Con Gillen compares the Lewisian Gneiss of the Hebrides to that of the NWH Geopark.
This talk will start by looking at the components of the Lewisian Gneiss Complex in the Northwest Highlands and the Hebrides, and the main divisions into blocks or ‘terranes’, before considering the structure and history of the Lewisian in the Outer and Inner Hebrides compared to the Mainland, particularly the part within the Geopark. The significance of the Outer Hebrides Fault will be outlined and briefly compared with the Moine Thrust in the Geopark.
Con Gillen studied the Lewisian rocks around Scourie and Loch Laxford for his PhD at Glasgow University. He has held positions at Glasgow, Paisley, Dublin, Aberdeen and Edinburgh universities, and was a tutor for many years at the Open University. He has also worked on Precambrian rocks in Finland, Russia, Bulgaria and Greece, and has translated several books on Russian geology, including the Kola Superdeep Borehole, where he helped organise a large international research team.
His books include the Geology and Landscapes of Scotland, a field guide to the Western Highlands, and one to the Hebrides, due out later this year. He is a member of the Glasgow, Edinburgh, London and Open University geological societies, and is a friend of the Geopark.
Register here for Con Gillen’s talk on 23rd March
