An introduction to the geology of Glen Coe, including Dalradian basement, pre-volcano land surface, rhyolite lava flows, the North Graben Fault with andesitic debris (optional, up the hillside), and a walk up to the caldera fault on Stob Mhic Mhartuin, about 5 kilometres return (also optional). Meet at the National Trust for Scotland Glen Coe […]
A route through the Moine rocks of Lochaber, with ancient seabed ripples in Loch Eil Moine quartzites, highly metamorphosed Glenfinnan Moine rocks with pegmatite veins and folding in the Morar Moine rocks by the sea. Only short distances walked, about 2 kilometres in total, including a short hillside climb and a short walk to a […]
The chondrichtyans (sharks) are a primitive and highly successful group of fishes, with a skeleton consisting entirely of cartilage. It has been generally accepted that the Chondrichthyes can be divided into two subclasses; Elasmobranchii (sharks, skates, and rays) and Holocephali (chimaeras). In my previous talk I touched briefly on the ‘Golden Age of Sharks’, and […]
Welcome to the best geology in Scotland! Arran’s rocks tell a story stretching over hundreds of millions of years. There are igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks, representing periods of mountain building, equatorial seas, hot deserts, volcanoes and underground cauldrons of magma – it’s all here, and Arran is justly famous as an ideal introduction to […]
Guest lecturer James Westland will introduce us to dykes, sills and cone-sheets in an illustrated online presentation that looks at these important features of the Hebridean Igneous Province. Find out what these look like, how they were formed, how to recognise them in the field and what they tell us about the igneous history of […]
No other country for its size contains the richness of geology that characterises Scotland. Professor Tony Prave will take you on a three billion year journey that begins deep within Earth’s crust, encompasses two of the most dramatic events in Earth history, the Great Oxidation Event and Snowball Earth, and finishes with a tale of […]
Online lecture by Dr Andy Mitten, Keele University Deltaic successions, such as those that comprise much of the Carboniferous strata of the UK, are synonymous with high- and low-resolution sequence stratigraphical surfaces (succession hops). We present data from the Namurian Clackmannan Group of the Midland Valley, Scotland, where sedimentary log data, three-dimensional photogrammetric modellingand borehole […]
This online workshop explores connections between the planned HotScot project and the creative industries in Scotland's Central Belt. The University of Strathclyde is currently developing a major funding bid to move forward minewater geothermal heating, cooling and storage initiatives in Scotland's Central Belt. One strand of this project focuses on how to engage communities and […]
A personal journey with Scottish Geology Trust chairman Melvyn Giles, from industry through the wonders of Scottish Geology to discovering all is not well. Register: https://aapg.zoom.us/webinar/register/9116043401744/WN_abnGvJY1TMGn3qztp2uFMg
Enjoy the free virtual Festival of Geology from the comfort of your own home. Including a Discovery Room with live workshops, experiments, downloads and the Passport Challenge. Live talks throughout the day. Uncover hidden gems through various stalls and explore the exhibits and festival activities from societies, universities and museums from across the UK. http://festivalofgeology.org.uk/
Our presenter is Neil Clark who has been working as the Curator of Palaeontology at the Hunterian, University of Glasgow for 30 years. After leaving Switzerland in 1979, he undertook his undergraduate Geology degree in Edinburgh before moving to Glasgow for his PhD which he completed in 1989 which was on the Carboniferous Bearsden Shark […]
The Argyll Group: two beauts Professor Bruce Levell, University of Oxford The Neoproterozoic Argyll Group (Dalradian Supergroup), is a well-exposed, 10 km thick, sequence recording a transition from glacial through shallow marine to slope and deep-water sediments and pillow lavas. It probably represents the rift-to-drift sequence of the Laurentide margin of Iapetus. Two units are […]
Join guest lecturer James Westland on a virtual field trip to explore the geology of the island of Iona – spectacular coastal scenery amongst some of the oldest (and most colourful) rocks in Scotland! Starting at the ferry slipway, this trip takes in most of the island with a visit to some of the less […]
Cooling magma can create a confusing array of igneous rocks. But the basics are pretty straight forward, determined by rate of cooling and the chemistry of the magma. This overview of igneous rocks will use examples from Scotland to introduce the main types found around the world, and explain how they form. Organised by Geowalks […]
The next Extractive Industry Geology #EIGWebinar will be “Chromium Ore Processing Residue: Tackling a legacy of land contamination in East Glasgow“ by David Cragg, Technical Director, AECOM Infrastructure and Environment UK Ltd at midday on Wednesday 25th November 2020 on Zoom. FREE registration for this & future EIG Webinars - the talk will be followed […]
