Latest news with #UniversityofGlasgow
Glasgow Times
21 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Number of people to cross Glasgow's Govan to Partick bridge revealed
The Govan-Partick Bridge, which opened on September 7, 2024, has been crossed more than a million times by pedestrians and cyclists. The Glasgow City Region City Deal project, which saw the Scottish and UK Governments each provide £12.685 million in funding for the bridge, reconnected Govan and Partick. The bridge spans Water Row on the Southside to Pointhouse Quay beside the Riverside Museum on the north. Since its opening last September, more than 820,000 pedestrians and over 185,000 cyclists have crossed the bridge. The bridge is of economic, environmental, and social significance, linking communities and numerous visitor attractions and institutions. It forms a central part of the active travel route between the University of Glasgow's Gilmorehill campus and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. The Govan-Partick Bridge, one of Europe's longest opening pedestrian/cycle bridges, measures six metres in width and has two spans. The moving span, weighing 650 tonnes, is 99 metres long, while the fixed span weighs 45 tonnes and is 15.7 metres long. (Image: (Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest)) Councillor Susan Aitken, leader of Glasgow City Council and chair of the Glasgow City Region Cabinet, said: "With the City Deal we're quite literally building bridges between our communities along the Clyde. "Our expectations that the Govan-Partick Bridge would reconnect these historic communities have been exceeded with these fantastic figures. "It quickly became a key landmark in the city and a tremendously well-used travel route and will be critical to the continuing regeneration of our riverside and its surrounding communities in the years to come.' Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: "It is impressive to see the impact this bridge has made for communities across the River Clyde. "As well as improving access to jobs and visitor attractions, it has opened up travel between the University of Glasgow's West End and Queen Elizabeth Hospital campuses for pedestrians and cyclists." Kirsty McNeill, UK Government Scotland Office minister, said: "A fantastic one million crossings in less than nine months is clear proof that this magnificent bridge across Glasgow's beloved Clyde has quickly become a cherished and vital piece of infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists." The Glasgow City Region City Deal will see both the Scottish and UK Governments each provide £500 million of funding for infrastructure projects across the city region.
Forbes
a day ago
- General
- Forbes
Humanity's Trash Is Turning To Rock
Human garbage Researchers from the University of Glasgow have found that trash and slag, an industrial waste product produced by the glass and steel industry, is turning into solid rock in as little as 35 years. In a new study, the researchers have documented for the first time a new "rapid anthropoclastic rock cycle," which mimics natural rock cycles but involves human material over accelerated timescales. It all started when one of the authors came across an aluminum tab found encased in a strange rock along the coast of Derwent Howe in West Cumbria. Derwent Howe was home to iron and steel-making foundries during the 19th and 20th centuries, and its coast accumulated an estimated 27 million cubic-meters of furnace slag over the course of its industrial history. The slag deposits have formed cliffs of waste material that are being eroded by coastal waves and tides forming sedimentary rocks — resembling the natural rock cycle. A chemical analysis shows that the slag contains calcium, iron, magnesium and manganese. These elements are highly chemically reactive, which is key to causing the accelerated process of rock formation. When the slag is eroded by the sea, it exposes the material to seawater and air, which interacts with the slag's reactive elements to create natural cements including calcite, goethite, and brucite. These cements are the same materials that bind together natural sedimentary rocks, but the chemical reactions cause the process to happen much faster. 'For a couple of hundred years, we've understood the rock cycle as a natural process that takes thousands to millions of years,' explains corresponding author Dr. Amanda Owen of the University of Glasgow's School of Geographical and Earth Sciences. As the eroded slag is deposited and cemented, it incorporates trash carried by waves and currents to the coast. "What's remarkable here is that we've found these human-made materials being incorporated into natural systems and becoming lithified — essentially turning into rock — over the course of decades instead. It challenges our understanding of how a rock is formed, and suggests that the waste material we've produced in creating the modern world is going to have an irreversible impact on our future." Almost like real fossils, this trash can be used to date the new 'anthropoclastic rock." "We were able to date this process with remarkable precision," says Dr. John MacDonald, a co-author of the study. 'We found both a King George V coin from 1934 and an aluminum can tab with a design that we realized couldn't have been manufactured before 1989 embedded in the material. This gives us a maximum timeframe of 35 years for this rock formation, well within the course of a single human lifetime." Plastiglomerates, a sort of rock resulting from marine plastic pollution, were described for the first time in 2014 from a beach on the Big Island of Hawaii. Since then similar deposits were found along the shores of the Portuguese island of Madeira, the island of Giglio in the Tyrrhenian Sea and in Cornwall in southwest Britain. As plastic pollution is nowadays widespread, likely also plastiglomerates will become more common. 'I think it's very likely that this same phenomenon is happening at any similar slag deposit along a relatively exposed coastline with some wave action anywhere in the world,' explains Dr. David Brown, the paper's third author. The study,"Evidence for a rapid anthropoclastic rock cycle," was published in the journal Geology. Additional material and interviews provided by the University of Glasgow.
