tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18944199485511320642024-03-14T06:54:28.966+00:00Holey Schist!This blog will endeavour to be a regular (-ish!) look at the things in life that fire my passion, such as Geology, Astronomy, and the world of science in general.
When something stimulates my interest I will post my thoughts here and would be delighted to hear your thoughts too.
So, if you enjoy what you read and would like to either link your blog to mine or just become a follower, I would be honoured to have you on board. Enjoy!Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-84714915572607625802014-04-23T21:11:00.001+01:002014-04-23T21:13:03.614+01:00Life? Don't talk to me about life....<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As Marvin, the paranoid Android from Douglas Adams' The Hitch-H</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ikers Guide to the Galaxy said, 'life, don't talk to me about life'. But one has to rise above it and blunder on regardless.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="color: #134f5c;">My Open University study has turned out to be anything but straight forward, as life in all its beauty and ugliness has combined in recent months to try to scupper everything. But while I had to defer study of the 30 credit 'S142 Topics in Science' until next year, at least 'S141 Investigative and Mathematical Skills in Science' is nearing a successful conclusion. Just the final end of module assessment, due in on May 14th, remains. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="color: #134f5c;">This turn of events has at least made my choice of which Level 2 module to try first a whole lot easier. It had turned into a straight choice between Astronomy and the new Earth Science 60 credit module due for its first presentation in October this year. But first presentations seem to experience a few teething troubles which makes me hesitate. But now, with S142 deferred to next February it is only going to be practical to attempt a 30 credit Level 2 module alongside it. So S282 Astronomy it is then from October. Should be a nice challenge I think.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">First things first though. I will have lots of feedback to give the good old OU regarding S141. The Maths, the part I feared the most, was great. Loved it in fact, which just goes to prove how important it is to have a good teacher at school. I had the legendary (for all the wrong reasons) Mr Wells and the net result, a grade 'f'. Differentiation was a complete mystery to me back then thanks to that clown's hapless teaching skills but in fact, there's nowt to it! So I have proved to myself that I can do maths. Rather well in fact as a 95% iCMA score confirms. So 'up yours' Mr Wells!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As for 'Understanding the Weather', the main thing I now understand is that weather forecasts cannot be relied upon for 'owt, but at least I now know why that is the case which is something I suppose. This module relied on us students setting aside time to do some basic weather observations. That's fine but given that many OU students work, that restricts this kind of stuff to weekends. The idea was to choose a nice approaching frontal system and make observations as it passes over. Sod's Law dictates therefore that the weather will be inactive and dull all weekend, giving one beggar all to report on, as did I. Hey-ho, such is the life of the scientist, I guess.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The most annoying part of S141 has been the online collaboration for the Scientific Investigations part, covering the design of experiments. Oh Lord, this has been a challenge</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> of restraint! My fellow students, bless 'em, seem to have the habit of over complicating just about everything. For example, in the final experiment, to study the effect of an additional substance, say salt, on the growth of cress seedlings. Various students start asking about the difference in hardness of water in different students localities, when as long as we use the same water for our individual test and control experiments it simply doesn't matter. Seems obvious to me, but clearly not others. But I suppose working with others of, dare I suggest, lesser intelligence and working out an agreed methodology, is a necessary skill to acquire. So maybe that is the overall aim.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="color: #073763;">Anyway, with the EMA nearly done, the goal is a distinction. With a continuous assessment score of 95% already in the bag, I need 85% from the EMA to get that. Considering the way life has panned out since October, it would be a bloody miracle!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Right on cue, on Friday September 20th, my S141 OU course materials arrived. Exciting stuff! Having said that, excitement was dampened somewhat when I opened my package to find two vital items missing - the 'mugmat' (a piece of plastic to be used in an experiment) and the pH paper. An email and phone call followed to 'dispatch' to get the missing bits posted. Well they are going to have to get their skates on because the 'mugmat exercise' takes place on Week 1, as a sort of ice-breaker exercise to get us using the tutorial technology and communicating with fellow students online. So without this piece of plastic I am going to struggle a bit!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Anyway, no panic just yet, I will trust in the OU to sort it out. Meanwhile, my tutor is called <b>Dr Victoria Nicholas</b>, who will hopefully prove as good as the excellent Gordon Woodhead who was my tutor for S104. I've already made a start on the 'Maths for Science' book by whizzing through the first couple of chapters of basic maths skills revision. Nothing too demanding there but useful revision nevertheless. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Today, around lunchtime I joined a 'drop-in session' designed to check that the technology involved in the on-line tutorial sessions was working and that we were okay with using it. From my perspective, I had no experience of the OU's previous online tutorial system, which apparently has more than a few glitches associated with it. The new system, 'OU Online' seems pretty good if today's short taster is anything to go by. How things go with about ten students and a tutor all trying to converse at once, I'll find out on October 8th. Should be fun, provided of course that I receive a bloody mugmat!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I intend to use this next week to work through a chapter or two of Understanding the Weather and try to get ahead a bit. I found when doing S104 and also the short ten point courses, that it is always a good idea to give yourself a bit of a buffer just in case life throws a spanner in the works, stopping you studying for a week or two. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So initial impressions are very good. I've taken a couple of years break from OU study and while a multitude of changes have taken place and are indeed still ongoing, my instinct says that ultimately things are going to be just fine. I find myself really excited about study and testing myself. There's nothing riding on it really. I will be studying stuff that excites me and I am studying because I want to and that ladies and gentlemen, is what education should be all about!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">See you next time,</span><br />
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Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-65983755712599869312013-09-09T14:50:00.001+01:002013-09-12T23:22:10.788+01:00Fourteen days and counting. . . .So, this is it. Game on! After what seems like years of planning and with two unconditional offers from two universities reluctantly turned down, it's back to the Open University, to recommence what I started in 2008. <div><br></div><div>On September 26th the website for S141: Investigative and Mathematical Skills in Science opens for business. Building on the 60 level 1 credits already achieved with the science foundation module S104, this 30 credit course adds some experimental design experience plus meteorology and a whole lot of serious maths!</div><div><br></div><div>Strangely enough it is the maths that I'm looking forward to the most in this course. I think it is with maths that I have most to prove - to myself at least. Way back in 1978, I failed my 'A' level maths spectacularly with a grade 'F'. But I have always believed that that failure was more down to the inadequacies of Mr Wells' teaching than any inability on my part. Well now I have the opportunity to prove myself right and Mr Wells wrong. </div><div><br></div><div>I have never forgotten the day when Gary Bennett and I, desperately struggling with a particular maths problem, went to the staff room together to ask Mr Wells for some extra help. His response was thus:</div><div>"Are you lads going to throw the towel in? If you are struggling it means you need to work harder"! </div><div>No extra help was offered and from that point on I did indeed 'throw the towel in'. I simply gave up on maths and concentrated on trying to pass Geography and Physics which would be enough to do the Geology BSc course at Oxford Polytechnic. An offer of two 'D's was more than achievable!</div><div><br></div><div>Alas it was not to be as a narrow fail in Physics sent me to Luton College of HE to do a Geographical Techniques Higher Diploma instead. The rest as they say, is history!</div><div><br></div><div>Well now is the time to 'right a wrong' and study the subject closest to my heart plus other areas of science as the urge takes me as I journey towards an Open Degree. I'm sure a bit of astronomy will get in there somewhere in all probability. </div><div><br></div><div>For now I will be pondering the weather, trying to ascertain why the forecasters get it wrong so often. Alongside that will be a multitude of mathematical problems to wrestle with which is designed to set you up for the level of maths required at higher levels of scientific study. S141 rounds off with experiment design, which might be useful for Geology and maybe even astronomy.</div><div>Should be a laugh and a challenge and I will keep you posted.</div><div><br></div><div>Cheers for now,</div><div>Alyn.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-44799318608322512722013-07-27T22:55:00.000+01:002013-07-29T12:39:17.652+01:00Eight weeks and counting. . . .Greetings one and all!<br>
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With funding from the Student Loans Company in the bag, it's all systems go for the re-launch of my Open University study in early October. After several years of sheer frustration in having to turn down unconditional offers from Leicester University and then Derby University the recent changes to the funding of university study has strangely worked in my favour.<br>
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Alas it was to prove logistically and financially impossible to achieve full time study at either university. An alternative was perhaps doing the Geology BSc at Derby Uni part-time but that needed payment of fees upfront - under the previous system, student loans mysteriously did not apply to part time study, That meant that University study was just not viable for me so my dream of studying for a geology/earth science degree in any form seemed dead in the water. Then came the controversial changes instigated by the then new coalition government. Up shot the level of fees to previously unheard of levels, but on the plus side, the unfair discrimination against part-time study was to end with potential part time students able to apply for student loans to cover their fees.. This was to be applied to the Open University too, opening up all manner of new possibilities for me.<br>
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However, there was to be nothing plain sailing about choosing to take the O.U. path. These dramatic changes seemed to trigger a chaotic scramble to restructure the entire working of the O.U. One of their big selling points has always been that virtually anyone could sign up to a course and study simply for the joy of learning. Not everyone studied for a degree with many people studying year after year, doing course after course with no real aim other than 'learning'. That approach seems to have been completely taken away now as fees shoot through the roof.<br>
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However for me and my situation, as long as I study for a qualification higher than I have achieved previously (HND), I can study for a minimum of 30 credits per year and aim to complete the remaining 300 credits of my degree within 10 years, then I can fund it by a student loan. Actually, I aim to complete my Open Degree in 5 years. Starting in October this year I will hopefully polish off the remaining 60 Level 1 credits by August 2014, tackle 120 Level 2 from Oct 2014 - 2016 and then the Level 3 credits between 2016-18. Sounds feasible?<br>
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What isn't quite so clear is the content of my degree. With all this restructuring has come wholesale changes to constituent modules. Some much loved short courses have disappeared completely, while others have been rewritten and others merged to form longer 60 credit modules - Geology being one such course. As I write, Geology S276 remains as a 30 credit Level 2 course, but undergoes its final run in 2014. However, S209 will start in October 2014 as a 60 credit course apparently incorporating an element of fieldwork, which sounds good, but is all yet to be officially confirmed. And this I have to say is where the OU has got it horribly wrong.<br>
