South Coast Technical Visit

Geological Field Visit to Brighton and the South Coast

Wednesday 19 September 2018

Led by Professor Rory Mortimore

Clothing

Normal geological field trip clothing (allow for wet/dry weather) and sensible field walking shoes. Don’t forget camera.

Itinerary

Coach departs Imperial College 08:00.

Morning – 10:00 start – coach party arrival at Brighton sea front.

The visit will begin with an introduction by Professor Mortimore and then a visit to the Black Rock Raised Beach and Marina and looking at deposits by the Quaternary cliff-line.

There will be a discussion of the local engineering/geology: Black Rock Marina; Brighton & Hove Stormwater Tunnel; Brighton to Peacehaven new sewer tunnel; coastal engineering and cliff instability.

The party will then walk the undercliff from the Black Rock Raised Beach and discuss the rates of cliff retreat, risks to the coast road and undercliff, the methods of monitoring and the different types of remedial engineering. Horizontal coring at the foot of the Rodean Café access road and the geology of the Chalk.

Lunch will be taken in a café.

Afternoon – 13:45 – coach party pick-up to transfer to Saltdean.

The party will start on the eastern side of Saltdean Lido and take the access tunnel under the coast road to the undercliff. There will be a discussion of Saldean cliffs, Chalk geology/marker beds; dry valley and Quaternary processes; and saline intrusions up valleys.

15:30 coach party pick up for departure to London. Arrive back at Imperial College around 17:30.