A distant cousin of the Tyrannosaurus rex, the Dracoraptor lived at the beginning of the Jurassic period over 200 million years ago. Fossilised bones were found in a cliff face in Penarth S. Wales, making it the oldest known dinosaur from the U.K #JurassicWorldFallenKingdom

It's not my fault! Mega ripples offset by a fault on Flat Holm with SWGA. Retired BGS in Wales colleague Larry Thomas for scale! :-)

I'm exploring the geology of Penarth today with SWGA. Weve challenged folks to find things for us to identify. I've met lots of lovely families all eager to learn about the treasures found on the beach and a dad or two especially pleased to be lugging large rocks home!

Today I'm learning about carbonate ramps at Three Cliffs Bay with Paul Wright and SWGA

This morning, SWGA were treated to a facinating and thought provoking presentation by Andrew Bloodworth . "The secret life of your mobile phone", about the astonishing array of minerals that go into making our tech. Thanks Boss from all of us at South Wales GA!

The next SWGA meet is on Sat 15 Dec at Swansea Uni - Prof.Sangeev Gupta from Imperial College will speak to us on The adventures of Curiosity rover in Gale crater: exploring the geology of Mars! Begins at 11.00am with free coffee from 10.15. All welcome swga.org.uk

Meltwater chanels, sand dunes and salt marshes on the first field trip of the year with the South Wales Geologists' Association SWGA. Great way to start the summer season!

Today, I visited the Fossil Swamp exhibition Amgueddfa Caerdydd to see the giant 3D Stigmaria and other beautiful plant fossils from @brymboheritage. Fun to see my reconstruction of Calamities on the wall too! More Carboniferous plant illustrations here swga.org.uk :-)

Today I'm learning about Wenlock and Ludlow aged carbonates with the SWGA in the Usk inlier. Good practice for work next week on the #BGSKnightonMap! Anyone recognise the bryozoan and coral species in the Much Wenlock biohermal mounds here at Cilwrgi Farm SSSI?

S Wales GA SWGA newsletter is out! Covid-19 has sadly disrupted our usual program but in keeping with the unusual times, the newsletter is different too, containing articles from members and news  to ensure we keep a little geology in our lives! swga.org.uk

I'd rather be on the beach today but lock down has stopped play (again!) so I'm indoors playing with pencils instead. This is my drawing of a Plagiostoma, found on my first school geology trip to Penarth, south Wales. Where was your first geology field trip?

Slate in North Wales occurs in a range of colours but the quarry at Penrhyn is famed for the production of purple-red slates. The 📸 is of the east face of the quarry (1974) which, along with the purple, shows the 'grey slates' and green sandstone.

Millook Haven is situated just to the north-east of Boscastle, in Cornwall. This site is famous amongst students of geology for its spectacularly deformed sediments of the Carboniferous aged Crackington Formation. Where was your favourite fieldtrip?

Tonight we are taking a cruise across the Iapetus Ocean, guided by Graham Leslie of BGS, in his zoom lecture about the geology of Anglesey. Fascinating if complicated stuff!

Did you miss our recent lecture about the Geology of Anglesey? Check out our website for the recording. swga.org.uk

Have you made any geological art? I've had a lovely day off today painting a ginkgo leaf with pigment made by my friend Leanne Hughes. I'm v spoiled! This colour is called Branscome Brown. Fun fact, BGS Geo's used to colour their maps with paint named for geological formations!

Take a peek at the geology on show around our BGS in Wales office, based at Cardiff University. This includes beautiful pinkish alabaster from Penarth and a ring of Gorsedd Stones commemorating National Eisteddfod. ow.ly/AZeD50ERrgV

The SWGA have been walking on Cribarth today, led by Alan Bowring of the Fforest Fawr Geopark. Wonderful scenery, fantastic geology and local history and catching up with friends.

The 2nd of a set of blogs about the geology close to the BGS Wales office. This one explores outcrops of Penarth Alabaster (aka gypsum of the Mercia Mudstone Group), the source of the tiles adorning the stair case in the building where our office is situated in Cardiff University

SWGA are once again holding their family fossil hunting day at Penarth, south Wales, on 13th August, between 11-3. All welcome. No hammers needed. All details on the poster #penarth #penarthfossils