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Communication of their plans has been nothing short of abysmal at times, but I guess their silence has been to a degree understandable given the extent of the changes thrust upon them. But, existing students have had their study plans torn asunder with little or no details of replacement modules forthcoming.<div><br></div><div>Having said all that, I still find it difficult to be too critical of the OU. They have had to react rapidly to quite massive changes that really needed years of planning. So why not give them a break eh? I sense now that things are slowly coming together and students are at last becoming able to plan their future studies with a little more confidence.</div><div><br></div><div>I am now psyching myself up for an October start of 'S141: Investigative and Mathematical Skills in Science' followed by 'S142: Topics in Science'. These two modules will build on the science foundation course S104 completed in 2009 and round off level 1. It will be hreat to get my teeth into some meaty maths so should be good and I'm looking forward to the challenge.</div><div><br></div><div>Bring it on!</div><div><br></div><div>Cheers for now, Alyn.</div>Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-14021500098580306822013-03-25T13:23:00.001+00:002013-07-24T18:29:52.576+01:00Goodbye Derby Uni, Hello Open University<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Life I am sure you will agree has the habit of throwing proverbial spanners in the works at regular intervals. As an unfortunate consequence, one's hopes and dreams can be thrown asunder. But where there's a will there is invariably a way.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My last post to this horribly neglected blog celebrated my unconditional place at <b>Derby University</b> to study for a <b>BSc in Geology</b>. That place was deferred until September 2013, but it is proving virtually impossible to get into a position where I can realistically take up that place.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So if I can't get to Uni, the next best thing is to bring the Uni to me. So welcome back <b>Open University</b>! I've done several courses at the OU already between 2008-10 so know what it's all about and my previous study should count towards an OU degree.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ah now, this is where it becomes a bit more complicated. Since finishing the short 10 credit module on Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis in 2010, things have changed somewhat, not just at the OU but in higher education overall. Uni fees have shot through the roof with funding being provided by huge loans through Student Finance England. While the ultimate debt amassed may seem huge on completion of the course, the debt is paid back slowly and only if one is actually working. In fact any balance outstanding after 30 years will be written off.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000;">The good thin</span><span style="color: #990000;">g is that the course finance rules can now be applied to part-time study and thus study with the Open University becomes more of a viable option. This means I can now fund my study the same way as I would've done if I had gone to Derby Uni, but be able to take a lot longer to complete my degree. To qualify I must be studying a course at a higher level than I have ever studied previously and complete a minimum of 30 credits per year, both of which sit quite nicely.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So what of the course? Named degrees are pretty much a thing of the past now at the OU. I could aim for a BSc in Natural Sciences and give it either a Geology or Astronomy emphasis. The downside of this is that my choice of modules is a bit more regulated, so after much deliberation, I have opted to study for an <b>Open Degree</b>. This allows me to study pretty much whatever I like. The degree will then become either Ba or BSc, depending on the mix of modules that I choose to do. My degree will include science modules exclusively, so will be a BSc. This seems perfect for someone like me who wants to study for the pleasure vof learning rather than have a specific career path in mind.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000;">Some changes have made the timing and planning of modules things a little awkward though. Alas, my 10 credit short science modules already completed will not count towards my Open Degree, but the 60 credit Science Foundation course definitely will. That leaves a further 60 credits needed for me to complete Level One.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>S141: I</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; line-height: 19.1875px;"><b>nvestigative and mathematical skills in science </b>will do for starters as it is the recommended follow-up to S104 and covers some essential maths that will help the Astronomy modules at Level 2. Then I hope to do</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; line-height: 19.1875px;"><b>S142: Topics in Science.</b> The problem however, is that S141 starts in Oct 2013 and S142 starts in Feb 2014. If I do them in that order it means a 5 month overlap when things might get a bit busy. Or, I do S142 first and S141 second, giving no overlap but about 17 months continuous study and a wait until Feb. 2014 to get started at all. I really want to get Level 1 finished ASAP so might have to steel myself for some serous study. At least these two don't include examinations so may be do-able, but I will wait until the OU 'Module Choice Adviser' phones me back in a day or two to advise.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So it should all make for an exciting era of study and rather more regular blogs here at the new look <b>'Holey Schist'</b>.</span></span></div>
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Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-23395350103412685492012-01-28T15:24:00.001+00:002012-01-28T15:26:30.914+00:00The Dream is Alive!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Hello again!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Anyone still there? Humble apologies, but it has been a while since my last post. Way too long. After a quite shameful return of a mere four posts in 2011, there will be more in 2012 I promise. And for a very good reason which will be explained below!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This last year has seen me devote a lot of my spare time learning to sing. Yes, really! It is something I've always wanted to do but always avoided for one simple reason - lack of confidence. In fact I outlined the background to this in a post on my 'singing blog' called <strong>'A Nightingale Sang...'</strong> and you can read it <a href="http://anightingalesangin.blogspot.com/2011/03/well-hello-there.html">here.</a> This fear of public speaking has prevented me doing so much throughout my life and would be a major problem, should I ever get to fulfill my dream of studying for a degree in Geology. Presentations of a thesis, paper or whatever else? Scary!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So how on earth could I EVER manage to sing a solo in front of a hundered people? No chance mate! Well on November 19th 2011, I did just that. I had a multitude of demons to overcome along the way I almost 'bottled it', but I got through it and I have a CD recording to prove it! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The significant thing about the achievement is the massive confidence boost it has given me as a human being. Friends and family have noted the change in my personality, for the better I hasten to add. I now know that the feelings of nervousness will always be there before a concert, but I CAN overcome them. I also now feel less fearful of the prospect of having to do a presentation in front of fellow students. Which is great because....</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Last week I received an <span style="color: red;"><strong>UNCONDITIONAL OFFER</strong></span> to study at <span style="color: red;"><strong>Derby University</strong></span> for a <span style="color: red;"><strong>BSc degree in Geology</strong></span>, starting in September 2012! How great is that? The good thing about studying at Derby as opposed to the previous target of Leicester University, is that some of the credits I have already been awarded at the Open University will count towards my degree at Derby.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">There is of course one major hurdle still to overcome and that is 'finance'. It is by no means cut and dried that I will get full funding to study at Derby because of a previous study back in 1978-81 at Luton College. But where there's a will, there is a way. As an old employers favourite mantra used to state: <strong><em>If it's to be, it's up to me!</em></strong> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So, if my previous followers of Holey Schist are still out there, look forward to more regular postings here, as I give this humble blog a bit of a revamp!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Cheers for now,</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Alyn</span></div>Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-26626792735511106482011-07-29T11:17:00.000+01:002011-07-29T11:17:21.411+01:00The greatest photograph ever taken by mankind?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Hello again! </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I know it has been a while, but life has been spectacularly hectic with geology taking a back seat to my singing exploits. My other blog, <a href="http://anightingalesangin.blogspot.com/">A Nightingale Sang...</a> will fill you in on exactly what's been going on if you are interested. Meanwhile, I recently acquired a copy of <strong>Professor Brian Cox's</strong> excellent book and DVD of his fabulous TV series, <strong>'Wonders of the Universe'</strong>. It's absolutely mind boggling stuff, non more so than the following photograph included in the book and taken by the Hubble telescope. I honestly think it ranks as the single greatest photograph taken by mankind.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A bold claim perhaps, but I believe the photograph that follows is exactly that. Take a look at this:-</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SuRNb1eqafM/TilqquyW7UI/AAAAAAAAA_s/FtBceum0zEw/s1600/Hubble+Deep+Field.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SuRNb1eqafM/TilqquyW7UI/AAAAAAAAA_s/FtBceum0zEw/s320/Hubble+Deep+Field.jpg" t$="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The Hubble Ultra Deep Field </span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Taken from hubblesite.org)</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay, so on first glance it may not strike you as all that spectacular - just a photo of the night sky with lots of different coloured stars? Well yes, but take a closer look! Some seem to be more like fuzzy blobs and some almost disc-like in shape. Others seem to be linear features, almost like the trail of a comet.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana;">In fact, nearly all the features in this photograph called the <strong>Hubble Ultra Deep Field</strong>, and taken by the Hubble telescope, are in fact not single stars, but galaxies. That's around ten thousand galaxies, each made up of hundreds of billions of stars. If that isn't mind-boggling enough, consider this. . . .</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana;">In 2004 it was decided to focus the Hubble telescope's gaze on a seemingly empty piece of space in the southern constellation of Fornax. A tiny piece of the night sky was chosen and the telescope trained on this location for a period of eleven days, spread over four months. Each of the 800 exposures lasted for around 20 minutes. To all intents and purposes, there was nothing there to see, but over this extended time period ancient, distant light may be received if left for long enough. The dimmest objects within this image are a result of the Hubble telescope receiving just one photon of light per minute. The result is this fascinating image of some of the most distant objects ever observed.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana;">The really fascinating thing about this image is that when you look at it you are in effect travelling back in time. The lighter and larger galaxies visible with distinct spiral arms are a lot closer than the smaller redder ones and it is these tiny red ones that are the most intriguing. Astonishingly, it has been calculated that the oldest galaxy seen within this photo is over 13 billion light years away. Therefore, what we are seeing is an image of a galaxy a mere 600 million light years after the Big Bang and the beginning of the Universe itself! </span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana;">Professor Cox's book is crammed with amazing, mind-numbing information and it's a really compelling read. It adds a great deal to the TV series and I would recommend reading it alongside the DVD - not simultaneously unless you want your brain to explode.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana;">Go purchase and enjoy!</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana;">Cheers for now,</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana;">Alyn.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-38652661713203418492011-02-20T18:59:00.000+00:002011-02-20T18:59:07.818+00:00Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis - a review of S186.<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It always helps me to look back on what I have learned on completion of a Open University course, and I aim to take a look at a few key points from he last one - S186: Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis. I'll make a start by looking at one misconception that I had held since my school days.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you think about the prospect of great expanses of rock flowing like a river, one inevitably thinks of rock heated sufficiently below the surface to change it into a molten state. Thus, when a combination of circumstances allow it to erupt from a suitable opening at the surface a river of molten rock, or <strong>lava</strong> results.</span></div><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One revelation produced by the course, was that the mantle was made up of solid rock, that circulates in a solid state - <strong>'solid state convection'</strong> as it is known. Now just how can a solid lump of rock really circulate by convection? It defies logic surely? Generally speaking, a 'fluid' is anything that can 'flow', but in geologic terms it can include solids that when under specific conditions of pressure and temperature can also flow while maintaining their solid state.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Arthur Holmes</strong>, in his renowned book <strong><em>'Principles of Physical Geology'</em></strong> explains the paradox of flowing solids wonderfully. He gives the example of pitch, which behaves like a brittle solid if struck with a hammer causing it to shatter, but under ordinary temperatures, will flatten out into a thin sheet simply under its own weight.</span></div><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another solid clearly seen to flow is ice. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_KJLEmrGolQ/TWFTnHRxhFI/AAAAAAAAA9Y/2zKY0L8-Ct0/s1600/franz_josef_glacier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" j6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_KJLEmrGolQ/TWFTnHRxhFI/AAAAAAAAA9Y/2zKY0L8-Ct0/s320/franz_josef_glacier.