SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Convenor Valerie Conniff email valerie@vconniff.plus.com
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The meetings are a presentation on a scientific or technical topic from a speaker or audiovisual presentation, followed by a question and answer session. Visits to places of scientific interest are arranged, usually during the spring or summer.
The group meets on the 2nd Tuesday afternoon of every month, except August, at Mitchel Troy Village Hall from 2.30 to 4.00pm. There is no restriction on membership and the subscription of £10 per year covers hire costs and speaker expenses. Meetings are open to the general membership but a charge of £2 per meeting is requested to cover set up costs. |
Visit to RAF Museum Cosford, 2013
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NEXT MEETING
January 8th 2019 2.30pm Mitchel Troy Village Hall
Biodistance in Britain: what teeth tell us about population migrations from the Iron Age to the Early Medieval Period.
Kate Falliance, Ph.D student, University of Cardiff
January 8th 2019 2.30pm Mitchel Troy Village Hall
Biodistance in Britain: what teeth tell us about population migrations from the Iron Age to the Early Medieval Period.
Kate Falliance, Ph.D student, University of Cardiff
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A message from Val We are a friendly group and an important part of our meetings is the informal discussion over a cup of tea after we have finished questioning our invited Speaker. There is no limit on membership and I welcome new members to our Science and Technology Group. No personal technical qualification is required to join the group, just a keen interest in science and technology in its broadest sense. Previous Meetings and Trips |
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Tuesday November 13th 2018 The Mega Tides of the Severn Estuary: a World Phenomenon on the South Wales coast A presentation by John Burrows, Malvern U3A
The group welcomed several others from the general membership to experience a fascinating account, expertly delivered, on this topic of immense local interest. The record attendance of 55 reflects the interest generated by this title.
It is difficult to cover in a few words the scope and depth of one hour’s detailed description and explanation of the unique natural phenomenon we have on our doorstep. We benefited from the outcomes of John’s extensive research on global mega tides and their relationship to the Severn Estuary , clearly illustrated by photographic and graphical data.
The Severn Estuary has the third highest tide ( 14.7m ) in the world, exceeded only by the Bay of Fundy in Canada ( 16.2 m) and Ungava Bay (15m). However, it is the best place in the world to observe the tide as at Chepstow almost the full tidal range can be seen within 50 metres
The tides are the result of the gravitational pull of the moon (and to a lesser effect the sun) on the rotating earth, attracting water towards it. In Britain, this gives rise to two tides a day and detailed predictions for the tides can be calculated.
The tide brings 5 billion tons of water into the Severn Estuary between Cardiff and Sharpness in 6 hours. It is incredible to visualise this amount of water flowing in and out of the estuary twice a day and this was brought home to us by John’s visual portrayal of a 3 lane queue of tankers stretching all around the world 21 times in order to deliver this volume It would take 20 years! The gravitational force of the moon and sun achieves this in only 6 hours.
During the questions raised after the talk, the final one asked why this potential could not be harnessed to generate renewable energy. The principal objection to this currently is the environmental damage it could cause. Research still needs to be done to solve this problem.
John’s talk was an uplifting experience on a dull November afternoon and we are very grateful to him.
Valerie Conniff
Tuesday October 9th PLATE TECTONICS IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM – Alan Gray
This was quite a demanding talk as it needed to explain and explore what plate tectonics are here on earth before casting the net much wider to identify what features are present elsewhere in the solar system. Tectonics means 'pertaining to building' and is the process that controls the structure and properties of the Earth's crust and its evolution through time. Hence includes mountain building, cratons, rigid plates, volcanoes and earthquakes.
Plate tectonics is the world wide system of rigid plates in motion. Within this are elements of compression, extension and shear thrusts in the earth’s crust giving rise to features like mountains, faulted horst and graben in rift valleys, basin and range in Arizona and the San Andreas strike/slip fault. Wegner in 1912 put forward his theory of continental drift based on the apparent fit of continents together, plus commonality of terranes and fossil records across now separated continents. But this was widely dismissed as it lacked a mechanism to power the movement required. It was only in the 1960’s that plate tectonics came into its own based on advances in knowledge about convection in the mantle and crust, seismic mapping of the sea floor, and the charting of magnetic reversals as new crustal material moved away from mid ocean ridges.
