A view of Kangaroo Point Cliffs, taken from across the river, December 2018.
Happy New Year! I’m going to try to keep up with my “Monday Geology Picture” posts in 2019. I did okay with these in 2018, although I missed some weeks here and there when I was very busy with work or family life.
To start off a new year of pictures, here is a picture that I took during a recent visit to Brisbane, Australia. This picture shows a place known as Kangaroo Point Cliffs. These cliffs are not completely natural but were rather formed by a combination of river erosion and quarrying for stone that was used to make several buildings throughout the city. The geology of the cliffs is quite interesting — the cliffs are comprised of Brisbane tuff, a welded ignimbrite that is Triassic in age. I’ll blog more about these fascinating rocks in future.
Here’s a little more information from a sign located across the river from the cliffs:
Sign with some information on the Kangaroo Point Cliffs. Click to enlarge.
The first paragraph says:
The rocks in the Kangaroo Point Cliffs are the debris of an ash flow from an exploding volcano 220 million years ago. The cliffs have been slowly carved by the river and from the 1820s stone was quarried from the cliffs to build the new Brisbane Town.
A view of an icy, rocky landscape in Greenland, viewed from an airplane window.
I recently flew from London to Vancouver, and the views as we flew over the northern part of the globe were spectacular. I particularly enjoyed flying over Greenland, a country largely covered by ice and snow. I spent a good hour or so looking at the white landscapes, which only provided glimpses of the rocky landscape underneath – generally dark rocks peeking through the white and sometimes, it seemed, directing the course of icy flows. The pictures I took didn’t do justice to what I saw, but I’m sharing one picture with this week’s post. What a lovely treat to see such landscapes from above.
A photo from an old geology textbook. Check out the field vehicle!
I really enjoy looking at old geology textbooks, which often have incredible photos and drawings in them. For example, check out the above photo from an old geology textbook that I picked up at a secondhand bookshop. Look at that vintage field vehicle! Does anyone know what kind of car that is?
The information in old geology textbooks (especially ones published before plate tectonics was understood) is often incorrect, but then again some geology basics – such as rock and mineral descriptions – haven’t changed too much over the past 100 years or so. So, old geology textbooks can still often be useful!
Here are a couple more pictures of the book from which this week’s “Monday Geology Picture” was taken:
Mr. Penguin says… it’s time for holiday shopping! Mr. Penguin has found a good rock… see what you can find for your rock-loving family member below.
There are ten shopping days left before Christmas. Do you have a geologist in your family but are not sure what to buy him or her? Never fear, the annual Georneys “What to Buy a Geologist for Christmas” list is here! Below are ten great gift ideas for geologists. If you don’t see something that strikes your fancy on this list, check out the previous years lists:
I’m currently visiting the US for two weeks, and I recently went to Target with my mom. In the kitchenware section I saw an amazing T-Rex cookie jar that you can also buy online. I was very tempted to buy the cookie jar, but it was a little big to put in my suitcase to bring back to South Africa, especially since I’d already done some other shopping! Maybe I’ll buy it next year. This cookie jar is bound to be a hit with the paleontologist in your family… or with any geologist, actually!
Cost: $19.99
Gift #2: Planetary Fleece
Earth Fleece. Picture from ThinkGeek.com.Mars Fleece. Picture from ThinkGeek.com.Jupiter Fleece. Picture from ThinkGeek.com.
The geologist in your family will adore snuggling up in a planetary fleece available from ThinkGeek.com. You can even choose from one of three options: Earth, Mars, or Jupiter. If you’re not sure which one to pick, I recommend the Earth one… or buy all three!
Cost: $29.99
Gift #3: Planetary Necklace
What a lovely necklace! Picture from ThinkGeek.com.
I really like the lovely “Solar Orbit Necklace” on ThinkGeek.com, and clearly I’m not the only one since the necklace is currently sold out. Perhaps keep this gift in mind for next year, or write a voucher for its purchase once it’s back in stock. The necklace is made up of lovely semi-precious stones that represent the solar system, including the sun, the planets, and the asteroid belt.
Cost: $39.99 (Original) or $79.99 (Sterling Silver)
Gift #4: Rock Display Case
A simple rock display case. Picture from Amazon.com.