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Above: The Franz Josef glacier, New Zealand </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(Taken from </span><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.hostelbloggers.com/">www.hostelbloggers.com</a>)</span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana;">At first sight, what may seem to be a static expanse of ice, rapidly (in geological terms) flows down the mountainside. The photo above, of the Franz Josef glacier almost looks like a river, complete with rapids!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana;">As Arthur Holmes stresses, the key is <strong>time</strong>. Holmes illustrates this with the example of a ball bearing. If one is dropped into a jar of water it would take only a second to sink to the bottom. If the jar was filled with oil it would take several minutes. If filled with wax it would take maybe a hundred years to reach the bottom and if filled with ice and kept at a constant temperature, it would take millions of years. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana;">So it is with rock. If pressure is maintained for long enough, rock will flow and bend and in the mantle it circulates. However, when rock rises, the pressure upon it decreases, causing <strong>partial melting </strong>and a change to liquid form. This of course leads to the formation of igneous rocks by way of extrusion at the surface through a suitable fracture to form extrusive rocks such as basalt, or cooling slowly below the surface to form intrusive igneous rocks such as granite. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana;">I will get stuck into the subject of igneous rocks and volcanoes next time.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana;">Cheers,</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana;">Alyn.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div>Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-53256416522390364302011-02-12T20:47:00.002+00:002011-02-12T20:52:43.873+00:00Life's rich tapestry?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes, life never ceases to amaze at its power to excite, shock or bewilder. This week saw the truly shocking and heartbreaking as well as the beautiful and heartwarming.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Firstly, the weeks work started with the distressing news that a serious accident had occurred over the weekend, on the road construction site where I work. For reasons yet to be determined, a young, 24 year old lad had been caught between the bucket and tracks of a large digger, which crushed one of his his legs below the knee. Sadly, after repeated surgery, doctors were unable to save the leg and had to amputate. </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, I'm of the opinion that work is a means of earning money to fund the rest of your life's activities. Some have the added benefit of gaining some sort of pleasure from their daily work while many more have to endure a high degree of tedium and drudgary, day in, day out, just to 'earn a crust'. But whatever one has to go through in order to earn a living, the least one can expect at the end of the days graft is to arrive home with a full compliment of limbs.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">God knows how this poor guy is going to come to terms with his new life. Hopefully he will get the support he deserves from all around him, including his current employers. My thoughts have been with him for most of this week and also with the the unfortunate colleague whose actions unwittingly brought about this unfortunate incident. Heaven knows how he is feeling too and I'm sure he will need just as much support to get over the trauma. If our employers corporate aims and trendy slogans mean anything, they will both get it!</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On a lighter note, the previous weekend saw the latest performance of 'Enchanted', the singing group of 'young ladies' including my eldest step-daughter Anna-Ruth. These gals are getting quite a reputation in the East Midlands and if you check out the You Tube videos highlighted in the right-hand column of this blog site, you'll see why! On Saturday they appeared in a concert with the <a href="http://www.loughboroughmvc.co.uk/">Loughborough Male Voice Choir</a> in Kegworth.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The girls were outstanding once again as were the 'lads' from the Male voice choir. In the opinion of my wife and daughter, the choir could benefit from some younger blood and guess whose arm was twisted? Yep, 'fraid so! Thursday evening saw me going along to their rehearsal which proved an interesting experience, not least because it was difficult to determine quite where my voice lies. 'Bass' or Baritone - that is the question! It was a fun evening I look forward to more next Thursday! Watch this space for developments!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Actually, this may well spawn a new blog! Better keep 'Holey Schist' a Geology/Natural History blog I think.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next up will be a look back at 'Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis', the OU course recently completed which threw up such interesting questions as 'when is a solid not a solid'! Answer to be revealed . . </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cheers for now,</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alyn.</span></div></div><div align="justify" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><span style="color: #134f5c;"></span>Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-74707766547127776032011-01-02T23:09:00.001+00:002011-01-02T23:12:42.290+00:00Sir David Attenborough - a British broadcasting legend<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The first draft of this post was intended to be a straight forward review of this year's 'Christmas Books' that Santa saw fit to send my way this festive season. Among the three that he bestowed upon me this year was <strong><em>'First Life'</em></strong> by <strong>David Attenborough and Matt Kaplan</strong>. It is the book of the TV mini series of the same name and is a wonderful piece of work. But it got me thinking about the influence David Attenborough has had on my life and after giving it some thought I realised it has been enormous!</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Born on 8th May 1926, David joined the BBC in 1952 and rather bizarrely, was initially discouraged from appearing on camera because it was thought that his teeth were too big! His first contribution to the subject of natural history was a three part BBC series called <strong><em>'The Pattern of Animals'</em></strong> that he presented and produced himself.</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TSD95DZVw5I/AAAAAAAAA9I/MCrZzNeq8iM/s1600/Life+on+Earth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TSD95DZVw5I/AAAAAAAAA9I/MCrZzNeq8iM/s200/Life+on+Earth.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My own first recollection of the man was when I started to watch the epic series <strong><em>'Life on Earth'</em></strong>, which brought the incredible variety and beauty of life on earth in all its glory. While Attenborough presented the programmes, it was the animals who were the real stars. One progrmme that I've never forgotten featured the Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda. The way the series introduced the ugly as well as the beautiful, the weird as well as the wonderful was pure genius and it set the standard for natural history broadcasting.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As well as presenting the regular series </span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em>'Wildlife on One'</em></strong>, the 'Life' series continued with <strong><em>'The Living Planet'</em></strong>. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TSD99F6B_DI/AAAAAAAAA9M/f3OhWj-VanY/s1600/Living+planet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TSD99F6B_DI/AAAAAAAAA9M/f3OhWj-VanY/s200/Living+planet.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This series built on the success of 'Life</span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> on Earth' and was based on ecology - the way in which animals adapt to their environment. This was another brilliant series and was followed by <strong><em>'The Trials of Life'</em></strong> looking at animal behaviour. This completed the 'Life' trilogy, which was the original intention, but other more specialist series covering all facets of life were to follow. In 1993 he presented <strong><em>'Life in the Freezer'</em></strong>, highlighting the natural history of Antarctica.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TSD9yhcOn0I/AAAAAAAAA9A/kvwJNfvoJeQ/s1600/private+life+of+plants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TSD9yhcOn0I/AAAAAAAAA9A/kvwJNfvoJeQ/s200/private+life+of+plants.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A noticeable omission from Attenborough's works up until this point was the world of plants and this was addressed in <strong><em>'The Private Life of Plants'</em></strong> in 1995. The reason for the reluctance to devote too much air time to plants is that they are essentially immobile objects and tend not to do a great deal. How do you make an hours TV programme depicting unmoving objects and make it entertaining? Well, this problem was tackled brilliantly with the use of groundbreaking time-lapse photography to speed up growth, death and seed dispersal.</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Following on from this came <strong><em>'The Life of Birds'</em></strong> (1998); <strong><em>'The Life of Mammals'</em></strong> (2002) and <strong><em>'Life in the Undergrowth'</em></strong> (2005), To complete the story of 'life' 2008 saw the production of <strong><em>'Life in Cold Blood'</em></strong>, focusing on the remaining animal groups of amphibians and reptiles. And that was intended to be that until he realised one final, but major omission - the very beginning of Life on Earth. This thought spawned the ultimate prequel - <strong><em>'First Life'</em></strong>. Another stunning piece of work, this time brought to 'life' by some magical computer animation.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TSD91lvCdXI/AAAAAAAAA9E/EiDP5gW9zSo/s1600/First+Life.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TSD91lvCdXI/AAAAAAAAA9E/EiDP5gW9zSo/s200/First+Life.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What is a shame about this series and the superb book that goes with it is that for me, it came a year too late. It would've been invaluable in my recent study of fossils and the history of life with the OU! Nevertheless, reading it now is shedding more light on the mysterious onset of life and is helping me better understand the process of evolution. In fact this book ought to be required reading for the disappointing Darwin course that I've just finished. Or maybe the OU could ask Matt Kaplan to re-write the Darwin and Evolution course book?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, what fascinates me is the Ediacaran period and the discovery of a group of fossils in pre-cambrian rocks such as <em>Charnia masoni</em>, first discovered in April 1957 in Charnwood Forest by an eleven year old schoolboy called Roger Mason, who ironically attended the same Leicestershire grammar school as Mr Attenborough! What brings this subject to life is some superb animated computer graphics giving an interpretation of what these ancient lifeforms may have looked like all those millions of years ago. Of course no-one really knows what these creatures looked like or how they really lived, but isn't that the case with much of geology? It's all about evidence, interpretation, and the discussion that follows. In this book Attenborough offers all sides of the argument, such as in the pros and cons of the 'Snowball Earth' theory, but leaves it to the reader to make his or her own mind up, which is how it should be.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I really hope the man is eternal because BBC television without David Attenborough is quite unthinkable. Even though he's in his eighty-fifth year, I'm sure there will be a few more gems to come from this genius of broadcasting. </span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Long live David Attenborough - a real 'national treasure' if ever there was one!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cheers,</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alyn</span><br />
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</div><span style="color: #990000;"></span>Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-20768145865472325332010-12-23T22:57:00.002+00:002010-12-23T23:03:17.458+00:00Cumbrian & Japanese earthquakes - December 21st 2010.<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With me half way through a course on the subject of volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis, there has been interesting news this week about earthquakes in Cumbria, England and Japan.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Cumbrian quake, a relatively modest magnitude 3.5 ML is unlikely to have caused significant damage, but was nevertheless felt throughout Cumbria, in Galloway and southern Scotland. Detailed info can be found at the British Geological Survey website <a href="http://www.bgs.ac.uk/research/highlights/cumbriaEarthquakeDec2010.html">here</a>.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, on the same day, a more potentially destructive quake was experienced in the Bonin Island region of Japan with a magnitude of 7.4 at a depth of 14 kilometers. While we Brits might get excited by an admittedly infrequent but modest 3.5 quake, the Japanese have had to endure an alarming succession of 86, yes, <strong>eighty-six</strong> quakes between Tuesday 21st and Thursday 23rd December and all of them have been in excess of 4.7! I know aftershocks are likely after any earthquake, but 86? Scary stuff! Take a look at the list of mgnitudes on this <a href="http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/7696531-japan-bonin-islands-have-86-large-earthquakes-december-2010-wwii-history">website</a>.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana;">This will all be of use later in my course I'm sure.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana;">Cheers for now,</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana;">Alyn.</span></div>Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-25910998694475350192010-12-19T21:21:00.000+00:002010-12-19T21:21:00.027+00:00S170: Darwin and Evolution - The Result!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Greetings!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sorry it has been a while, but what with another Open University course to get to grips with, a ridiculously busy life playing 'taxi' in order to ferry the girls to their umpteen social activities and then TWO WEEKS with the flu (yes, REAL flu not a mythical man-flu!), there has been precious little time for anything else in my cluttered schedule! So much for blogging more in 2010! Sigh!