Stuart Swales
@taynappe.bsky.social
Botherer of the rocks of Highland Perthshire, Scotland.
Open University Geological Society Chairperson (and Webmaster)
For OUGS Social Media follow: https://bsky.app/profile/ougeolsoc.bsky.social
Open University Geological Society Chairperson (and Webmaster)
For OUGS Social Media follow: https://bsky.app/profile/ougeolsoc.bsky.social
Reposted by Stuart Swales
We asked @dremmanicholls.bsky.social what exactly needs to happen for dinosaur footprints to be preserved like those found in Oxfordshire.
The answer is such a specific set of circumstances you'll be amazed that any have been found at all...
The answer is such a specific set of circumstances you'll be amazed that any have been found at all...
November 19, 2025 at 11:51 AM
We asked @dremmanicholls.bsky.social what exactly needs to happen for dinosaur footprints to be preserved like those found in Oxfordshire.
The answer is such a specific set of circumstances you'll be amazed that any have been found at all...
The answer is such a specific set of circumstances you'll be amazed that any have been found at all...
⚒️ - a bit early for #ThinSectionThursday but what the hell
💛🧡❤️ This microscopic view of a rock from Mountsorrel is full of autumn colours!
📍 East side of Mountsorrel Quarry
ℹ️ "Quartz dolerite", Dr Hallimond
©️ British Geological Survey
📍 East side of Mountsorrel Quarry
ℹ️ "Quartz dolerite", Dr Hallimond
©️ British Geological Survey
November 19, 2025 at 11:14 AM
⚒️ - a bit early for #ThinSectionThursday but what the hell
Reposted by Stuart Swales
Reposted by Stuart Swales
November 18, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Reposted by Stuart Swales
Guys. Just put dates in all the filenames (YYYY-MM-DD so it sorts correctly).
Ah yes of course "final final version 7".
That is the one!
That is the one!
November 18, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Guys. Just put dates in all the filenames (YYYY-MM-DD so it sorts correctly).
Got to love tech: "Tracking website Down Detector, which monitors outage, was also hit by the technical problems itself. But when it loaded it showed a dramatic spike in problems." [Cloudflare is not happy right now]
November 18, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Got to love tech: "Tracking website Down Detector, which monitors outage, was also hit by the technical problems itself. But when it loaded it showed a dramatic spike in problems." [Cloudflare is not happy right now]
Reposted by Stuart Swales
It's Ashes week and who can forget when our volcanic ash from Eyjafjallajökull brought European airspace to a total halt in 2010? For a time, we had the world's most talked about new export industry.
November 18, 2025 at 8:50 AM
It's Ashes week and who can forget when our volcanic ash from Eyjafjallajökull brought European airspace to a total halt in 2010? For a time, we had the world's most talked about new export industry.
'Share and Enjoy' - your best samples, that is ;-)
No Mineral Monday post today
Without contributions from people like you, there is no Mineral Monday (or Thin Section Thursday) posts.
Please consider contributing.
Send information (200 - 300 words max) to akoziol1 (at) udayton dot edu.
Without contributions from people like you, there is no Mineral Monday (or Thin Section Thursday) posts.
Please consider contributing.
Send information (200 - 300 words max) to akoziol1 (at) udayton dot edu.
November 17, 2025 at 2:31 PM
'Share and Enjoy' - your best samples, that is ;-)
Reposted by Stuart Swales
One of the main defences of detecting I hear is that they discover things we wouldn't know about otherwise.
Stuff sitting on a shelf in somebody's house is lost to us. Stripping it of context strips or of meaning = It'd probably be better off left in the ground.
Stuff sitting on a shelf in somebody's house is lost to us. Stripping it of context strips or of meaning = It'd probably be better off left in the ground.
"I've never sold a single item & I've found thousands of coins."
'he keeps his finds carefully arranged in a display cabinet at his home.'
...that's just one #detectorist.
Multiply that by perhaps 40,000 people - that's an awful lot of artefacts.
#Archaeology 🏺
www.bbc.com/news/article...
'he keeps his finds carefully arranged in a display cabinet at his home.'
...that's just one #detectorist.
Multiply that by perhaps 40,000 people - that's an awful lot of artefacts.
#Archaeology 🏺
www.bbc.com/news/article...
The Surrey Metal Detecting Club sees membership leap in six years
Founded with 60 members in 2019, the Surrey club now has more than 3,000 members across the county.
www.bbc.com
November 17, 2025 at 9:23 AM
One of the main defences of detecting I hear is that they discover things we wouldn't know about otherwise.
Stuff sitting on a shelf in somebody's house is lost to us. Stripping it of context strips or of meaning = It'd probably be better off left in the ground.
Stuff sitting on a shelf in somebody's house is lost to us. Stripping it of context strips or of meaning = It'd probably be better off left in the ground.
Was looking forward to this nice dry sunny morning to change over to winter tyres. Back muscles had other plans though - getting out of bed was a bit of a struggle. Currently hobbling around with a walking stick!
