Welcome to the NEW EMGS website
Over the coming months we shall gradually migrating to a new website. In the meantime, we shall be adding links to preview new webpages when they become available, starting with our Lectures page.
LATEST NEWS [updated 25 November 2024]
Our next event is:
Lecture: Medicine and Geology - an explanation
Date: Saturday 14 December 2024, 6.00pm
Speaker: Dr Albert Benghiat
Venue: Sir Clive Granger Building, University of Nottingham
Information: EMGS Lectures Webpage.
The lecture will be followed by our Christmas Cheese and Wine Buffet. Price £5.00 (cash on night please) - Please bring your own wine glass.
Latest EMGS Circular
For updates on upcoming events and Society news see our latest EMGS Circular - October 2024
EMGS 60th Anniversary Conference - 12th October 2024
Thank you to all the presenters for your fascinating, authoritative and entertaining talks and posters, which made our 60th Anniversary Conference such a resounding success. We shall be adding some reflections and images from the event on the conference website in the coming weeks, so please revisit to see those. You can also view the programme of speakers and download an abstract book from the conference programme webpage.
Also, a big thank you to the British Geological Survey at Keyworth for hosting our event, and to the BGS staff in their Events and Estates Teams for their help and support in organising and preparing the venue for our big day.
...from the Council of the East Midlands Geological Society.
Mercian Geologist
Our latest issue of Mercian Geologist (Volume 21, Part 1) was distributed at the November 2024 meeting. Remaining unclaimed copies will be available to collect at our 14 December 2024 meeting. If you still haven’t received your Mercian Geologist after that date please contact secretary@emgs.org.uk .
If any members have back issues of the Mercian which are now surplus to requirements, please could you contact our secretary@emgs.org.uk as we frequently get requests for back issues which we are now unable to supply. Any help would be appreciated.
Peak District Geowalk launched
On the 1st January 2023, the Peak District GeoWalk was launched by Albert Benghiat and Martin Whiteley. The website is at https://peakdistrictgeowalk.org/ and presents a long-distance circular GeoWalk divided into 14 individual sections, each of which can be downloaded and used in the field.
Look out for our review of the Geowalk in the latest issue of Mercian Geologist (Volume 20 Part 4, October 2023).
EMGS Facebook page
Facebook users are encouraged to visit and follow the EMGS Facebook page, which includes the latest information on a wide range of geological news and events from EMGS, other societies and organisations, based both locally and worldwide. Please ‘follow’ our page – more ‘followers’ helps to automatically broaden the range and currency of News and Events shown on our page.
JOIN THE EMGS
FORMS: |
Download link (MS Word files) |
Membership Form: |
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Gift Aid Form: |
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Privacy Policy: |
The East Midlands Geological Society was formed in 1964 by a group of professional and amateur enthusiasts, who recognized the need for such a group in this area of great geological interest. This mix of people from all backgrounds has remained a feature of the Society to this day and gives it a friendly relaxed atmosphere which appeals to newcomers. We are based in Nottingham, are affiliated to the Geologists’ Association, and enjoy cordial relations with other geological societies and with the British Geological Survey at Keyworth.
The Society is open to all and welcomes new members with:
- + Six lectures each year
- + Six field trips each year
- + The Mercian Geologist, our scientific journal
- + Regular news letters
- + Information on geological events
While the main activities of the Society are aimed at furthering interest in geology, the social side a Christmas buffet after the December meeting and also an annual dinner. The Society holds its indoor meetings at Nottingham University, to which we remain indebted for the use of their lecture theatre in the School of Geography. The East Midlands Geological Society is open to all, and we maintain interests and links with local geology and also with the wider geological sciences; new members are always welcome.
MERCIAN GEOLOGIST : Once a year the society publishes the Mercian Geologist, its own journal, compiled by an editor who is a member of the Council. Papers are invited and published on all geological topics and whilst items on East Midlands geology are especially welcome, there is no restriction on the scope of papers considered. In recent years the journal has been refurbished and remodelled to give a more modern look, and now has more news features, informal reports and comment. The editor is pleased to receive non-scientific input from members on the society's affairs.
Mercian Geologist - notes for contributors
Click the front covers below to view the contents of each publication.