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, I've mentioned a few times on these pages how uninspired I was by the <strong>'Darwin & Evolution'</strong> course, S170. The 10 credit, Level 1, OU course seemed like it would be a good follow up to the truly excellent <strong>'Fossils and the History of Life'</strong>. I posted the following feedback onto the OU's website for S170:-</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Opinion seems somewhat divided on this course with some really enjoying it and others being decidedly unimpressed. I'm afraid I fall into the latter category. </em></span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>After taking 'Fossils and the History of Life' and loving it, I thought this would be a good follow up course but for some reason it just never 'grabbed' me at all. The enthusiasm was there to begin with and I prepared by reading Darwin's 'On the Origin of Species' on the run up, but the study materials managed to kill off that interest completely.</em></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>The main reason I think was because of the lack of printed course book. The need to be constantly switching between the online course materials and the set book '99% Ape' was very inconvenient and meant I never got into a settled study routine. I found '99% Ape' to be horribly disjointed and frankly, dull and needs a radical re-write in my opinion! </em></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Also, the well intentioned snail 'megalab' study just did not work in practice. Unlike many, I did manage to find lots of snails, but frustratingly few if any suitable samples to compare them with in my area, which rendered the whole thing a bit farcical. The OU needs to seriously rethink this study in future presentations.</em></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Unlike the period following each of my previous courses, I have no idea if I have passed this course at all, which I think says it all. </em></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana;">I don't think I was being overly harsh either. I really didn't have a clue whether I had properly grasped the material and done enough to pass the course. Last Friday however, I found to my relief that I did manage a good <strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">PASS</span></strong>. Hoorah! </span></div><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana;"></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Frustratungly, the OU no longer gives a numerical mark for these short science courses, prefering to give a simple, brief indication as to how well you have achieved various 'Key Learning Outcomes'. Now I really hate this modern politically correct tosh - give me a damned percentage mark any day! But at least I did manage <span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>'Well Achieved'</strong></span> in every category except one where I nevertheless achieved <span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>'Achieved'</strong></span>, if you follow me? So, I would appear that, despite not enjoyimng this course as much as previous ones, I did manage a very good pass and its another 10m credits in the bag towards a degree, making 80 in total so far!</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana;">Not that I will end up with a BSc in Geosciences any more. Oh no, the OU in its infinite wisdom has decided to scrap named degrees in science subjects and are intent on lumping them together under the umbrella called 'Natural Sciences'. While the content of my degree can be made up predominantly of Geology and Earth Science modules, the degree I will be awarded will be <strong>'BSc in Natural Sciences'</strong>. Hmm, not at all convinced this is a great idea. It seems a retrograde step to me and from what I hear on the grapevine, there is a move to get the OU to rethink this decision. Fingers crossed, because if there's anything that will push me towards doing a degree at Derby University in preference to the OU it is the fact that I can get a GEOLOGY degree at Derby! Come on Open University - think about it!?!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana;">Time to get on with Volcanoes, earthquakes and Tsunamis. Fascinating stuff and more on this one later!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana;">Cheers for now!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana;">Alyn.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-40535886375060390282010-11-12T18:58:00.001+00:002010-11-12T19:01:15.938+00:00Education - it's a wonderful thing!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After finally getting the less than inspiring 'S170: Darwin & Evolution' course out of the way, I'm now already into the next challenge, which is another 10 credit, Science Short Course entitled <strong>S186: Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis</strong>. And what a cracking course this promises to be!</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The leader of this particular module is none other than <strong>David Rothery</strong>, the volcanologist whose talk I attended last month at the Open University Open Day to mark 40 years of Earth Sciences courses at the OU. (Click </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2049916913">here</a></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://holeyschist.blogspot.com/2010_10_01_archive.html"> </a>for my post about it)</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After witnessing David's talk about his media involvement during the Icelandic volcanic dust storm crisis, it became a 'must do' from that point on. The man is clearly passionate about his subject, but doesn't take himself too seriously. One interview he did for ITV News in particular needs to be seen! Click <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mYHOuZfoJ4&feature=fvsr">here</a> to view it. Watch out for <strong>the amazing disappearing car</strong>! My wife Ruth, doesn't seem to understand quite why I find it so hilarious, but it tickled me, but then, I'm easily amused as Ruth will tell you!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana;">I only received the course materials last weekend, but I'm already hooked in a way that I never was by the Darwin course. It's all down to the style of writing I think. Ruth, who is an English graduate (with FIRST CLASS HONOURS I hasten to add) would be able to explain exactly how and why the writing was so dull and uninspiring on that course and how in just a few opening paragraphs of this new course I am totally hooked! It's not as if I wasn't interested in 'evolution' either. I started off keen enough, but the dullness of the course book killed off the enthusiasm entirely, which was a shame!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana;">Anyway, I mustn't dwell on the negative, but concentrate on the delights of 'volcanoes' and already some long held misconceptions have come to light and been soundly kicked into touch. </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana;">Firstly, I've always been led to believe that the earth's crust lies above a viscous but generally liquid mantle. Plates move about over considerable lengths of time, moving apart at constructive boundaries and moving together at destructive boundaries but by and large, it's pretty much liquid down there. WRONG! The very first sentence of the opening chaper of the course set text <strong><em>'Teach Yourself Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis'</em></strong>, by the course leader states:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #990000;"><em>"It is a common misconception that the interior of the Earth is molten"</em></span>.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana;">Er, yes indeed. Oops! But then as I read on it becomes obvious that it simply cannot be. Pressure, obviously, ensures that despite it's heat, most of the rock in the mantle is in fact solid. Hmmm!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana;">Secondly, regarding plate tectonics, Mr Rothery drops this bombshell on page 11:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana;"><em>"it is important to be clear that these tectonic plates are <u>not</u> rafts of crust moving over the mantle. The Earth's crust is firmly joined to the part of the mantle immediately below it".</em></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana;">That was a bit of a revelation too in that the top 100 km or so of the mantle is just as strong as the crust and is joined to the crust to make a single 'mechanical layer'. Interesting stuff!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana;">Third eye opener concerned the next layer down, that of the lower mantle. This layer it turns out while not rigid, is neverhteless solid and yet slowly circulates at a rate of a few centimetres per year. Now this is a difficult concept to grasp but a good analogy is to compare the rock of the lower mantle with say, a slab of Devon toffee! Okay, a bit bizarre, but stay with me okay? Now, put the slab in the fridge for a while and it will be hard enough to shatter if whalloped with a hammer. Go on try it if you've got a spare slab lying around! However, if you leave another slab in the fridge with slightly less than half its length overhanging the fridge shelf and leave it for a few months, it will eventually bend over the shelf. Okay, I've not actually tried this myself - there's little or no chance for a slab of toffee surviving for long enough in my house antway, but I'm told it does work! Anyway, my point is that, yes the toffee is obviously solid, but will still bend if given sufficient time. So it is with the rock that makes up the lower mantle which is subject to what is called 'solid state convection'.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana;">And all this is even before the course (or 'module' as the OU now like to call them) officially starts on Saturday 13th! And I haven't even mentioned <em>'cowpat bombs'</em> yet!?! Maybe next time dear friends!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana;">Cheers for now!</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana;">Alyn.</span></div><br />
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</div><span style="color: #274e13;"></span>Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-31880063650227210302010-11-05T13:41:00.006+00:002010-11-05T16:01:12.919+00:00Flamborough Head - August 2010<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, it's taken a while, but I finally persuaded Anna to download the photographs she took on our brief visit to Flamborough Head while on holiday in Lincolnshire back in early August.</span> <br />
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</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, Flamborough Head is located off the east coast of England, north-east of the coastal town of Bridlington. My family and I started this particular day with a visit to the rather disappointingly sad spectacle of Scarborough, a place which rather reminded me of Blackpool 'up north' - all a bit run down and desperately trying to return to it's former glory days of the fifties and sixties. I kinda felt that these types of seaside holiday resort need to reinvent themselves somehow. The days of donkey rides and 'Kiss me Quick' hats are long gone I think!</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, our detour to Flamborough was the highlight of the day - for me at least! For those wishing to visit, there is plenty of parking space available near the lighthouse and access to the chalk cliffs is possible down some scarily steep and slightly uneven steps, but it's worth the effort, trust me!</span></div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TNCG0M9EWzI/AAAAAAAAA6M/2jVGI0Fx4GM/s1600/Flamborough+head2.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TNCG0M9EWzI/AAAAAAAAA6M/2jVGI0Fx4GM/s320/Flamborough+head2.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">'Yours truly' with the stacks and cliffs of Upper Cretaceous chalk at Flamborough Head</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TNPny7nKLaI/AAAAAAAAA7A/fVb0Et398jQ/s1600/SAM_4632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TNPny7nKLaI/AAAAAAAAA7A/fVb0Et398jQ/s320/SAM_4632.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">The photo of me was taken by this lovely person, my step-daughter Anna-Ruth. The equally lovely Amy, her younger sister, declined the opportunity to descend the steep steps and stayed up top with her mum!</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anna-Ruth by the way, studied for a GCSE in Geography virtually on her own. The teaching for this subject seemed pretty rubbish in truth, so it's to her enormous credit that she passed it so well! On our walk down the steps (see later photo!) she proudly pointed to the stack and told me all about its formation, so there's definitely a potential geologist deep within her! She currently has her heart set on drama, but you never know!</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now here's a thought . . . she could forget drama and do a Geology degree instead! We could even study at the same time on the same course? How cool would that be? </span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana;">Actually, to the average teenager, that would probably be the most embarrassing thing ever! In a classroom with their 'old man'!?! OMG!!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TNCLzrw5pzI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/qSV2G5rz4iA/s1600/SAM_4629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TNCLzrw5pzI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/qSV2G5rz4iA/s320/SAM_4629.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">'Nature' - the worlds greatest sculpter!</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana;">Anyway, I digress. The most striking thing about Flamborough is the distinctly layered chalk cliffs and their associated features. The great accumulation of tiny, fossilised sea life that make up this rock took place some 70 - 90 million years ago. The classic stack shown above, formed comparatively quickly over thousands of years. Constant battering of the now exposed rock by the waves, erodes weak areas in the rock eventually creating caves. Where this occurs on an area jutting out into the sea the cave will eventually break through to form an arch. With further erosion the roof can collapse to form an isolated lump of rock - the stack shown above.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TNLml5YgZ-I/AAAAAAAAA6w/I__BiEXtunY/s1600/SAM_4666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TNLml5YgZ-I/AAAAAAAAA6w/I__BiEXtunY/s320/SAM_4666.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Another view of the stack, chalk cliffs and glacial till above.