android device with a further 12
having an equivalent smart phone showing by far the
majority of our students are carrying an advanced
computer capable of data capture and storage on
their field work. This study is aimed at assessing
the viability of using these devices for data capture
as part of the standard fieldwork procedures of
undergraduate geological mapping projects.
A visit to android market place will show about a dozen
apps of varying complexity and are available for taking
geological measurements in the field but previous work has
identified Rocklogger produced by Bramley Turner Jones of
RockGecko based in Australia as one appropriate for field
mapping project use (Murphy 2011).
Rocklogger is a geological tool for measuring the
orientation of rock outcrops. It uses the phone’s compass
and orientation sensors to measure dip and dip direction,
or dip and strike, in a single click. GPS and magnetic field
information can also be saved, along with details on the
rock plane & type.
Key features:
• Log dip & strike or dip & dip direction by placing
the phone on the rock/plane in any orientation
(using the rotating symbol and quick help features
as guides)
• Plot logs on a map, with correct dip/strike symbols
• Plot poles or planes from logs on a stereonet, and
interpret by touching the plot to find trends and
intersections
• Log the ambient magnetic field
• Launch the camera to take photos while logging.
Notes and GPS data are saved to the log file.
Photos are stored with the log file, and are
automatically attached when you send a log via
email from the browser screen
• The log is saved to a .csv file, which can be sent to
Excel / Mapinfo / etc for interpreting. Paid versions
can also export KML files for use in Google Earth
(desktop version).
Taking the strike and dip of outcrops with a compass /
clinometer usually takes a few minutes per measurement.
With Rocklogger, many measurements of an outcrop can
be taken in seconds in any orientation. It also works upsidedown, e.g. for logging overbreak in a mine (though this
would be without GPS location).
The evaluation version is limited to saving 3 records per 3
minutes, and has the stereonet plotter disabled. Rocklogger
Unlocker is available for purchase in the market to disable
the evaluation version restrictions. This also enables
Rocklogger’s stereonet plotter:
• Plot records from log files as poles or planes on a
stereonet
• Draw poles or planes on the stereonet by touching
or using the sliders. Use this to find intersections of
planes or trends of pole clusters
• Filter records by plane type
• Each plane type is plotted in a different colour,
including user-defined planes
• The unlocker also allows you to export logs in KML
format (in addition to CSV) for use in the desktop
version of Google Earth.
While dip and strike measurements can be taken using
any Android device in order to make full use of the App
the device needs a GPS receiver. This is not a feature
in budget pads or phones at the moment so relatively
expensive hardware is needed. As the technology trickles
down the market budget GPS functioning hardware will
become cheaper. Four new tablets (Motorola Xoom) and
a smart phone (HTC ChaCha) were purchased and the
app downloaded to each device. These were taken on
the Pembroke field trip as a preliminary deployment and
then used extensively by postgraduate demonstrators and
undergraduates during the Lake District field mapping
training. The pads and apps were also displayed at the
annual Earth Science Teachers Association conference to
gauge their potential usefulness for both GCSE and A level
teaching. There were three main strands to the evaluation
process:
• evaluation of hardware (ease of use, robustness etc)
• evaluation of the software (ease of use,
shortcomings for mapping)
• accuracy/precision
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:40
Overall comments from all users were positive and the
students felt using Rocklogger to aid data recording during
their field mapping projects the following summer would
be a great help.
Hardware
The Motorola Xoom is a relatively large tablet with an 81/2
by 51/4 inch screen. Each was supplied with a soft cover
for the back of the tablet as the protection of the camera
lens and prevention of slipping when laid on a dipping
surface had been identified as problems in the previous
work. Battery life was adequate – the tablet could be used
all day with GPS enabled (a power hungry utility). Screen
brightness in the field proved a problem – bright sunlight
made the screen unreadable and increasing brightness
settings definitely reduced battery life. The Xoom camera
displays a poor quality image while taking a photo – this
does not reflect the quality of the captured image but does
mean you have to check the stored photo to ensure it is up
to standard. Other hardware platforms have shortcomings
when in photo mode such as the HTC Smartphone does
not provide an image to the view finder at all. These
camera issues which clearly need investigating before a
device is purchased. In the field the screen gets very dirty
and can become difficult to use. On the large screen of
the tablet the graphic of the dip arrow is not of sufficient
definition. It is fine on the smaller screen of a Smartphone
but needs upgrading for use on the larger tablets.
Using the tablets in rain and wind proved not to be a
problem. Keeping it inside a plastic bag was enough to
ensure students using them were still recording data when
people had quit trying to record anything in their field note
book.
For dip and strike measurement using the Rocklogger app
the instrument does have to be orientated in a geologically
meaningful way so a user must understand what is being
measured. This is not the case on some apps where a tablet
can be laid on a surface in a random orientation and a
measurement will be taken. For educational use this was
seen as a real strength of the Rocklogger design and avoids
it being a true ‘black box’ measurement system.
location, description and a photograph became very rapid.
The variety of structural features which can be measured
would cover any geological eventuality and they can be
interchanged very quickly. A photograph can be tagged to
each measurement taken; this was very popular with the
users. Once a measurement is taken there is no ’quick look’
option – you have to move to the ‘edit’ option to check
the quality. Users wanted to be able to quickly check the
reading once taken before it is assigned to the data file.
