www.soton.ac.uk~imwindex.htm

This is part of a much larger geology resources site, nestling in a corner of Southampton University’s web site.

Even as a non-geologist, I found it fascinating. There are about 20 “virtual” field trips here, most covering the coastline of Dorset and Hampshire. Each provides an extraordinary amount of information, as well as photos and geological maps.

The site is clearly a labour of love for its creator, Dr Ian West. It bears the stamp of the genuine enthusiast, and one with a sense of humour as well as a professorial command of the subject.

For non-specialists, the site offers an accessible geologist’s-eye-view of landmarks such as Lulworth Cove and Chesil Beach. The bonus is the chance to savour the wonderfully rich language of this science - to examine the Fossil Forests, learn about the Flandrian Transgression, and discover exactly what “brecciated, laminated, pelletoidal limestone with ostracods” has to do with a broken bed.