Geologists are well-known for decorating with rocks, including making “deskcrops” in their offices. I certainly have quite a few rocks on display, both at home and at the office. Why not provide the geologist in your family with a pretty display case for more elegantly showcasing part of his or her rock collection? The geologist in your family is bound to pile up more rocks in random corners, but a case could at least keep a few of them in order! The display case could vary from very small to vary large, depending upon your budget and the space that your geologist loved one has for decorating. The case in the picture above is available on Amazon here.
Cost: Variable – about $10-$15 to several hundred dollars
Gift #5: Geology Field Notebook Bag
A lovely little bag for keeping a field notebook and other supplies at hand. Picture from http://www.riteintherain.com.
Does the geologist in your family do field work? Most likely! In that case, he or she will really appreciate a little bag for storing a field notebook, writing implements, and other supplies, such as rulers. The bag shown above clips onto a field belt to allow the geologist easy access to his or her field notebook at all times. The bag shown above can be purchased from Rite in the Rain.
Cost: Variable – about $30 for a canvas bag and about $200 for a leather bag
Gift #6: A Ruler
A simple wooden ruler. Picture from Amazon.com.Some colorful plastic rulers. Picture from Amazon.com.A fun ruler decorated with dinosaurs. Picture from Amazon.com.A fun ruler decorated with planets. Picture from Amazon.com.
Geologists can never have too many rulers since they are always measuring things (usually rocks!), both in the field and in the office. Geologists are also always in need of suitable items to include in photographs (usually of rocks!) for scale. You can buy any type of ruler, from a simple wooden or plastic ruler to a fun ruler decorated with dinosaurs or planets. Perhaps buy a few different types of rulers as stocking stuffers!
Cost: Variable – about $1 to $10
Gift #7: A Roadside Geology Book
An example Roadside Geology book. Picture from Amazon.com.
Is the geologist in your family planning a roadtrip soon? If so, why not buy them the relevant “Roadside Geology” book? These books showcase key geology along various roads and are available for many parts of the US. You can also find similar types of books covering some other parts of the world. For example, a similar book for South Africa (where I live now) is Geological Journeys. Above, I’ve shown the book for my home territory of Vermont and New Hampshire. Check out a more complete list on the Mountain Press website or on Amazon.
Cost: Variable – about $20
Gift #8: Volcanic Eruption Paperweight
I found this little volcanic eruption paperweight on the Spectrum Scientifics website, and it delights me. The geologist in your family is sure to love it, especially if he or she is a volcanologist!
I really like the TOOB sets of toys, which are plastic tubes filled with small plastic figurines. The figurine sets are really fun and are often educational. There are a few sets of TOOB toys that are geology-themed and the geologist in your family is sure to love them, even if he or she is no longer a child! You could buy the geologist in your family the Dinos TOOB or Space TOOB. These are sure to be a hit. However, if you want something really geological in nature, I recommend the Ancient Fossils TOOB or the Cambrian Life TOOB. Those ones are really neat!
Cost: $11.99
Gift #10: A Donation to a Scientific Organization
Donate to a worthy scientific organization today!
Scientific organizations can really use our support right now, especially in the US where some scientific research (including much Earth Science research!) is under political threat. The geologist in your family will definitely appreciate a donation to a worthy scientific organization. Two that I can recommend are the National Center for Science Education and The Planetary Society.
Over the next two or three weeks I’ll be sharing some pictures from my recent week-long holiday in March to the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. A week is not nearly enough time to fully explore this beautiful part of the world. However, my husband and I managed to see a fair amount! We took a flight from Cape Town (our home city) to Durban and then we drove through to the lovely little town of Hilton, where we stayed with friends for three nights. From Hilton we explored a beautiful part of the country known as The Midlands. Then we drove to the town of Underberg in the Drakensberg, which is Afrikaans for “Dragon Mountains”. On our way to Underberg we took a detour to Kamberg to see some rock art. We spent four nights in Underberg, and one day we went on a day trip up Sani Pass to spend a few hours in the Kingdom of Lesotho.
To start off the KwaZulu-Natal holiday blogging, today I’m sharing pictures from our visit to Howick Falls, an impressive waterfall located a short drive away from Hilton. Howick Falls is a 95 m tall waterfall on the Umgeni River. The falls cascade over a cliff composed of dolerite that intruded into Ecca Group sedimentary rocks. Both the dolerite and the Ecca Group rocks are Karoo Supergroup rocks. At the falls, a layer of Ecca shale can be seen sandwiched between sills of dolerite, and there’s also a dolerite dyke.
Let’s take a closer look at part of the cliff:
Howick Falls #2.
