BSRG core workshop and field day 2014: The Ultimate Carbonate Experience

This year was the second Postgraduate core workshop and field day to be run by the BSRG postgraduates at BGS Keyworth. The day was led by Pete Gutteridge of Cambridge Carbonates and was aptly titled ‘The Ultimate Carbonate Experience.’ The aim of the weekend was to give postgraduate members of the BSRG the chance to delve deeper into the carbonate world. In doing this, we planned a day looking at core from the Lower Carboniferous Derbyshire platform and then a day in Wirksworth, Derbyshire. Focusing the day on carbonates was a risky move but was embraced by 23 postgraduates from all fields of sedimentary research and from many institutions, far and wide.
We started on Friday morning with an introduction by Pete and quickly set to work logging and inspecting core from 4 wells within the Peak District area. The day highlighted the importance of using a variety of methods and materials to understand the 3D nature and evolution of depositional environments. We pulled together core samples, mud cuttings, seismic lines and thin sections to develop our understanding of the ancient platform.

We wrapped up the day and hit the road with a bus and diver who were both filled with character! We made our way to the seemingly luxurious National Forest Youth hostel. The hostel provided us with childhood memories in choc-ice form, and we provided the entertainment in quiz form where the ‘Eurasians’ took the win (despite some seemingly controversial marking).
On Saturday morning we stared early and headed out to several localities. First stop was the Asbian Hanging wall shelf margin where the extent of the dolomatisation is easily mapped simply by textural and colour differences. Next we viewed several facies variations before we stopped at Baileycroft Quarry and observed slump structures in the cyclic platform carbonates.

Lunch was not fortunate enough to be graced with sunshine however, being at the National Stone Centre meant tea and coffees were to hand! We spent the remainder of the afternoon at the stone centre which is built on a site consisting of several disused quarries; which of course means brilliant exposure. The exposures show great sections of the upper part of the Brigantian platform margin and large carbonate mud mounds.

The quarries at the National stone centre are littered with fossils. There are huge crinoid and gigantoproductoid brachiopods as well as corals and bryazoans. But the cream of the crop was the final quarry of the day where we all embraced our inner love of palaeobiology and scoured the area for shark scales and teeth.