Events & Courses

Time and location

Tuesday 8 October 2024 | Mott MacDonald, 10 Livery St, Birmingham B3 2NU & Zoom Video Conference | 6:30pm start.

Event details

During the early part of the last (Devensian) glacial maximum, ice extended rapidly from the Irish Sea zone of accumulation, across the northern part of the West Midlands, depositing the Brewood Till Formation. Subsequently the ice retreated to the Cheshire Plain, and during a period of standstill, a prominent zone of terminal moraines were deposited (Wrexham – Bar Hill). In contrast to this later Stockport Formation phase, landforms associated with the earlier Brewood Till Formation Phase are apparently absent.

This talk is going to examine this, and reviews what is known historically about the Devensian Ice Limit in the West Midlands (known as the Wolverhampton Line). Key information from the M6 Toll ground investigation is presented which demonstrates that Devensian Ice extended eastwards towards the Trent Valley, south east of Cannock Chase. This together with details from the Geological Survey, give some clues as to the south east extent of the Devensian Ice Margin around Cannock Chase and into in the Trent Valley, as shown on older BGS publications. However, some uncertainty does remain. There is the enigma of the incised channel, up to 12m deep, below the Late Devensian River Trent, River Terrace Deposits, possibly a relic of the Brewood Phase.

Details of the Brewood Till Formation, north of the 'Wolverhampton Line' are considered. It is noted that the deposits left by the Brewood Glacier are thin and discontinuous, and have been significantly periglacially disturbed, reworked and eroded; as observed at the classic Four Ashes location.

The Brewood Phase is indicated to have been short lived, and there followed a prolonged period of intense periglacial conditions, while Stockport Glacial ice persisted just to the north west. The landscape left by the Brewood Phase was heavily degraded, and any feature that might have been a terminal moraine was 'scrubbed', so there were no clues left in the landscape for the Geological Survey to observe, only the extent of Irish Sea Erratics. And of course there was the Wharf Lane Quarry.

Wharf Lane Quarry Outcrop

Speaker

Adrian Collings (Retired Senior Engineering Geologist, Arup)

Adrian Collings has worked at the Arup Birmingham (Midlands) Office as an Engineering Geologist until retirement a few years ago. His early career considered hazards from abandoned mine workings, where the understanding the geological context was important. Projects included the West Midlands Limestone Study, the Shropshire Limestone Mines (and other minerals), and the Review of Mining Instability in Great Britain. Later career developed into producing ground models for Infrastructure Projects and Airports in the UK, Ireland and Europe. Notably the M6 Toll, M1 widening, HS2 and airports in Turkey. He is a Fellow of the Geological Society and a Chartered Geologist.

Adrian Collings has worked at the Arup Birmingham (Midlands) Office as an Engineering Geologist until retirement a few years ago. His early career considered hazards from abandoned mine workings, where the understanding the geological context was important. Projects included the West Midlands Limestone Study, the Shropshire Limestone Mines (and other minerals), and the Review of Mining Instability in Great Britain. Later career developed into producing ground models for Infrastructure Projects and Airports in the UK, Ireland and Europe. Notably the M6 Toll, M1 widening, HS2 and airports in Turkey. He is a Fellow of the Geological Society and a Chartered Geologist.

To reserve a place, please email the committee at [email protected]. We will respond in advance of the meeting with the relevant log-in details.