Alan now focused on the planets and moons within the solar system, looking for any common features between them and here on earth. So for example:
1 Sun – has convection cells but no plate tectonics.
2. Mercury – tectonic evidence including thrusting caused by compression, some apparent horst and graben like features and possible basalt like flood flows. But what powered these? Maybe there was something like plate tectonics before the planet cooled.
3. Venus – fascinating evidence [based on radar interpretations] including volcanoes with rock flows, unusual pancake shaped volcanoes, griddled plains, landslides, and 2 large cratons or continents. Perhaps stagnant rather than active plates.
4. Mars – More in common with the earth eg high mountains and deep trenches, rift valleys and signs of liquid water flow, griddled plains, magnetic stripes and so possible reversals and even tsunami like deposit features. Has Olympus Mons with height of 23,000k.
5. Moon – has lava flows [in the Maria], both compression and extension like features and faulting which imply past tectonic activity.
6. Jupiter Europa -- some evidence of extensional cracking, maybe terranes and even plate boundaries but all in ice!
7. Jupiter IO – closest to Jupiter with tidal forces and cyclical stretching generating warmth. Has erupting volcano.
8. Saturn Titan – has liquid methane seas and lakes Could these act like water on earth?
9. Saturn Enceladus – some clues that transverse faulting occurring. Could this mean magma plumes and some form of plate tectonics?
10. Neptune Triton – apparent vulcanicity.
11. Pluto – surface pattern looks like convection cells. If so warmth inside which might power some tectonics.
What next and where? Jim Handley
The group welcomed several others from the general membership to experience a fascinating account, expertly delivered, on this topic of immense local interest. The record attendance of 55 reflects the interest generated by this title.
It is difficult to cover in a few words the scope and depth of one hour’s detailed description and explanation of the unique natural phenomenon we have on our doorstep. We benefited from the outcomes of John’s extensive research on global mega tides and their relationship to the Severn Estuary , clearly illustrated by photographic and graphical data.
The Severn Estuary has the third highest tide ( 14.7m ) in the world, exceeded only by the Bay of Fundy in Canada ( 16.2 m) and Ungava Bay (15m). However, it is the best place in the world to observe the tide as at Chepstow almost the full tidal range can be seen within 50 metres
The tides are the result of the gravitational pull of the moon (and to a lesser effect the sun) on the rotating earth, attracting water towards it. In Britain, this gives rise to two tides a day and detailed predictions for the tides can be calculated.
The tide brings 5 billion tons of water into the Severn Estuary between Cardiff and Sharpness in 6 hours. It is incredible to visualise this amount of water flowing in and out of the estuary twice a day and this was brought home to us by John’s visual portrayal of a 3 lane queue of tankers stretching all around the world 21 times in order to deliver this volume It would take 20 years! The gravitational force of the moon and sun achieves this in only 6 hours.
During the questions raised after the talk, the final one asked why this potential could not be harnessed to generate renewable energy. The principal objection to this currently is the environmental damage it could cause. Research still needs to be done to solve this problem.
John’s talk was an uplifting experience on a dull November afternoon and we are very grateful to him.
Valerie Conniff
Tuesday October 9th PLATE TECTONICS IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM – Alan Gray
This was quite a demanding talk as it needed to explain and explore what plate tectonics are here on earth before casting the net much wider to identify what features are present elsewhere in the solar system. Tectonics means 'pertaining to building' and is the process that controls the structure and properties of the Earth's crust and its evolution through time. Hence includes mountain building, cratons, rigid plates, volcanoes and earthquakes.
Plate tectonics is the world wide system of rigid plates in motion. Within this are elements of compression, extension and shear thrusts in the earth’s crust giving rise to features like mountains, faulted horst and graben in rift valleys, basin and range in Arizona and the San Andreas strike/slip fault. Wegner in 1912 put forward his theory of continental drift based on the apparent fit of continents together, plus commonality of terranes and fossil records across now separated continents. But this was widely dismissed as it lacked a mechanism to power the movement required. It was only in the 1960’s that plate tectonics came into its own based on advances in knowledge about convection in the mantle and crust, seismic mapping of the sea floor, and the charting of magnetic reversals as new crustal material moved away from mid ocean ridges.