Another shortcoming identified was the GPS location and
accuracy data display is in a very small font – user would
like this to be clearer when taking a measurement.
Accuracy/precision
In an attempt to gauge these factors a bedding plane was
reoccupied. This was a narrow bedding surface exposed
on the side of a cutting in an abandoned quarry. It was
selected to give a field mapping realistic setting rather than
somewhere with total sky coverage for GPS and a perfect
surface for measurement. The data were also recorded
in foul weather – strong winds and heavy rain. The
measurement surface is shown in the centre of Fig 1.
The data shows accuracy in realistically poor mapping
conditions are reasonable and certainly comparable with
data from standard UK compass clinometer where the
clinometer scale is in divisions of 5 degrees. The GPS
accuracy is variable and in better conditions time would
have allowed each reading to be taken with 5m accuracy.
A trial of different users undertaken on an inclined plane
during the Earth Science Teachers Association annual
conference on the 29th September 2012 is shown below.
Fifteen different users, all new to the technology, managed
to gather a data set showing a high degree of accuracy and
precision. This shows user variation is a very minor factor in
ensuring consistency of data quality.
Post-field use:
The tablet is a USB device so all files are easily accessed and
edited. ata can be plotted on Google maps but this does
Recommendations
A mat screen tablet would overcome some of the problems
of reading the screen in bright sunlight. Also perhaps a
different background colour rather the Apps default black
may help. Screen protectors are easily available and cheap.
Software
The App is intuitive and easy to use. Users quickly
established a personal procedure at each outcrop to
capture data in the most efficient way for themselves and
recording an outcrop including dip & strike along with
www.esta-uk.net
Figure 1
15/04/2013 12:00:40
Table 1
Time on
20/06/2012
10:40:18
10:40:43
10:41:15
10:41:57
10:42:47
10:46:11
10:46:55
11:11:07
11:12:31
16:31:14
Dip angle
48.4
49.5
49.2
48.2
49
48.8
48.6
48.7
48.9
48.7
47.1
48.5
49.1
48.4
48.65
0.56806
Dip angle
Strike direction
GPS accuracy (m)
37.3
79
5
37.5
38.2
37.7
38
37.3
37.7
38.5
38.4
38
37.86
0.429987
Mean
SD
73
76
74
73
76
82
83
83
80
77.9
4.01248053
5
25
10
5
10
15
5
10
5
Mean
Standard
Deviation
Strike direction
158
158.2
158.2
158
159.6
154.3
157.9
156.7
156
156.5
158.1
157.5
157
158.5
157.4642857
1.294132999
to Smartphone screens. The present crop of dip and strike
measurement apps do not have the range of features to
replace a field note book such as linked field sketching
options, photo annotation and sedimentary logging
but do provide a robust and rapid means of gathering
an recording field data. They can be usefully deployed
alongside the traditional recording techniques for the
recording of structural data and as such are an extra tool in
the armoury of a field mapping geologist. School teachers
were impressed with the ease of use and low cost of the
apps and many reported they will encourage the use of
Rocklogger as a measurement tool on their field work.
Many schools struggle with the cost of maintaining a loan
collection of compass clinometers so were keen to adopt
this technology as it removed an ongoing equipment
headache. The development of a full field note book
replacement usable on a tablet platform is, I am sure, only
a matter of time but is not been achieved so far.
have the shortcoming of the limited scale available when
working in detail however it is useful to check coverage to
plan the next day’s activity. Structural data can be plotted as
a stereo net on the tablets. This proved very popular with
the undergraduates but the plots cannot be down loaded.
Ongoing work
I am in regular correspondence with the app writer
(Bramley Turner Jones of RockGecko) working on an
update to incorporate improvements identified as a result
of the work detailed in this report.
Conclusions
Rocklogger (and other such apps) provide a quick, simple,
accurate, cheap and reliable method of recording dip and
strike. The data are stored in formats ready for further use/
manipulation in standard software packages. The ease of
use and ready availability of hardware means we will see
more use of such measurement and recording techniques.
While obvious backing up of files and care with hardware
platforms is needed this is no more onerous, and in many
ways more robust, than the use of a field note book and
compass/clinometers. The main shortcomings identified
in this study are the difficulty of reading screens outdoors
and the loss of definition of graphics when used on larger
platforms such as the Panasonic Xoom tablets as opposed
References
Murphy, P. 2011 A tablet for your field headaches – a non-digital natives
first attempt at creating a digital field note book. Teaching Earth Science
36(2) pp.47-48.
Web sites:
https://play.google.com/store
http://www.androidzoom.com/
I would like to thank James Witts, Graham McLeod, Andrew Merrick, Tom
Fletcher, Hollie Romain, Helen Wilkinson and the class of the University of
Leeds Lake District field trip 2012 for their input.
Phillip Murphy
School of Earth and Environmental Sciences
P.J.Murphy@leeds.ac.uk
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:40
Morteratsch: A student’s view
Daniel Tudor
In September 2012 a mixed group of final year
Physical Geography, Geography and Outdoor
Education students from Liverpool John Moores
University travelled to Pontresina, Swiss Alps, to
observe the Morteratsch Glacier (Figure 1). In 1850 this
glacier stood near the end of the massive Morteratsch
valley it occupies. The terminus of the glacier was
visible from Hotel Morteratsch, which was solely built
so that the Victorian upper class could travel up and
dine within view of the glacier’s snout. This was the
time that Victorian Mountaineering mania reached
its peak. Tales of the British Alpine Club summiting
and conquering the Alps reached back to the English
upper classes and resulted in a massive tourist industry
to Alpine regions, especially in sight of glaciated
valleys or the taller peaks such as Mont Blanc. The
glacier is now just over 2km from the hotel. This
demonstrates the rapid retreat of the glacier over
the last 120 years and is an indication of the effect
that recent climate change has had in the region.
