Through the eyes of a geologist

Every year, the geology department dress up for our annual Christmas party organised by the PCSB student society. This year’s theme was Noah’s Ark and was certainly colourful. The work load for fourth year has been beyond anything I thought it could be. So at last, we had a reason to let our hair down and have some fun. After a week or so of prep, ordering our outfits from eBay and Amazon (student style of course), the time arrived and we finally put on all our accessories on, so that we actually looked remotely like flamingos. It was pink overload.   I think we scored 10 for effort. Strangers even asked for a selfie with us! Many cocktails later, we danced the night away and I found myself snuggled up in bed by 2:30am. That’s how you know I am a fourth year; cocktails and early nights are the way forward! Good luck with the deadlines everyone! Reblogged. Original post http://studentblogs.le.ac.uk/geology/2015/12/07/geologists-on-noahs-ark/

Do you enjoy studying sciences but still unsure what subject to continue in higher education? Have you thought of studying geology? For me, geology is an amalgamation of all sciences. Throughout my degree so far, I’ve had the opportunity to be a geophysicist, a geochemist, a geostatistican, a sedimentologist and a palaeobiologist. I had always enjoyed studying science at school and didn’t want to compromise one subject for another when applying to university. Studying geology was my answer. Studying geology makes you a well-rounded individual, as you get chances of studying a broad subject that encompasses the Earth, ranging from the composition, to the structure and processes acting upon it. If you want to pursue a masters, the thesis which you write in your fourth year allows you to start to specialise in areas that you are interested in. However, this doesn’t limit you in your future career. Why study geology at Leicester? Here are some of the 2016 statistics from the Nation

Last Thursday, after a long day of studying and report writing, I was invited by a friend to an MSF event happening at the library. I heard there was free pizza and as a student, I automatically said yes. Prior to the invitation, I had never heard of MSF let alone the Missing Maps project. For those of you who don’t know, the Friends of MSF are a student run society and require students help as volunteer mappers to map remote parts of the world that are most vulnerable to crisis, whether that’s natural disasters, disease-related or due to conflict. Maps are incredibly important. As a geologist I know the extent of how vital fieldwork is, as it is essential evidence to back up interpretations. Therefore to learn how to digitally map is a new skill altogether. We were assigned to identify settlements in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo. This will allow NGOs such as the Red Cross to establish population estimates so that then everyone knows exactly what supplies are needed

With term now fully underway, finding time to be sociable is hard. It’s different to switch off; you’re overcome with a feeling of guilt that my time would be better spent studying. Welcome to fourth year. However, one thing geologists definitely do full-heartedly… barcrawls! When we have time for fun, we certainly know how to have fun. Last week was the Geology PCSB Red T-Shirt barcrawl. We welcome the first-years to Leicester and we show them what it’s really like to be a student studying Geology, AMAZING. I think roughly 150-200 people attended, of whom were both undergrads and postgrads, roaming the streets of the city. This was really strange for me. The majority of people who I knew were only in my year group. Prior to studying abroad at The University of Arizona, I knew people in the years above me since I was a 2 nd  year back then. I’m now back in Leicester as a 4 th  year and I’m seeing all these fresh faces in the department. It was being like a new kid at school.

I originally began blogging when I undertook the Leicester Award for Social Networking and now I can’t seem to stop. I blogged about this topic a few months ago… Something which has certainly sparked my interest since it was announced in October 2014, was the launch of  100 Great Geosites  spanning the UK and Ireland by the  Geological Society . As a keen field geologist, I am excited to hear that there is finally an interactive map to find sites of geological importance on your doorstep. Categories vary from economic perspectives such as mines, to spectacular structures and extinct super-volcanoes all within a drivable distance. The launch of the Geosites will be incredibly educational to all ages and backgrounds. It is important to learn about your geological surroundings and to understand events of the past to truly appreciate the unknowns of the future such as earthquakes and volcanoes which can be applied to a global scale. These sites also encompass other aspects such as bi

As term-time is approaching, more and more MGeol students are appearing around the department eager to get ahead of the game. An MGeol project is a compulsory research module where students are fully responsible to complete independently and is worked on alongside the usual studies and commitments that comes with an academic year. When entering my third year of studies and the shortlist of projects were published, there wasn’t a project that took my fancy. Speaking to previous fourth-year students, they advised to pick a project that I knew I would enjoy. If I loved what I was doing, I’d be happier putting all my time and effort into the project and it being successful. The only thing I was certain about, was that I wanted to undertake fieldwork as part of my project as that aspect of geology is my favourite. That’s when I started emailing lecturers, speaking to professionals in industry and asking for their advice. Little did I know, I would be collecting my data whilst I was stu

