The History of Geoconservation

The History of Geoconservation

Author: Cynthia V. Burek

Publisher: Geological Society of London

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 328

ISBN-13: 9781862392540

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This book is the first to describe the history of geoconservation. It draws on experience from the UK, Europe and further afield, to explore topics including: what is geoconservation; where, when and how did it start; who was responsible; and how has it differed across the world? Geological and geomorphological features, processes, sites and specimens, provide a resource of immense scientific and educational importance. They also form the foundation for the varied and spectacular landscapes that help define national and local identity as well as many of the great tourism destinations. Mankind's activities, including contributing to enhanced climate change, pose many threats to this resource: the importance of safeguarding and managing it for future generations is now widely accepted as part of sustainable development. Geoconservation is an established and growing activity across the world, with more participants and a greater profile than ever before. This volume highlights a history of challenges, set-backs, successes and visionary individuals and provides a sound basis for taking geoconservation into the future.


Marine Permian of England

Marine Permian of England

Author: D.B. Smith

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-03-07

Total Pages: 246

ISBN-13: 9401112045

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This book is concerned almost wholly with a diverse suite of carbonate rocks that were formed near the margins of shallow tropical seas during the last 5-7 million years of the Permian period (300-251 Ma). These unique rocks, collectively known as the Magnesian Limestone, have been studied for more than 160 years and the names of some of the early workers - Geinitz, Murchison, Phillips, Sedgwick, Sorby - would grace any geological hall of fame. Despite this formidable assault, and the efforts of a host of later workers, the Magnesian Limestone still retains many of its secrets. Permian marine rocks crop out on both sides of the Pennines, but those of the Zechstein Sea to the east are by far the thicker and more varied, and in these lie all but one of the sites selected for special protection. Detailed accounts of the rocks in 26 such sites form about half of this book and the normal and special features of these sites are compared, contrasted and placed in their mutual context in the remainder of the book. The sites were selected according to a range of criteria, including uniqueness, representativeness, historical importance and suitability for teaching purposes and research; most are inland quarries but a few are in the unrivalled coastal cliffs of classical County Durham where the main difficulty lies in deciding what not to select.


The Bowland Shale Formation, UK: Processes and Resources

The Bowland Shale Formation, UK: Processes and Resources

Author: J.F. Emmings

Publisher: Geological Society of London

Published: 2024-07-02

Total Pages: 311

ISBN-13: 1786205904

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This volume showcases recent geological, geophysical and geochemical research on the Carboniferous Bowland Shale Formation. The volume focuses on the key Carboniferous basins in the Midlands, northern England and North Wales. The Bowland Shale is perhaps the most controversial black shale unit in the UK. In the mid-2000s, attention turned to the Bowland Shale as a target for unconventional hydrocarbon exploration in the UK following success in the USA. This placed the Bowland Shale at the centre of a series of interconnected controversies and debates from the local to national scale. The geological credibility of the purported shale gas resource in the UK was – and continues to be – highly contentious. This volume contributes to a more updated view of the Bowland Shale, covering topics such as sedimentary, geochemical and physical properties and processes, basin-forming events, hydrocarbon prospectivity, mineralization and heat and fluid flow in the subsurface. The volume also includes a field guide to some of the key localities in the UK.


Minerals of Britain and Ireland

Minerals of Britain and Ireland

Author: A.G. Tindle

Publisher: Liverpool University Press

Published: 2023-11-16

Total Pages: 625

ISBN-13: 1780466854

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Minerals of Britain and Ireland is a completely comprehensive treatment of the minerals found in Britain, Ireland and the surrounding islands.


British Upper Carboniferous Stratigraphy

British Upper Carboniferous Stratigraphy

Author: C.J. Cleal

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-03-09

Total Pages: 335

ISBN-13: 9401105871

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This volume summarizes the results of a survey of British Upper Carboniferous sites, undertaken between 1978 and 1990 as part of the Geological Conservation Review (GCR). The GCR was the first attempt to assess the scientific significance of all Britain's geological sites and has proved a landmark in the development of a coherent geological conservation strategy in this country. To ensure that the assessments were based on a firm logical and scientific foundation, the range of scientific interest was divided into ninety-seven discrete subject 'blocks', reflecting the natural divisions of stratigraphy, palaeogeography and geological process; Westphalian stratigraphy and Namurian stratigraphy were two of these blocks. The first stage in the survey was a review of the literature, to establish a compre hensive database of sites. From this, a provisional list of potentially significant sites was made and this was circulated to all relevant specialists in this country and abroad. At the same time, the sites were visited to assess their physical condition and whether the interest was still extant. In some cases, excavation (so-called 'site-cleaning') was carried out to see if the interest of a site could be resurrected or enhanced. The com ments made by the specialists and the field observations were then used to produce a second site list, which again was circulated for comment.