Areas which were once covered by vast expanses of
glaciated ice are now openly vegetated by hardy
plants. The trim line of the glacier can still be seen
along the upper edges of the valley. With incessant
rock falls occurring from the lateral moraines,
especially during the summer months when the
insulated ice inside these moraines starts to melt and
large boulders tumble down to reach the valley floor.
Usually a large rumble similar to a snow avalanche
precedes the crash of the boulder. This would often
leave us looking around and hoping that the next one
wasn’t going to be where we were working.
During the time at Morteratsch each student undertook
a separate project associated with the glacier. Some
undertook how sediment transport in the proglacial river
has changed over time whilst others worked on the glacier
to understand how the glacier is retreating and how much
ablation occurred over the week of our stay. More specific
research included the measurement of clast size around the
glacier and how this related to the englacial, subglacial or
supraglacial processes. This involved the student measuring
around 200 clast sizes across the glacier and undergoing
www.esta-uk.net
Figure 1: Morteratsch glacier snout with the Bernina Peaks. (Photo by C.Basey)
one unfortunate incident where a quick slide down some
blue ice resulted in a bruised ego but no injury.
The specific area of interest for the author is how the
glacier ablated over the week. This meant that ablation
stakes had to be secured in the ice using the notorious Ice
Lance (Figure 2). This is basically a high pressured steam
hose which melts a hole in the ice and results in the wielder
looking like a Star Wars character (Figure 3). To measure
the ablation of a glacier, ablation stakes are used – these
are usually just white sticks. Two measurements are taken,
Figure 2: Using the ice lance on to drill holes for ablation stakes, a key piece of kit
in measuring the melt rate of the glacier snout. (Photo by S.Taylor)
15/04/2013 12:00:41
the part of the stake which faces up the glacier and then
the part of the stake which faces down the glacier, these
two measurements are then averaged out to give the
melt. This method allows for an average daily melt and
overall average for the week to be taken and allows for
the reduction of human error in the readings. During one
night of heavy rain, which is believed to have caused a
massive flood event on the glacier, massive ablation of
the glacier occurred due to the erosional properties of the
rain. Especially considering the fact that the Morteratsch
glacier is actually a temperate glacier therefore rain has
a much more drastic effect on the ablation compared to
considerably colder glaciers where rain freezes instantly and
adds mass to the glacier.
The ablation of the glacier proved to be considerable over
the week long study period, approximately 17 cm with the
major amount of melt during the flood event previously
mentioned. However, it can be stated that ablation is not
the only variable contributing to glacial retreat there are
lots of different factors. Orientation is also an important
factor and actually directly influences the rate of the glacial
retreat. As areas which face north-east are less likely to
retreat at the same rate as those facing other directions
(Evans, 2006). This could be noticed in the case of the
Morteratsch which actually faces north-east and the
accretion zone (the area of snow collection) is shaded for
Figure 3: A View from the top of the snout of the glacier with ice drill. (Photo by
A-M. Nuttall)
Figure 4: The view from the Perz glacier and the start of the glacier walk. (Photo by P.McHugh)
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:41
the majority of the day in comparison to the Roseg glacier
(which actually faces north-west and is located in the valley
next to Morteratsch), this glacier appears to be retreating
at a much more rapid rate. However, during my research it
was possible to see that a glacier is not affected by a single
variable but is actually a complex and intricate machine
which is affected by a multitude of different variables.
Visiting and studying the environments around the
Morteratsch glacier benefited the students with an
understanding of glacial systems and how rapidly they
change in a real life situation instead of a just in theory. The
visual impact is hard to explain, but it is amazing to reflect
upon how such a massive structure, which can dramatically
change its valley started as a tiny snow flake. It also
brought home how important climate change is in affecting
glacial response especially in the case of Morteratsch where
the glacier is so well documented. Dyurgerov and Meier
(2006) believed that glaciers can be used to see the real
effects of climate change and in the case of Morteratsch it
is definitely possible to see this.
However, the field trip was not always about undertaking
work. A glacier walk starting from the Perz glacier and
meeting the Morteratsch glacier (Figure 4) around halfway
allowed for a much more personal look at the glacier.
Particularly impressive are the large crevasses which just
seem to carry on forever. This look into how a glacier is
dynamically changing allowed for the theories stated in
the lecture theatre to be actually seen in the field. Overall,
the field trip to Switzerland allowed us to develop our
understanding and discuss/formulate new theories as to
how the glacier is changing over time and how this may
link to climate change.
References
Dyurgerov, M. & Meier, M. 1999 Twentieth century climate change:
Evidence from small glaciers. Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences of the United States of America. 97(4), pp.1406-1411.
Evans, I. 2006 Local aspect asymmetry of mountain glaciation: A global
survey of consistency of favoured directions for glacier numbers and
altitudes. Geomorphology. 73(1-2) pp.166-184.