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana;">Above the chalk cliffs lies a layer of glacial till which is a layer of deposits left behind by a glacier during the last ice age.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TNLmSKKbfEI/AAAAAAAAA6g/PC0BEo8V144/s1600/SAM_4646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TNLmSKKbfEI/AAAAAAAAA6g/PC0BEo8V144/s320/SAM_4646.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana;">I have since learnt that there is a fine example of an arch here, I think on the far right in the above photo, though from our view point we couldn't see through it!</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Layered chalk cliff at Flamborough Head.</span></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TNLmimrAhiI/AAAAAAAAA6s/WwzMK3L7Ies/s1600/SAM_4665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TNLmimrAhiI/AAAAAAAAA6s/WwzMK3L7Ies/s320/SAM_4665.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">See what I mean? Scary steps, but solid and safe enough!</span></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TNLmsflZkMI/AAAAAAAAA60/E-cvnWYiatU/s1600/SAM_4668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TNLmsflZkMI/AAAAAAAAA60/E-cvnWYiatU/s320/SAM_4668.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay, now this is where I need some help. Maybe in 'x' years time after I've actually done my geology degree, the answer to this will be more obvious, but I am currently a bit puzzled by this photo. Throughout the cliffs, the chalk layers are either horizontal or dipping about 10 degrees or so. Here however, at the bottom of the steps there is this section which seems to fold upwards as can be seen at lower right of the photo. At the upper middle of the photo the beds are at about 80 degrees from horizontal! So whats gone on here? Seems a quite localised fold that's quite out of step with the surrounding features!?! Answers on a postcard to . . . .</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TNLm0PFkbEI/AAAAAAAAA68/nGrvd0GsRKc/s1600/SAM_4639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TNLm0PFkbEI/AAAAAAAAA68/nGrvd0GsRKc/s320/SAM_4639.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Me looking for fossils but not finding anything significant - or even insignificant for that matter!</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TNLmbW6wK8I/AAAAAAAAA6o/vRy5E3px2ok/s1600/SAM_4656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TNLmbW6wK8I/AAAAAAAAA6o/vRy5E3px2ok/s320/SAM_4656.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Beautiful! Anna obviously, not the layered chalk and dipping beds! Obviously!</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So there you have it. The geological delight that is Flamborough Head - go visit next time you are on the east coast!</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana;">Cheers for now, </span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana;">Alyn.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-61052545746399317222010-10-10T17:56:00.030+01:002010-10-10T20:16:37.456+01:0040 Years of Earth & Planetery Sciences at the OU<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This week has seen a significant anniversary at the Open University. It is now forty years since the start of the Department of Earth Sciences at the Uni. The late Professor Ian Gass lead the way with the guiding principle that 'excellent research breeds excellent teaching'.</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To celebrate this milestone, the department held a 2 day conference followed by an Open Day on Saturday 9th October, and I managed to make the short journey down to the campus in Milton Keynes on Saturday. There were lots of things going on - some activities to stop the kids getting too bored, such as panning for gold and making plaster casts of fossils and even 'dressing up as a scientist' and having your picture taken! Tempting, I have to say, but I resisted. I was there for the talks. Just to be sure I booked to hear all the listed speakers with one in particular who was simply a 'must see'. More of that later.</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First up was <strong>Dr Mark Davies</strong>, an ex OU PhD student and now working for ARKeX, a geophysical survey company. His talk was an interesting look at geogravity and how gravity changes according to mass. He showed how techniques for measuring these variations are used to locate oil reserves. Interesting stuff, but not my thing really. Exploration geology is not really where my interest lies, though it might have been if I had studied geology back in the '80s as I'd originally planned.</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next up was meant to be <strong>Dr Phil Bland,</strong> another ex OU student, talking about the oriigin of meteorites in the solar system, but unfortunately he had been taken ill and couldn't attend. Rather than stay for the 'emergency stand-on, I decided to have an early lunch break.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TLH3l6x586I/AAAAAAAAA58/zO6BuX2aiEY/s1600/MonicaGrady.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TLH3l6x586I/AAAAAAAAA58/zO6BuX2aiEY/s1600/MonicaGrady.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then we had <strong>Professor Monica Grady</strong> (pictured left) of the Open University, with a talk entitled 'Life on Mars - if not, why not'. Monica, it turns out was the author of part of Book 8 from the OU Science Foundation course S104, that I successfully completed last year! So this talk was a good recap on what I'd learnt</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TLH4RF_z54I/AAAAAAAAA6A/NHM2Q-JWuRc/s1600/John+Zarnecki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TLH4RF_z54I/AAAAAAAAA6A/NHM2Q-JWuRc/s320/John+Zarnecki.jpg" width="231" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next speaker, Professor John Zarnecki (right) proved a wonderfully engaging bloke. He ran through his whole working life in space exploration, having been associated with many of the major planetary exploration missions over the last few decades including the Cassini Huygens mission that studied the surface of Titan. Best of all was his hilarious account of his desperate and sadly for him unsuccessful attempts to get into space himself on the various European Space Agency missions - proudly displaying his rejection letter from ESA! Great stuff!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next guy was very much the 'Main Event' and needed no introduction. <strong>Professor Iain Stewart</strong> (pictured below) of Plymouth University and inspiring presenter of 'Earth:The Power of the Planet' and several other superb TV series in recent years proved to be even better in the flesh as it were, than he is on the telly. After some initial 'ribbing' from the compere for his NOT having done any OU courses, he went on to give a superb talk, loosely based on his most recent TV series 'How Earth Made Us'. What shone out like a beacon, was his near encyclopaedic knowledge of geologists of the past such as James Hutton. His delivery was slick, confident and utterly absorbing. His students at Plymouth Uni must have a ball, that's all I can say!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TLH44cBYDUI/AAAAAAAAA6E/N2uvI7573SU/s1600/iain-stewart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TLH44cBYDUI/AAAAAAAAA6E/N2uvI7573SU/s320/iain-stewart.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Follow that! Well for some obscure reason, someone thought it a good idea to have 'a word from one the sponsors'. In this case it was a guy from Thermo Fisher Scientific, suppliers of scientific instruments. It wasn't a sales pitch we were told, so that begs the question why? No idea myself! Odd choice!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, to wrap up the day we had <strong>Dr David Rothery</strong> (pictured left) of the OU, who related some hilarious anecdotes regarding his work as the media contact at the OU throughout the recent 'ash cloud crisis' during the Eyjafjallojokull eruption earlier this year. This guy was a hoot, and definitely didn't take himself too seriously! Rather than recount his stories, just go to You Tube and enter his name and look at the films of his media interviews with Sky TV and others. I particular, look out for the 'amazing disappearing car' in a Sky TV interview and the regular appearances of his little box of volcanic ash! Brilliant!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana;">So a good day was had by all I think and highlighted the need to restore Open University Open Days which were a regular thing in days past I believe. Can't think why they were stopped.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana;">Cheers for now,</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana;">Alyn</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><span style="color: #351c75;"></span>Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-44751038220696355542010-09-13T13:50:00.001+01:002010-09-17T23:05:57.102+01:00Exploration of the Colorado River and its Canyons<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most people like to take a good book to read on holiday with them and I'm no different. Well, maybe a little. . . </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Non-fiction doesn't do much for me these days, though I did get through the <em><strong>Da Vinci Code</strong></em> with moderate pleasure a while ago. This year, before leaving for a week in Lincolnshire, I thought it was about time I got hold of a copy of <strong>John Wesley Powell's</strong> epic record of his <strong><em>Exploration of the Colorado River and it's Canyons</em></strong>, in 1869. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana;">Good ol' eBay eh? There I found a copy on offer at a 'Buy it Now' price of an almost embarrassing £2.47. And that was with free postage! How do they make it pay, I wonder? Anyway, the book soon arrived and was duly opened, shortly after arrival at our holiday cottage in Lincolnshire.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana;">And what a cracking read it turned out to be. Written several years after the event in 1869, Powell's writing style was surprisingly easy to get into. Written as a daily journal he never intended to publish the details in book form but was eventually persuaded to after numerous requests. A huge number of superb sketches of the myriad of geological wonders they encountered are included throughout the account, though it is not clear who drew many of them.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana;">He starts with a general overview of the area to be explored, looking at the valley of the Colorado; the regions mesas and buttes; its mountains and plateaus; and its cliffs and terraces. As you may know, I'm a great believer in making geology understandable to the interested layman in the way Wayne Ranney writes for example. John Wesley Powell seems of like mind too, as is shown in this explanation of the arrangement of four lines of cliffs that extend from east to west across the region:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana;"><em><strong>Place a book before you on a table with its front edge toward you, rest another book on the back of this, place a third on the back of the second and in like manner a fourth on the third. Now the leaves of the book dip from you and the cut edges stand in tiny escarpments facing you. So the rock-formed leaves of these books of geology have the escarpment edges turned southward while each book itself dips northward and the crest of each plateau book is the summit of a line of cliffs.</strong></em></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana;">Go on, try it! Then turn to page 90 of the book and look at the 'Section and birds eye view" I love the explanation and the simple practical exercise. Brilliant!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chapter 5 sees the start of the record of the expedition. What follows is a truly absorbing account of the triumphs and disasters as they progressed.</span> <span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana;">What really pours out of the pages of this account is Powell's passion for geology and his love of the entire region. Despite the battering he and his fellow explorers endured at times and the hardships that they experienced, his determination to succeed never wavered. Clearly some of his party did not share his belief that they could succeed in completing the journey and three made the decision to leave and 'take their chances'. An unwise move as it turned out as they were to perish at the hands of hostile Indians. Amazingly, Powell was to meet the killers of his colleagues a year or so later in his follow up expedition to the Uinta region and appears not to condemn them for their actions. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana;">I would recommend having a good map of the american south-west or better still, Wayne Ranney's book 'Carving Grand Canyon' at your side when reading this book in order to better track Major Powell' progress. Not all of the names that Powell gave to the multitude of features he encountered have been adopted in the long term, but most certainly have.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana;">I will leave you with John Wesley Powell's closing remarks as he reflected on the experience:-</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana;"><em><strong>You cannot see the Grand Canyon in one view, as if it were a changeless spectacle from which a curtain might be lifted, but to see it you have to toil from month to month through its labyrinths. It is a region more difficult to traverse than the Alps or the Himalayas, but if strength and courage are sufficient for the task, by a years toil a concept of sublimity can be obtained never again to be equaled on the hither side of Paradise.</strong></em></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana;">Cheers,</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana;">Alyn.</span><br />