November 16, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Was looking forward to this nice dry sunny morning to change over to winter tyres. Back muscles had other plans though - getting out of bed was a bit of a struggle. Currently hobbling around with a walking stick!
Reposted by Stuart Swales
We are phasing out the terms “extant” and “extinct” from our exhibits and will now refer to species as either “Darwinners" or “Darlosers.”
November 15, 2025 at 4:42 PM
We are phasing out the terms “extant” and “extinct” from our exhibits and will now refer to species as either “Darwinners" or “Darlosers.”
Reposted by Stuart Swales
Signpost re-wilding above Comrie
#fingerpostfriday
#fingerpostfriday
November 14, 2025 at 7:05 AM
Signpost re-wilding above Comrie
#fingerpostfriday
#fingerpostfriday
Reposted by Stuart Swales
Is it just me, or does this look remarkably like Batman carved into the base of the doorway to Glasgow University's Victorian-era Randolph Buildings?
#glasgow #architecture #glasgowbuildings #glasgowuniversity #sculpture #grotesque #batman #imbatman #architecturephotography
#glasgow #architecture #glasgowbuildings #glasgowuniversity #sculpture #grotesque #batman #imbatman #architecturephotography
November 14, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Is it just me, or does this look remarkably like Batman carved into the base of the doorway to Glasgow University's Victorian-era Randolph Buildings?
#glasgow #architecture #glasgowbuildings #glasgowuniversity #sculpture #grotesque #batman #imbatman #architecturephotography
#glasgow #architecture #glasgowbuildings #glasgowuniversity #sculpture #grotesque #batman #imbatman #architecturephotography
Reposted by Stuart Swales
The 1987 Pre-Release 3D Lander Demo running on an Acorn Archimedes (Yes, 1987 ARM Power!)
November 13, 2025 at 11:58 AM
The 1987 Pre-Release 3D Lander Demo running on an Acorn Archimedes (Yes, 1987 ARM Power!)
Reposted by Stuart Swales
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
November 13, 2025 at 5:31 PM
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Why did the chicken cross the road?
To get away from the scene of the accident.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
To get away from the scene of the accident.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Chicken escape forces partial closure of busy A9 trunk road
Emergency services are trying to round up the birds after their trailer overturned near Dunblane.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 13, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Why did the chicken cross the road?
To get away from the scene of the accident.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
To get away from the scene of the accident.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Stuart Swales
🧪⚒️Just posted Keith Klepeis on how plutons form. He identified conduits, feeder dikes, and mushroom-shaped sheets that form as magma rises from the base of the crust to the upper crust. A tilted batholith in NZ provided him with a rare continuous exposure of 20 km of crustal section. #geology
November 13, 2025 at 2:24 PM
🧪⚒️Just posted Keith Klepeis on how plutons form. He identified conduits, feeder dikes, and mushroom-shaped sheets that form as magma rises from the base of the crust to the upper crust. A tilted batholith in NZ provided him with a rare continuous exposure of 20 km of crustal section. #geology
⚒️
Thin Section Thursday!
This megacryst of orthopyroxene shows high relief and faint pleochroism in PPL. Cross the polars, & the crystal comes alive with abundant thin bands of exsolution lamellae of clinopyroxene. Contributed by Matt Kohn. #thinsectionthursday
This megacryst of orthopyroxene shows high relief and faint pleochroism in PPL. Cross the polars, & the crystal comes alive with abundant thin bands of exsolution lamellae of clinopyroxene. Contributed by Matt Kohn. #thinsectionthursday
November 13, 2025 at 1:52 PM
⚒️
Reposted by Stuart Swales
You are not going to believe this… well, actually, you probably are. Shona Robison has just (once again) misled parliament on what the Scottish Fiscal Commission said about the notorious taxpayers claim.
November 13, 2025 at 12:12 PM
You are not going to believe this… well, actually, you probably are. Shona Robison has just (once again) misled parliament on what the Scottish Fiscal Commission said about the notorious taxpayers claim.
Reposted by Stuart Swales
Authorities are investigating rumours the captain failed to display the correct flag beforehand...
DFDS apologises after porn screened on ferry to Newhaven
One passenger says children ran screaming from the lounge when the "adult film" was mistakenly shown.
www.bbc.com
November 12, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Authorities are investigating rumours the captain failed to display the correct flag beforehand...
Reposted by Stuart Swales
Reposted by Stuart Swales
This has to be an April Fools. I know it's November, but there is no other explanation.
No no no begs every archivist. You are never going to be able to find anything. Please don’t start using emojis in file names. Who asked for this? What fresh hell is next?
November 12, 2025 at 12:33 PM
This has to be an April Fools. I know it's November, but there is no other explanation.
Reposted by Stuart Swales
Reposted by Stuart Swales
I think it's cool how copper connects to tectonics - a failed rift in Michigan, ocean floor stranded by convergent tectonics in Cyprus - and how that tectonics connects to human use of metals.
November 10, 2025 at 7:16 PM
I think it's cool how copper connects to tectonics - a failed rift in Michigan, ocean floor stranded by convergent tectonics in Cyprus - and how that tectonics connects to human use of metals.