It’s a little difficult to see the boundaries between the dolerite sills and the Ecca shale, but they’re there.
Do you see the dolerite dyke? If not, let me point it out to you:
Howick Falls #3.
Here’s a closer look at the upper dolerite sill:
Howick Falls #4.
Here are two more pictures pictures of the falls:
Howick Falls #5.Howick Falls #6.
Do you see the Ecca shale layer in the above picture? Here are the rough boundaries:
Howick Falls #7.
As I mentioned, it’s a little difficult to pick out the boundaries from these pictures, but there’s definitely a shale layer in there!
Here are some pictures of an informational sign at the falls:
Howick Falls #8. The sign says sandstone but note that the Ecca Group consists of both shale and sandstone. My one geology book says that a shale-rich Ecca layer is located at Howick Falls. Click to enlarge.Howick Falls #9. A close-up of the geological diagram on the informational sign.
There’s a neat signpost at the falls showing the directions and distances to other famous waterfalls:
Howick Falls #10.Howick Falls #11.
Last but not least, here are some pictures of the beautiful river valley below the falls:
Howick Falls #12.Howick Falls #13.
That’s all for now. Stay tuned for more KwaZulu-Natal adventures here on Georneys!
My thick paperback copy of Diamonds, Gold, and War.
Earlier this week I shared a picture of a few books on diamonds that are on my current reading list. I’ve also mentioned in a couple of previousposts that I’d like to share with you a little information about some of the geology-themed books that I’ve read recently.
I read Diamonds, Gold, and War (hereafter abbreviated as DGW) over a couple months last year. The book is thick, so it took me a few airplane trips and many nights at home to read through. Although it took me awhile to read, without a doubt DGW is the most interesting and important book that I read last year. The book provides a detailed account of key events in South African history focusing on the 1870s to the 1910s. During this time period, rich deposits of diamonds and gold were discovered and developed into mines, kicking off the modern economic development of the region and a legacy of mining that continues to be important to the South African economy to this day. Some of the mineral deposits that were first discovered in South Africa over a hundred years ago are still being mined in today. Several large mining companies, such as De Beers, were founded in South Africa during this time period. However, while the rich mineral deposits played an important role in the economic development of the country, they also led to a fierce battle to control the new-found riches. At the turn of the century, the British battled the Afrikaner Boers for control of southern Africa, waging a costly and bloody war that badly affected both parties. In addition, businessmen such as Cecil Rhodes schemed to dominate the mining industry, ruthlessly forcing aside the competition. During this time period, South Africa’s mineral wealth was largely controlled by a few individuals, who often exploited their mine workers and who did not put much emphasis on health and safety standards, considering mine injuries and deaths to simply be part of the cost of doing business.
Here’s an excerpt from the book’s introduction:
“… in 1871, prospectors exploring a remote area of sun-scorched scrubland in Griqualand, just outside the Cape’s borders, discovered the world’s richest deposits of diamonds. Britain promptly snatched the territory from the Orange Free State. Fifteen years later, an itinerant English digger, George Harrison, stumbled across the rocky outcrop of a gold-bearing reef on a ridge named by Transvaal farmers as the Witwatersrand. Beneath the reef lay the richest deposits of gold ever discovered. The gold strike transformed the Transvaal from an impoverished rural republic into a glittering prize.
What followed was a titanic struggle fought by the British to gain supremacy throughout southern Africa and by the Boers to preserve the independence of their republics. It culminated in the costliest, bloodiest and most humiliating war that Britain had waged in nearly a century…
Two men personified the struggle: Cecil Rhodes and Paul Kruger. Rhodes, the son of an English country parson, used his huge fortunes from diamonds and gold to promote the expansion of the British empire as well as his own business interests… Paul Kruger, the Boer leader and landowner, whose only education was the Bible and who believed the earth was flat, defied Britain’s prime ministers and generals for nearly a quarter of a century.”
DGW covers a fascinating and important time period in South Africa’s history. The book is thoroughly researched and contains several pages of historical pictures and maps. Although the book is long (570 pages) and a little cumbersome at times, overall it is extremely readable – it’s not dry history at all. The book is full of rich detail and anecdotes. In particular, Meredith paints a vivid picture of Cecil Rhodes and Paul Kruger, two of the most influential – and also the most controversial – figures of the time period. Meredith also paints a vivid picture of the early days in the mining towns of Kimberly (diamonds) and Johannesburg (gold).
