16th QRA International Postgraduate Symposium Durham 2011

February 23, 2012

For some years now Van Walt has sponsored the Quaternary Research Association annual postgraduate symposium.  Last year the event took place in Durham and Van Walt were privileged enough to take part in the field trip visiting a number of sites along the Durham coast to explore the glacial, sea-level and fluvial Quaternary history of the region.

Danni Pearce, Quaternary Research Association Postgraduate Representative from the University of Worcester gives the following account:

The weather was bright, breezy, and excited by the prospect of no rain and Quaternary sediments, the cohort was led by off by David Bridgland, Derek Teasdale, Natasha Barlow, Matt Brain and Mr. Van Walt himself!

The first stop was the coastal section along Whitburn Bay and the old Ph.D stomping ground of (now) Dr. Bethan Davies. Undeterred by the wind the group, led by Derek Teasdale (Durham Uni), descend onto the beach to discuss the behaviour of the British-Irish Ice Sheet during the Last Glacial Maximum, which has been subject to extensive debate. The group were shown a range of lithofacies, a cobbled boulder pavement and in the words of David Vaughan-Hirsch (Ph.D student, British Geological Survey) ‘I like nothing more than a massive hydrofracture!’ Enough said.

Delegates at Whitburn Bay with Derek Teasdale

The second site visited was the Easington Raised Beach, which is the most northerly known Middle Pleistocene interglacial deposit in England. Led by the up-beat and fast walking Dr. David Bridgland (Durham Uni), he took groups of 4-5 people down a precariously steep cliff face to discuss the beach deposits. ‘Don’t come down if you suffer from vertigo’ was heard as Dave disappeared over the side of the cliff. Once there, the deposit was an extensive 15 m in lateral extent and 2.5 m thick. No one failed to be impressed with the interglacial deposit, which was supported by the presence of temperate-climate marine organisms and OSL dated to Marine Isotope Stage 7, so between 240 -200 ka BP.

Easington Raised beach with Dr. Dave Bridgland

The final stop was Cowpen Marsh, which did have a cowpat smell about it, but undeterred Dr. Natasha Barlow and Dr. Matt Brain (Durham Uni) provided a detailed description of the relative sea-level history and issues with autocompaction of the sediments following postglacial isostatic adjustment. The day ended on a high as Mr. Van Walt demonstrated their percussion coring equipment on the intertidal sediments and even let the postgraduates loose with the equipment. An excellent sequence was retrieved, which caused Vincent Van Walt to proclaim it was one of the best cores he has seen.  Thanks go to all the staff and Van Walt for making the fieldtrip a success and for booking the weather…..well almost!

Coring at Cowpen Marsh

These meetings provide an opportunity for postgraduates to present their research and meet others in the field of Quaternary science in a relaxed and friendly environment. Everyone had a thoroughly enjoyable time and on behalf of all the QRA postgraduates and the QRA itself, we would like to congratulate Vicky and Ed for putting on a superb 2011 Postgraduate Symposium, and thank them for all their hard work over the three days. We look forward to seeing everyone again at next year’s QRA Symposium at Aberdeen University!!!

Miss Danni Pearce – Quaternary Research Association Postgraduate Representative

University of Worcester,

D.pearce@worc.ac.uk