LANDMARKS OF GEOLOGY : The Society publishes the "Landmarks of Geology" series from the Mercian Geologist in the Local Geology section, and invites you to use this valuable source of reference. The series will continue to grow with successive items in our journal. Any reference to these items should cite the Mercian Geologist and the issue that they originate from, and not this website.
MERCIAN GEOLOGIST ARCHIVE :
Mercian Geologist journals are now available to download for all EMGS site visitors - Click here
The later issues go online a year after their initial publication. For the current issue, printed copies are available as above from the secretary.
The archives are now in preparation, and complete runs will only be available some time in the future.
An index for Volumes 1-12 (1964-1991) was issued as Volume 12, Number 4.
OTHER PUBLICATIONS :
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SANDSTONE CAVES OF NOTTINGHAM The fourth edition of the very popular guide, Sandstone Caves of Nottingham, is now available. Updated from the previous edition, it now contains 75 maps and photographs, all in full colour. |
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DERBYSHIRE BLUE JOHN The third edition, now published by the Society, of Trevor Ford’s classic and definitive book on Blue John is now available. Fully revised, up-dated and expanded, it has 80 pages containing 152 photographs and maps all in colour. |
| To purchase, please send a cheque (£5.00 for Caves book; £7.00 for Blue John book), payable to EMGS, to: EMGS Book Sales 11 Selby Road Nottingham NG2 7BP Both including UK postage. | |
LECTURE VENUE
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Non Members are welcome |
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| Date | Speaker | Subject (click for info) |
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09/11/2024 - 6.00 pm |
Dr Frankie Dunn |
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14/12/2024 - 6.00 pm |
Albert Benghiat |
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11/01/2025 - 6.00 pm |
Dr Tony Waltham |
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08/02/2025 - 6.00 pm |
Dr Ian Stimpson |
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08/03/2025 - 6.00 pm |
To be confirmed |
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12/04/2025 - 6.00 pm |
To be confirmed |
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Early evolution of animal life and the generation of form |
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Date: |
Saturday, 9th November 2024 - 6pm |
Speaker: |
Dr Frankie Dunn, University of Oxford Museum of Natural History |
Details: |
The rise of the animals was a profound transition in the history of life; for the first time organisms were able to engineer the environment around them, altering geochemical cycles, building complex ecosystems and diversifying into myriad forms. However, the rise of the animals is also one of the most controversial episodes in Earth history. Most major animal groups appear in the fossil record during a major evolutionary radiation event between about 520 and 550 million years ago known as the Cambrian Explosion, when the blueprints for the animal phyla (arthropods, vertebrates, cnidarians) were laid down and, remarkably, have remained more-or-less unchanged in the half a billion years since. My research is focused on the period of time just before the Cambrian Explosion – the Ediacaran Period, and the Ediacaran‒Cambrian transition. While fossil representatives of the living animal phyla diversified in the Cambrian Period, the timing and nature of their earliest antecedents remains controversial. Fossil assemblages from the late Ediacaran Period preserve the remains of fossil organisms with long-extinct body plans, historically excluded from analyses of the early evolution of animals because of extreme uncertainty regarding their phylogenetic placement. My novel approach to the study of these organisms has been to investigate their growth and development across whole populations of taxa with non-analogue frond-like body plans. My work has revealed new developmental characters that can be used to rigorously constrain the phylogenetic position of these fossils. In this talk, I will introduce my work on the fossils of the Ediacaran Period and set out the case for an animal affinity, but also discuss new fossil finds which suggest that the oldest yet known crown-group members of animal phyla lived and died hidden amongst the fronds. |
Medicine and Geology - an exploration |
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Date: |
Saturday, 14th December 2024 - 6pm |
Speaker: |
Albert Benghiat |
Details: |
The talk will review the historical contribution of medical practitioners to the science of geology and then go on to explore any methodological similarities in the practice of these two scientific disciplines.
