Rolling news
To add items of interest to the “Rolling news” below, e-mail them to a committee member.
From Richard Newton, 10 June 2013
Excellent new BBC2 series on Sunday nights, 9:00, Rise of the Continents by Prof. Iain Stewart.
From Jim Handley, 8 June 2013
The new Geopark information centre and café is now open, just below the Wyche cutting on the Colwall side. Well worth a visit to see what is on show and to have refreshments after a walk on the Hills. It has its own website at www.geocentre.co.uk/
From Jim Handley, 28 April 2013
Earth core hotter than thought – see..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22297915
From Margaret Rodway, 29 Jan 2013
Margaret says she went to the West Midlands OUGS (Open University Geological Society) AGM recently, and they are happy for U3A people to come along on their field trips.
The relevant section of the latest newsletter is below.
From Richard Newton, 3 Jan 2013
A useful smart phone application, courtesy of Stuart. Using the phones GPS and the BGS geological maps, it tells you what rocks are under your feet. Claims to be free and work with i-phone and Android.
http://www.bgs.ac.uk/iGeology/home.html
From Richard Newton, 7 July 2012
Don't forget VOLCANO LIVE, Monday 9th July 8pm BBC2
From Jim Handley, 27 Feb 2012
An article from Jim about unusual use of the limestone caves in the Suckley Hills in the Second World War. Click here to read it.
From Richard Newton, 22 Feb 2012
To see Richard Edward’s Earth Matters paper on the search for the volcanic rocks in North Malvern, click here.
From Margaret Rodway, 21 Feb 2012
Exeter Hall
Kidlington OX5 1AB
10.30am - 4pm Free Entry
A day of top class earth science lectures, takes place for the first time at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History on the Saturday immediately before the Show. Full details are available here www.minersoc.org/pages/meetings/nature4/nature4.html and you can book now, on-line. Cost is £20 including refreshments and lunch.
From Richard Newton, 7 Feb 2012
You may be interested to the caving exploits of Rosemary and Colin (Fretwell’s) son, see he youtube video below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_asFCnZOQ0w.
From Richard Newton, 4 Feb 2012
Another Malvern Hills walking festival, see
http://www.malvern-hills.co.uk/malvern-walking-festival/timetables/mwf-home.html
Of particular geological interest:
Malvern Hills Discovery Walk, 31 May, David Owen
Bromyard Downs, 2 June, Moira Jenkins
Geology of North Hill, 3 June, John Payne
From Richard Newton, 4 Feb 2012
Another good TV program, Prof Iain Stewart on “How to grow a planet”.
First of 3 episodes, Tue 7 Feb, 9:00. BBC2. See:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01bywvr
From Richard Newton, 25 Jan 2012
An interesting set of programs on BBC4 - Survivors: Nature's Indestructible Creatures.
Richard Fortey focuses on a series of cataclysms over a million year period.
At 9:00 on Tuesdays, see the first one on i-player, link below
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01bcxdh
From Richard Newton, 18 Dec 2011
Some web site you may find interesting:
1) www.wolframalpha.com
A scientific search engine. Enter the name of a mineral and see
what happens.
2)
http://mapapps.bgs.ac.uk/boreholescans/boreholescans.html
Borehole record viewer (from the British Geological Survey).
3)
http://maps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyviewer_google/googleviewer.html
Geological map viewer (from the British Geological Survey).
4)
http://www.thepathornones.co.uk/info/geology/
The blog of the Martley Geology Project.
5)
http://www.earthheritage.org.uk/
Earth Heritage Magazines, on-line
6)
http://oyc.yale.edu/
Open courses from Yale. These look really good, courses on Physics,
molecular biology – but no geology.
From Richard Newton, 12 Nov 2011
Dr Joe McCall, author of Gloucester in Stone and co-author of Cirencester in Stone, has also produced a guide to the building stones of Hereford City Centre. This is a free download and can be accessed from the English Stone Forum website.
For the guide - http://www.englishstone.org.uk/Hereford.html
For the - www.englishstone.org.uk
From Richard Newton, 12 Nov 2011
Some new guides published recently by the Gloucestershire Geology trust.
Click here for details
Also, additional details, and how to order, on their web site – click here.
From Richard Newton, 26 May 2011
Malvern U3A geology library now on line
From Richard Newton, 6 April 2011
New Malvern U3A web site
The new Malvern U3A web site has now gone live, see www.malvernu3a.org.uk
On the geology page there is a direct link to this rolling news and the calendar (as well as the site inself). A vast improvement!
From Richard Newton, 5 April 2011
From the latest “Earth Heritage Trust” news letter, an article on Richard Edwards’ discovery of volcanic rocks on North Hill. Note that no mention is made to the U3A geology group’s involvement in funding the analysis of the rocks. Richard reported the findings towards the end of his latest set of lectures to us.
Click here for the article.
From Richard Newton, 19 Feb 2011
The new issue of Earth Heritage, the geological and landscape conservation magazine, is now available. Please visit www.earthheritage.org.uk to view and download the pdf.
This is now only available on-line. Follow the instructions to subscribe.
From Richard Newton (via Jim Handley), 18 Feb 2011
Something I was not aware of, the Black Country Geological Society. This just about counts as local to Malvern. The main web page is at:
Unfortunately the current newsletter is only available to paid up members of the society, but all previous ones are available on line and contain a wealth of interesting information. Just click on “newsletters” on the top level menu. There is also a index.
From Cic Roberts, 5 Feb 2011
Cic lent me this little book, which is a good supplement to Richard’s current lecture series.
Details: The Little Book of Planet Earth (Hardcover: 192 pages) by Rolf Meissner (Author) ISBN-10: 0387952586 ISBN-13: 978-0387952581
Publisher: Springer April 2002. (see Amazon entry ( http://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Book-Planet-Earth/dp/0387952586/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1296929685&sr=1-2 )
Review: The Little Book of Planet Earth presents a concise description of the geological evolution of Earth from its formation. Meissner describes in detailed but accessible prose not just the planet's features, but the tools that modern geologists use to explore and track the ever-changing subterranean and surface features of the planet. With a particular gift for expressing how the forces in and around our planet constantly alter the world we live in, the author introduces lay readers to the key topics in modern earth and planetary science: the creation of Earth and its moon (as well as stars and other planets), the role of seismology in analyzing Earth's structure, the formation of mountain ranges and basins, the role of plate tectonics, the significance of Earth's magnetic field, and the complex relationship of our planet's geology to the life forms found there.The book presents to the lay reader a concise description of the geological structure of the Earth, from its earliest formation to the present and into the future.
From Richard Newton, 5 Feb 2011
Please find a link below to a new website you might find interesting.
Have a look at the blog ( http://geologymatters.org.uk/blog ), and you may see a familiar face!