Geology
The 2021-2023 course is now full.
Convener
From July 2022:Dr Danny Clark-Lowes
Nubian Consulting and Emeritus Professor, Imperial College
September 2015 to July 2022: Professor Chris Wilson, Emeritus Professor of Earth Sciences, The Open University.
Meetings
The Group meets once a month on dates to be arranged. Between November and March, indoor morning sessions are held at a venue to be determined by the new convener. All day field trips are arranged between March and October. The course lasts for two years after which members will retire from the Group and if they wish join the independent Continuing Geology group that is not affiliated to U3A.
The programme
The rocks and scenery of Cumbria reveal almost 500 million years of Earth history during which the region was blasted by huge volcanic eruptions and covered by shallow tropical seas, deserts and thick ice sheets. To wet your appetite read the article from the December 2020 issue of Cumbria Life: click on 'Cumbria Life article' at the top right of this page. Here you can also access 'A beginners guide to Keswick geology'and 'Landscapes around Crummock Water'.
The course gives a practical introduction to minerals, rocks, fossils, geological maps and geological processes that have shaped the Lake District. The indoor sessions will introduce aspects of global geology including the major surface features of the Earth, continental drift, plate tectonics and key events in the geological history of the UK and Cumbria.
Geological walks
This part of the programme illustrates and reinforces concepts introduced during the indoor sessions and provide insights into the geological history of Cumbria. We will visit various locations around Cumbria starting at 09.30 finishing in the late afternoon. Walks will be up to 6 miles in length and a few involve ascents of up to 500 metres, whereas others involve driving to a number of locations where there will be short walks. Lunch is taken in the field although on some walks cafes and pubs may be visited. To aid communication during field trips, and to save straining the convener's voice, we use the TourTalk tour guide system recently purchased by the Skiddaw u3a branch.
For further information contact the convener at geology@skiddawu3a.co.uk