Ian West
Romsey, Hampshire
and:
a Visiting Scientist at:
Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences,
Southampton University,
Website hosted by iSolutions, Website archived at the
British Library
.
and:
a Visiting Scientist at:
Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences,
Southampton University,
Website hosted by iSolutions, Website archived at the
British Library
.
.
.
.
Click on images for large, high resolution versions!
This is the first page of a large set of Geological descriptive pages on the Wessex Coast of southern England, much of it a UNESCO World Heritage Site ("Jurassic Coast"). This is a classic area of East Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex and the Isle of Wight. These geological webpages form one of the world's largest geological web sites with more than 100 separate web pages. The first versions were placed online in 1997 and they are improved and enlarged on a daily basis.
There are now thousands of full screen, colour photographs of varied geological and geomorphological features and there are also associated geological bibliographies. The text in each webpage has linked references to the appropriate bibliography. The study and descriptions have emphasis on the superb coastal exposures of Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous and Palaeogene strata are well-seen in the cliffs of this beautiful coastline. The various localities, many of them well-known classic sites, are described in terms of stratigraphy, sedimentology, geomorphology, faunal content and coast erosion and progradation, in addition to general background information on the environment. In additional there are some associated webpages on other specific geological topics such as sabkhas and Pyrenean geology. A search entry box will be found below.
This site has very heavy use - more than half a million requests per week, including each photographic image. Thus, it is no longer necessary to keep any records of use, and there is no objective in obtaining additional visitors, although they are, of course, very welcome. The main aim is to improve the quality of the site academically for existing users and to provide an even greater quantity of detailed and reliable geological information.
Some safety guidance and safety warnings are given in specific webpages. These warnings are not comprehensive and may not be sufficient for all types of groups visiting the coast. The objectives of the website relate primarily to field work by geologists, researchers, university students, visiting groups or scientific societies and the safety warnings are intended primarily for these types of visitors. This website is frequently used by schools and such use is welcomed. However, some field localities, cliff sites etc, which are commonly visited by geologists may be unsuitable in terms of safety for school parties or individual children, and the website is not specifically planned as guidance for this type of field use. It is hoped that schools and school parties find it useful, but more stringent safety rules may be needed in the field (the author has experience only of leading university, society and oil company parties). Thus this is primarily a geological website for geologists, but it is intended also to be useful for other purposes, including information for general visitors and school parties. .
The technical level of the website is not at mathematical research level, but only at intermediate geological level, easily readable by anyone with a degree in geology, equivalent amateur experience, or just a geological interest.
(do not use browser zoom on the low resolution versions)
Some Selected Links on Wessex Coast Geology
Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.
The Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site is England's first natural World Heritage Site - it is known as The Jurassic Coast. It covers 95 miles of coastline from East Devon to Dorset, with rocks recording 185 million years of the Earth's history.
The Channel Coastal Observatory , Southampton University, Southampton
Large-scale, vertical, aerial photographs of the Wessex Coast are available free for downloading to persons who register with this organisation. In addition there is much more technical information, such as Lidar and Multibeam Bathymetry. This is a highly recommended website. The following notes are from the Channel Coastal Observatory website.
"..The Channel Coastal Observatory is the data management and regional coordination centre for the Southeast Regional Coastal Monitoring Programme. The programme provides a consistent regional approach to coastal process monitoring, providing information for development of strategic shoreline management plans, coastal defence strategies and operational management of coastal protection and flood defence. The programme is managed on behalf of the Coastal Groups of the Southeast of England and is funded by DEFRA, in partnership with local Authorities of the southeast of England and the Environment Agency. The Channel Coastal Observatory is hosted by New Forest District Council, in partnership with the University of Southampton."
Dorset Geologists' Association Group.
This very active, local organisation holds
field trips and lectures in Dorset and surrounding areas. These is not necessarily limited to famous locations but also to less well known coastal and inland areas. They are involved in many other activities, such as keeping local records, and these are listed on their website. Their Newsletter, which is online, contains reports on field trips.
Dorset Historic Coastal Photographs.
Exmouth to Milford on Sea 1800-2000 (including the East Devon and Dorset
World Heritage Site). by Doreen Smith of the Dorset Group of the Geologists' Association.
These pages grew out of an original project to celebrate 150 years of the Geologists' Association and 200 years of the Geological Society. To this end I began collecting postcards, magic lantern slides, etchings and whatever else I could obtain on the subject of the WHS coastline. [continues]
UK Onshore Geophysical Library
.
This is the major source of onshore seismic data for the UK, including that of the Wessex Coast area, suc as Devon, Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
"With over 75,000km of available seismic survey data as acquired by the onshore exploration industry, the Library strives to locate all available data items pertaining to each seismic profile, with the aim of providing a fully reconciled archive of original pre-stack field records de-multiplexed to SEG-Y."