Now it may sound cliché, but you are about to embark on the best 3 or 4 years of your life so far. First years… I am majorly jealous of you. I’d love to be starting university again. The friends you’re going to make during Freshers and your induction fortnight within Geology, really do set you up for the rest of your degree, so get out there and make the most of it. Freshers fortnight only happens once a year so go wild. I’d urge you to attend all the information sessions that have been put on for you, anyway, the weekend is for sleeping! Most people spend the fortnight sleep deprived, you most likely will end up with Freshers flu, but it’s worth it for the fun you’re going to have. When I first turned up into halls, there was a girl in my flat arguing with her mum loudly. I honestly thought to myself, I hope I’m not living with her! She’s now my best friend!! (I love you Grace!) Don’t judge a book by its cover and remember you’re all in the same boat, embrace the good and bad tim

Until the age of sixteen, I wanted to be a heart surgeon. I think it was religiously watching Holby City on a Tuesday evening that did it for me. However much I loved biology at sixth form, I wasn’t very good at it to be honest. I was lost and studying A-levels that I enjoyed rather than what I could see myself perusing in a career. It actually wasn’t until sixth form when I switched from the IB (International Baccalaureate) to standard A-levels, that I found out I could study Geology, let alone at a degree level. I sat in the office of my advisors office not knowing what subjects to take. One subject I did excel in was Geography, where my particular love for maps grew. I enjoyed understanding relationships between boarders and the social aspects, as well as getting nitty gritty with the physical aspects of volcanoes and other hazards. By understanding Geology, it lets me answer the ‘how’ questions. How did that volcano produce so much lava? Why? When will it happen again? I’ve alwa

How’s everyone’s summer coming along? Mine has been pretty standard since arriving home from Arizona, as nothing can quite compete with that. However, one thing that many students do, including myself, is learn to drive over the summer and pass before term starts again in the Autumn. When I was 17, I did begin to learn however after 3 hours I knew I wasn’t quite ready as quite frankly, I was a wuss. At the fine age of 21 ½, I finally felt as though I had the ability to control a car without running somebody over. Consequently, the past 3 weeks have been filled with 20 hours of driving lessons alongside working nearly full-time at my (part-time) job. My instructor Alex had a personality and a half, and worked around my working hours which meant that many lessons either started at 7am or 10pm. As you can imagine I’ve had a hectic few weeks. Due to studying abroad, my theory certificate expired which meant I couldn’t book a driving test. I knew I had the ability to pass and thus

When university starts, you both embrace the independency (like me) and miss your pets like crazy, or you’re badly homesick and want to go home at every opportunity. It’s normal to be either. I was so immersed into university, I somehow forgot to be homesick. However, everybody is different. Something I found recently was that National Express coaches do journeys from £6! I travel between Colchester-Leicester-Nottingham on a regular basis and have found that by far, this is the cheapest way to travel. So if homesickness is something you’re worrying about if you’re starting university this September, home is just one journey away. Other tips I have found along my university journey: The laundrette can be costly in halls. It’s fine to wear jeans for a few days right? Hang them back up in your wardrobe! Can’t afford a gym membership? Invest in a rucksack and walk everywhere. Put all your baked bean tins on your back from your weekly shop, and you’ll be working up a sweat in no tim

Budgeting! Before university, it’s the one word we hear a thousand times from our parents! Commuting, textbooks, food, the list is endless. Among many other things, these need to be considered into our budgets. Some students are really lucky they can rely on the bank of mum and dad for either a weekly allowance or a relief loan for when times are tough. This blog post will be the first of two that hopes to show you how you don’t need to budget, you just need to be sensible! It will contain my top tips and latest knowledge of the best deals out there to benefit students and make the most of university on a small amount of money. Everything I’m about to say, I either currently do or have done at some point in the past 3-4 years. My major concern before starting university was if I was to run out of money. I am very independent and will not ask my parents for money even if it is the last resort. Instead, make sure you’ve done research into the accounts the banks have to offer to ensu