Daniel Tudor
D.Tudor@2010.ljmu.ac.uk
Secondary Working Group Event 2013
The next ESTA Secondary Workshop will be on Saturday 18th May in the Science
Learning Centre at Keele. Items on the agenda are likely to include:
• using social media sites
• updating activities from archived version of Teaching Geology and Teaching Earth
Sciences
• the potential of Earth-caching
As previously, ESTA will pay travelling expenses, provide lunch and tea/coffee and can
even stretch to a few peoples’ overnight expenses (in the Keele Management Centre)
if they have to travel from afar. The day will start with coffee before 10.00 and end by
4.00. We hope to see you there.
If you would like to register your interest or find out more about this event, please
contact Chris King: chris@cjhking.plus.com
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:41
Volcanic Prediction … and saving the
ESTA Chair Designate!
Mike Parker
In the weeks leading up to Christmas when students
and teachers alike are feeling the strain it is always a
good idea to try and mix up lessons. This year we were
presented with a golden opportunity, to leave behind
GL1 for a week and take a short diversion into the
death and destruction of GL3 and volcanic prediction/
forecasting.
Although the idea of real time volcanic monitoring is by
no means a new thing, the lower 6th classes of St. Bede’s
College had a vested interest in Mt. Tongariro as one of
their teachers was planning to climb it during his brief
December sabbatical. This teacher also happens to be the
chair designate of ESTA.
The students reacted very positively to this sidestep into
GL3 and in particular to the real life, real time information
gathering. This exercise only lasted for two double lessons;
the first of these gave the students an overview of volcanic
monitoring techniques and possible precursors to volcanic
eruptions. In between the two lessons the students were
asked to research the current state of affairs of the two
volcanoes towards which their intrepid teacher was
heading; Mt. Tongariro and Mt. Ruapehu in New Zealand’s
North Island. Armed with all the latest data the students
produced reports on the current situation of the volcano
and their hazard forecast with recommendations for the
public. Below is a section from one of these reports.
Current Situation – At present the volcano of Tongariro is
exhuming large amounts of SO2 leading to a rotten egg
smell spreading over 100km. A build-up of pressure and
temperature, 800°C, has been observed in the Crater Lake.
Recommendation – Although historical evidence shows
that further eruptions are likely at present the signs suggest
that there is no need for an evacuation of the local area,
although airports should be on alert and people travelling
nearby should be made aware of the situation.
The students thoroughly enjoyed this exercise and this was
echoed in their comments when asked how they felt about
the diversions away from the scheme of work:
“Currently our beloved Mr Loader is in New Zealand
sightseeing whilst a volcano could potentially erupt.
This seemed like a great opportunity to try and evaluate
whether we should send a helicopter to airlift him to
safety.”
Just when the students thought their favourite teacher
was safe, disaster struck once more. All had heard, on
many occasions, about Mr Loader’s planned trip to the
active White Island via helicopter. Suddenly on the 12th of
December White Island started to disrupt Mr Loader’s plans
once more as the alert moved from ‘yellow alert level 1’ to
‘orange alert level 2’ (minor volcanic eruption underway). It
seemed the islands of New Zealand were not keen on this
visitor from abroad! These gave another excellent example
for students to research and produce further geohazard
forecast report using real time data. Below is an extract
from a student’s report, slightly more concerned this time.
“Past eruptions of this volcano, like in 2000 when magma
reached the surface, have been rather destructive and if
one was to happen Mr Loader would not be safe visiting
the island. The lava dome is being observed and if it
continues to grow I would suggest that Mr Loader vacates
the area quickly as this would mean that an eruption is
imminent! However if there is no growth he can visit and
live it up on White Island”.
We have done what we could now to inform Mr Loader of
the perils that await him in visiting these places. Now all
we can do is wait with bated breath to see if he returns in
January!
Mike Parker
St Bede’s College, Manchester
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:41
UK Earth science curriculum update –
reasons to be cheerful?
Chris King
The primary curriculum in England
A draft primary curriculum in maths, English and
science was published for England by the Department
for Education (DfE) in June 2011 and it seems that the
Department has taken heed of the recommendations made
by the geoscience education community late last year (see
King & Bilham 2012). The document submitted to the DfE
recommended that at Key Stage 1 (5-7 year olds) children
should study in science, ‘the sorting and grouping of rocks
based on appearance’ and at Key Stage 2 (7-11 year olds)
‘Formation and identification of sedimentary, metamorphic
and igneous rocks, their resultant properties’ and ‘Fossils as
a record of extinct species and of evolution’.
Relevant parts of the draft science curriculum are shown
in Figure 1; the solar system and the water cycle are also
covered elsewhere.*
ESTA members will note some erroneous oversimplifications
in this draft material, but the DfE has been alerted to these
and hopefully, will correct them before final publication.
This detailed Earth science content in the draft curriculum
is most welcome, as it is a marked increase on the current
curriculum. It is certainly likely to mean an increase in
the CPD offered by the ESTA primary group and by the
Earth Science Education Unit (ESEU), since many current
primary teachers will be unfamiliar with this material. A
possible reservation to the draft might be that the bulk
of the material is aimed at 7-8 year olds, an age when
many children might find it difficult to grasp some of the
concepts involved, so any CPD provided by ESTA and ESEU
will need to be carefully targeted. A second reservation
was that the increased Earth science content in the primary
curriculum might mean a reduction in the Earth science
content of the secondary curriculum – despite the efforts
of the geoscience education community to avoid such an
outcome – but read on ….