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
One million crossings made over city bridge since opening
It towers over an area that, for at least 2,000 years, had a huge importance as a location where it was possible to ford the Clyde. One of the longest opening pedestrian/cycle bridges in Europe, the Govan - Partick Bridge has a width of six metres and two spans. The moving span, which weighs 650 tonnes, is 99 metres long and uses the South Pier (at Water Row) as its access; and the fixed span, which weighs 45 tonnes and is 15.7 metres long. The crossing is also a central part of the active travel route between the University of Glasgow's campus at Gilmorehill and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. READ MORE: New figures released by Glasgow City Council show that, since the public opening last September, there have been more than 820,000 crossings of the bridge by pedestrians, and over 185,000 cyclist crossings. Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of the Glasgow City Region Cabinet, said: 'With the City Deal we're quite literally building bridges between our communities along the Clyde. "Our expectations that the Govan-Partick Bridge would reconnect these historic communities have been exceeded with these fantastic figures. It's quickly become a key landmark in the city and a tremendously well-used travel route and will be critical to the continuing regeneration of our riverside and its surrounding communities in the years to come.' Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, said: 'It is impressive to see the impact this bridge has made for communities across the River Clyde. As well as improving access to jobs and visitor attractions, it has opened up travel between the University of Glasgow's West End and Queen Elizabeth Hospital campuses for pedestrians and cyclists. The Govan - Partick Bridge is one of the longest opening pedestrian/cycle bridges in Europe (Image: Colin Mearns/Herald) "Construction was funded through the Glasgow City Region Deal, which we have supported with £520 million. This investment aims to create 29,000 jobs in the Greater Glasgow region by boosting housing, transport, business growth and research opportunities to improve outcomes for patients.' UK Government Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill said: "A fantastic one million crossings in less than nine months is clear proof that this magnificent bridge across Glasgow's beloved Clyde has quickly become a cherished and vital piece of infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists. It is also a powerful reminder of how vital it is to bring people and places together. "Part funded with more than £12 million UK Government investment, re-establishing this historic connection between Govan and Partick is boosting the economy, bonding communities and supporting redevelopment. This is our Plan for Change in action, working with partners to deliver economic growth and a decade of national renewal."
