We record our Zoom talks, when the speaker permits us to do so.
All recorded talks are accessible to members through our Members’ Section.
We welcome visitors so if you would like to come along please contact us.
If you enjoy the talk and are interested in becoming a member then take a look at our Membership page or get in touch.
Talks
We normally meet on the 2nd Thursday of the month at Oaklands College in St Albans. The talks are on a wide range of Earth Science topics, given by people who are experts in their field.
During COVID-19 restrictions we held our meetings over Zoom. Now restrictions have been removed we have resumed face to face meetings, using Zoom during the winter months.
Please check our Calendar for full details of our exciting 2024 programme of talks.
or check our Events Calendar
2025
Talk on Sea Level Change in the Anthropocene
given by Dr. Colin Summerhayes, Emeritus Associate, Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge
Talk on Adventures of an Argon geochronologist: Why do we date rocks?
given by Dr Sarah Sherlock, Senior Research Fellow, The Open University
7:45pm:
Talk on Subsurface water flow through Hertfordshire TBC
given by Dan Matthews, Mott MacDonald Engineering
Talk on Icelandic volcanoes title TBC
given by Emeritus Professor Hazel Rymer, The Open University
Talk on Fossil pollen from flowering plants and tropical rainforests title TBC
given by Dr Luke Mander, Senior lecturer, The Open University
7:45 pm:
Zoom talk on The Onset of Modern-Style Plate Tectonics
given by Professor Craig Storey, University of Portsmouth
Zoom talk on The value & potential of the UK’s dinosaur track sites
given by Professor Richard Butler, University of Birmingham
Previous Talks from 2025
48th Percy Evans Lecture on Epping Forest through geological time
given by Mike Lambert, HGS Honorary President
Scotland’s Greatest Ice Age
given by Emeritus Professor Ian Fairchild, University of Birmingham
50th anniversary lecture on More adventures in the Lambeth Group – how understanding stratigraphy helps engineering understanding
given by Dr. Jackie Skipper, Geotechnical Consulting Group & GSL William Smith Medal Winner
Previous Talks from 2024
The Rutland Ichthyosaur: Digging up a ‘Dragon’
Talk by Dr. Emma Nicholls, Oxford University Museum of Natural History
Unveiling the Geology of Mars with robotic explorers
Talk by Dr. Joe McNeil, (Natural History Museum, London)
The Geology Of The Albert Memorial
Talk by Professor John Cosgrove (Imperial College London)
Followed by a visit to The Albert Memorial on Saturday 5 October 2024.
Long-Term Climate Stability And Biogeochemical Feedbacks Operating On Terrestrial Exoplanets Orbiting M-Dwarf Stars – CANCELLED
Talk by Dr. Andrew Rushby (Birkbeck College, University Of London)
Painting with Stone: Materials, Methods and Traditions in Pietre Dure
Talk by Dr. Ruth Siddall (University College London)
Spying on open vent volcanoes from ground, air and space
Talk by Dr. Emma Nicholson [Liu] ( University College London)
Identification and implications of the London Clay Formation Divisions from an engineering perspective
Talk by Professor Jamie Standing (Imperial College London)
Percy Evans Lecture: Surfing the Waves of Time Exploring Latin America’s passive Margins with an Innovative Sea Level Curve
Talk by Dr. Douwe Van Der Meer (CNOOC International, Uxbridge)
Annual General Meeting
followed by refreshments after which members are invited to share slides on the theme of 50 years of HGS in the field!