Jurassic Park 4, now released as Jurassic World first made New Scientist headlines in April 2013 as the director stated that all dinosaurs present in the movie would be featherless like the previous releases. We now know that this wasn't always the case, Velociraptors are one of the species we now know to have had feathers. As a geologist with a keen interest in palaeobiology, the viewing of the film was a necessity! Although it may be a movie, it essentially gives the majority of the audience an insight into how far research has come by studying and interpreting fossils. It’s important for others to learn about the past in order to understand the concepts of the future. One of my favourite lines of the movie was when the owner Simon Masrani states, “Jurassic World exists to remind us how very small we are.” I completely agree with this, in fact it made me pause for a few minutes. As humans, we tend to be very self-centred. We have no predators and we control the food

I am now a fully trained University of Leicester Student Blogger for the Geology department - yay! My blogging hobby obviously came in handy and what's better than doing something you love and getting paid for it?! You can find me here: Jo M  and you can read my first blog post  here " Hello, my name is Jo and I'm a fourth-year MGeol Geology student who has recently returned from my year abroad at the University of Arizona. I hope to give you an insight into the life of a geology student, the challenges we face, the opportunities that arise and the roller coaster we ride come graduation." If you fancy reading my university-related blog posts, you can even subscribe. I aim to blog weekly, whilst staying as active as I can on this blog too.

June is an exciting month. Why? Well let me tell you more about  British Exploring’s #ExploreforMore Geocaching Adventure. When I came across the British Exploring Society a few years ago, I was at the beginning of my degree and struggling to find work experience. I began searching the internet night and day, in the hope that I could find an opportunity, any opportunity, to persue my education outside of the university setting. I applied to be a volunteer at Hawaii's Observatory, contacting local quarries, as well applying for BGS's G-BASE opportunities. With little geology experience, I knew I didn't really stand a chance against other students whom were coming to the end of their degrees and had more fieldwork experience. This is when I came across the British Exploring Society. The fieldwork expeditions they were offering sounded amazing. Adventures all over the world, but just one problem, the price! Souly relying on Student Finance to live, I knew that I wouldn't b

It's been a roller coaster of a ride, however I'm glad to be home. I've undertaken fieldwork in phenomenal areas of Arizona I could only dream of seeing. It has been a once in a life opportunity and hugely grown as a individual, not only personally but professionally too. I've been told that I will undergo culture shock now that I've moved back to the UK. Although at current, it feels as though I've slotted back nicely into my previous wet and windy (which I have to say I love!) life. It's been a hectic few weeks but I'm raring to go! Expect to see plenty more blogs coming soon.

Saturday's field trip began with an hour long journey south towards the town of Tombstone . This is a place I've always wanted to visit and to undertake fieldwork at this location too, kills two birds with one stone. Tombstone is a historic town of the southwest and was known for its regular gunfighting. Driving through the town felt as though I was in a completely different place altogether. It was like driving through a time machine, back a hundred or so years to the time of horse and carts. This trip was focused around the Walnut Gulch experimental watershed just a few minutes drive from Tombstone's centre. We was joined by Dr Mary Nichols who works for the USDA Southwest Watershed Research Center who was able to give the class a detailed insight into the setting of the watershed, tours of the flumes and data which we aim to manipulate to heighten our understanding of bed load transport. Walnut Gulch experimental watershed is an area covering 60 million hectares of b

Among exams and deadlines, I can always find a spare few minutes to blog. Following on from the Santa Rita fault scarp field trip... Our findings didn't match Pearthree's (1987) data. In fact, it didn't correlate to the full-fit or mid-point diffusion models either, concluding that the slope hadn't undergone extensive rilling as expected. Consequently, erosion at the top of the scarp and deposition at the base of the exposed scarp surface were not distinguishable when plotting elevation changes in cross-section, instead the relationship was linear. The reason for this I am still questioning and so expect another update soon! The Geomorphology team

With temperatures nearly reaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celcuis), fieldwork is becoming more strenuous in the changing conditions. Even the simplest of tasks such as walking to the study site require motivation in the heat. With no shade nearby, I knew that this would likely be my hardest challenge whilst studying abroad in Arizona. Regardless of fitness ability, everyone is dripping in sweat having looked like they have just showered. Over Spring Break, the heat changed from the evenings when you'd need an accompanying jacket, to high temperatures rapidly. The team I've just began a seven-week intensive Geomorphology course and requires attendance on Saturday fieldtrips for the next five or so weekends. The days are the standard 8-5pm schedule. I was nervous at first at I thought I would be the pastey English girl fainting in the heat, however I can now say it's not too bad! The lecturer is really relaxed which is great. We have a briefing when we arriv