The secondary curriculum in England
The draft secondary science curriculum for England has
recently been ‘leaked’ and the leaked document has been
www.esta-uk.net
criticised for just being, to paraphrase one commentator,
“just a list of content”. Although is good to be able to
report that this list of content includes Earth science
phrases very similar to those of the current KS3 (11-14)
and KS4 (14-16) science curriculum, even though they are
presented in chunks of science clearly labelled as ‘biology’,
‘chemistry’ and ‘physics’, a recent comment has just been
received from ‘someone in the know’ – “much work is
currently being done on the thing, so that won’t be the
final position, by any means”. So, if the drafts eventually
see the light of day with the Earth science intact – it seems
that the Earth science content, will remain significant, if
small – and that all pupils will receive some teaching in
Earth science through the national science curriculum.
‘Clearly though, we must ‘watch this space’, as ever.’**
GCSE geology
It is good to be able to report, as shown in Figure 2,
that the GCSE geology entry has remained above 1000,
and that it is currently being taught in 61 centres across
England, Wales and Northern Ireland. If ESTA members
are considering teaching the new and more popular
GCSE geology specification in their own institutions, or
encouraging a colleague to do so, please be aware of the,
‘So you’re starting a new GCSE Geology course’ handbook
on the ESTA website, with a range of other materials
supporting the teaching of GCSE geology.
A-level geology
There is even better news for A-level geology where the
A2 entry jumped by 9.5% this year (or 10% if you round
the figures up!) to more than 2000, whilst the AS entry
also increased, by 2.5%, to more than 3200, see Figures
3 and 4. The 213 examination centres for A-level geology
(2012 figures) across England, Wales and Northern Ireland
are clearly doing a good recruitment job. Again, for ESTA
members or colleagues thinking of developing a new
A-level or AS-level geology course, there is much resource
material available on the ESTA website, including the, ‘So
you’re starting a new A-level Geology Course’ handbook.
15/04/2013 12:00:41
Figure 1. Excerpts from the draft primary curriculum published for England by the Department for Education
(DfE website, 2012).
Programme of Study
Pupils should be taught to:
Notes and Guidance
Year 2 [6-7 year olds]
Everyday materials
• identify and name a variety of everyday
materials, including wood, plastic, glass,
metal, water, and rock
Pupils may study materials additional to those listed in the Programme of
Study; for example:
• in school: brick, sand, paper
• in school grounds: soil.
Uses of everyday materials
• identify and compare the uses of a variety
of everyday materials, including : wood,
metal, plastic, glass, brick/rock, and
paper/ cardboard.
Examples of uses of materials listed include:
• brick: walls, steps, buildings, houses.
• Pupils can apply their knowledge and skills by:
• comparing the uses of everyday materials in and around the school with
materials found in other places (at home, the journey to school, on visits
…
Rocks
• compare and group together different
kinds of rocks on the basis of their simple
physical properties
• relate the simple physical properties of
some rocks to their formation (igneous or
sedimentary)
• describe in simple terms how fossils are
formed when things that have lived are
trapped within sedimentary rock.
Ensure pupils understand that different kinds of rocks are found on and
under the Earth’s surface, and that the properties of different kinds of rocks
relate to the way in which the rocks were formed.
Pupils can apply their knowledge and skills by:
• discussing different kinds of rocks and how their properties make them
useful in different ways e.g. granite is hard and polishes to a smooth
surface, so makes good work surfaces and monuments; limestone
is soft and crumbly and you can draw with chalk; sandstone is an
attractive building material but does not weather well because it erodes
relatively quickly; jewellery can be made from crystals in rocks. Pupils
can set up and perform simple tests on the properties of a variety of
kinds of rock, record their findings (using simple scientific language,
drawings, labelled diagrams, bar charts or tables), report on their findings
including presenting written explanation, and use their results to suggest
improvements and predictions for setting up further tests.
• discussing the differences between igneous rocks (hard, have crystals
in them, found where volcanoes have erupted e.g. granite, basalt) and
sedimentary rocks (found where there has been a seabed, made up of
layers of sediment squeezed and squashed together, tend to be softer and
a bit crumbly e.g. limestone, sandstone and shale).
• looking at rocks with a hand lens to decide if they are made of grains or
crystals, and whether they have fossils in them. Pupils can observe closely
and report on their findings, including presenting written explanation.
• discussing the different kinds of living things whose fossils have been
found in sedimentary rock: for example, plants, dinosaurs, sea creatures
(e.g. ammonites and trilobites).
• making: ‘biscuit fossils’ using crumbled biscuits, syrup, and raisins; a
model of igneous rock formation using molten chocolate; or a model
volcano using bicarbonate of soda and vinegar.
Teachers should be aware that a third category of rocks, metamorphic,
consists of rocks which have been changed through the action of heat or
pressure. Pupils are not expected to be taught about this category, but
teachers should be prepared to answer questions about the nature of e.g.
marble and slate.
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:41
Classification of living things
• identify and name a variety of living
things (plants and animals) in the
local and wider environment, using
classification keys to assign them to
groups
• give reasons for classifying plants and
animals based on specific characteristics
and how they are suited to their
environment.
