2025-2026
All talks for 2025-26 will take place at the Central Teaching Hub of the University of Liverpool, Lecture Theatre C, but please check the LGS Newsletter to make sure there has not been a change of room for a particular meeting. Entrance will be via the main door.
Talks will start at 7.30pm and finish by 9.00pm.
Please be aware that for security reasons, the building manager may lock the main door to stop access from outside at some time after 7.30pm. If you arrive late or are unable to gain access, you may need to contact someone inside the lecture to let you in.
2025
28th Oct
Dr. Paige dePolo
Liverpool John Moores University
The taphonomy of a pantodont-rich assemblage from the San Juan Basin, New Mexico, USA
66 million years ago, an asteroid hit the earth and kicked off the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction. In the wake of this extinction, many weird and enigmatic mammals began radiating into empty niches. One group, pantodonts, quickly grew to the largest mammals yet known in Earth history. In this talk, we’ll look at a collection of fossils from Torreon Wash in the San Juan Basin of New Mexico and think about their taphonomy (what happened to the animals after death). I will then develop an argument for gregariousness within Pantolambda bathmodon (a small pantodont) and illustrate that grouping behaviour is wide-spread within this clade.
4th Nov
Professor Jim Marshall
University of Liverpool
Bill Harper
The Deva Debate
Did water from the Mersey ever flow into the Dee Estuary? A hundred and more years ago many historians and some geologists accepted the hypothesis that the historic Mersey flowed westwards through the ‘Deva Spillway’ (an erosional channel through the Wirral) to enter the Dee near Chester. Despite arguments to the contrary the idea has persisted through to modern times. In this debate Jim will discuss early (but post-glacial) origins for the channel whilst Bill (recent book available – £5) will discuss the evidence for much more recent change. You can decide what you think!
11th Nov
Yani Najman, Professor of Tectonics and Sedimentation, Lancaster University
How do mountain belts form? The adventures of a Himalayan geologist.
Yani Najman has worked in the Himalaya and Tibet for more than 30 years, in locations stretching from Pakistan to the west and Myanmar to the east.
This talk will focus on how the Himalaya formed, and the impact of its formation on resources and hazards.
The talk will provide an overview of the evolution of the mountain belt, and illustrate aspects of the mountain belt’s formation with snapshots of Yani’s research.
Dr William Brown is a geophysicist at the British Geological Survey in Edinburgh, specialising in geomagnetism. His work combines research into understanding and modelling observations of Earth’s magnetic field and applications of geomagnetic models to global and local navigation. He is particularly interested in how the field changes in time.
18th Nov
Dr. William Brown
British Geological Survey (Edinburgh)
“The wandering magnetic north pole”
Many of us are aware that Earth has a magnetic field, and that the magnetic compass has been around for a while and can help us navigate, but fewer of us are aware of how changeable Earth’s magnetic field is, and to what extent magnetic navigation is still integrated in our modern technology-heavy lives. We will look at what observations and models tell us about the changing field – from the particularly active recent decades for the north magnetic pole to the possibility of a reversal of the magnetic poles.”
25th Nov
Professor Jim Marshall & Dr Lis Rushworth
University of Liverpool
Practical session: Digital Landscape Mapping using LIDAR surveys
Feature mapping has always been an important aid in the construction of Geological Maps. Participants will have the opportunity to develop a better understanding of modern, digital, terrain maps and have a chance to explore the use of online resources that can be used at home or on their phones. We will go on a virtual field trip to explore an area in the Pennines which is very familiar to LGS members!
This practical session will be in the CTL ENVS Lab and start at 7.00 p.m. Numbers will be restricted so booking is essential. Contact Jim Marshall if you wish to reserve a place: email: isotopes@liverpool.ac.uk
9th Dec
2026
6th Jan
Members’ evening
Anyone with some short presentation lasting 10 – 15 minutes, that they would like to share, please contact Chris Hunt email: chris1972scfc@outlook.com
Asriel Wilde
University of Liverpool
Albedo trends for Iceland’s glaciers.
Roy McGurn
The aim of the talk is to take a more holistic approach into how we are disturbing the carbon cycle and a pragmatic view of how population, wealth and technology will eventually recalibrate our relationship with it.
26th Jan
Dr. Iestyn Barr
Manchester Metropolitan University
Volcanic hazard response
3rd Feb
Dr. Neil Meadows
Redrock Associates
Triassic
17th Feb
The Hazel Clark memorial practical.
Dr. Maggie Williams & Dr. Lis Rushworth
University of Liverpool
Volcanic ash
This practical is the first LGS event to be held in memory of Hazel Clark. The volcanic ash samples used in this practical are samples that were collected by Hazel.
24th Feb
Dr. Alan Thompson
Cuesta Consulting
Geoconservation
3rd Mar
Dr. Katy Chamberlain
University of Liverpool
Something Igneous?