Shown here is a north-south seismic section across the Weymouth Anticline, modified and with some notes added. See the original seismic section by going to the website:
UK Onshore Geophysical Library.
DIGS, 2009. The Purbeck Limestone Group: Virtual geology field trips to Purbeck limestone quarries in south Dorset. CD. For more details see: DIGS in the Purbeck Group Bibliography.
Gesource: geography and environment gateway for UK HE and FE.
GEsource is the geography and environment hub of the Resource Discovery Network (RDN). GEsource provides access to high quality Internet resources for students, researchers and practitioners in geography and the environment through five distinct subject gateways: Environment, General Geography, Human Geography, Physical Geography, and Techniques and Approaches.
Wessex Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club.
"Eye in the Sky" - superb oblique aerial photographs of the Wessex Coast.
See Home Page of Wessex Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am very grateful to the many people and organisations who have helped in one way or another to make it possible to run this website. Individual acknowledgements are given in particular webpages on specific places. Southampton University has supported this site over the years. I particularly thank the Head of the School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, the Dean of the Faculty of Natural Science and the Environment, Professor Jonathon Bull, Professor Max Barton, Dr. Ian Croudace and others who have helped keep the website running. I particularly thank Frances Bradbury for regular help over the years. I very much appreciate the cooperation of the Channel Coastal Observatory in making available excellent aerial photographs of the region of study.
I particularly appreciate the generous cooperation of iSolutions, Southampton University. Mark Watts of Computer Services of Southampton University is thanked for solving a problem of image files that had temporarily ,misplaced. It is very good to know that this website is backed up on tape by computer services, in addition to my various personal, external hard drive backups. My family have assisted in many ways with regard to this website and their help is greatfully acknowledged.
Dr. Ian West is a university geologist, long a member of staff of Southampton University, now officially retired, with status of Visiting Scientist, but very busy with geological website and works almost every day (from home, but in contact with the university server). He is a carbonate-evaporite sedimentologist and Jurassic enthusiast, who has long studied and researched on the Wessex Coast (and also in North Africa etc). He started by collecting vertebrate fossils from the local strata, in the early 1950s. He is often out on the cliffs of the Wessex Coast studying and photographing for this website. In addition to geology, Ian is also a former New Forest, Escort Rider and has ridden about 7000 miles as a ride-leader.
This website is run, privately and unfunded, from his study at home in Romsey, Hampshire with the helpful cooperation of the
Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences,
.
Ian West has been awarded the R.H. Worth Prize for 2008 of the
Geological Society of London for this website, the Geology of the Wessex Coast, of which this webpage is the introductory part. The main agent, in addition to Ian West, (ianmichaelwest@gmail.com), regarding this website is his daughter, Tonya West, at her farm at Coppits, Copythorne, near Newbridge, New Forest, Hampshire, email - tonyawesty@hotmail.co.uk (copyright and photography agent).
Copyright
© 2020 Ian West, Tonya Loades and Joanna Bentley. All rights reserved. This is a private, academic website intended to be useful for research, reference and educational purposes. Images and text may not be copied for publication or for use on other websites, without permission, or for any commercial activity. A reasonable number of images and some text may be used for non-commercial, non-charged, non-online and non-published academic purposes, including field trip handouts, student projects, dissertations etc, providing the source is acknowledged. All images so used must contain the original caption, including the copyright statement. Some images are not those of the author and the copyright is that of the original photographer and these are not for any use without specific permission from the source photographer. This particularly applies to aerial photographs, but also to some sets of field photographs.
Disclaimer:
Geological fieldwork involves some level of risk, which can be reduced by knowledge, experience and appropriate safety precautions. Persons undertaking field work should assess the risk, as far as possible, in accordance with weather, conditions on the day and the type of persons involved. In providing field guides on the Internet no person is advised here to undertake geological field work in any way that might involve them in unreasonable risk from cliffs, ledges, rocks, sea or other causes. Not all places need be visited and the descriptions and photographs here can be used as an alternative to visiting. Individuals and leaders should take appropriate safety precautions, and in bad conditions be prepared to cancell part or all of the field trip if necessary. Permission should be sought for entry into private land and no damage should take place. Attention should be paid to weather warnings, local warnings and danger signs. No liability for death, injury, damage to, or loss of property in connection with a field trip is accepted by providing these websites of geological information. Discussion of geological and geomorphological features, coast erosion, coastal retreat, storm surges etc are given here for academic and educational purposes only. They are not intended for assessment of risk to property or to life. No liability is accepted if this website is used beyond its academic purposes, particularly with regard to matters of risk to life or property.
, Southampton University, and iSolutions (computer services) Southampton University. These webpages have been written with the generous background support of Ian's daughters, Tonya Loades and Joanna Bentley, and this is very much appreciated.