The origin of fault scarps & fissures on moorland plateaux & in the vicinity of landslides, in the South Wales Coalfield, UK

Fault scarps and fissures occur on moorland plateaux and in the vicinity of deep-seated landslides in the South Wales Coalfield, UK. These scarps may reach about 4 m in height and 3-4 km in length. The ages of the fault scarps and fissures are difficult to determine. Their relatively fresh and unweathered appearance would seem to suggest they were generated during subsidence as a result of coal mining which has taken place for some 150 years. However, their large magnitude, which make them dramatic features of the landscape, sets them apart from the much lesser features generated during coal mining subsidence in other UK coalfields. Some fault scarps seem to pre-date Ordnance Survey and British Geological Survey maps from the late 1800s-early 1900s. As total extraction (longwall) methods associated with fault reactivation had yet to develop widely at that time it is probable that mining subsidence alone could not have generated such distinct topographic features. The paper reviews the evidence of analogous non-mining fault steps and fissuring, mine abandonment plans and recent fissure treatment works to cast new light on the origin and development of these features. A conceptual model to demonstrate the causative mechanisms and evolution of fissures is also presented. The paper concludes that some fault steps and fissures developed in response to stress relief caused by deglaciation and periglacial activity and have subsequently undergone a later phase of development as a consequence of differential mining subsidence

Urban engineering geological maps for Bradford, UK

An applied geological study of the City of Bradford Metropolitan District, UK, was the last of a series of British Government-funded projects to provide background applied geological information for land-use planning and development. This study included a range of engineering geological maps. As well as providing a general engineering geological overview, the maps show foundation conditions, suitability of deposits as engineered fill, excavatability, the thickness of superficial deposits and landslide distribution and slope steepness. The paper briefly describes the content of the maps and how they were produced

A tribute to Professor William Dearman : new small-scale engineering geological maps of the United Kingdom

Professor William Robert (“Bill”) Dearman was the first British Professor of Engineering Geology and a world leader in the development of engineering geological mapping techniques and methodologies, recognised by being awarded the IAEG’s Hans Cloos Medal. The maps described here would not have been completed without his initial ideas and interpretative work. It is a great regret that the maps were not finished in time for him to see them before his death in January 2009. This paper and the maps described in it are, therefore, dedicated to his memory

Leeds: a geological background for planning and development : 1:10000 sheets SE23NW, NE, SE and SE33NW, NE, SW, SE: parts of 1:50000 geological sheets 69 (Bradford), 70 (Leeds), 77 (Huddersfield) and 78 (Wakefield)

This study, carried out between 1989 and 1991, was commissioned by the Department of the Environment and funded jointly by the Department and the British Geological Survey. Its principal aim was to produce a synthesis of geological information relevant to the land-use planning for development and redevelopment for a large part of the Leeds district. This report is aimed at those involved in planning and development. Much of the information is provided on a series of thematic maps, each of which concentrates on a specific aspect of the geology relevant to landuse. These are suitable for use in forward planning for development and conservation, and as a background to desk studies, prepared in advance of specific development proposals. However, they must not be used in place of results of adequate site investigations when development is being considered. In addition to the information contained in the report, sources of other more detailed data are indicated

A short history of engineering geology and geophysics at the British Geological Survey

Engineering geology in the British Geological Survey (BGS) began, in a formal sense, with the creation of the Engineering Geology Unit in 1967. Virtually since its inception, despite changing research priorities and economic drivers, the survey and research work carried out by BGS engineering geologists can be conveniently divided into four broad research areas: engineering geological mapping and urban geoscience, geotechnical properties of soils and rocks, engineering geophysics and geohazards. Since the late 1960s engineering geologists have undertaken innovative research initiatives and continue to play an important role in ensuring the delivery of BGS researc

A geological basis for land-use planning: Garforth-Castleford-Pontefract : 1:10000 sheets SE42NW, NE, SW, SE, SE43SW and SE52SW, parts of 1:50000 geological sheets 70 (Leeds) and 78 (Wakefield)

This report describes a stuodfy t he Garforth- Castleford - Pontefract areac ommissioned by the Departmenot of the Environment and jointly funded by the Department and the British Geological Survey. The aims of the study were to compile and collate a geological database, and to present threes ults in terms of their application to land use planning and development as a foundation for: a. land-use planning for development and b. safeguarding of mineral resources, and c. effective future geological researc