Daily Record
a day ago
- Science
- Daily Record
Glasgow's new peregrine falcon chicks named after iconic Still Game characters
The chicks hatched on April 27 in a nest high above University of Glasgow's iconic Gilbert Scott Building Two peregrine falcon chicks born atop the University of Glasgow's iconic Gilbert Scott Building have been given names that pay tribute to one of Scotland's best-loved comedy duos, Jack and Victor. The fluffy newcomers hatched on April 27 in a nest high up in the tower that dominates the skyline above Kelvingrove Park and can be seen from as far as Dumbarton Road in Partick, Glasgow Live reports. Their proud parents, affectionately named Bonnie and Clyde, return to the Gothic building each spring since 2022 and have become favourites among local birdwatchers. On 21 May, members of the Glasgow Peregrine Project scaled the tower to ring the chicks, weigh them, take DNA samples, and install a new nest camera. During the check-up, they also retrieved an unhatched egg, which they believe was accidentally pierced by a parent's talon. Sharing the chosen names on social media, the University of Glasgow wrote: 'Say hello to Jack and Victor, the new additions to the UofG Falcon family. Bonnie and Clyde, a pair of peregrine falcons who return to nest atop the Gilbert Scott Building each spring, have welcomed their new chicks. 'Last week, the chicks were ringed, weighed, and DNA swabbed, and officially named Jack and Victor in true Glasgow style. The chicks will feature on Landward on BBC Scotland on 12 June.' Bonnie and Clyde themselves were named in 2024 after the university invited staff and students to suggest names for the breeding pair. Over 300 suggestions poured in, with 'Bonnie' chosen as a nod to 'Bonnie Scotland', and 'Clyde' referencing the River Clyde. Peregrine falcons are the fastest animals on Earth, capable of reaching speeds of up to 200 miles per hour as they dive to catch prey. Found across much of the world, they typically grow up to two feet tall with a wingspan approaching four feet. The Glasgow Peregrine Project has been closely monitoring the birds and has even held public watches in recent years, giving people the chance to witness the remarkable creatures up close. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The RSPB, the University of Glasgow, and the Scottish Ornithologists' Club are spearheading the project, with support from several other groups. Clarke Elsby, building surveyor at the University of Glasgow, told the BBC: "We're keen that Bonnie and Clyde, and now Jack and Victor, are kept in the best possible condition while sharing their stories with our Glasgow community. "Thanks to this project, we're not only preserving these remarkable residents, we're also inspiring a new generation of wildlife enthusiasts across the city." John Simpson, Clyde area bird recorder, added: "We're delighted to be able to contribute to the work of the Glasgow Peregrine Project, and today's work was vital in following the stories of Bonnie and Clyde."
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Peregrine falcon chicks hatch on Glasgow University tower
The University of Glasgow has named its two new peregrine falcons chicks Jack and Victor after the lead characters from BBC Scotland sitcom Still birds of prey hatched on the rooftop of the Gilbert Scott tower last university said the falcon parents Bonnie and Clyde, who are officially considered staff at the university, have nested on the rooftop of the tower each spring since were named in reference to the phrase "Bonnie Scotland" and for the River Clyde - as well as the notorious crime duo. The university installed cameras in the nesting area at the top of the Gilbert Scott tower and saw the eggs appearing to move last and Victor hatched on 27 April and the Glasgow Peregrine Project said it observed a "big change" in Bonnie and Clyde's behaviour at the project is led by the Scottish Ornithologists' Club, the University of Glasgow and the RSPB, with support from a number of other groups.A spokesperson said: "Once peregrine chicks hatch, the adults (especially the female) become fiercely protective, chasing away any threat including birds, mammals, and even humans."The parents "worked hard" to feed the chicks over the following weeks to keep up with their growing appetites. Last week, staff scaled the 278 feet (85m) tall Gilbert Scott tower to the rooftop so that the chicks could be tagged, weighed and swabbed for rings were fitted to their legs which contained tiny electronic microchips that act like allows researchers to identify and track the birds throughout their lives so they can gather data on survival, movement and university previously welcomed four peregrine falcon chicks on the tower last year. Clarke Elsby, building surveyor at the University of Glasgow, said: "We're keen that Bonnie and Clyde, and now Jack and Victor, are kept in the best possible condition while sharing their stories with our Glasgow community."Thanks to this project, we're not only preserving these remarkable residents, we're also inspiring a new generation of wildlife enthusiasts across the city."John Simpson, Clyde area bird recorder, said: "We're delighted to be able to contribute to the work of the Glasgow Peregrine Project, and today's work was vital in following the stories of Bonnie and Clyde."In recent years the Glasgow Peregrine Project has held peregrine watches at the university, allowing people to see the birds in their nest.
