It is unusual to
find a title of this type in a book review section of a geological magazine. However, the essence of the book is essentially
a semi-autobiography of a mineral exploration geologist.
The book does not
even attempt to discuss the psychology of the field geologist's mind, which is
probably a good thing! It does, however,
give an excellent insight into the life of a field geologist over a period of
almost 40 years. Each chapter is
essentially an anecdotal story that indirectly maps the author's career and it
makes a fascinating and interesting read.
Because each chapter focuses on a different aspect of his career, it is
an easy book to dip into from time to time without losing track of the overall
story
The author's
search for diamonds and gold has taken place predominantly in Africa, Australia
and China. Often set in remote and
isolated wilderness, attempts to interpret the local geology in the search for
minerals frequently become secondary to avoiding snakes and explaining to the
local cook that macaroni cheese is not usually served as a frozen dessert.
Even when not
working in the wilderness, the author is to be found crawling around one of the
deepest gold mines in the world in a setting that would drive most modern
health and safety officers to distraction, or dealing with extraordinary levels
of bureaucracy in communist China. The
anecdotes are witty and enlightening, giving the reader a fascinating insight
into the career of a mineral exploration geologist.
One of the most
interesting things to emerge is that the author's career has taken him to
locations far from well-trodden tourist trails and during periods of
significant social change. Scenarios and
situations throughout the book are recorded with insight and wit and the author
is always sensitive and respectful of all the cultures and traditions he
encounters. It is, in fact, a valuable
record of social and political change throughout this period.
The book does
tend to jump from continent to continent rather abruptly; but once the reader
gets used to this style of writing, it is an excellent read and one that can
also be recommended to those without any knowledge of or expertise in geology.
However, if you
are hoping for an in-depth psychological analysis of the mind of such a
geologist, you should maybe head for a different section of the library.
Reviewed by Tim Tubby
THE PSYCHOLOGIST'S
JUST BEEN by TOM LINDSAY. 2015 Mirador Publishing. 210pp, Pbk.
ISBN-10: 1911044427 ISBN-13: 978-1911044420. List Price: £8.99. Kindle edition £3.99.
Chemical, Physical and
Temporal Evolution of Magmatic Systems
Field
observations and pioneering high-temperature experiments undertaken a century
ago by Norman L Bowen founded the basis of modern igneous petrology. Bowen’s work concluded that the chemical
differentiation of magmas was primarily controlled by the settling-out of
crystals from molten rock in magma chambers and the squeezing out of residual
liquid.
This crucial
initial insight into the chemical and temporal evolution of magmatic systems
informed and underpinned subsequent research on igneous differentiation: magma
chambers behave as crystal-poor ‘boiling vats’ in the crust where crystals,
bubbles and melt separate gravitationally, heat dissipated to their
surroundings initiating crystallisation, driving igneous differentiation.
Since 1915,
research advances in the physico-chemical properties of sub-volcanic magmatic
systems coupled with rapid technological development have fundamentally revised
our understanding of this simple model. Igneous
petrologists now recognise this paradigm is rare with most natural magmatic
systems primarily existing in partially molten (‘mushy’) states, as serially
arranged and variably interconnected storage regions, periodically replenished
by different fluxes of magma and heat. Complex
interplay in these fluxes and variations in physico-chemical properties as they
rise through and navigate the crustal system, provide the dominant controls on
magmatic differentiation and the eventual igneous materials produced.
This volume
presents the modern understanding of the chemical, physical and thermal evolution
of crustal magmatic/volcanic systems derived from recent research advances in
igneous/metamorphic petrology, geochemistry, geochronology and numerical/thermal
modelling. Introduced with a contextual
overview paper, the volume contains 10 recent contributions organised into four
fully-indexed thematic sections: 1: magma fluxes and phase equilibria, 2: phase
equilibria, physical properties of magma and melt extraction, 3: architecture
of subvolcanic reservoirs and 4: volcanic conduits.
A thorough review
of contemporary developments within this field, the anticipated readership is
expected to be from postgraduate researchers and professional academic
geoscientists specialising in igneous petrology and petrogenesis, geochemistry
and allied disciplines. All
contributions are well-written and edited, with clear and appropriate figures,
photographs and data-tables, augmented with a spectacular cover photograph as a
bonus!
In summary, the
inherent complexities of the evolving perspective of magmatic systems reveal an
account of ‘mushmatism’ more than magmatism.
A fascinating and recommended read.
Reviewed by Mark
Griffin
CHEMICAL, PHYSICAL AND
TEMPORAL EVOLUTION OF MAGMATIC SYSTEMS by CARICCHI L and BLUNDY, J D (editors). Geological Society of London Special
Publication No 422. 2015. Geological Society of London. ISBN 978-1-86239-732-3. Hbk. 223pp. ISSN 0305-8719. List Price: £100.00, www.geolsoc.org.uk/SP422.