The talk will be followed by our Christmas Cheese and Wine Buffet Price £5.00 (cash on night please) - Please bring your own wine glass. |
Atlantic volcanoes |
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Date: |
Saturday, 11th January 2025 - 6pm |
Speaker: |
Dr Tony Waltham |
Details: |
Info to follow |
Geothermal Energy |
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Date: |
Saturday, 8th February 2025 - 6pm |
Speaker: |
Dr Ian Stimpson |
Details: |
Info to follow |
To be confirmed |
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Date: |
Saturday, 8th March 2025 - 6pm |
Speaker: |
To be confirmed |
Details: |
Info to follow |
To be confirmed |
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Date: |
Saturday, 12th April 2025 - 6pm |
Speaker: |
To be confirmed |
Details: |
Info to follow |
General information for EMGS Field Trip Participants
EMGS provides a diverse summer programme of geological field trips, ranging from short walks in our local region to extended two-day excursions to renowned British geological sites. These trips cater to both amateur and professional geologists alike. Our finalized annual programme is typically announced in February and detailed below. Members are welcome to propose future trip destinations or volunteer as leaders by contacting our field meetings administrator.
Booking is required for all EMGS Field Trips, see below for instructions. On booking you will be provided with full joining instructions (meeting time, place, transport, parking, lunch etc.), safety information and any accessibility recommendations. Participants are advised that the Society has only public liability insurance and that personal accident insurance is a matter for individuals to arrange as they consider necessary. The field trip organiser will advise on any recommended protective clothing and footwear. Hard hats and high visibility vests may be obligatory for some trips, especially in visits to quarries or coastal cliffs. Participants without suitable protective clothing may be refused access to certain sites! Hard hats and hi-viz vests can be ordered from online retailers such as Amazon, Screwfix or Safetec Direct, and may also be stocked at DIY superstores such as B&Q or Wickes.
Non-EMGS members are welcomed on EMGS Field Trips but will be required to pay a nominal temporary membership fee of £2.00 for insurance purposes. All participants will be required to sign an attendance form at the start of the trip and supply a telephone number of a family member or friend to be contacted in the event of an emergency.
2024 FIELD MEETINGS
Day visit to Coal Measures rocks and fossil plants at Sheffield’s Graves Park (morning) and Botanical Gardens (afternoon). |
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Date: |
16/04/24 (Tues) |
Leaders: |
Andy Howard and Mike Allen |
Information: |
Day visit to North Lincolnshire Museum and Frodingham Ironstone at Conesby Quarry, Scunthorpe. |
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Date: |
18/05/24 (Sat) |
Leader: |
Paul Hildreth and Mike Oakes |
Information: |
Day visit to Ercall Quarries, Wrekin, near Telford, joint excursion with North Staffordshire Group of the Geologists’ Association. |
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Date: |
15/06/24 (Sat) |
Leader: |
Ian Stimpson |
Information: |
To be advised |
Evening visit to Brown’s End Quarry, Waterhouses, near Leek, joint excursion with North Staffordshire Group of the Geologists’ Association. |
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Date: |
17/07/24 (Wed) |
Leader: |
Ian Stimpson |
Details: |
Afternoon visit to Bradgate Park, Charnwood Forest. |
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Date: |
11/08/24 (Sun) |
Leader: |
John Carney |
Information: |
Two day visit to Lower and Middle Jurassic rocks of the Yorkshire Coast at Robin’s Hood Bay and Burniston |
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Date: |
22 and 23/08/24 (Thurs and Fri) |
Leader: |
Andy Howard |
Information: |
Day visit to Alport Mining Field, Peak District…. joint excursion with North Staffordshire Group of the Geologists’ Association. |
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Date: |
21/09/24 (Sat) |
Leader: |
Tony Ward |
Details: |
To be advised |
How to book
To book please email our EMGS Field meetings administrator at:
In your email please provide the following information:
+ The specific field trip(s) you wish to attend.
+ Full names of all participants.
+ Mobile telephone and email contact for each participant (in case of any last minute changes in arrangements). This can be a single mobile number and email if you are intending to travel together.
Please also state whether you are an EMGS member or not. We do not need your address, but it will be useful for us to know the town or city you will be travelling from, to help us plan future field trips.
For safety and logistical reasons all our trips have a limited number of attendees – this varies from trip to trip. Places are allocated on a first-come first-served basis.
Society excursion, field trip and pictures of the East Midlands arranged into albums.
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