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</div>Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-71534449192016573692010-07-29T13:18:00.003+01:002010-07-29T17:32:07.082+01:00Welcome to the Anthropocene!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My first copy of the Open University's <strong><em>'Geological Society Journal'</em></strong> hopped through the letter box a few days ago and one paper stood out from the others mainly because of it's authors. <strong>Dr Mark Williams</strong> and <strong>Dr Jan Zalasiewicz</strong> from Leicester University are two people I met at last years open day at the university and Jan is the author of a splendid book called <strong><em>'Earth after Us'</em></strong> that I featured in a blog last year (<a href="http://holeyschist.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html">click here to read</a>). The title of the paper is <strong><em>"Enter the Anthropocene: an Epoch of time characterised by humans"</em></strong>. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've often speculated about the likely legacy we humans will leave for future occupiers of planet earth and whether there will be anything left worth occupying millions of years from now. I have always, perhaps a tad naively, believed that maybe man isn't quite as stupid as I fear and will drag the planet back 'from the brink' eventually. But will we? It seems that many believe the earth's failsafe feedback mechanisms could, quite soon be pushed beyond the point of no return, ultimately leading to the destruction of all life on planet earth, leaving nowt but a seemingly dead mass like Mars! <strong>James Lovelock</strong>, in his book <strong><em>'Revenge of Gaia'</em></strong> I think touches on this very possibility if I remember correctly.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, Zalsiewicz and Wiliams' paper looks at the degree of environmental change brought about by man's activites, takes the idea first proposed by the Nobel Prize winning scientist Paul Crutzen and suggests ideas for formalising a specific epoch of geological time to cover the period of human influence on earth. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But how does one classify it? When did this epoch start? Is there a specific event that says before this event is the holocene and after it is the anthropocene? Well, there are a number of factors that might just leave a signature for future visiting geologists from afar to read. Firstly, the extinction of the large animals or 'megafauna' seemed to coincide with the rise of the human being, e.g the mammoths. However, it is difficult to be specific about the date as they died out in the americas 13,000 years ago, but died out 50,000 years ago in Australia. Some 'megafauna' survive today, e.g. elephants and rhino, but are unlikely to be around for too much longer. So maybe the Anthropocene requires a better means of classification?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The introduction of agriculture may provide a more specific date in order to gauge the start of this new epoch. WThe onset of agricultural practices brought widespread tree felling and planting of food crops which will have completely changed the composition of pollen grain accumulations in sediments worldwide, leaving a clear signature in the future rock record. This process will also have altered the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and this too will be detectable by the future geologist.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another potential means of dating the onset of the anthropocene could be in reading the signs of mans activities. No previous lifeform on earth has physically changed the outward structure of earth quite like man. Just how detectable the remains of man's handywork will be is difficult to gauge. Huge ancient cities vacated just a thousand years ago are now merely dust and rubble. But surely the vast quantities of brick, steel and concrete that make up our twenty-first century megacities will leave plenty of clues and a good idea of just when man was at his creative (or destructive, depending on your outlook) peak? As for how long the anthropocene will last is also difficult to estimate, but the pessimistic amongst us might suggest the width of this potential epoch might not occupy too much paper on the future geologist's stratigraphic column! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana;">The slightly depressing thing that came to my thoughts when reading this piece was that we humans and our relatives have only been around for a few hundred thousand years and are already making a good job of orchestrating our own demise. Yet the good ol' dinosaurs were the dominant vertebrate from the Triassic through to the end of the Cretaceous! That's a whopping 160 million years!?! That makes man's tenure seen pretty short term. And we like to think of ourselves as intelligent? </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana;">Sorry, but making such a 'pig's ear' of everything in such a short (geologically speaking) space of time makes us look pretty dumb! That said, rapid increase followed by sudden extinction is not at all unusual. Let's hope we can turn things around before its too late.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana;">Cheers for now!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana;">Alyn.</span><br />
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</div>Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-9558822768484336622010-07-12T17:43:00.001+01:002010-07-13T16:02:23.137+01:00Blasphemy, blasphemy!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am a regular follower of another geological blog called 'Geotripper' by a guy called Garry Hayes, a teacher of geology at Modesto Junior College in the USA and enjoy dipping into his prolific, enlightening and entertaining 'geoblogs'.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But a recent blog rather took me by surprise. Entitled <strong><em>"Ten Overrated Places to See Before You Die...Part Two"</em></strong> , imagine my shock on finding that the subject of this award, was Grand Canyon South Rim!!! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What? Are you mad? Before I comment further, take a look at his post </span><a href="http://geotripper.blogspot.com/2010/07/ten-overrated-places-to-see-before-you.html"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">here</span></a><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TDsyUYc2m3I/AAAAAAAAA0U/ltTW1xJCK4Y/s1600/P1010025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TDsyUYc2m3I/AAAAAAAAA0U/ltTW1xJCK4Y/s320/P1010025.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Grand Canyon at dawn from Bright Angel Lodges.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Overrated? I really don't think so!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">(Photo by Alyn)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">What Garry is referring to is 'the South Rim experience' and to a degree he is right. With around 277 miles of canyon to play with, tourist access is limited to only a few select places. As a visitor myself in 2008, I was surprised and I must say relieved to find that there is little in the way of development of Grand Canyon. As I understand it there are the lodges and apartments at Grand Canyon Village, a smaller development on the North Rim and also Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the canyon. Other than a few camp sites, that is about it and thank heavens for that say I. Can you imagine the horror of a multitude of 'Grand Canyon Skywalks' or similar crass developments littering this beautiful place?</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">So, Grand Canyon National Park saw fit to channel the tourist invasion into this one place. But is the whole South Rim experience spoiled as a result? Well, I can only relate my own experience. As a citizen of the UK, the trip over to Arizona constituted the 'trip of a lifetime' and yes, was on my list of those essential "places to visit before you die". What I wanted was a way for my family and my mother-in-law to stay as close to the Canyon as possible and at the very least get a feel for this wonderous place. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TDs7pczU0oI/AAAAAAAAA0c/FdxBSBkDj7E/s1600/P1010133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TDs7pczU0oI/AAAAAAAAA0c/FdxBSBkDj7E/s320/P1010133.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">From L-R: Diane, Amy, Me, Ruth and Anna-Ruth outside our Bright Angel Lodge</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">(Photo by Alyn)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Well, we stayed in the magnificent Bright Angel Lodges, literally only yards from the Canyon edge. And just a short walk away is the Bright Angel Restaurant where the most magnificent breakfast in the world awaits! One simply cannot 'overrate' their </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">breakfast potatoes, sourdough toast and endless coffee, no Sir!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">But I do understand where Garry is coming from. Sure, hoards of camcorder wielding folks hop off the bus in their droves, gaze over the canyon edge, pose for the obligatory photo with canyon backdrop, say "Gee, isn't it lovely" and then hop back on the bus and head for Vegas. For many, that is it. An afternoon's hop along the South Rim viewpoints, a photo at each and prescious little else.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TDtAVpFpUEI/AAAAAAAAA0k/rn-PH2TvO34/s1600/P1010054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/TDtAVpFpUEI/AAAAAAAAA0k/rn-PH2TvO34/s320/P1010054.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Evening bus tour of the South Rim viewpoints</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">(Photo by Alyn)</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But for so many more, a visit to the South Rim of Grand Canyon is just the start of a whole lot more. As Gary points out, it is impossible to grasp the sheer magnitude of Grand Canyon just by standing at the edge and looking over. When you look at just the Kaibab Limestone layer for example and realise that this layer alone is about 300 feet thick, you may then get an appreciation of the scale a little. So I am left with a longing to revisit and take a hike through at least a part of it. One day my friends, one day . . . </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana;">For countless others, they do just that. Hikes, canyon raft trips, camping etc, etc. So in my view, the Grand Canyon South Rim experience can serve as an introduction to the Grand Canyon. For some it is nothing but a single day out. But for many others though it can be a life changing experience and prove to be the start of something special, be it an appreciation of geology or even the feeling of being a little closer to God.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana;">Overrated? Never!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana;">Cheers for now!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana;">Alyn.</span></div>Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-31854679090955579492010-07-01T23:18:00.002+01:002010-07-01T23:22:27.806+01:00Problem solved - I think!?!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, things seem to be working again!</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As is often the way with I.T. the Blogger editor just seems to be workin again, though it was probably/possibly a 'cookie' issue or maybe some sort of conflict with a recently upgraded firewall and virus checker. At least they are two of the things I randomly tried and lo and behold, we're back on track! Hoorah!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So expect a proper blog in a day or two!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Back soon!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cheers,</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alyn.</span></div>Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-54143370766286746962010-06-30T12:56:00.003+01:002010-07-01T13:11:14.811+01:00Blogging problems - Any ideas?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Greetings!</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know it has been a while, but I'm afraid I'm having a few problems editing posts and even adding any new ones. I will try to explain in the hope that if anyone has experienced similar problems they can maybe offer some advice? </span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">About a month ago, when attempting to access the blog post editor all I would get is the rotating clock thingy in the editing area and nothing else happened. At no time does the editor fully load allowing me to add a post and this has continued for over a month now!?!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Neither can I access and edit any previous blogs in any way. These problems are occurring on my laptop at home via a wireless router. I don't have any such problems when accessing my blog on my computer at work, but that's non the ideal place to be doing my blogging - not if I want to remain employed, that is! So presumably, its a problem with my wireless network? I'm a bit of an I.T. technophobe, so haven't a clue where to go to solve this mini crisis.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I haven't tried accessing the blog directly on my home computer, which I am presuming will experience the same problems, but maybe not?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Any suggestions anyone? 'Blogger' doesn't seem to offer much help and I'm getting frustrated!!!!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Drop me a line if you can help in any way!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cheers,</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alyn</span></div>Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-52453837145531679792010-05-19T13:18:00.000+01:002010-05-19T13:18:52.342+01:00A day at Tideswell, Derbyshire, with the OU Geological Society<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Studying geology isn't just about reading books. To really get to grips with the subject you simply have to get out in the open air. With this in mind I recently joined the East Midlands branch of the Open University Geological Society, with the aim of getting a bit of practical geology experience, before I dive head first into the level 2 geology couse with the university.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, the ‘Basic Geology Day’ at Tideswell, Derbyshire (<a href="http://www.multimap.com/s/BQsZvjaY">click here</a> for a map of the area) sounded like the perfect introduction for a relative beginner like me. It was designed to give people like me a gentle introduction to sedimentary and igneous rocks. S276, the geology course is all part of my master plan to get a geology based degree sometime before senility creeps in, but is not likely to figure until next year. The first question was, would I be out of my depth? Would an unintensional 'faux pas' see me ridiculed in such educated company? Not a bit of it! I was made to feel welcome right from the off and able to ask any question I felt necessary.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A group of eight gathered in the car park at the old railway station at Millers Dale which comprised four committee members and four ‘newbies’ of varying levels of geological experience. Not only was this my first geology field trip, but it was also the first outing for my brand new walking boots bought specially for this very day - quite obvious to all probably as said boots were quite unfeasibly shiny!