Seismic Reflections of
Rock Properties
This book
provides a comprehensive and accessible guide to the application of rock
physics for seismic analysis and interpretation to aid in the search for
hydrocarbon reservoirs in oil and gas prospecting. It starts by introducing the reader to the
basics of rock physics-based forward modelling before moving on to more
advanced topics such as practical approaches to frontier exploration, advance
rock physics applications and computational rock physics (an evolving
technique).
The book is 324
pages long with seven main sections broken into 19 chapters overall. It is beautifully prepared and
well-illustrated throughout.
Dvorkin,
Gutierrez and Grana initially discuss the rock-physics-based forward modelling
approach following three basic steps:
Varying rock properties systematically
(such as lithology, porosity, rock type, pore fluids, reservoir geometry etc.)
to generate synthetic seismic traces;
Comparing these synthetic seismic traces
to actual seismic traces from a wide database of field examples;
Drawing conclusions based on the idea
that similar seismic traces are generated by similar physical rock
properties in the sub-surface, which allows the inference of rock
properties from actual seismic traces.
The overall
outcome of this method is to generate an accurate geological and geotechnical
model (‘pseudo-wells’) of the subsurface.
Various case studies based on real well data along with sample synthetic
seismic reflections (such as silicilastic and carbonate rocks) from key
realistic reservoir models provide a helpful reference catalogue for the
reader.
This small
hardback book is logically laid out and includes an extensive set of
references, highlighting how well published the authors are on the subject of
rock physics - particularly Jack Dvorkin!
Numerous figures are presented throughout the text and help illustrate
the highly technical subject; however the graphs are typically presented on a
small scale due to the A5 dimensions of the book and some finer details maybe
lost. A nice surprise was the inclusion
of the direct hydrocarbon indicator checklist within the appendix, as this
provides a useful reference for practical application by the reader.
The book is well
written and reasonably priced (particularly the kindle version). It provides more of a reference volume than
‘light reading’ for a non-specialist and as such I would recommend the book to
experienced petroleum geoscience professionals.
Reviewed by Caroline
Mason
SEISMIC REFLECTIONS OF
ROCK PROPERTIES by JACK DVORKIN, MARIO A. GUTIERREZ
and DARIO GRANA, 2014. Published by
Cambridge University Press, 324pp ISBN 978-0-521-89919-2 Hardback List Price
£51.00
Petroleum Geology of
Libya
The first edition
of this book was written by Don Hallett and published by Elsevier in 2002, at a
time when diplomatic relations between Libya and the west were improving
rapidly and a settlement was reached over Lockerbie. Tripoli was a good posting and numerous conferences
and fieldtrips made that edition a must-have travelling companion.
Personally I
worked in and out of Binghazi until 2010 but lost touch with the exploration
community at the start of the civil war.
The decade leading up to it saw significant advances in our knowledge of
the four onshore basins and the offshore giants such as Bouri.
Hallett and
Clarke-Lowes form the ‘dream-team’ in terms of regional knowledge and have
continued to function at the forefront of geoscience in Libya, with access to
new data, significant advances in exploration concepts and the interpretive
gains in subjects such as sedimentology, sequence stratigraphy,
palaeogeography, tectonics, and modelling.
The new edition
has 347 colour figures, produced in the pastel shades successfully adopted by
Nubian Consultancy. This edition is
divided into eight chapters and a labour-saving bibliography lists over 1200
technical papers. The History of Oil and
Gas Exploration (Chapter 1) is most informative and an essential read for the
next generation of regional explorationists, setting a very high standard for
the rest of the book.
Although the first
Italian settlers and geologists were not welcome in pre-war Libya, the
geologists led by Ardito Desio, Director of the Libyan Geological Survey
1936-1940, was first class, with Desio predicting that the Sirt Basin could be
an oil province. The first chapter also
documents the events of successive decades from 1950 to 2015, detailing a host
of concessions and licences with informative notes on the complex nature of
Libyan names, well-nomenclature and given field.
Chapter 2 is an
excellent account of the plate-tectonic history of Africa, with the emphasis on
North Africa and Tethys. It is
beautifully illustrated and an essential lead-in to sections on Stratigraphy
(3), Structure (4), Petroleum Geochemistry (5), Petroleum Systems (6), the Oil
and Gas Fields of Libya (7) and Future Exploration and Exploitation Potential
(8).
As before, these
chapters are packed with detailed maps and cross-sections they are most
pleasant to the eye and worth a fortune in terms information. It is a masterpiece. All explorationists should have a copy.
Reviewed by Dick Moody
PETROLEUM GEOLOGY OF
LIBYA: SECOND EDITION by DON HALLETT AND DANIEL CLARK-LOWES, 2016. Published by:
Elsevier, 404pp (Sbk) ISBN 978-0-444-63517-4. eBook ISBN: 9780444635198 List Price: US$252.00
(bundle), Separately US$210.00
Mountain - Nature and
Culture
This book, a
volume in the Earth Series commenced in 2012 by Reaktion Books, takes a
fascinating look at natural phenomena from some rather interesting angles. These are not textbooks as such on floods,
waterfalls, deserts, earthquakes, volcanoes and more besides, but beautifully
produced volumes, copiously illustrated and crammed full of the most
interesting and thought-provoking facts and observations.
