On the last summer’s day of the year, I made a visit to the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, which is a rather lovely place to be. The building is lovely. A classic example of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture, built in the 1850s. Like most of Oxford, it is built of local Cotswold stone,… Continue reading A trip to the museum
Author: Metageologist
Metamorphism: Pressure-Temperature-time paths
Pressure-Temperature-time paths This post is in the middle of a series on metamorphism. Concepts such as metamorphic facies or grade all allow us to link a metamorphic rock to a particular set of conditions, under which it was metamorphosed. This is a simplification, of course. Hold a piece of schist in your hand: we know… Continue reading Metamorphism: Pressure-Temperature-time paths
Metamorphism: grade, zones, index minerals, and whisky
This post is second in a series of posts about metamorphism. Metamorphic grade, zones and index minerals Science is based on a solid understanding of underlying physical principles. Although I have chickened-out of the detail, everything I mention in the previous post is based on a solid understanding of chemistry and physics. The knowledge we… Continue reading Metamorphism: grade, zones, index minerals, and whisky
Papers and pot-shots: when geologists attack
One of my most valuable learning experiences as a Geology undergraduate was a first-year tutorial with the legendary Harold Reading. We were give an academic paper to write about (concerning alluvial fans) and we dutifully did so, showing we understood it, but simply taking it at face value, applying no critical analysis. Discussing what we’d… Continue reading Papers and pot-shots: when geologists attack