During the Upper Carboniferous non-marine conditions were prevalent in much of Fife. As a result of their terrestrial origin, the rocks of the Scottish Coal Measures are made up of repeated cycles of sandstone, siltstone and mudstone, along with coal and seatearth. The formation represents a wide range of different depositional environments, and as a […]
The Hutton Series on Climate Change is a series of events taking place across 2020-21 at Adam Smith’s Panmure House, bringing together a diverse cross-section of experts, business leaders, scientists, and concerned citizens in the service of one simple aim: to identify ten key priorities, innovations & actions to mitigate the climate crisis. Our keynote […]
Join guest lecturer James Westland on a virtual field trip to the Ross of Mull, in the southwest of the Isle of Mull – starting at Fionnphort and working east towards Carsaig, this virtual field trip takes in some of the classic geological localities of Mull. Learn about the Ross of Mull Granite and the […]
Metamorphic rocks make up large parts of Scotland, including most of our mountain scenery. They are usually beautiful rocks, often sparkly, but contain lots of strange-sounding minerals with fiendish chemistry. The technical language used to describe them can be impenetrable. Where to start? This beginners guide to metamorphic rocks will introduce the key types found […]
Sixty million years ago, central Arran was the site of one of the largest and most explosive volcanoes ever to have existed in Britain. In the long years since its final eruption, erosion by water and ice have exposed the core of this unique magmatic system. Today, geologists can piece together the exposed fragments of […]
A behind-the-scenes look at the geological collection of Sir Charles Lyell and his connection with Darwin and climate change research. This event reveals the exciting current work happening at the University of Edinburgh with the geological collection of Sir Charles Lyell which includes his notebooks, family papers, and geological specimens. Elise Ramsay, Project Archivist, will […]
Join guest lecturer James Westland on a virtual field trip to the south-east corner of Mull. The trip takes in the Loch Buie and Croggan area, rich in igneous geology and a great place to find out about Mull’s volcanic past. We will visit places that are otherwise difficult or arduous to reach and look […]
Coprolites are the fossilised excrement of organisms, in other words – fossilised faeces! Scotland is famous for many things, but not many people know that Scotland is home to some spectacular fossil jobbies! This talk will look at a range of Caledonian coprolites, and why palaeontologists love fossil poo so much! From East Lothian and […]
An informal evening of geopoetry, drawing inspiration from Scotland's geology and landscapes. Invited poets will read some of their own writing, and share their favourite poets. There will be time for chat and questions. And you are also very welcome to make your own contribution: share a poem you have written, or a poet you […]
The prominent place of Scotland in the history of geology is known worldwide, and the same can be said about our palaeontology. Scotland has yielded fossil finds of great significance; from the Elgin Reptiles, to the Bearsden Sharks, and the early plants and animals exceptionally preserved in the Rhynie Chert, to the Dob's Linn Graptolites […]
Scotland’s geology is incredibly varied, this small country has a fantastic variety of rock types formed over a vast reach of geological time. The best place to see this variety is on Scotland’s pebble beaches. How do pebbles form and why do some survive better than others? What processes result in some beaches having a […]
Five hundred million years ago, the Iapetus Ocean lay between three continents in the southern hemisphere. The tectonics of the next 100 million years brought different segments of continent together, formed the grain of the land and created the building blocks of much of Scotland’s landscape. This talk will explore the closure of the Iapetus […]
Core Surprise: What’s Inside a Plate Boundary Fault in Scotland Lucy Mckay, Strathclyde University The core of the Highland Boundary Fault contains some surprising finds. Digging to expose the fault core near Stonehaven revealed a remarkable sequence of clay and microfossils ‘inside’ this ancient plate boundary fault. Surprisingly the fault core consists of four distinct […]
In the last 450 million years, three discrete and very different episodes of volcanic activity have created the bulk of Scotland’s igneous rocks. This volcanic activity has formed the rocks of most of Scotland’s highest hills, provided the sites of many of Scotland’s castles and created the shape of the west coast and islands: in […]
Mull, and the islands of Staffa and Ulva, are famous for their amazing igneous geology. These rocks have played a very important role in the development of the science of geology, with features that are of global significance. Find out about the volcanic history of these islands and the sequence of events that have shaped […]
