Geology Review - Spring 2009
During our first meeting of the year in January the Section officially confirmed our personnel changes for the New Year, which had been suggested earlier in the summer of 2008. Dr Arthur Hill, after several years of successful leadership, decided to step down as Chairman in order to devote more time to his personal studies. Mrs Sandra Mahé, the current secretary, was voted in as Chairman with Dr Ralph Nichols stepping into the role of secretary. We would all like to thank Dr Hill for his work within the Section producing many detailed and informative mineral and fossil lectures and for leading several of our field trips. Many of us have very fond memories of his friendly face, patient manner and those wellies that refused to give up! We would also like to say a big thank you to him for organising our monthly dinners, which enabled our Section members to get to know each other in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
This year the Geology Section will be embarking on a new area of field study, specifically looking at the relationships between joints and minor intrusions within the igneous rocks of Jersey. This will involve taking many measurements of these features across the Island in a variety of rock types followed by statistical analyses to establish whether there is a connection between them.
As usual the Geology Section meets on the second and fourth Fridays of every month. The meetings for the first half of the year are detailed as follows:-
- Friday, 24th April at 7.30pm - Field Trip – Granophyre and associated dykes, Mount Bingham/South Hill.
- Friday, 8th May at 8pm at La Hougue Bie - Preparation and cutting of field samples.
- Friday, 22nd May at 8pm at La Hougue Bie - Lecture on Titanotheres – After the Dinosaurs by Dr Arthur Hill.
- Friday, 12th June at 7.30pm - Field trip – Seawall Granite Textures, La Haule to Les Mielles.
- Friday, 26th June at 7.30pm - Field trip – Building Stones at St Ouen’s Manor, to be led by Neil Molyneux.
- Friday, 10th July at 8pm at La Hougue Bie - Programme Meeting for second half of 2009.
Wishing you all a happy 2009 with plenty of rock hunting!
Sandra J Mahé – Chairman