Engineering geology of British rocks and soils : Lias Group

The report begins with an introduction and a detailed modern assessment of the geology of the Lias Group in terms of both stratigraphy and lithology. The modern lithostratigraphy is placed in the context of the old, and sometimes more familiar, usage. The next two chapters deal with the mineralogy of a suite of samples collected for the project, and an assessment of the nature and influence of weathering based on a detailed analysis of the Lias dataset held in the BGS National Geotechnical Properties Database. The following chapters cover geohazards associated with the Lias Group, and a brief overview of the wide variety of industrial applications for which the Lias is well known. The geotechnical database forms the basis of the penultimate chapter, geotechnical properties. The contents of the database are analysed, interpreted, presented in graphical form, and discussed in terms of statistical variation and in the light of likely engineering behaviour. The engineering geology of the Lias Group is discussed in the final chapter, borrowing from the preceding chapters. A comprehensive cited reference list and a bibliography are provided. In addition to the large number of technical data provided to BGS, a small data set has been generated by BGS laboratories, particularly in areas where the main database was deficient, and also in connection with associated BGS studies of the swelling and shrinkage properties of the Lias Group. The individual items of data making up the database are not attributed. However, the contribution of a wide range of consultancies, contractors, authorities, and individuals is acknowledged. It is hoped that this report will provide a source of useful information to a wide range of engineers, planners, scientists, and other interested parties concerned with Lias Group materials. It should be noted that whilst quantitative technical data are included in this report, these should not be used as a substitute for proper site investigation

Rapid methods of landslide hazard mapping : Fiji case study

A landslide hazard probability map can help planners (1) prepare for, and/or mitigate against, the effects of landsliding on communities and infrastructure, and (2) avoid or minimise the risks associated with new developments. The aims of the project were to establish, by means of studies in a few test areas, a generic method by which remote sensing and data analysis using a geographic information system (GIS) could provide a provisional landslide hazard zonation map. The provision of basic hazard information is an underpinning theme of the UN’s International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR). It is an essential requirement for disaster preparedness and mitigation planning. This report forms part of BGS project 92/7 (R5554) ‘Rapid assessment of landslip hazards’ Carried out under the ODA/BGS Technology Development and Research Programme as part of the British Government’s provision of aid to developing countries. It provides a detailed technical account of work undertaken in a test area in Viti Levu in collaboration with Fiji Mineral Resources Department. The study represents a demonstration of a methodology that is applicable to many developing countries. The underlying principle is that relationships between past landsliding events, interpreted from remote sensing, and factors such as the geology, relief, soils etc provide the basis for modelling where future landslides are most likely to occur. This is achieved using a GIS by ‘weighting’ each class of each variable (e.g. each lithology ‘class’ of the variable ‘geology’) according to the proportion of landslides occurring within it compared to the regional average. Combinations of variables, produced by summing the weights in individual classes, provide ‘models’ of landslide probability. The approach is empirical but has the advantage of potentially being able to provide regional scale hazard maps over large areas quickly and cheaply; this is unlikely to be achieved using conventional ground-based geotechnical methods. In Fiji, landslides are usually triggered by intense rain storms commonly associated with tropical cyclones. However, the regional distribution of landslides has not been mapped nor is it known how far geology and landscape influence the location and severity of landsliding events. The report discusses the remote sensing and GIS methodology, and describes the results of the pilot study over an area of 713 km2 in south east Viti Levu. The landslide model uses geology, elevation, slope angle, slope aspect, soil type, and forest cover as inputs. The resulting provisional landslide hazard zonation map, divided into high, medium and low zones of landslide hazard probability, suggests that whilst rainfall is the immediate cause, others controls do exert a significant influence. It is recommended that consideration be given in Fiji to implementing the techniques as part of a national strategic plan for landslide hazard zonation mapping

Block movements in the Pennines and South Wales and their association with landslides

Fault scarps and graben features indicative of slope deformation have been observed adjacent to the rear scarps of landslides and on moorland plateaux in the Pennines. The scarps are distinct, up to 2m high and can be traced for a maximum distance of approximately 400m. These severely reduce the strength of the rock mass, enable groundwater to be channelled onto the upper valley slopes and may have played an important role in the initiation of first-time slope failures, and in the reactivation of older landslides. These features are similar to those recently described on the interfluves of the South Wales Coalfield valleys (Donnelly et al., 2000a, 2000b), and are consistent with those described as ‘block movements’ elsewhere in the world. Those in South Wales have been interpreted, by some previous investigators, as being generated during mining subsidence. However, in the Pennines, the slope and plateaux movements occur in the Namurian (Upper Carboniferous) sedimentary sequences where there has been no mining and it is therefore evident that other mechanisms are involved. In both South Wales and the Pennines steep-sided valleys have incised the moorland plateaux which in both cases are capped by strong, well-jointed cap rocks. These have exposed the underlying, much weaker, fissile mudstones which form the middle and lower slopes. These block movements in the Pennines are documented, discussed and compared with those in South Wale

Supplementary geotechnical and mineralogical data for cohesive soil samples from selected sites across Cyprus

This report describes the general geological setting of Cyprus and the regional variation in lithological, geotechnical and mineralogical properties of the main cohesive soil formations (comprising marls, bentonitic clays, and 'melange') associated with the Troodos Ophiolite Complex. The rport serves as an adjunct to more detailed 'study area' reports describing the Nicosia Marls of central Cyprus; the Polis Marls of NW Cyprus; and the Kannaviou Formation bentonitic clays, the Melange, and other cohesive deposits derived from allochthanous Mamonia Complex rocks in the Phiti-Statos area of SW Cyprus. The report highlights the uncertainties in attempting to assess regional variations in geotechnical properties based on comparison and extrapolation of data from individual site-specific study areas and sampling localities