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DAVID Roche GeoConsulting of Exeter have been awarded a grant for a project entitled ‘Geodiversity audit of active aggregate quarries’. The award has been made by the Minerals Industry Sustainable Technology Programme (MIST), which was established by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Minerals Industry Research Organisation (MIRO) under the terms of the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF).

During a working life spent evaluating mineral reserves in the aggregates industry, project manager Dr Clive Nicholas says he has seen many geological features of scientific interest go largely unrecognized and unrecorded. ‘Quarries provide some of the best rock exposures in areas where surface outcrops may be poor and understanding the underlying geology from natural surface features alone can be notoriously difficult. Active quarries are even better as new geological features are continually being revealed,’ he says.

Initially, 16 working quarries in Devon will be studied as a pilot project before extending the idea further afield. The project is being undertaken in partnership with members of the Devon Stone Federation, a long-established discussion forum for aggregate producers in the county. Other project partners are Devon County Council, the British Geological survey and MIRO.