Welcome to the NEW EMGS website
The EMGS website has been rebuilt to take advantage of new web technologies and we hope you enjoy the improved look for differing mobile technologies and screen sizes.
LATEST NEWS [updated 12 June 2024]
Summer 2024 field trips
Please visit our field trips section for details of our summer events and instructions on how to book.
Our next trip is:
Trip: Evening visit to Brown’s End Quarry, Waterhouses, near Leek, joint excursion with North Staffordshire Group of the Geologists’ Association
Date: Wednesday 17 July 2024
Leaders: Ian Stimpson (Keele University)
Information: Download flyer.
Latest EMGS Circular
For updates on upcoming events and Society news see our latest EMGS Circular - March 2024
EMGS 60th Anniversary Conference - 12th October 2024
To celebrate our 60th anniversary, EMGS shall be holding a one day conference on Saturday 12th October 2024 at the British Geological Survey, Keyworth. The event shall commence in mid-morning and conclude in the early evening, and will include lectures and posters on some of the latest geological research either on the geology of the East Midlands itself, or being carried out by students at the region’s major scientific institutions. The conference shall be followed by an evening dinner at the Orchard Hotel on the University of Nottingham campus.
Confirmed speakers and topics are:
- Dr Tim Pharaoh (BGS) – The Charnwood Terrane Re-visited
- Professor Paul Wignall (Univ. of Leeds) – The end-Triassic extinction in the Midlands
- Professor David Bridgland (Durham University) – Quaternary evolution of the Trent Basin
- Professor Cathy Hollis – (Univ. of Manchester) – Carboniferous Limestone geothermal systems
- Dr Mike Spence (BGS) – The UK’s national geo-energy observatories
IMPORTANT UPDATE! Our venue for this conference has changed since the publication of our last Circular. The event will now be hosted in the Conference Suite at the British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham, NG12 5GD. The date and programme for the Conference, and the venue for the Anniversary Dinner in the evening (Orchard Hotel, University of Nottingham) remain unchanged. For further information on this event please see our dedicated EMGS60 Conference Website.
Mercian Geologist
Our latest issue of Mercian Geologist (Volume 21, Part 1) will be distributed to members in early November 2024. If you are an EMGS Member and have not yet received your copy, 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: |
|
Gift Aid Form: |
|
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 :
 |
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. |
 |
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
|
||
Non Members are welcome |
||
| Date | Speaker | Subject (click for info) |
|---|---|---|
13/01/2024 - 6.00 pm |
Dr Jack Matthews |
|
10/02/2024 - 6.00 pm |
Dr Tony Waltham |
|
09/03/2024 - 6.00 pm |
Professor Peter Worsley |
|
13/04/2024 - 6.00 pm |
Paul Hildreth |
|
Celebrating the Origins of Animal Life: Building a UNESCO Global Geopark in Charnwood Forest, UK |
|
Date: |
Saturday, 13th January 2024 - 6pm |
Speaker: |
Dr Jack Matthews, Geoheritage Conservation and Interpretation Officer, Charnwood Forest Geopark |
Details: |
Charnwood Forest in Leicestershire is host to some of the oldest animal fossils in the world, many of which have been key to our understanding of the rise of animals during the Ediacaran period around 570 million years ago. In addition to its internationally significant palaeontology, the area is also home to a number of working and historic quarries whose lithologies have shaped the built environment of the United Kingdom for more than 2000 years. This presentation will outline the internationally significant geodiversity of Charnwood Forest - including the outstanding ancient fossils - and the ways it has shaped the landscape, communities, and people of Britain’s ‘unexpected upland’. |
Diamond Geology |
|
Date: |
Saturday, 10th February 2024 - 6pm |
Speaker: |
Dr Tony Waltham, President, East Midlands Geological Society |
Details: |
In both their geology and their industry, diamonds are like no other mineral. For centuries, the world’s supply came almost entirely from the alluvials of Golconda in India. Only in 1870 were kimberlite pipes discovered, and it was a long time after that before their gas-rich explosive origins were really appreciated. The main source of gem-quality stones switched to Kimberley in South Africa, but this has subsequently been displaced by Botswana, Russia and then Canada. Exploration for diamond-bearing pipes continues today, and has involved some exciting stories with both lone prospectors and major companies. |
