Two Jersey scientists map out 11,000 years of the island’s geology

Two amateur scientists in Jersey have mapped out 11,000 years of the island’s geology, after years of painstaking research.

Paul Chambers and Ralph Nichols were offered 48 samples taken by Jersey Electricity of the seabed between Jersey and France. After spending six years examining sediment from the samples, they have been able to map out the geological past of the island, right back to the end of the Ice Age.

They say that the samples were "a goldmine" of information about Jersey’s past. They knew they were embarking on something important, when they opened the very first sample, which revealed a wealth of preserved clues about the past 11,000 years.

As the years went by, their research built up. Each layer of sediment revealed a different environment in extraordinary detail. In addition to this, there was one big discovery that no-one had expected: signs of an earthquake.

It is thought the research could now play an important role in helping Jersey’s government tackle climate change in the future.