Press releases issued by the Society are listed here. These usually refer to papers published in one of our peer-reviewed journals. Members of the press can find embargoed press releases on AlphaGalileo, or be added to our press mailing list by contacting sarah.day@geolsoc.org.uk.
3 February 2017
The Geological Society is delighted to announce the appointment of Richard Hughes, currently Director of Business Development at the Coal Authority, as Executive Secretary.
4 January 2017
The Geological Society is delighted to be a partner organisation for BBC Learning’s ‘Terrific Scientific’ project, as part of the 'Water' investigation due to launch in February.
5 September 2016
Following two successful themed years, the Geological Society has named 2017 the Year of Risk. Throughout the year, we will be exploring the concept of risk in the context of the geosciences.
7 March 2016
We are pleased to announce the launch of our new education and careers web pages, 'Geology Career Pathways', produced in partnership with University Geoscience UK.
29 February 2016
We are delighted to announce the winners of our 2016 awards, to be presented at President's Day on 8 June.
28 January 2016
The Geological Society has named 2016 the Year of Water. Throughout the year, the Society will be exploring the different and varied ways in which geology and water interact, and the importance of these links to people and the environment.
7 October 2015
We are delighted to announce the winners of the 100 Great Geosites photography competition, to feature in a 2016 calendar.
27 August 2015
The Geological Society of London, in partnership with mapping and analytics company Esri UK, have launched a 100 Great Geosites mobile app, following the success of the 2014 project.
15 July 2015
The Geological Society is delighted to announce the appointment of Sarah Fray as Executive Secretary. Currently Director of Engineering and Technical Services at the Institution of Structural Engineers, Ms Fray will take up her post in early October.
8 July 2015
Some of the oldest marine animals on the planet, including armoured worm-like forms and giant, lobster like sea creatures, survived millions of years longer than previously thought, according to a spectacularly preserved fossil formation from southeastern Morocco.
7 May 2015
The Geological Society of London has elected two new Honorary Fellows, Professor Maureen Raymo and Professor John Walsh. They join the Society’s 68 strong list of Honorary Fellows, recognised both for their achievements in Earth science, and as ambassadors for the science.
13 April 2015
Members of the Geological Society of London have voted Malcolm Brown, Executive Vice President of Exploration at BG Group, to be their next President, following a consultative ballot. He will serve for a year as President Designate, before taking over from current President Professor David Manning in June 2016.
25 March 2015
At the request of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), the Geological Society1 has established an independent panel to review and evaluate the guidance for national geological screening, which will inform the process of identifying a suitable site or sites for geological disposal of the UK’s radioactive waste.
23 March 2015
A rare early copy of William Smith’s 1815 Geological Map of England and Wales, previously thought lost, has been uncovered by Geological Society archivists.
18 March 2015
On 23rd March, the Geological Society of London and partner organisations will launch the 200th anniversary celebrations of William Smith’s ‘Map that Changed the World.’
18 February 2015
We are delighted to announce our 2015 Awards, to be presented at President's Day on 3 June.
21 May 2014
The report is right to point out that we can have a high level of confidence in the safe and secure disposal of CO2 underground. The science and engineering associated with CCS are not significant barriers to large-scale delivery of CCS – the principle constraints are political and economic
10 March 2014
In the past 40 years, ocean exploration has revolutionised our understanding of how ecosystems adapt to life at deep sea vents. The 2014 Lyell Meeting asks, can life in these extreme environments tell us something about the possibility of ecosystems beyond Earth?
25 February 2014
Over two days, geoscientists and decision makers will discuss the latest geological research relevant to shale gas exploration, production and environmental management, including the likely extent of UK shale resources, potential hazards such as induced seismicity or contaminated groundwater, and what can be learned from the story of US shale gas extraction.
28 January 2014
The Geological Society of London today launches a new report, ‘Geology for Society’, outlining the importance of geology to our society, from protecting human health and the environment, to facilitating economic growth.
14 January 2014
Seven Fellows of the Geological Society have been named on the Science Council’s list of the UK’s 100 leading professional scientists, launched to celebrate the Science Council’s 10th birthday.
10 December 2013
The sensitivity of the Earth’s climate to CO2 could be double what has been previously estimated, according to a statement issued by the Geological Society of London.
24 October 2013
The world’s oceans are capable of sustaining 10.5 billion people at a European standard of living for hundreds of centuries to come, according to an article by Lawrence Cathles, Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Science at Cornell University, to be published in a Geological Society special publication this week.
2 October 2013
The UK's second Earth Science Week is taking place on 7 -13 October, and will be a celebration of geology on our doorsteps, with guided walks taking place throughout the week.
