Welcome to the South West Branch of the Open University Geological Society
The South West region has arguably some of the most diverse assemblages of geological features in the UK, acknowledged by the naming of the Devonian period after some of the rocks characteristic of the region.
The region is dominated by the granite outcrops of Dartmoor, Bodmin Moor and Lands End, relics of the orogeny of 300 million years ago. With their long mining history this area was once home to the worlds tin and copper mining industries and the relics are still widely distributed. To the south lies the Lizard ophiolite complex and the (associated?) Start complex. The central parts of Devon are principally Carboniferous culm measures and on the north coasts of Cornwall and Devon the effects of plate movements are displayed in the contortions of these beds. To the east the geology is principally that of a desert laid down in Permian times with outcrops of red sandunes and breccias. Further east on the Dorset border are Triassic fossil beds and Cretaceous chalks and further north into Somerset fossiliferous beds of Jurassic age which are well exposed on the coast.
With all this diversity on the doorstep even going to the corner shop for the milk can be a mini fieldtrip.
The South West Branch organises a wide ranging programme of field trips and other events both at home and abroad. These have included trips to Tenerife, South-east Spain and the Alps. Some of the home and away events are reported on the Field Trip Report page.
As always members of other branches are most welcome at any of the events, details of our events are posted on the calendar page or can be found in the National Newsletter.
If you aren't an OUGS member but have washed up on this page and would like to come along on a trip to see what goes on the please do and have a 1 day temporary membership. An events list is shown in the main pages and you can contact the Branch Organiser or Event Organiser from the list of officers.
