Port Askaig 2020 – Workshop at St Andrews 12-13 May 2020

Cryogenian glaciation: the extraordinary Port Askaig record and its comparators
12-13 May 2020, University of St Andrews
www.portaskaig.org

This international conference is designed to allow full presentations of the results of a long-term field campaign on the 1100 m thick Port Askaig Formation focussed on the extraordinarily complete exposures in the Garvellach Islands and Islay. Presentations will include virtual fieldtrips. The meeting will be a research workshop and will be webcast.

Presenters include Roger Anderton, Doug Benn, Dave Chew, David Evans, Ian Fairchild, Mike Hambrey, Dan le Heron, Bruce Levell, Emrys Phillips, Catherine Rose (convener), Graham Shields,  Anthony Spencer and Richard Waller.

The purpose of the meeting is to allow full presentations of results from an intensive research programme by the convenors and collaborators since 2012 on the Port Askaig Formation (PAF), together with cognate contributions from other Quaternary and Cryogenian experts. This will ensure evaluation and discussion of the significance of the Port Askaig Formation as an exceptional exemplar of glacial sedimentary history. This meeting represents an important step in the preparation of a proposed new Geological Society of London Memoir on the PAF.

Further information and registration at www.portaskaig.org.

How Edinburgh's rocks were formed

School Poster – Edinburgh’s Rocks and People

EGS school poster - Edinburgh Rocks and PeopleWhat makes Edinburgh special? Lots of different factors make a city, but one key feature that most visitors to Edinburgh notice is the dramatic landscape of the city centre. This is a landscape of rocky crags, cliffs and steep slopes surrounded by lower, flatter ground. It is derived from a mix of different kinds of rock – sedimentary and igneous.

Our Edinburgh’s Rocks and People poster for schools is designed to give an introduction to the rich story of Edinburgh’s dramatic landscape. The A2-size poster will be distributed for free to all secondary schools in the Lothian area. We are also developing accompanying online material, including suggested activities exploring these themes:

Edinburgh’s Rocks – what kind of rocks do we find in Edinburgh? How have they been used by people?

Evidence from the past – what do Edinburgh’s rocks tell us about the past? Where was Edinburgh when these rocks were being formed? What did the world look like then?

Making Edinburgh’s Landscape – how has the landscape been formed? What has been the impact on Edinburgh of the Ice Age and changing sea level?

James Hutton & the Rock Cycle – The Edinburgh geologist James Hutton (1726-1797) proposed that the Earth operated as a machine, where natural processes acted over immense time scales to erode the land and create new rocks. This was the beginning of our understanding of the rock cycle and the inter-relationships between sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks.

Local Geology Leaflets

Geoconservation Leaflets - Edinburgh Geological SocietyThe Lothian and Borders GeoConservation Group has published over 30 leaflets about sites around Edinburgh. From St Abb’s Head on the Borders Coast to the Bathgate Hills in West Lothian, just about every important geological site in the area has a leaflet explaining a bit about the geology of the site, and guiding you to key exposures where you can see the best of the geology of this area.

The leaflets are all available as free pdf downloads – or for a small donation, they can be sent to you through the post.