Pupils can apply their knowledge and skills by:
describing and comparing the classification of common plants and animals
to living things found in other places (at the zoo; under the sea; at the farm;
prehistoric life; extinct plants and animals). Support this work by using the
science biographies of Charles Darwin (explained the diversity of life) …
Evolution and inheritance
• explain that evolution happens over time,
fossils provide information about living
things that inhabited the Earth many
years ago; how animals and plants are
suited to and adapt to their environment
in different ways; and how this leads to
evolution.
Building on the topic on Rocks in Year 3, pupils should be introduced to the
fossil as evidence for evolution. This can include how they are formed, the
types of plants and animals most likely to be preserved as fossils, and how
fossils are used to explore the characteristics of prior animals and plants.
Pupils can be introduced to the work of palaeontologists.
Pupils can apply their knowledge by:
• discussing how fossils are formed and how they help build a picture
of what animals and plants were like, including what we know about
dinosaurs.
Geology teacher training
The situation is nothing like as rosy for geology teacher
training. Since Bath University closed its course in 2011
and Keele closed its course and re-opened it in 2010, and
closed its course and reopened it in 2011, the number of
geology teachers trained in 2010 was six, in 2011, four and
currently two people are being trained. This may reflect
a rumour reportedly circulating amongst careers tutors in
Higher Education geoscience departments, that it is no
longer possible to train as a geology teacher in the UK and
anyway, geology is no longer taught in schools.
Currently (late-November 2012) the situation is in flux
because of the new ways in which the Teaching Agency
is allocating training placements to schools and teacher
education institutions. At present no places have been
allocated because ‘this is usually dealt with outside of
the normal allocations process. Because of the changes
in subject priority we need a bit more information which
would allow allocations to make a clear decision on how
best to allocate these places.’ (part of an email from
the Training Agency). Keele University has supplied this
information to the Agency (including many of the figures
above) – and awaits a response. Meanwhile, letters have
been sent to all Higher Education Geoscience Departments
in the country citing the UCAS (2010) data showing that
45% of applicants to geoscience courses had either A-level
or Scottish Higher geology, and asking them to publicise
teaching as a career to their undergraduates. Visits are
being paid to all the institutions within striking distance
of Keele to give presentations with the same message,
www.esta-uk.net
whilst the ESTA/Keele stand at the recent Geological
Society Careers Day (held at BGS, Keyworth) drew interest.
Information about the situation, sent to the Geological
Society’s Geoscientist magazine, is likely to figure
prominently in the December edition.
Scotland
The number of entries for ‘Intermediate’ and ‘Higher’
geology in Scotland have been dwindling recently,
although as a percentage of the school population the
Intermediate entry is very much on a par with the level
of GCSE entry elsewhere in the UK. However, it is in the
comparison between A2, AS and Higher where Scotland
does not have the numbers (probably because it has been
impossible for geoscientists to train as teachers in Scotland
for some time, so that the numbers of geology teachers
have been reducing). As a result the Scottish Qualifications
Authority (SQA) has decided to close examination-level
geology and to launch a new Environmental Science exam
suite. Unfortunately the new Environmental Science exam
contains little geology. The Scottish Earth Science Education
Forum (SESEF), with the support of ESTA and the Earth
Science Education Unit, has been fighting a rear-guard
action, but with little result so far. SQA have agreed to keep
all the geology units in their catalogue so that these could
be certificated, but at the moment no final assessment
by examination is being considered under the Curriculum
for Excellence initiative. Arguments about the geological
heritage of Scotland and its importance to the Scottish
economy today seem to be falling on deaf ears.
15/04/2013 12:00:41
Figure 2. GCSE geology entry in recent years.
Figure 3. Recent A2-level geology entries.
curriculum review at some point, but no date has been set.
A review may provide the opportunity of influencing the
science curriculum for Earth science, using the arguments
about international comparisons, etc., that seem to have
been effective in England.
Figure 4. AS-level geology entries since 2001.
Meanwhile the ‘Curriculum for Excellence’ running in
Scotland retains a reasonable amount of Earth science at
upper primary level, with secondary level Earth science
being found mostly in the geography curriculum.
Wales
To quote a phrase of one of ESEU’s Welsh facilitators, Nikki
Maddocks, ‘KS3 is an Earth science free zone in Wales,
looks like it may become a science free zone’ – this is
because of the Welsh government’s focus on literacy and
numeracy, with reduced emphasis on all other subjects,
including science. Nikki reports that there will have to be a
Challenge and opportunity
The current curriculum situation is clearly a mixture of
challenge and opportunity, but as ESTA Council and as
ESTA members we must continue to respond to both
with enthusiasm and resilience, as ESTA has done over
many years – to ‘advance education by encouraging and
supporting the teaching of Earth sciences at all levels’ (ESTA
website).
References
Department for Education (DfE) website 2012 National Curriculum for
science, Key Stages 1 and 2 – draft: http://media.education.gov.uk/
assets/files/pdf/d/draft%20national%20curriculum%20for%20
science%20key%20stages%201%202.pdf
Earth Science Teachers’ Association (ESTA) website: http://www.esta-uk.
net/
King, C. & Bilham, N. 2012 Towards a balanced Earth science Curriculum
for England – science and geography perspectives. Teaching Earth Sciences
37(1), pp.45-48.