Having read and
thoroughly enjoyed the volume Caves - Nature and Culture, I greatly
looked forward to immersing myself in a companion volume about mountains. Like many geoscientists and physical
geographers I came into geology through an interest in the great outdoors as a
walker and climber, and experienced wilderness country and its physical and
spiritual impact early on in my career.
We should all,
then, know exactly what a mountain is, shouldn’t we? Well, all is not as it seems in the definition
department and the contradictions and perceptions plunge us right into the
subject from the first page. What
follows, according to the author, is a book presenting mountains in the light
of “…the holy and the diabolical, life and death, vision and time, science,
technology and heritage”.
Given the breadth
of subject matter, the diversity of themes and the very wide factual spread for
the author to draw on, you might be forgiven for thinking the subject is far
too vast to cram into 264 pages. But you
would be wrong, for the author has produced a fascinating exploration of the
impact of those, often colossal, crustal features we call mountains.
Both real and
imaginary, they have influenced human emotions, religious beliefs, scientific
investigation and cultural responses; challenged human imagination and physical
endurance and stimulated significant geological endeavour. Here is a wonderful collage of facts and
stories, skilfully and cleverly structured, appropriately and beautifully
illustrated.
Nearly all of the
magnificent mountains I have ever read about, seen or had the pleasure of
climbing, appear to be mentioned in this book.
The text wanders over mountain ranges and peaks across the globe,
drawing in cultural, religious, cartographic, artistic, scenic, biographic and
much historic and geographic data. It
weaves a tapestry of anecdotal information, myths, linguistic detail, personal
observations and scientific facts, and includes 137 illustrations, many of
which are in colour. Be prepared to
learn much more about mountains that you never knew before, from a book that is
a very well-illustrated ‘cracking good read’.
Reviewed by Chris
Carlon
MOUNTAIN: NATURE AND
CULTURE by Veronica
della Dora, 2016. Published by: Reaktion Books Ltd. 264pp ISBN: 978 1 78023 647 6 List Price: £14.95
W: www.reaktionbooks.co.uk
Industrial Structural
Geology
Structural
geology is an integral and influential discipline applied across a spectrum of
geosciences. Concepts and techniques
derived and developed from structural geology are routine components in
numerous areas of geoscientific investigation, ranging from the petrological
thin section to the analysis of data derived by remotely sensed satellite
observation.
The scale of the
discipline is of particular relevance when applied to the activities of the
natural resource industries (especially the hydrocarbon, mining and
hydrogeology sectors), where subsurface definition, quantification and
extraction (or storage) of industrial or economic resources is essential. Common examples of the industrial
applications of structural geology include the interpretation of
borehole-derived and seismic data to define the architectural geometries of
hydrocarbon and mineral deposits, enabling the quantification of these
resources and evaluate potential economic (and safe) techniques for their
extraction.
With
contributions from workers within academic institutions, consultancies and
industry, this Special Publication provides a comprehensive synthesis of the
current trends and predicted future direction of structural geology as applied
to natural resource/industrial contexts.
Introduced with
an overview paper from the editors, the volume presents 16 papers organised
into three fully-indexed thematic sections: industrial structural principles,
industry techniques and workflows and structural integration and case studies
from industry. Diverse topics covered
include trap definition, fault seal, fold-and-thrust belts, fractured
reservoirs, fluid flow and geomechanics.
In summary, the
volume demonstrates the current and continuing significance of the techniques
of structural geology to the resource industries (particularly within
hydrocarbon exploration and production), and the applicability of these
techniques at all scales and ‘lifetime’ stages of a resource. The volume additionally provides substantive
insights into how structural geological ‘theory’ translates appropriately into
industrial ‘practice’.
Providing an
excellent overview of the ‘state of the art’ pure and applied developments
within this important and evolving field, the expected audience is anticipated
from both academic and industrial sector geoscientists. The contributions are well-written and
edited, complemented with appropriate figures, photographs and data-tables,
features that one has come to expect from the GSL Special Publication series. The editors and contributors are to be
congratulated. A recommended read.
Reviewed by Mark
Griffin
INDUSTRIAL STRUCTURAL
GEOLOGY: PRINCIPLES, TECHNIQUES AND
INTEGRATION by RICHARDS F L, RICHARDSON N J, RIPPINGTON S J, WILSON R W AND BOND C
E (eds). Geological Society of London
Special Publication No. 421. 2015. Geological
Society of London. ISBN 978-1-86239-733-9. Hbk. 267pp. ISSN 0305-8719. List Price: £100.00 (Fellows’ discount
applies) W: www.geolsoc.org.u/SP421.