Alan now focused on the planets and moons within the solar system, looking for any common features between them and here on earth. So for example:
1 Sun – has convection cells but no plate tectonics.
2. Mercury – tectonic evidence including thrusting caused by compression, some apparent horst and graben like features and possible basalt like flood flows. But what powered these? Maybe there was something like plate tectonics before the planet cooled.
3. Venus – fascinating evidence [based on radar interpretations] including volcanoes with rock flows, unusual pancake shaped volcanoes, griddled plains, landslides, and 2 large cratons or continents. Perhaps stagnant rather than active plates.
4. Mars – More in common with the earth eg high mountains and deep trenches, rift valleys and signs of liquid water flow, griddled plains, magnetic stripes and so possible reversals and even tsunami like deposit features. Has Olympus Mons with height of 23,000k.
5. Moon – has lava flows [in the Maria], both compression and extension like features and faulting which imply past tectonic activity.
6. Jupiter Europa -- some evidence of extensional cracking, maybe terranes and even plate boundaries but all in ice!
7. Jupiter IO – closest to Jupiter with tidal forces and cyclical stretching generating warmth. Has erupting volcano.
8. Saturn Titan – has liquid methane seas and lakes Could these act like water on earth?
9. Saturn Enceladus – some clues that transverse faulting occurring. Could this mean magma plumes and some form of plate tectonics?
10. Neptune Triton – apparent vulcanicity.
11. Pluto – surface pattern looks like convection cells. If so warmth inside which might power some tectonics.
What next and where? Jim Handley
Tuesday 11th September 2018 Waterworks Visit
There is a lot to see at the Hereford Waterworks Museum as twenty-two members of the Science and Technology found when we made a visit in September. After a short introductory talk, we were divided into two groups to be shown around the compact site.
The Waterworks has its origins in the Hereford Improvement Act of 1854 which was designed to improve many aspects of public health including a clean water supply. The site where the museum is now located was selected because it was upstream of the city but close to the River Wye. To avoid the works flooding it was constructed on the first river terrace but that meant the water conduits had to be dug 7 metres deep. This at a time when the only labouring tools were a pick and shovel.
The works were opened in October 1856 and at that time the pumping station had two Cornish boilers which raised steam for two beam engines. Over the course of the next 40 years the pumping station was expanded whilst keeping the same architectural style to incorporate more efficient boilers and pumps. The age of steam lasted until 1911 when the first electrically powered pumps were installed.
The site at Hereford is now more than just the local history of water supply and waste management. The Museum is trying where possible to buy and incorporate examples of boilers and pumps that might otherwise be lost.
During the visit we were able to see some of these venerable machines ‘in steam’ as well as static examples of electrical and diesel driven pumps. After the visit I think we all had a great respect for our Victorian ancestors and their engineering skills.
There is a lot to see at the Hereford Waterworks Museum as twenty-two members of the Science and Technology found when we made a visit in September. After a short introductory talk, we were divided into two groups to be shown around the compact site.
The Waterworks has its origins in the Hereford Improvement Act of 1854 which was designed to improve many aspects of public health including a clean water supply. The site where the museum is now located was selected because it was upstream of the city but close to the River Wye. To avoid the works flooding it was constructed on the first river terrace but that meant the water conduits had to be dug 7 metres deep. This at a time when the only labouring tools were a pick and shovel.
The works were opened in October 1856 and at that time the pumping station had two Cornish boilers which raised steam for two beam engines. Over the course of the next 40 years the pumping station was expanded whilst keeping the same architectural style to incorporate more efficient boilers and pumps. The age of steam lasted until 1911 when the first electrically powered pumps were installed.
The site at Hereford is now more than just the local history of water supply and waste management. The Museum is trying where possible to buy and incorporate examples of boilers and pumps that might otherwise be lost.
During the visit we were able to see some of these venerable machines ‘in steam’ as well as static examples of electrical and diesel driven pumps. After the visit I think we all had a great respect for our Victorian ancestors and their engineering skills.
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