Chris King
Chair of the ESTA Secondary Group, Education, Keele
University, Keele, ST5 5BG chris@cjhking.plus.com
* In the event, the Earth science content of the formal proposals for the primary science curriculum was unfortunately much reduced, in comparison with
this draft. The full proposals can be found at: http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/n/national%20curriculum%20consultation%20-%20
framework%20document.pdf
** Despite the good signs for the Earth science content of the English secondary curriculum noted when this paragraph was written – many ESTA members
will know that these were not born out when the proposals were finally published. In the proposals, the ‘Earth science’ included in the KS3/4 science
curriculum was not the Earth science recognised by most Earth scientists – in particular, there was no mention of either the rock cycle or plate tectonics.
Instead, despite the recommendations submitted in 2011 to the Department for Education by the Earth science education community (King & Bilham,
2012), the rock cycle was not included in the curriculum at all and plate tectonics only appeared in a list in the KS3 geography curriculum alongside rocks,
weathering and soils. Since then we have responded to the consultations and lobbied widely and fiercely for the Earth science content of the science
curriculum to be reinstated. After this great effort to protect the position of Earth science in the curriculum – we just have to sit back and ‘watch this space’
again – in hope.
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:42
Reviews
Introducing Oceanography
David Thomas and David Bowers
Dunedin Press 2012
ISBN 9781780460017
Paperback £9.99
The Dunedin Press have recently published a series of
excellent small books of between 100 and 150 pages
which neatly summarise aspects of the Earth Sciences.
Two of these have already been reviewed in this journal.
This latest one, on oceanography, is very clearly written in
ways that the layman can easily understand and contains
a variety of photos, graphs and diagrams. It is a very good
introduction to the subject.
There are some minor errors, for instance the key to figure
5.8 is wrong. I enjoyed reading this book but it has only
marginal relevance to A level Geology. It would be of more
interest to Biologists and Geographers and those interested
in climate change. It is a book for the library though it
could well inspire someone to study oceanography at
university.
Mike Tuke
The book starts by describing the different types of ocean
currents and what causes them. There is a clear description
of the Coriolis Effect. This is followed by a chapter on
ocean waves, their propogation and the differences
between deep and shallow water waves. Chapter 5 is
about the tides; the description and explanation of why
high tide does not coincide with the full moon is very clear
but I found the explanation of the cause of the two tides
every day difficult to follow. The book then deals with the
light in the oceans and then the chemistry of the oceans.
Having dealt with the physical aspects of the oceans
the remainder of the book is devoted to the Biology of
the oceans. At the end of the book there is an extensive
glossary with each term neatly defined and a reference
to the page in the book where more can be learnt. This is
followed by two pages of sources for further information,
both books and web sites.
Exam Howler . . .
‘Volcanic geezers’
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:42
Plate Tectonics : online
teaching resource
plate tectonics, such as J. Tuzo-Wilson, is most interesting
and educational.
The Geological Society – October 2012
• T
he multiple choice quizzes are fabulous and
certainly very challenging -watch out for the
double negatives.
• The drag and drop exercises are fun, like the
multiple choice, they are designed to make
students think.
• The anagrams make great starter and plenary
activities.
http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/Home/Plate-Tectonics
I first discovered this website through my ‘Twitter’ account
and immediately ‘re-tweeted’ the link to all my students
stating that this is a ‘fabulous much needed resource’, so I
was delighted to be asked to review The Geological Society
Plate Tectonics site. The site looks in depth at how plate
boundaries work and is fantastic for students, teachers
and enthusiasts of Earth Science. Pitched at 14-16 year
olds, I believe some of the language and content could be
challenging for less academic students. The front page is
colourful and easy to navigate; nonetheless, a search box
would have been useful. The animations are excellent, they
clearly and succinctly demonstrate the processes believed
to occur at the plate boundaries. The accompanying sound
effects made me smile though the addition of a spoken
commentary would have been beneficial, particularly for
younger students. As a Sixth Form resource the site is
superb with entertaining activities and examination relevant
content. The background information on the pioneers of
The site contains entertaining assessment games:
I will definitely be booking out the IT suite for a lesson so
that my students can enjoy some interactive learning.
The website is up-to-date and relevant with new material
being added regularly. The Teachers’ Zone has some useful
worksheets and copies of GCSE Geology exam questions. I
recommend that every teacher of plate tectonics make use
of this free, informative and fun resource. Overall this is a
wonderful site for all students: stretching for the top end
of academic ability at GCSE, great for A Level revision and
accessible animations for all abilities.
Angela Bentley
Aquinas College, Stockport
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:42
Diary
May 2013
July 2013
11th – 12th May
Newmarket Rock ‘n’ Gem Show, Newmarket Racecourse
Contact: www.rockngem.co.uk
7th – 8th July
Newcastle Rock Gem ‘n’ Bead Show, Newcastle Racecourse
18th May
ESTA Secondary Working Group meeting
Keele University
Contact: chris@cjhking.plus.com
14th – 15th July
Farnham Maltings Rock Gem ‘n’ Bead Show, Farnham
Maltings
18th – 19th May
Cheltenham Rock Gem ‘n’ Bead Show, Cheltenham
Racecourse
August 2013
June 2013
8th – 9th June
Kempton Park Rock ‘n’ Gem Show, Kempton Park
Racecourse
4th – 5th August
Kempton Park Rock ’n’ Gem Show, Kempton Racecourse
11th – 12th August
Welsh Rock ’n’ Gem Show, Royal Welsh Showground,
Builth Wells
8th – 9th June
Somerset Park Rock ‘n’ Gem Show, Bath and West
Showground, Shepton Mallet
Exam Howler . . .
