Winter Lecture Series: 2009/10
Thursday 14th January 2010 7.30pm
Speaker: Dr. Richard Waller (University of Keele)
‘Past, present and future challenges associated with the development of permafrost regions.’
The Earth's permafrost regions are of considerable importance for a variety of reasons, most topically in terms of the natural resources they contain and their potential role in determining the course of future climate change. This talk will examine both the specific challenges associated with the development of the Earth's permafrost regions, paying particular attention to the measures required to prevent the thaw and associated instability of permafrost, and the potential impact of future climate change, which is predicted to have dramatic impacts on high latitude areas.
If you wish to dine with the committee and the speaker prior to this talk please make your own booking with the Comus restaurant (01782 734121) mentioning that you wish to join the NSGGA party at 6pm
Thursday 18th February 2010 7.30pm
Professor Andrew Willmott (Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory)
‘Sea Level Science; Global and Local Relevance.’
The Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory (POL) has a long and distinguished history of carrying out marine research, dating back to 1850. From its origins as an institute working on accurate time keeping and ship navigation at the Bidston Observatory, POL has built up a world renowned reputation for research on tides, shelf and coastal sea circulation and sea level prediction.
In my presentation I will discuss what causes sea level to change, where the greatest uncertainties lie in predicting sea level variability on the global and regional scales out to the end of this century, and then focus on some of the challenges faced by the UK related to rising sea level around our coast.
This talk is preceded by a sherry reception and buffet meal starting at 6pm. Tickets for the buffet including sherry and wine are just £10. Please book before February 5th using the attached flyer
Thursday 4th March 2010 7pm
AGM and Chairman's address
Dr Ian Stimpson (University of Keele)
‘Staffordshire Stone’
As part of the national Strategic Stone Study for Natural England, a database of Staffordshire building stones has been compiled together with the characteristic native buildings and villages built from these stones and the ancient quarries that they came from. Although only one stone is currently quarried for building stone in the county, tens of local rock types have been used in the past, and they are not all red-brown gritstones.
This talk starts at 7.30pm and is preceded by the annual general meeting which starts at 7pm.
Summer Field Series: 2010/10
Field Day: Ecton Hills and the Ecton Hills Field Studies Association.
Saturday 17th April 2010:
Leader: Peter Kennett and Peter Lane
Meet at 10:00 am at the lay-by below the centre (Grid Ref. SK 097583 – O.S.1:50,000 Sheet 119)
Please be directed to their website for all the details (http://www.ectonhillfsa.org.uk). The outing will cost £10.00 per head as an entry fee only (no field fee is applicable). Further details are to follow from the centre nearer to the date but the excursion will include the folding at Apes Tor, the underground visit (but not the deeper section), a surface tour and a mineral search amongst the waste tips. The day will conclude around 16:00 hours.
Field Weekend: North Wales
Saturday & Sunday May 15-16: Leader Richard Waller.
This weekend field excursion will explore the impact of past glacial activity on the spectacular landscapes of North Wales. The first day will focus on landforms and landscapes associated mountain glaciation, examining the suite of landforms in Cwm Idwal (including "Darwin's moraines") and striated bedrock in Llyn Llydaw (Snowdon) that is one of the best examples in the U.K. The second day will focus on the complex depositional sequences associated with glaciations, which in this case reflect a combined product of both the Irish Sea ice sheet and the local Snowdonian ice cap. We will stop first at Glanlynnau which features tills relating to both theses ice masses before moving onto Dinas Dinlle where re-advance has created a structurally-complex "push moraine".
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