Personally, the book was an important one for me to read. I’ve been living in South Africa for nearly five years. During this time period, I’ve worked as a geologist in both the diamond and gold industries. Fortunately, the mining industry in South Africa looks quite different today than it did back in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Today, mining companies are much more socially responsible, and there is also a great emphasis placed on the health and safety of employees. The modern South African mining industry isn’t perfect, but it has come a long, long way. I found it extremely valuable to read DGW in order to better understand the origins and complex development of South African’s mining industry. In addition, I found it fascinating to read about how deposits of diamonds and gold were first discovered and developed in South Africa. Fortunately, Meredith’s descriptions of geology are fairly accurate, as history books go! I didn’t spot any glaring geological errors or omissions.
Overall, I highly recommend reading DGW. The book provides a wonderful example of how geology influences history. The discovery of rich mineral deposits in South Africa played a key role in shaping the country’s history and continues to shape the country to this day. If neither diamonds nor gold were discovered in South Africa, the country’s development would likely have taken a radically different path, for better or for worse.
My beautiful Himalayan salt lamp, illuminating our living room at night.
Although I haven’t yet featured such a gift on my annual What to Buy a Geologist for Christmas list, some of my wonderful relatives recently bought me a rock lamp for Christmas. Specifically, they bought me a pink colored Himalayan salt lamp. The lamp consists of a large crystal of salt, or sodium chloride, that is mounted on a pretty wooden stand. The lamp provides a lovely, soft, pale pink light. We turn the lamp on every evening to illuminate our living room, and we sometimes leave the lamp on overnight as a night light.
I absolutely love my salt crystal lamp. I mean, what’s not to love? It’s a rock that’s also a lamp, and that in and of itself is awesome. I really like the look of the lamp and its soft light. I even find looking at the lamp somewhat peaceful. It’s nice to have such a beautiful object in our living room.
All that said, unlike many people I do not believe that my salt crystal lamp has any healing powers… or that it has any substantial health benefits at all. Despite what many people say on the internet and elsewhere, Himalayan salt lamps do not emit significant quantities of ions, nor any sort of other magical “positive energy waves”. Most (probably all) of the supposed health benefits of Himalayan salt lamps are absolute rubbish. I say that as a geologist and not a medical professional, but several people agree with me – for example, see here and here. As someone with geochemical expertise, I can attest that Himalayan salt lamps are certainly not emitting special streams of ions. That is, they’re not emitting any special ions nor high quantities of ions – and turning the lamp on or off won’t significantly impact how many ions the salt crystal in your lamp releases.
At most, my salt crystal lamp slightly decreases my stress level by being a beautiful object to look at. And, really, isn’t that enough?
Logically, the little holiday tree in my office is decorated with Star Trek ornaments. The ornament of Spock and the Horta is my favorite!
Once again, like in 2013, the annual Georneys “What to Buy a Geologist for Christmas” list is a little late. That’s okay, though. If you’re having a busy December like me, then you’re probably a little behind on your holiday shopping. Also, these days you can order things online and request overnight delivery. Such is the modern world!
Do you have a geologist (or several) in your family? Then check out the list below for some holiday gift ideas.
You can also check out the lists from previous years:
Geologists often talk about geological (rock) bedding… now they can sleep in geological (bedroom) bedding! If you want to spoil the geologist in your family, purchase the amazing “To the Centre of the Bedding” set for sale by Land of Nod. The set is a little expensive, but it’s amazing and also looks reasonably geologically accurate. If someone buys me this bedding set, I think I’ll put it in the guest room and not let anyone ever sleep there… it will just be for show! If you’re on a budget, you could at least buy the amazing volcano pillow as a gift.
Cost: About $300 for the quilt and pillows, about $20-$30 for a single pillow
Gift #2: Poster and Map Tube
Plastic tube for transporting posters and maps. Picture from Amazon.com.
Geologists can always use a plastic tube that can be used for safely transporting posters (to present at conferences) and maps. There’s nothing worse than finding creases and rips in your posters and maps! So, for the travelling geologist in your family, why not buy a plastic tube? I recommend a nice one with a strap. You can find a variety of these tubes. For example, here’s a nice one for sale on Amazon.
Cost: About $10 to $50
Gift #3: pH Indicator Strips
Box of pH indicator strips. Picture from Amazon.com.
