Lecture: Britain in the Ice Age: Unstable Slopes in a Frozen Landscape
Speaker:
Entry Fee
Members: Free
Visitors: £5.00
Date and Time
19:30 -
Location
Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, 16-18 Queen Square, Bath BA1 2HN
Lecture Description
Although we think of Ice Age Britain as dominated by glaciers, much of Southern Britain actually lay beyond the ice limits. Here conditions were severely cold, with winter snowfall, extensive permafrost (permanently frozen ground) and very different geomorphological processes from those of today. Permafrost results in near surface and more deep seated structures, including ice-wedges, pingos and cambered strata. Such structures can be used to reconstruct former conditions. During the periglacial periods, hillslopes became much less stable than they are today. Seasonal freezing and thawing of the surface layers caused weathering of bedrock and solifluction of the weathered products, the resulting Head deposits being important elements in the present day Quaternary drift. In areas with clay bedrocks, such as for instance the Cotswolds Escarpment, the Weald and the London Basin, shallow landslides were particularly active. These features are still present as relict landslips in many areas, and if not recognised, may still cause engineering problems.
Attending via Zoom
This is a hybrid meeting: you can attend in person or join online via Zoom.
Bath Geological Society Members: Free of charge. Joining instructions and the Zoom link are sent to members by email prior to the lecture.
Visitors & Non-Members: (including members of the Geologists' Association and affiliated societies) Please book via Eventbrite to receive Zoom access (see the Entry Fee details above).
How to join: Click the Zoom link provided in your email or Eventbrite confirmation. You can join using the Zoom desktop or mobile app, or directly via your web browser without installing any software. The virtual waiting room opens approximately 15 minutes before the scheduled start time, and attendees will be admitted before the talk commences.
For any queries about joining online, please contact [email protected].