It is said that animals can also detect seismic activity. Some,
such as snakes kill themselves when an earthquake or
volcano is going to happen.
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:42
SEPTEMBER
8th – 9th September
Newton Abbot Rock ’n’ Gem Show, Newton Abbot
Racecourse
Open day at Snailbeach Mine, Shropshire
Contact: www.shropshiremines.org.uk/snailbeach/sbheri.
htm
27th-29th September
ESTA Annual Course & Conference: Communicating
Geoscience
Plymouth University
Contact: linmarshall@btinternet.com
September 2014
ESTA Annual Course and Conference
Open University, Milton Keynes
Contact: linmarshall@btinternet.com
Geological surprises
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:43
Crossword puzzle Number 2
ACROSS
1. Term to describe strike-slip faults which occur at right
angles to mid-ocean ridges and which indicate the
direction of spreading. (9)
6. The progressive spreading of successive beds of
sediment over an increasingly wider area. (5)
9. Light- coloured, fine-grained igneous rock found as a
late-stage vein in granite bodies. (6)
10. Cubic mineral with a lead-grey streak and a hardness
of 2.5 on Mohs’ scale. (6)
12. In mineral optics, produced when light is refracted
through a doubly refracting mineral. (1-3)
14. Homogeneous, ordered solids with a limited chemical
composition. (8)
15. Half-open, steep-sided hollow in a mountain region. (3)
17. Fracture along which observable relative displacement
has occurred between adjacent blocks. (5)
20. A bivalve which has a sub-circular shell with a convex
right valve and a flat left valve. (6)
22. Class of soil texture composed of sand, silt and clay. (4)
23. A rock produced in zones of tectonic dislocation by the
process of cataclasis. (8)
26. A local Peruvian name for ignimbrites that have been
altered by vapour-phase crystallisation. (6)
27. The name for the zone below the level of the water
table where all voids are saturated. (6)
30. Name of the first woman and mother of the human
race? (3)
31. Prefix meaning ‘through’. (3)
32. Iron-rich sedimentary rocks. (4)
www.esta-uk.net
DOWN
2. Lowest points. (6)
3. Single flat surface of a naturally developed crystal. (4)
4. Long, linear, elevated, volcanic structures often lying
along the middle of the ocean floor. (6)
5. Prefix meaning ‘sloping’. (5)
6. Word to describe a limestone largely composed of
ooids. (7)
7. A projecting part, such as a ridge on the side of a hill.
(4)
8. A term used to describe certain types of folds. (12)
11. Any part of the circumference of a circle. (3)
13. Internet domain name for Aruba. (2)
16. Deposits of sediments formed at the mouth of a river
where it enters the sea or a lake. (6)
18. Term to describe the sediments deposited after
transport by the wind. (7)
19. King crab. (7)
21. Former name of Tokyo. (This name is literally ‘bay
entrance’ or ‘estuary’). (3)
23. A workable paste used to bind construction blocks of
stone together and fill the gaps between them. (6)
24. A type of surface wave that travels slightly faster than a
Rayleigh wave. (4)
25. A point of zero displacement in a material transmitting
standing waves. (4)
28. Class comprising all the birds. (4)
29. The line where two surfaces meet. (4)
15/04/2013 12:00:43
Crossword No 1_Answers
B I V A L V E
E
I
N
L A T E R I T
E
R
E
R
M
E
S
O
N
O R E
P
I
U
A
Y
T
S U R F
E
C
S A B K H A S
A
A
D
O
T
A T O L L S
R
I
O
C A N N E L C
Y
R
L O N G S H
S
A
I C
C
R
E
T
I
S O
N
A
A R
Y
H
O A
M
O R
MA G M A
L
U
E
U
D I A
M
S
R
I
T N T
O N
O
H
I O N
Q
U
E
U
O M
S E A
K
L P
S H E
O
T
A R D A N G
E
R
H
L S
S T O
E
S
E D R I F T
R
I
A
N
P
A
L
A
E
O
G
E
O
G
R
A
P
H
Y
Apologies for two ‘typos’ shown in the December Newsletter.
Here is the correct information about the dates of the ESTA Conferences in 2013 and 2014 and the mailing address for
your completed Gift Aid Forms.
Gift Aid it
The December Newsletter included a Gift Aid form that members could complete if they wished to arrange to Gift Aid
their current and any future subscriptions. The slip that you needed to complete and return to the Treasurer should be
sent to:
Carole Rushall, Foundation Centre, Durham University Queen’s Campus, University Boulevard, Thornaby, Stockton-onTees, TS17 6BH.
If you have misplaced the form and would like to arrange to Gift Aid your subscriptions, then please contact Carole by
email at: c.a.rushall@durham.
ESTA Conferences in 2013 and 2014.
The 2013 ESTA Conference will be at Plymouth University from 27th to 29th September. For 2014 the ESTA Conference
will be held on 26th-28th September at the Open University, Milton Keynes.
If you are an ESTA member living close to either of these places and would be willing to spare a couple of hours to look
after the ESTA stand in 2013 or 2014, please email: webmaster@esta-uk.net with the subject BOARDS. (ESTA will pay
travelling expenses to volunteers)
www.esta-uk.net
15/04/2013 12:00:43

Contents - Earth Science Teachers` Association

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