On the Horizon fracking programme.
Thursday 20 June 2013
Posted with Blogsy
Friday 17 May 2013
The Geology of Britain
Peter Toghill (2000) Crowood Press
This was the book which started it all off for me. I read this book back in 2005 and all the references to diagrams from S236 Historical Geography from the Open University sent me straight through their (virtual!) doors. This book suffers from the same problem as a lot of geology books in that it sometimes reads like a shopping list. That aside it is a good overview of British geology.
Tuesday 23 April 2013
OUGS - Castleton
The Yorkshire Branch trip to Castleton was led by Tony Felski on a fine and dry day with only myself and 3 others attending. This made for an intimate and friendly group. We met by the bus stop at the Blue John Cavern at 10 and started by looking at Mam Tor.
To the right, the main part of Mam Tor are the Mam Tor beds which are turbidite sequences, part of the Millstone Grit series. To the left are the Edale Shales which are older and lie directly on the limestone (below).
Building the road on top of the Edale Shales was probably the main reason that it slipped beyond repair. The landslip is still active today and we saw the front of the landslip later.
From here we walked down the old road to Odin Gorge. Here a large lead vein was mined at the surface.
Near the Odin Mine crushing circle is the front of the landslip.
Around these area small pieces of Blue John, galena and baryte can still be found.
Walking from Castleton towards Winnats Pass we saw lava and beach beds.
On the way the sun was shining so I took this view up Winnats Pass earlier in the day.
We walked up the reef observing the change in dip. The beach beds (aka Apron Reef) had a dip of about 25 degrees while the forereef was 35 degrees. The slope evened out at the reef top and sloped backward in the back reef. Finally in the lagoon the beds are flat, although they are mostly covered in sediment now.
The final stop was at Windy Knoll where we saw algal deposits, bitumen and a neptunian dyke.
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| View of the ridge |
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| Mam Tor |
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| Close up of turbidite sequences |
To the right, the main part of Mam Tor are the Mam Tor beds which are turbidite sequences, part of the Millstone Grit series. To the left are the Edale Shales which are older and lie directly on the limestone (below).
 |
| Edale Shale |
Building the road on top of the Edale Shales was probably the main reason that it slipped beyond repair. The landslip is still active today and we saw the front of the landslip later.
 |
| Old road |
From here we walked down the old road to Odin Gorge. Here a large lead vein was mined at the surface.
Near the Odin Mine crushing circle is the front of the landslip.
 |
| Front of landslip |
Around these area small pieces of Blue John, galena and baryte can still be found.
Walking from Castleton towards Winnats Pass we saw lava and beach beds.
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| Lava |
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| Beach beds in the Speedwell Mine carpark |
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| Front of reef |
On the way the sun was shining so I took this view up Winnats Pass earlier in the day.
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| What a view! |
We walked up the reef observing the change in dip. The beach beds (aka Apron Reef) had a dip of about 25 degrees while the forereef was 35 degrees. The slope evened out at the reef top and sloped backward in the back reef. Finally in the lagoon the beds are flat, although they are mostly covered in sediment now.
The final stop was at Windy Knoll where we saw algal deposits, bitumen and a neptunian dyke.
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| Algal deposits form the reef |
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| Now you see it, now you don't. A Neptunian Dyke. |
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| Another great view! |
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| Bitumen at the top of the knoll |
Thursday 11 April 2013
Northern England (Regional Geology Guides) Fifth Edition
No look at the geology of the Peak District is complete without looking at the associated geology of northern England. This is the newest of the Regional Geology Guides and is crammed full with colour pictures and rainbow coloured sections and sequences. Like the other guides it's not one to read cover to cover - a veritable phone book of names, stick to the introductory bits. The Carboniferous is well represented in Northumberland so this is the most relevant chapter to the Peak District.
Monday 8 April 2013
Scarp slopes in the snow
Snow has picked out the scarp slopes looking from the western end of Millstone Edge towards Higger Tor.
Thursday 4 April 2013
The Castleton Area, Derbyshire
Trevor D Ford (1996) Geologist's Association Guide
The ultimate in depth guide to Castleton with 4 itineries.
Monday 1 April 2013
I'm (not) dreaming of a white Easter
The wettest year in England on record was 2012. The first 3 months of 2013 were dominated by many separate snow occasions (in my opinion) and now March is due to be the coldest since 1969. This Easter weekend is still dominated by the snow which fell on the 23rd. Here are the photos from the top of Cave Dale above Castleton. The second is a view to the east down a track!
Thursday 28 March 2013
Ancient Peakland
Bill Bevan (2007) Halsgrove
A get out and see guide to Peak archaeology.
Ice age hunters - 50,000-10,000 years ago
Creswell Crags
Thor's Cave
Forest Nomads - Mesolithic 10,000-6,000 years ago
First Farmers - Neolithic 6,000-4,000 years ago
Pea Low
Long Low
Five Wells
Arbor Low
Bull Ring
Dead Ringers - Neolithic to early Bronze Age 4,500-3,500 years ago
Stanton Moor, nine ladies and others
Robin Hood's Stride and nine stone close
Seven stones of Hordron
Froggatt edge stone circle
Wigber Low
Barbrook 1 and 2
Hob Hurst's House
Wet Withens
Pike Low burial mound
Beeley Moor triple cairn
Settling Down - Later Bronze Age to Iron Age 3,500-2,000 years ago
Mam Tor
Gardom's Edge
Castle Naze
Big Moor - Swine Sty
Carl Wark
Mellor
Romans and Natives - 43AD-400AD
Navio
Ardotalia
Chee Tor
Roystone Grange
North Lees
Poole's Cavern
Illuminating the Dark Ages - 400AD-1066AD
Grey ditch
Hope
Eyam
Benty grange Anglo Saxon burial
Alstonfield and Ilam
Bakewell crosses
Bradbourne church and cross
Monday 18 March 2013
Three ships
On Birchin Edge, north from the Robin Hood pub, are three large rocks near to Nelson's monument. They have been carved with the names of Nelson's ships Victory, Defiance and Royal Soverin (sic) (SK278 729).
Double yellow lines
On a limestone outcrop above Coombs Dale was these two lines of lichen.
Up close I think they are Caloplaca sp.
But why are they growing in 2 lines??
Sunday 24 February 2013
Lichens at lunch
These pretty Cladonia were in the wall behind the seat at Stoke Ford today. The picture came out so well I couldn't resist posting it.
A wide view of Kinder Scout
Today was a dull and bitingly cold day and not ideal for iPhonography. The above is a view of Kinder Scout rising behind the ridge of Lose Hill, Back Tor and Mam Tor. Hope cement works is hiding in there too.
Monday 18 February 2013
Toad's mouth revisited
The previous photo of Toad's Mouth was taken on 1st January 2002, the one below from yesterday. They show quite a difference. The "eye" seems to have faded due to erosion. A false eye formed by the death of a large lichen underneath the original eye makes the whole effect much less convincing as a toad.
Higger Tor and Carl Wark
After Wednesday's snow there was still some lying on the ground on Sunday, but in these views of Higger Tor and Carl Wark the snow has melted.
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| Higger Tor |
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| Carl Wark |
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