</span></div><div align="justify"><br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, after brief introductions, it was off on a short walk to the first stop – a limestone quarry, where Don Cameron, the group leader, described the ‘Derbyshire Dome’. Around 300 million years ago, the sea floor was lifted and a gentle anticline formed across what is now the Peak District, giving the area the characteristic 'dome' shape, hence the name. Folding of the rocks caused cracks (faults) to appear, particularly so within the limestone.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From the top down, the sequence of rocks present are coal measures; millstone grit; shale and limestone. The coal measures and millstone grit were then subject to erosion and at the most exposed upper part of the dome the gritstone was completely removed thus exposing the limestone in the centre of the Peak District.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S_GlFP2Z_xI/AAAAAAAAAyo/Gd1rQJ_V7q4/s1600/P1010461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S_GlFP2Z_xI/AAAAAAAAAyo/Gd1rQJ_V7q4/s320/P1010461.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A former Limestone quarry, Millers Dale Derbyshire.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don suggested we all take a look at some of the rocks lying around the base of the quarry and seen in the foreground of the above photo. I was of course aware of the fossil content of limestone but not how numerous they can be. The rock that I examined was packed with vast numbers of brachiopods, rugose corals and crinoid stem fragments of varying sizes.</span></div><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S_GnvQSKlaI/AAAAAAAAAzg/yFVDx0mWK_8/s1600/P1010464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S_GnvQSKlaI/AAAAAAAAAzg/yFVDx0mWK_8/s320/P1010464.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Limestone containing fossil coral (upper centre)</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I won’t give you a detailed description of the geology of the day for fear of getting something hopelessly wrong and embarrassing myself, but what this day emphasised for me was that it doesn’t matter how much studying and reading you do at home or in a college, nothing quite matches seeing things out there in the great outdoors. Even something as straight forward as a fault or an unconformity means so much more when you see it with your own eyes and in three dimensions.</span></div><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S_GmfREdAtI/AAAAAAAAAy4/xmE5CtHRLTU/s1600/P1010462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S_GmfREdAtI/AAAAAAAAAy4/xmE5CtHRLTU/s320/P1010462.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A fault line in the limestone caused during the formation of the anticline.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The day finished off with a quick drive up the road to take a look at a doloritic intrusion at Tideswell Dale Quarry, which was well worth the extra short drive. Here, hot liquid rock deep within the earth slowly cooled allowing fairly large crystals to develope forming the dark rock characteristic of dolerite.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S_Gm6cmVEXI/AAAAAAAAAzI/vSnffk2QrTQ/s1600/P1010469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S_Gm6cmVEXI/AAAAAAAAAzI/vSnffk2QrTQ/s320/P1010469.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Exposure of a dolerite intrusion, Tideswell Dale Quarry, Derbyshire.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S_GnFaQrNGI/AAAAAAAAAzQ/rk_iKvbpODA/s1600/P1010467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S_GnFaQrNGI/AAAAAAAAAzQ/rk_iKvbpODA/s320/P1010467.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Close up of the dolerite intrusion, Tideswell Dale Quarry, Derbyshire</span>.</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S_GnUDGfpdI/AAAAAAAAAzY/KhvfwriT9JY/s1600/P1010468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S_GnUDGfpdI/AAAAAAAAAzY/KhvfwriT9JY/s320/P1010468.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div></div><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Close up of a recent rock fall at the exposure.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Some rocks (lower centre) exhibit severe weathering</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">and a redish colouration due to their iron content.</span></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S_GoFEaLSGI/AAAAAAAAAzo/gWxMyNkESMc/s1600/P1010466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S_GoFEaLSGI/AAAAAAAAAzo/gWxMyNkESMc/s320/P1010466.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">View towards Froggatt Edge (I think) which denotes the edge of the Millstone Grit.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">To the left of the peak, lies shale and limestone.</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So all in all, a fascinating intro to geology and the OU Geological Society. Sadly, I can’t make the next trip to The Roaches this Saturday (due to 50th birthday celebrations!), but I will definitely make the (for me) short journey to Bradgate Park in June to find out more about the oldest rocks in England.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Me and my boots can't wait!</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cheers, Alyn</span></div></div>Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-9721613836548772602010-05-05T22:42:00.002+01:002010-05-05T22:46:34.924+01:00Next up it's Darwin and Evolution<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If only life wasn't so hectic and busy! If only I had the time to do what I REALLY want to do, namely study geology full time and blog away to my hearts content. Alas 'life' gets in the way so often and with my review of my fossil course only part done, I now have the course material for my next course in front of me. No time then, for that journey through time I'd hoped to do through the fossil record. Another time perhaps? I should be touching on it anyway, as I progress through the next endeavour.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the next ten weeks or so, I will be immersed in everything 'Darwin' and 'Natural Selection'! On May 15th, <strong><em>S170 - Darwin and Evolution</em></strong> commences and it looks like it will be another fascinating course.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So many things about evolution and the fossil record puzzle me. For example, if evolution takes place slowly, there must have been innumerable transitional forms of all creatures, which logically should be represented in the fossil record. But, by and large this seems not to be the case. A first dip into the course book shows that Darwin believed the answer simply lies in the imperfections of the fossil record. The introduction hints at evidence for the important transitions in the history of life on earth, so I'm looking forward to finding out more and maybe dispelling a few myths. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The course book we have been supplied with is called <strong><em>'99% Ape - How Evolution Adds Up', </em></strong></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and there is also a DVD of programmes to watch. Strangely there is an experiment/project for us to undertake that involves collecting snails from the garden which is intriguing! Some past students have apparently been unable to take part due to a lack of said creatures, but there will be no such problems for me I don't think - we're over-run with the darn critters here in the East Midlands! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unlike the previous fossil course which was assessed by a single computer marked assignment, this one will involve actually writing stuff and answering questions to be marked by a human! I much prefer that to be honest. You can't beat the personal interaction with a tutor so I'm looking forward to 'kick off' in 10 days time!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This next Sunday, 9th May I am going on my very first geology field trip with the <strong><em>Open University Geological Society</em></strong> - an 'Introduction to Geology Day' at Tideswell in Derbyshire, which sounds like the perfect way to start. We'll be looking at sedimentary and igneous rocks and I'm really looking forward to meeting new people and 'learning by doing' in the great outdoors. This will also be the debut for my brand new walking boots too! I'll let you know how it went next week!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cheers for now!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alyn.</span></div>Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-91120192141284389432010-03-22T21:52:00.251+00:002010-03-25T21:23:42.609+00:00Fossils and the History of Life : Part Three<div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Fossils and the History of Life: Part Three</strong></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay, I’d better crack on with my round up of S193, Fossils and the History of Life’. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Part Three: Common Phyla in the fossil record</strong></span></div><strong><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana;"></span></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I mentioned last time, the animal kindom is split into groups called phyla. These are represented in the fossil record and the </span></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">following is a brief summary of the main points concerning the most important animal phyla represented:-</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Porifera:</strong></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Sponges</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Cambrian to Recent</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Mainly marine though some freshwater</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Simple multicellular organisms – no nervous system</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Filter feeders</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Locally abundant fossils especially in Cretaceous rocks</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Found in flint nodules</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Cnidaria:</strong></span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S6fl2T4CT2I/AAAAAAAAAwQ/Wzysf1jnfqs/s1600-h/Favosites-turbinatus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S6fl2T4CT2I/AAAAAAAAAwQ/Wzysf1jnfqs/s320/Favosites-turbinatus.jpg" vt="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Above: Coral fossil, Favosites turbinatus (Devonian)</span></div><span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Corals</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Late Precambrian (Ediacaran) to Recent</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Almost entirely marine</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Colonial or solitary</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• 3 groups: 1) rugose (solitary or colonial) Ordovician to Permian; 2) tabulate (colonial) Ordovician to Permian; 3) scleractinian (solitary and colonial) Triassic to Recent.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Have central mouth and stinging tentacles</span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Note that Sea anemones and jellyfish are also cnidarians, but being soft bodied are rarely found in the fossil record.</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Bryozoans:</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Also known as ‘Moss animals’.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Ordovician to Recent</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Normally marine but also freshwater (uncommon)</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Very small colonial creatures living in groups of several to thousands of individuals</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Feed through tentacles</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Fossils can resemble corals and graptolites (see later)</span><br />
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</div><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Brachiopods:</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Cambrian to Recent</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Entirely marine and benthic (sea floor dwelling)</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Consist of 2 parts or valves and shells made up of calcium carbonate mainly though some of calcium phosphate.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Filter feeders</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Are common fossil in Palaeozoic limestones and shales.</span><br />
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</div><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Molluscs:</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Cambrian to Recent</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Mainly marine.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Very diverse phylum and most abundant large invertebrates in the fossil record.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Phylum includes: bivalves; gastropods and cephalopods</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Brachiopods seem rather similar to bivalves in many ways, but differ in that their ‘plane of symmetry’ passes through both valves rather than between them. Invariably, one valve is larger than the other in a brachiopod hence the common name of ‘lamp shells’. </span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gastropods are aquatic, living in shallow marine and freshwater environments.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cephalopods are entirely marine; have chambered shells and include ammonites, belemnites and nautiloids.</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Echinoderms:</strong></span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S6fl80TPt_I/AAAAAAAAAwg/kWT0EG0tt30/s1600-h/Orophocrinus-stelliformis-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S6fl80TPt_I/AAAAAAAAAwg/kWT0EG0tt30/s320/Orophocrinus-stelliformis-L.jpg" vt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Above: Echinoderm fossil, Orophocrinus stelliformis (Lower Mississippian - 345ma)</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Cambrian to Recent</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Entirely marine are benthic, sessile (fixed to rocks) or vagrant (move around sea floor).</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Feed, respire and move using extendible tentacles called ‘tube feet’.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">• Echinoids commonly has 5 rayed arrangement of plates and tube feet.</span></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• The phylum includes sea urchins, starfish (asteroids) and brittle stars (ophiuroids) and sea lillies (crinoids, see below).</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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</div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S6oNeXJ-ZUI/AAAAAAAAAxI/IuKBRRFBRZI/s1600/Macrocrinus-mundulus-1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nt="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S6oNeXJ-ZUI/AAAAAAAAAxI/IuKBRRFBRZI/s320/Macrocrinus-mundulus-1024.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Above: Crinoid fossil, Macrocrinus mundulus (Lower Mississippian - 345 ma)</span></div><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Arthropods:</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Cambrian to Recent</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• The largest animal phylum</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Found in land and water habitats.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Includes: crustaceans, insects, spiders, and now extinct groups such as trilobites</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Have hard outer segmented exoskeleton which is periodically shed to allow growth</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S6fl5oOgI8I/AAAAAAAAAwY/fUSB5MPbxTo/s1600-h/Greenops-boothi-1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S6fl5oOgI8I/AAAAAAAAAwY/fUSB5MPbxTo/s320/Greenops-boothi-1024.jpg" vt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Above: Trilobite fossil, Greenops boothi (Middle Devonian)</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Exoskeleton comprises chitin and possibly strengthened by calcium carbonate or phosphate.</span> <br />