For the hydrologist in your family, pH indicator strips make a great gift. I always carry a pack of pH indicator strips in my field pack, in case I want to quickly test the pH of spring water. Of course, a proper analysis requires a pH meter, but even then I often use the indicator strips first for reconnaissance to select sampling locations. You can buy a variety of pH indicator strips. I recommend the 0-14 ones. For example, here’s a suitable box for sale on Amazon.
Another very useful item for a geologist’s field kit is a paint marker. Forget a Sharpie marker – that ink will just rub off of sample bags and tags over time. When you want to write a label that won’t rub off, use a paint marker. Some paint markers also write ink that’s resistant to fading at high temperatures, which is great if you want to write on sample tags or containers that need to go in an oven. I used paint markers extensively during field work in Alaska, and I learned that you can’t have enough of them when you’re collecting large numbers of geological samples. Black or blue paint markers are great. You can also buy multi-colored packs of markers, if you want a slightly fancier gift. Paint markers are available at many stores. Here’s an example of one for sale on Amazon.
Cost: About $3 for a single marker, about $15 for a set of markers
Gift #5: The Martian Book
The Martian book. Picture fromhttp://www.goodreads.com/.
One of my favorite movies this year was The Martian. I haven’t read the book yet, but now it’s on my reading list. My husband says that it’s well worth reading the book, even if you’ve seen the movie. For the planetary geologist in your family, why not purchase a copy of The Martian book? Or, if you prefer, you can write a card with a coupon that can be redeemed for the DVD, when it is released next year.
Geologists like maps, and they always need backpacks! So, why not buy the geologist in your family a backpack with a map on it? What a perfect holiday gift! There are dozens upon dozens of different map backpacks. I particularly like this one.
Is the geologist in your family also a whiskey connoisseur? If so, I recommend whisky rock cubes, which are small cubes of soapstone that can be used as an alternative to ice in your whiskey drink. The soapstone cubes can be chilled in the freezer to make your whiskey cold. However, unlike ice, these cubes won’t melt and dilute your drink. Furthermore, since soapstone is soft, these cubes won’t leave scratches on your nice whiskey glasses. I certainly know several geologists who enjoy whiskey, and I bet they’d love these soapstone cubes. With these cubes, they’ll be able to appreciate their whiskey and at the same time tell you how soapstone is made through metamorphism and where soapstone falls on the Mohs hardness scale relative to glass! You can buy soapstone cubes for whiskey at several places. For example, here are some for sale at Sur la Table.
Is the geologist in your family more of a beer drinker than a whisky drinker? If so, then why not buy them a bottle of Pangaea beer? This beer is made by Dogfish Ale Craft Brewed Ales and is named after the supercontinent of Pangaea (also spelled Pangea). This beer is called Pangaea because it is made with at least one ingredient from every continent, including Antarctica!
Cost: About $15 – I think this beer is limited edition, but perhaps you can find a bottle somewhere! Let me know if you know of a good supplier.
The geochcemist in your family will really love a beaker mug, such as this one from ThinkGeek. Just remind your loved one not to mix up this mug with their real laboratory glassware!
Cost: About $5-$10
Gift #10: Warm Socks
The latest pair of knitted woollen socks that I made for my husband.
A good pair of warm socks is essential for geological field work, especially in cold weather. I realize that socks may seem like a cliche holiday gift, but believe me the geologist in your family will appreciate a good pair of woollen hiking socks! If you happen to be a knitter, like me, you could even knit a special pair of socks. I’ve made three pairs for my geologist husband, and he still wants more! There’s nothing better than handmade knitted socks to keep your toes cosy during geological field work.
Cost: About $15 for a storebought pair, about $10-$20 for good quality yarn if you want to knit a pair
Silverine #1. Pink watsonia flowers are in the foreground, charred vegetation is in the background.
Earlier this year back in March, as I blogged about here and here, a large forest fire raged over much of the Cape Peninsula region of South Africa. Shortly after the fire was extinguished, my husband and I went on a hike in the Silvermine Nature Reserve, one of the areas badly affected by the fire. We found ourselves walking through a surreal, ash-covered landscape filled with charred vegetation, with occasional spared pockets of greenery.
Originally, I had hoped to hike in Silvermine every month or two after the fire, to document the re-growth of the vegetation and other changes to the landscape. However, the reserve was closed shortly after our hike back in March. The reserve was closed to protect the environment, including the recovering vegetation, and also to protect people from hazards, such as partially-burned trees and damaged buildings. However, in October a portion of the reserve was opened up for hiking again. So, in November my husband and I organized a few friends, and we went on a half day hike at Silvermine. Today I want to share some pictures from that hike with you here.
