Rory Mortimore, Professor of Engineering Geology at the University of Brighton, has worked tirelessly to refine geologists’ ability to identify specific horizons in the Chalk, with huge benefits to the civil engineering industry.
In days of yore, long, long before
Prof. Mortimore laid down the law,
Stratigraphy split Chalk in three.
But now we see complexity,
For Rory’s hands probed lengthy strands
Of marly bands in many lands;
And furthermore, he’d deeply bore
And use Ohm’s law to check the core
To demonstrate they correlate.
In some, he’ll state, an argon date
Reveals those clays whose slow decays
Reveal past days’ volcanic phase.
With each revision of Chalk’s division,
Increased precision! A worthy vision
Whose introduction to new construction
Avoids destruction and ugly ruction.
So now, for sure, we can’t restore
Those days of yore (pre-Mortimore).
But as you walk, you should not baulk
To freely talk of Rory’s Chalk.