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The Iceland Hot Spot
In 2010 air travel across the UK and Europe was disrupted by the eruption of a volcano in Iceland. The volcano was one of the smaller ones on the island. But why is Iceland covered in active volcanoes? Iceland is located in the North Atlantic Ocean and sits directly over the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This ridge [...]
Posted in General
Tagged Geology, Iceland, Lava, Magma chambers, Mid Atlantic Ridge, Plate tectonics
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A local puzzle?
Why are sea creatures found in the middle of Dudley and not 100 miles away on the coast? Today we tend to think of shells and corals something you would find along the coasts where there are beaches, reefs and the sea. But if you took a stroll through the Wrens Nest today you find [...]
Posted in Fossils, Local Geology
Tagged Dudley, Faults, Folding, Fossils, Geological processes, Wrens Nest
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Lady Murchison
Lady Charlotte Murchison (nee Hugonin) was born in 1788 in Hampsire to General Francis and Charlotte Hugonin. It is believed that she was one of three children brought up in the family home. Charlotte first met Roderick Impey Murchison in 1815 and they were married not long after in the August of the same year. [...]
Mary Anning
On the 21st May 1799 a baby girl was born to Richard Anning and Molly Moore in the seaside town of Lyme Regis, Dorset. She was named Mary Anning and was one of ten children in the family, but would later become one of only two surviving children. From a young age, Mary was unusual [...]
Giants of the Black Country
Imagine going back between 359 and 299 million years into the tropical coal swamps which would have covered the Black Country. You would have been in the Carboniferous Period which is known for forming thick formations of coal such as the Staffordshire Thick Coal, found below the Black Country today. The climate would have been [...]
Posted in General, Local Geology
Tagged Black Country, Carboniferous, Coal Swamps, Fossils
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Exceptional Preservation
Most living organisms are never preserved, in fact only a small number of species are preserved as fossils. Many are preserved due to the presence of hard body parts but few are preserved with only soft parts. Fossils which have been preserved in certain conditions may have both the hard parts such as bones preserved [...]
Sir Roderick Murchison
Sir Roderick Murchison was a famous Scottish Geologist, born in Tarrodale, Easter Ross in the Scottish Highlands in 1792. He was the David Attenborough of he’s day. As a young adult he spent many years in an English military college before joining the army for 8 years as an Officer. During his time in the [...]
Caring for your specimens
A good collector should always follow a few simple steps in order to keep their collection in order. Steps which are simple but yet often forgotten. These are a few tips on collection management. Always put a label with the specimen including where it was found, when it was found, what it is and if [...]
Dud Dudley
Dud Dudley was born in 1598 and was the illegitimate son of Edward Sutton, the 5th Baron Dudley of Dudley. Lord Dudley brought up the eleven children which he has had with Elizabeth Tomlinson at Himley Hall. Here Dud began to study the theory and processes used in iron manufacturing, which his father encouraged. By [...]
Posted in Collecting, Collectors, Famous People
Tagged Black Country, Dud Dudley, Dudley, geological maps, Geology, industry, smelting
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Why I became interested in geology
Our second guest blog describes how a local enthusiast Martin, began his journey along the rocky road of geology. For me it started at a young age, I used to get curios and excited at the site of exposed rocks. When I was out with my dad in the car, I used to look out the window [...]
