Dr Padhraig Kennan will give the IGA Diamond Jubilee Special Lecture. He will present some of the conclusions from his life's work on the origin of granite, that most common yet most truly mysterious of rocks. If there is one IGA lecture to attend this year in terms of original scientific thought (with the hard evidence to back it up).

Abstract: There was a time when batholiths were batholiths – large granite bodies with outward-dipping contacts and question marks below. These had crystallised at depth; many were known to be clusters of smaller plutons. The fact that magmas seem prone to mingle and mix, segregate and evolve, interact with their envelopes, and a lot more besides, blurs the answers to many questions regarding magma sources, modes of intrusion, ages, etc. Quartz, feldspar and mica combine only to disguise. In attempting to see through some of this, the speaker will undoubtedly call on imprecise Sr isotopes and commonplace coticule. And "Thank You" IGA for some invaluable field trips that added to my wondering of granite.

Coffee and biscuits will be available from 19:00. 

All are welcome!