The Silvermine area is slowly but surely recovering from the fire. Animals are returning to the reserve, and the vegetation is also recovering. During our hike back in November, we found the flowers amazing, especially the gorgeous pink watsonias. There are always flowers at Silvermine, particularly during flower season, which has its peak in September and October. However, the flowers this year are the most impressive that I’ve ever observed at Silvermine during my 5 years of living in Cape Town. Because of the fire earlier this year, the flowers are more visible and stand out in vivid contrast against a charred backdrop of burned vegetation. In addition, the vegetation at Silvermine is different this year because opportunistic plants, including some flowers, are taking advantage of the extra space and sunlight.
Without further ado, enjoy some pictures of our stunning November hike at Silvermine:
Silvermine #2. Hiking amongst burned vegetation, with some green below.Silvermine #3.Silvermine #4.Silvermine #5.Silvermine #6.Silvermine #7.Silvermine #8.Silvermine #9.Silvermine #10.Silvermine #11.Silvermine #12. My husband stops to admire a watsonia flower.Silvermine #13. Up close shot of watsonia flowers.Silvermine #14.Silvermine #15.Silvermine #16. Yours truly, posing with some watsonias.Silvermine #17.Silvermine #18.Silvermine #18.Silvermine #19.Silvermine #20.Silvermine #21. A protea bush that survived the fire.Silvermine #22.Silvermine #23.Silvermine #24. The happy group of hikers, sans photographer.
Last but not least, there’s a new (non-melted) green trash can:
Silvermine #25.
Certainly, Silvermine looks very different now compared to when we hiked there after the fire in March. The landscape will continue to change as the vegetation continues to grow back.
Website for the 35th International Geological Congress. Go check it out!
I recently registered to attend the International Geological Congress, a big geological conference that is held every four years in different locations around the globe. Next year, the 35th International Geological Congress is being held in Cape Town, South Africa, the beautiful city that I currently call home! The conference is being held August 27th to September 4th 2016, and there are a number of exciting field trips being held before and afterwards. For example, you can ride a train from Cape Town to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, stopping to see all sorts of geological wonders along the way. Or, if you prefer, you can spend a week travelling down the Orange River by canoe, paddling past 2 billion years of geological history. Or, if you’d like to learn a little about the geology that I study for my day job working as an industry geologist for De Beers, you can participate in a diamond field trip in South Africa or in a second diamond field trip up in Namibia. If you can’t attend one of the longer field trips, there are also a number of shorter field trips. For example, you can attend a day field trip to the West Coast Fossil Park, which I featured in this week’s “Monday Geology Picture” post.
I’m very excited to be attending the congress next year, and I hope that some of my local and overseas geological colleagues will consider attending. You can register for the conference any time between now and the day it begins. If you want to present a talk or a poster, the abstracts are due at the end of January. If you happen to be a friend of mine (that is, I know you in person, from graduate school or something like that), I might even be able to provide you with accommodation. Our house is a short drive from the conference venue, and we have two guest rooms and a couple of sofas that could accommodate visitors… and we have a swimming pool in the front yard! First come, first serve… although you have to like cats since we have three! At the very least, my geologist husband and I hope to host a couple of geological parties at our house for friends attending the conference.
Our pool… the perfect venue for post-conference relaxation!
I’m excited about this conference, for a number of reasons. First, I think it’s wonderful that geologists from all over the world will be coming to Cape Town and that I’ll be able to spend a week listening to all sorts of geological talks. Second, I haven’t attended a scientific conference since I started working in industry. It will good to attend an old fashioned academic conference again… and it sounds as if the International Geological Congress is going to be a good one! Last but not least, I have permission from my superiors to give a talk on some research that I’ve been working on recently. I can’t share the details yet since my abstract needs to go through various approvals first, but I’m looking forward to being able to share a little about some of the research that I carry out as an industry geologist. I’ll be sure to post a link to the abstract once it’s available on-line a few months from now.
And if all that doesn’t convince you to attend the 35th International Geological Congress, below are a few pictures of gorgeous Cape Town. Come and visit!
Gorgeous scenery, including an inselberg!Check out this beautiful nonconformity!Cape Town has great rocks… and some of them have adorable penguins living on top of them!More stunning scenery. Just sign up for the conference already!
Georneys 