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Geoscience

Geoscience in the City 2005

Climate Change and Extinction: two-part lecture

Part 1: Climate change
Speaker: Professor Tom Hubble, University of Sydney

Professor Tom Hubble from the University of Sydney will discuss climate change not just as a recent phenomenon, but as something that has been happening throughout the 4.5 billion year history of the earth. It must have affected life on earth in the past but didn't wipe it out and, in some ways, might it have provided a mechanism for diversification?

Part 2: Extinction of Australia's megafauna
Speaker: Dr Steve Wroe, University of Sydney

The last of Australia's megafauna disappeared around 30,000 years ago and there is still major debate amongst palaeontologists and archaeologists on the cause of the extinction. Dr Steve Wroe from the University of Sydney will outline the evidence for a late survival of the megafauna in Australia and propose mechanisms to account for its extinction.

Date : Wednesday, 5 October 2005
Time: 6:30 pm for 7.00pm lecture start
Cost (inc. GST): $12 members, $18 non-members
Bookings : Please call The Australian Museum Society on 9320 6225 or book online at http://www.amonline.net.au/tams/events.cfm#Lectures
Venue: Australian Museum Theatrette. Please enter via the William Street entrance

The Geology of Sydney: three-part lecture

Part 1: Development of the Sydney Basin
Speaker: Dr Ian Graham, Australian Museum

Sydney is located on one of the major sedimentary basins of eastern Australia, termed 'The Sydney Basin'. This talk will outline the geological development of the Sydney Basin, particularly of the main sedimentary sequence and including Sydney's volcanic history.

Part 2: Structural and engineering geology of Sydney
Speaker: David Och, Douglas Partners

This illustrated talk will outline the discovery of major faults and dykes in the Sydney region over the last 10 years and their effect on excavation and construction techniques. A highlight will be the presentation of a new geological map of the Sydney Region, showing the location and extent of these newly discovered faults and dykes.

Part 3: Sydney's heritage sandstone
Speaker: Dr Brenda Franklin, Consultant Petrologist

All of the early or heritage buildings of Sydney were constructed from local materials. For stone buildings, the local Hawkesbury sandstone was simply cut from outcrops either directly on site or nearby. This talk will outline the properties of Sydney's heritage sandstone (including how and why it crumbles away), the various buildings it was used for and what else is being used in its place.

Date: Wednesday, 12 October 2005
Time : 6:30 pm for 7.00pm lecture start
Cost (inc. GST ): $12 members, $18 non-members
Bookings : Please call The Australian Museum Society on 9320 6225 or book online at http://www.amonline.net.au/tams/events.cfm#Lectures
Venue: Australian Museum Theatrette. Please enter via the William Street entrance