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</div><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Hemichordates:</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Cambrian to Recent</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• The most important group of hemichordates are the extinct and entirely marine graptolites. These are confined to the palaeozoic era and are therefore an important zone fossil. (see later) These look strangely like ‘saw blades’ where the ‘teeth’ are actually small recesses that house individuals that make up a colony. </span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Chordata:</strong></span></div><span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Cambrian to Recent</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Possess a notochord through the length of the body</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Include the 5 classes of vertebrates i.e. fish; amphibians; reptiles; mammals and birds.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S6fmujkWf8I/AAAAAAAAAxA/2yMeqddmTv8/s1600-h/Tyrannesaurous-Rex_Jane1-1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BAH7yoZQsU4/S6fmujkWf8I/AAAAAAAAAxA/2yMeqddmTv8/s320/Tyrannesaurous-Rex_Jane1-1024.jpg" vt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Above: Dinosaur fossil, a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex, (Cretaceous) located</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">at the Burpee Museum of Natural History, Rockford Illinois, USA.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Extinct groups include the land dwelling dinosaurs (see above); marine ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs; and the flying pterosaurs.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Vertebrate fossils are rare and usually comprise only fragments. </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">So that's a brief and way too rapid round up of the common phyla in the fossil record. The phylum 'Chordata' itself could warrant an entire blog on its own - as indeed any of them could. But I'll maybe do that at a later date if time permits. N</span><span style="color: #0b5394;">ext time I wil start that journey through time, starting with a look at the mysterious <strong>Ediacaran fossils</strong>, examples of which were found close to my hoome in the East Midlands, at Bradgate Park. Then I'll get down to the nitty-gritty of the <strong>'Cambrian Explosion'</strong>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All photographs included above were courtesy of <strong><em>'The Virtual Fossil Museum'</em></strong> web site. This is an excellent resource, providing photographic galleries of the fossil groups and a lot of other information besides. For a closer look </span><a href="http://www.fossilmuseum.net/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">click here</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. </span></span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cheers for now,</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Alyn.</span></div></div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-75920724632298356042010-03-22T15:52:00.000+00:002010-03-22T15:52:43.875+00:00Course Result!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Greetings Folks!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I interrupt the series of S193 summaries to bring you the long awaited result of the fossil course, just announced by the Open University . . . </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, I <span style="color: red;"><strong>PASSED.</strong></span> Hoorah! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mind you, I would be pretty devastated to have failed it. A pass mark of 40% shouldn't be beyond anyone with a modicum of interest in palaeontology to be honest, but I did surprise myself by achieving a whopping </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-large;">97%</span></div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If I had got anything around 80% I would've been quite happy, but getting 97% just makes me wonder how I managed to lose those 3%!?! Anyway, detailed feedback will arrive by post soon I believe, so I'll let you know!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Next up in a day or two will be Part 3 of my S193 summary.</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">See ya then!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Cheers, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Alyn.</span>Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894419948551132064.post-69082341509378001552010-02-26T13:43:00.002+00:002010-03-01T21:05:18.160+00:00Fossils and the History of Life: Part Two<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is the second part of my summary of Open University course “S193: Fossils and the History of Life’.</span><br />
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</span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Part Two: Fossil Classification and Evolution</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Before anyone can get really stuck into palaeontology, an understanding of how fossils are named and classified is a useful starter. Immediately one is confronted with Latin which to many is the stuff of nightmares, but is actually really pretty straightforward in its use in science. Basically, fossils are classified according to the binomial system developed in the 1800s. Here, living things are classified according to a series of groupings in what is called the <strong>taxonomic hierarchy</strong>.</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Firstly, we have the category <strong>‘Kingdom’</strong> and any organism can be classified as either ‘animal’, ‘plant’ or ‘fungi’. Within each Kingdom, organisms fall into broad groups according to their body arrangement or ‘bodyplan’ and these groups are called <strong>‘Phyla’</strong>, (singular <strong>‘Phylum’</strong>), an example of which is ‘Chordata’ which includes all vertebrates. Phyla are then subdivided into <strong>‘Class’</strong> such as ‘Mammalia’ that is mammals, obviously. The next subdivision is <strong>‘Order’,</strong> for example ‘Carnivora’ , e.g. dogs, cats and these then constitute the next division, called <strong>‘Family’</strong>. Cats are from the family ‘Felidae’ and include lions, tigers and the domestic cat. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, to get to the important bit – two final subdivisions serve to identify a specific species and make up the two parts of the specie’s binomial name. Below ‘family’ lies the category <strong>‘Genus’</strong>, e.g. Felis which includes all wild and domestic cats. Finally, individual species are given a (not surprisingly) <strong>‘Species’</strong> name, e.g. catus for the domestic cat. So, the domestic cat is given the name <em>Felis catus</em> while us humans are called <em>Homo sapiens</em>. The observant amongst you will have noticed that the genus name must start with a capital letter while the species name does not and the whole name is written in <em>italics.</em> If you are hand writing an essay (does anyone hand write anything anymore?) then the whole name must be underlined. </span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Additionally, sometimes one may see what appears to be a surname after the species name. This in fact denotes the name of the person who first described the species in that particular genus. This is generally restricted to formal scientific journals though. </span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Giving any fossil a species name isn’t as simple as it might first seem. For instance, a ‘species’ is a group of organisms, the members of which can all interbreed. If one discovers a group of fossils, it is unfortunately not possible to determine if they could interbreed! So fossils are invariably categorised on their morphology alone. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Evolution and the fossil record:</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A common definition for evolution, taken from the S190 course book is:-</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em>“Evolution is any cumulative change in the heritable characteristics of species or populations from generation to generation or over longer periods”.</em></strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Or, more simply, it can be said to be <strong><em>‘descent from an ancestor and modification of biological features with time’. </em></strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Charles Darwin and others had the nerve to suggest in the mid 1800’s that species were not fixed at all but actually changed with time. Darwin and Alfred Wallace were the first to actually come up with a mechanism for this to occur – by way of ‘Natural Selection’. Darwin of course published his ground breaking book <strong>‘On the Origin of Species by Way of Natural Selection’</strong> in 1859 and the whole idea of nayural selection can be summarised in 3 points:</span><br />
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</span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Members of any population will vary and such variations will be inherited by their offspring.</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• A population will produce more offspring than can possiblys urvive and reproduce.</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Every population will experience a ‘struggle for existence’ and the offspring that vary in the ways most suited to their own environment will survive and breed again, causing the favourable variations to accumulate in these populations by ‘natural selection’.</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A nice quote from the course book is <strong><em>“variation is the raw material on which selection acts”.</em></strong> So natural selection brings about biological change in a gradual and accumulative way.</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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</div><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now this seems okay until one wonders, as I do, how did say, a birds wings gradually develop? At what point did this part-developed creature suddenly flap its new feathery arms and say, “well what d’ya know? I can fly!” Darwin, needless to say, had an answer – <strong>The Principle of Preadaption</strong>.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Feathers it is believed began firstly, merely as insulation and were in fact modified fish scales, a chance modification that just happened to help with insulation. Further gradual changes ultimately allowed flight – a radically different function to the original.</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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</div><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">S193 has given tantalising introduction to the subject of evolution and so enrolling on another OU short science course, ‘<strong>S170: Darwin and Evolution’</strong> will be a natural progression. Roll on May 15th! So many questions await, such as:-</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• If evolution is gradual, why aren’t there examples of a line of fossils of a creature that highlight how it has changes over millions of years? Or are there? </span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Did the Ediacaran fauna really become extinct or are they in some way related to modern life forms. I currently find it hard to believe that they just disappeared to be ultimately replaced by totally unrelated creatures.</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Did the ‘Cambrian Explosion' really happen? How can all categories of modern animal phyla ‘suddenly’ appear as if overnight (geologically speaking)? Surely they too gradually evolved but if so, why does the fossil record not reflect this?</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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</div><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I will try to delve into the Cambrian Explosion issue at a later date, but I think it warrants a bit more reading first. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By the way, if anyone out there (a post graduate perhaps?) has any thoughts on this subject or anything to contribute, drop me a line. Remember, I’m just an Open University mature student, delving into something that has fascinated me for ages but hasn't done anything about it, until now!</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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</div><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next time I will look at the common phyla in the fossil record and start a journey through time.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">See you then!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cheers,</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alyn.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"></span>Alynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00775391085537593025noreply@blogger.com1