Our next open talk will take place on Monday 14 November. The talk, titled “The Panama Canal: Civil Engineering Meets Geology” is delivered by Tony Waltham, a Nottingham-based geologist, photographer, and traveller.
We will gather 7.15pm at the Castlefield Hotel on Liverpool Rd Manchester (M3 4JR) for 7.30pm start.

A long and varied history of great canal construction extended throughout the 1800s, and included the first attempt at a canal across Panama, which failed in its early stages. It was therefore into the next century that that the Americans built the Panama Canal between 1904 and 1914. Construction of the massive concrete locks and of Gatun Lake both broke world records at the time, and were brilliant in concept and evolution. Complex geology, dominated by the horrendously weak Cucaracha Clay, created huge problems in the deep Culebra Cut, and these were overcome, in less than subtle style, by brute force and massive expenditure of machinery and effort. The Panama Canal continues to be a critical element in world trade, and recent completion of its larger locks assures its future.

Tony Waltham is a retired lecturer in Engineering Geology at Nottingham Trent University. He has travelled widely with his camera and is still doing this with his wife and frequently taking positions lecturing on the cruise ships. He tailors his talks to be appropriate for academic societies or for groups with wider interests.

The talk is free to attend and everyone is welcome.