8 August 2013
The Geological Societies of London and Japan today signed an agreement for academic co-operation and exchange, on the 400th anniversary of Japanese-British relations. - See more at: http://geolsocnewcms.soukdev.com/?sc_itemid=%7b0F88963F-8189-49F4-B6ED-661EB54698E0%7d&sc_mode=preview&sc_lang=en#sthash.I3ZMU2d9.dpuf
The Geological Societies of London and Japan today signed an agreement for academic co-operation and exchange, on the 400th anniversary of Japanese-British relations. - See more at: http://geolsocnewcms.soukdev.com/?sc_itemid=%7b0F88963F-8189-49F4-B6ED-661EB54698E0%7d&sc_mode=preview&sc_lang=en#sthash.I3ZMU2d9.dpuf
The Geological Societies of London and Japan today signed an agreement for academic cooperation and exchange, on the 400th anniverary of Japanese-British relations.
19 June 2013
Climate records captured in Siberian caves suggest 1.5 degrees of warming is enough to trigger thawing of permafrost, according to a paper to be given at the Geological Society of London on 27 June.
23 April 2013
The second annual National School's Geology Challenge is being held at the Geological Society of London on 23 April.
22 March 2013
An upcoming meeting on 4-5 April to address some of the questions we have about past climate changes during the Holocene epoch.
11 March 2013
An upcoming meeting on 13 March to reassess the complex, non-uniformitarian processes that operated in ecosystems before, during and after the Cambrian explosion.
18 February 2013
A response to Iain Duncan Smith's recent comments about the relative importance of geologists and shelf stackers.
01 February 2013
A joint project between the American Geosciences Institute, The Geological Society of America, the British Geological Survey and the Geological Society of London.
05 December 2012
A statement following the recent Government announcements on Shale Gas
04 December 2012
On 18 December, the Society is holding a meeting to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first announcement of 'Piltdown Man', by Charles Dawson and Arthur Smith Woodward.
19 September 2012
The mystery of how the planet could have escaped from ‘Snowball Earth’ conditions in the Neoproterozoic Era may be unravelling, according to research to be presented at the Geological Society’s Fermor Meeting this week.
05 July 2012
A statement following the recent news about the new visitor centre at the Giant's Causeway.
14 June 2012
The probability of hydraulic fractures, such as those produced in ‘fracking’ for shale gas, contaminating shallow aquifers is minimal, according to a study to be discussed at an open meeting of the Geological Society on Monday (18th June).
2 March 2012
On 6 - 7 March, the Geological Society will be launching its Environment Network with a two day conference focusing on Water Futures. The conference brings together hydrogeologists and researchers from a range of Earth Science disciplines, to focus on the future of groundwater in the UK and abroad.
8 November 2011
While scarcity of rare earth elements (REE) in absolute terms is unlikely to be a concern, their future supply could be disrupted by technical, environmental and financial factors, according to a briefing note published by the Geological Society of London today.
17 October 2011
Three giant underwater landslides, which took place up to half a million years ago and would have caused huge tsunami waves, have been discovered off the coast of Southern Chile.
5 October 2011
The Geological Society is organising the first UK Earth Science Week, beginning with a day-long conference celebrating the link between geology and poetry.
23 May 2011
Select Committee's report on shale gas, published today, finds no evidence that ‘fracking’ poses a direct risk to underground water aquifers, provided the drilling well is constructed properly.
18 March 2011
March 21 - 27 is the UK's first 'Climate Week', with the aim of raising awareness of the issues surrounding our changing climate, and what can be done. To recognise Climate Week, the Geological Society is holding a number of events and activities.
1 February 2011
Professor Steve Sparks CBE FRS, former President of the Geological Society, is the recipient of the 2011 Wollaston Medal, the Society’s oldest and most prestigious award.
1 November 2010
The climate change ‘experiment’ has already been run, with results that would be disastrous for the world today, according to evidence highlighted in a statement published today by the Geological Society of London.
22 October 2010
The famous landslide scene in The Railway Children could become a regular sight in future, as scientists warn of the effect climate change will have on the UK’s 10,000 kilometres of railway embankments and cuttings.
25 August 2010
A unique ‘natural laboratory’ in the Mediterranean Sea is revealing the effects of rising carbon dioxide levels on life in the oceans. The results show a bleak future for marine life as ocean acidity rises, and suggest that similar lowering of ocean pH levels may have been responsible for massive extinctions in the past.
25 June 2010
Hot spots such as the Iceland plume can cause ripples hundreds of metres high to spread across the Earth's surface, according to the latest research at the University of Cambridge.
23 April 2010
Scientists have come closer to identifying the cause of the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM), a period of rapid temperature rise which many believe to be the closest analogue to present day climate change.
16 February 2010
Hopes have been raised for the viability of geothermal energy in the UK, after exploratory drilling in Weardale, County Durham, revealed record levels of permeability in granite.
28 October 2009
Scientists have confirmed that threads found within amber deposits from the Sussex Coast are the world's oldest known spider webs, dating back to 140 million years ago.