The Thames in Hertfordshire and adjacent areas
Talk by Professor David Bridgland (University of Durham)
Outcrops & Subsurface examples of the EoCambrian petroleum system in Oman
Talk by Prof. Stuart Harder (Retired)
Previous Talks from 2023
Dinosaurs: new visions of a lost world
given by Prof. Mike Benton (Professor of Vertebrate Palaeontology, University of Bristol)
From shallow mine workings to deep basement rocks: A tour of UK low temperature geothermal Resources
given by Dr. Cat Hirst (Senior Engineering Geologist, COWI, Glasgow)
A short history of buildings in six stones
given by Dr. Tim Yates, (Technical Director, Building Research Establishment, Garston)
Notes from Deep Time – A journey through past and future worlds
given by Helen Gordon, (University of Hertfordshire & author of Notes from Deep Time)
Magmatic systems and the energy transition
given by Prof. Jonathan Blundy (Royal Society Research Professor, University of Oxford)
The Moine Thrust Controversy
given by Dr. Peter Gutteridge (Director, Cambridge Carbonates)
Visions of Nature. Art, science and natural history museum
given by Prof. Paul Smith (Director University of Oxford, Natural History Museum)
Percy Evans Lecture: The Norber Erratics
given by Clive Maton, (Honorary President, HGS)
Talk on Hertfordshire RIGS following the HGS AGM (see below)
given by Nick Pierpoint, Clive Maton, Dr Liam Gallagher & Dr Haydon Bailey.
Clays!
given by Prof. Peter Scott (Emeritus Professor, Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter)
Ocean sediments tell the story of Paleogene environmental change
given by Prof Bridget Wade (Professor of Micropalaeontology, University College London)
Talks from Previous Years
DECEMBER
Below the Bonnie Banks – investigating Loch Lomond’s subaqueous Quaternary landscape
given by Dr. Andrew Finlayson (Quaternary Geologist, BGS Edinburgh)
NOVEMBER
The Stegosaurian Dinosaurs
given by Dr Susannah C. R. Maidment (Senior Researcher, Natural History Museum, London)
OCTOBER
The first day of the Cenozoic: Insights from the Chicxulub impact crater
given by Dr. Auriol Rae (Junior Research Fellow in Earth Sciences Trinity College, University of Cambridge)
SEPTEMBER
Understanding large igneous provinces and volcanic rift margins
given by Dr Dougal Jerram (DougalEARTH Ltd)
JULY
The Anthropocene: a new epoch of geological time characterised by humans
given by Prof. Mark Williams (University of Leicester)
JUNE
Preliminary observations and implications of a new Bathonian (Middle Jurassic) lagerstätte in Wiltshire, UK
given by Dr. Steve Stukins (Senior Curator Micropalaeontology, Natural History Museum, London)
MAY
Civil engineering meets geology: Panama Canal
given by Dr. Tony Waltham, Engineering geologist & karst specialist
APRIL
Tunnelling the Chilterns
given by David Eve (ALIGN, Head of Engagement & Compliance for HS2)
MARCH
What can satellites tell you about local geology
given by Jo Conway (Hertfordshire County Council & HGS)
FEBRUARY
The eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat
given by Prof. Steve Sparks (University of Bristol)
JANUARY
The geology of Mars, and the rover missions
given by Dr Susanne Schwenzer (Open University)
DECEMBER
The last British Ice Sheet
given by Dr Bethan Davies (Royal Holloway, University of London)
NOVEMBER
Geoscience and the World After Oil
given by Tony Doré (Global Chief Scientist, Energy & Geoscience Institute (EGI)).
OCTOBER
Geoconservation – principles into practice (rearranged from October 2020)
given by Dr Colin Prosser (Principle Specialist in Geoconservation, Natural England)
SEPTEMBER
Ammonites – mythology to the modern era
given by Dr Mick Oates (Retired: BG)
JULY
The Dinosaur – Bird Link: A critical overview
given by Mike Howgate (HGS)
JUNE
It’s ‘Ard Up North. An overview of the Chalk of the Northern Province
given by Paul Hildreth (Yorkshire Geological Society)
MAY
Smith – marks on the landscape
given by Dr Peter Wigley (Consultant Lynx Inforamtion Systems & co-author of Strata)
APRIL
In search of Burtonite in Norway the Percy Evans Lecture & Presidential address given by Linda Hamling (HGS)
MARCH
Science driven by conflict a short talk given by Haydon Bailey following the AGM
FEBRUARY
Jungle volcano (rearranged from Dec 2020) given by Prof. Chris Jackson (Imperial College, London)
JANUARY
The geology of Mars, and the rover missions
given by Dr Susanne Schwenzer (Open University)
Our 2020 talks programme was interrupted by COVID-19 however we did manage to meet at Oaklands College in January through to our AGM in March, and resume via Zoom in November & December.
