Table Of ContentGeological Landscapes of Britain
Julian Ashbourn
Geological Landscapes of Britain
Julian Ashbourn
Berkhamsted
Hertfordshire
United Kingdom
ISBN 978-90-481-8860-4 e-ISBN 978-90-481-8861-1
DOI 10.1007/978-90-481-8861-1
Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg London New York
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Prologue
Geology is a fascinating subject, but those who have yet to embrace this fascination might be
forgiven for thinking it is just a study of rocks. Inanimate objects which happen to be lying around
under our feet. Natural historians and biologists may study all manner of flora and fauna, down
to cellular level, together with their evolution and respective lifecycles. Archaeologists may revel
in past intrigues and forgotten civilisations, always looking forward to a new and exciting discov-
ery which might forever change our understanding of the past. Palaeontologists may immerse
themselves in the fossil record, painstakingly assembling a complex jigsaw puzzle of life which,
as it takes shape, opens their eyes to ever more wonderful discoveries. Oceanographers have a
wonderful world of marine life and interesting physics to delight them. Environmentalists may
occupy themselves with an appreciation of habitats and complex relationships. But geologists?
Geologists study rocks.
Of course, the reality is that geology is every bit as fascinating and absorbing as any of the
natural sciences, incorporating elements of most of them. There is the historic context, the
remarkable area of plate tectonics and the birth of continents, the relationship with both the atmo-
sphere and biosphere, the wealth of minerals and composition, and the unequivocal fact that we
are dealing with the very fabric of our world. A fabric which is volatile, which is subject to amaz-
ing transformations and which underpins our entire existence. Far from being simply a study of
rocks, geology represents a study of our world. Its creation, its composition, its past and its future.
Furthermore, it is a study which reveals nature’s most astounding creations, in all their beauty and
Fig. 1 Looking across the loch at Foyers in the Scottish Highlands
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majesty. Geology is all around us. We can reach out and touch it almost anywhere. We can admire
it from a distance, or examine it under a microscope. Once awakened, our fascination with this
most interesting of sciences, will no doubt accompany us, like a valued friend, for life.
In this book, we shall undertake a regional study of the geology of Britain, exploring some of the
extraordinary geological diversity to be found upon what is, after all, a relatively small island. In
doing so, perhaps we shall come to better understand and appreciate the wonder of the natural world
which surrounds us. In spite of its often rugged appearance, it is a relatively fragile world of com-
plex interconnections and relationships, the underlying balance of which may be impacted by the
burgeoning human race and the artefacts of civilisation. However, within the context of geological
time, we are simply a very recent blip. Who knows what our planet, let alone Britain, will look like
in a million years time? In any event, this book explores, describes and photographically documents
a small corner of the planet as it exists today.
The photography undertaken throughout the research and preparation of this book is in itself
perhaps worth mentioning. In this digital age it has become commonplace to artificially enhance
photographs, creating larger than life images which while superficially attractive, do not repre-
sent an accurate rendition of scenes as they actually occurred. Pick up almost any glossy maga-
zine or popular ‘coffee table’ book and you are treated to a barrage of artificially enhanced
images which describe a world which doesn’t exist. The photographs in this book, all of which
were taken on-site by the author, are different. There is no artificial enhancement. The colours
you see are the colours of nature. The scenes are exactly as created by nature and witnessed by
the author with nothing added or removed. Other than minor corrections of exposure, the images
are exactly as captured by the camera, with no filters or special effects employed. This, I believe,
Fig. 2 Weathered limestone at Deep Dale in the Peak District
Prologue vii
is important for any imagery which may be used within a scientific context to illustrate the reality
of the world under discussion. In many years to come, if someone picks up a copy of this book,
I would like them to understand that what they are seeing is what was actually there at the time,
not a colourful caricature. In any event, nature needs absolutely no enhancement from us. Its
beauty is beyond any such human trickery.
Julian Ashbourn
Berkhamsted, UK
viii Prologue
Fig. 3 The early morning mist lifts from the East Anglian fens