Geology of Stonehenge and the Bluestone controversy |
|
Date: |
Saturday, 9th March 2024 - 6pm |
Speaker: |
Professor Peter Worsley, Emeritus Professor of Quaternary Geology, University of Reading |
Details: |
Stonehenge has recently come into the public eye due to the publication of the results of new geochemical work. The Sun newspaper declared ‘Mystery of where the giant rocks came from SOLVED’ whereas The Guardian was more cautious with a headline ‘Archaeologists discover likely source of Stonehenge’s giant sarsen stones’. The senior English Heritage properties historian said that she was delighted that one of the most intriguing questions about Stonehenge had been answered. The background to this euphoria will be critically examined and the geological fundamentals reviewed. Apart from the sarsens, the other geological problem lies with the assemblage of ‘foreign’ rocks incorporated into the henge structure, i.e. the so-called Bluestones. There now appears to be little doubt that the Bluestones are primarily derived from outcrops in south-west Wales but the mechanism whereby they arrived to Salisbury Plain is far from being resolved. Most archaeologists have accepted the hypothesis that Neolithic people were responsible for the transport of the Bluestones from their source to the plain but over time the favoured routes have changed drastically. In contrast geologists have been split between those who accept the human transport mode and those who favour natural earth surface processes as being responsible for transportation – i.e. glaciation. The strengths and weaknesses of these competing ideas will be discussed. This lecture will be preceded by the EMGS Annual General Meeting. |
The Lower Cretaceous ‘East Lindsey Group’ – a jewel in the geological crown of Lincolnshire |
|
Date: |
Saturday, 13th April 2024 - 6pm |
Speaker: |
Paul Hildreth, General Secretary and Past President, Yorkshire Geological Society |
Details: |
The county of Lincolnshire is often overlooked as a venue for geology field trips and even research but it possesses several opportunities for examining significant and interesting exposures. The Elsham Sandstone is a unique, local deposit within the Kimmeridge Clay Formation and at Welton-le-Wold neighbouring sites offer exposures of three glacial tills and an interglacial gravel deposit. The county’s jewel in the crown however is the under-published Lower Cretaceous sequence coeval, at least in part, with the very well-known Wealden Group of south east England and the enigmatic Speeton Clay of Filey Bay. This ‘East Lindsey Group’ is unique to Lincolnshire. It thins northwards to feather out north of Caistor and experiences facies changes in the area beneath The Wash which pass into an East Midlands suite transitional with those of the south of England. The impact of the ‘East Lindsey Group’ is threefold. It has influenced the shape of the western edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds producing an attractive fringing landscape between the broad Upper Jurassic (Oxfordian - Kimmeridgian) clay vale and the Chalk scarp. It has supplied three locally-important and distinctive building stones that can be recognised in the villages and towns of East Lindsey. It has provided the raw material, ironstone, for a relatively short-lived but locally important mining industry, the scars of which are still visible in the hillsides and valleys of the Claxby and Nettleton area. The various lithologies and palaeontology of the rocks comprising the ‘East Lindsey Group’ allow for a reconstruction of the palaeogeography of the Lincolnshire area during early Cretaceous times (145 – 113 million years ago) and its relationship with other parts of the present day United Kingdom. |
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). |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
Date: |
17/07/24 (Wed) |
Leader: |
Ian Stimpson |
Details: |
Afternoon visit to Bradgate Park, Charnwood Forest. |
|
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 |
|
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. |
|
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.
Copyright © 2024 www.emgs.org.uk