Something which has certainly sparked my interest since it was announced in October 2014, was the launch of 100 Great Geosites spanning the UK and Ireland by the Geological Society . As a keen field geologist, I am excited to hear that there is finally an interactive map to find sites of geological importance on your doorstep. Categories vary from economic perspectives such as mines, to spectacular structures and extinct super-volcanoes all within a drivable distance. Millook Haven - chevron folds in the cliff face Photographed by Chris Hill The launch of the Geosites will be incredibly educational to all ages and backgrounds. It is important to learn about your geological surroundings and to understand events of the past to truly appreciate the unknowns of the future such as earthquakes and volcanoes which can be applied to a global scale. These sites also encompass other aspects such as biology as fossils can be great indicators of palaeoenvironments of the geological p

Not too long ago, I received an email with regards to the Sustainable Futures online short course available to the University of Leicester students. Having studied World Development in great depth at A-level, I thought it would be a great opportunity to update my knowledge on new developments and statistics with regards to sustainability. I definitely have not been left disappointed. Not only does the lecturer have a David Attenborough-like voice, the course is really stimulating and allows you to completely reflect upon the causes and effects human pressure puts on the Earth. I do think this is an incredibly important issue that not enough people understand and many use climate change as a scapegoat for many of the problems the world currently faces. However this course allows you to look at the larger picture as I think the problems that we face and may face in the future are incredibly complex, and one that doesn't have a simple solution. The course is still available to regis

As part of my Surface Mine Planning class at the UofA, I made a visit to Mission Mine which is just south of Tucson in order to review the operations and processes occurring at the open-pit. It was an eye-opener in terms of the size of the pit - the mine occupies 20,000 acres of land and the pit is 2 miles by 2.5 miles, and nearing 1500ft deep. The mining at Mission was dominantly underground until 2003 however open-pit mining did begin in 1959. The Cu is at great depths which meant it actually took two years of mining before they reached the copper in 1961. One thing I certainly was intrigued about was the reclamation plans for this site. Current projections show the expected costs of filling the open pit to be near one million dollars per day and is expected to continue for fifty years in twentysix years time, which is when production is expected to cease. However, as this is not economically viable, it will not be filled. Instead the waste rock is used at proving grounds in order

Class cancellations allowed me make a spontaneous booking to Las Vegas for four nights b&b at the Flamingo, including flights for £180 - bargain! How could I possibly say no? I had heard from friends that two days wasn't enough and a week was too long to stay in the city, and I agreed that four nights were perfect. Knowing that I had limited time in the city, I had undertaken a great deal of research to ensure maximum checked boxes on our Vegas bucket list.  As we descended on the plane, the Strip stands out so clearly among the Vegas skyline. It has the tallest and most extravagant buildings, alongside helicopters with tourist passengers close by. Even though we stayed on the Strip which is only a few miles from the airport, not once did I hear any aircraft.  We stayed in the Flamingo Hotel which is currently the oldest standing hotel on the Strip. Our top-floor room overlooked the Bellagio fountains and the southern section of the Strip. With the curtains open and l

I've just came back from a days fun work at the TGMS Jr. Education area where I volunteered on a Dino Dig booth. I can honestly say I think I had just as much fun as the children involved. When you find something you're so passionate about, work doesn't seem like work. Each year, the UofA SESS students organise an educational area which is visited by over 2,000 children over the TGMS weekend. We aim to share our wealth of knowledge, inspire the younger generation and answer any questions they may have about minerals or the Earth. Booths ranged from geomorphology to tsunami models, all with the aim of actively stimulating the young minds. I volunteered on the Dino Dig where I encouraged and supervised children when being paleontologists and digging for toy dinosaurs. I got to actively engage with them to gather what knowledge they had already. It was great to talk to the parents too, whom had flew from distances such as Sweden just to be at the event. I also got the ch

Today I tried something completed new. At the end of the day, this is what my year abroad is about, trying new experiences that I would otherwise not do in the UK. However, not all experiences have to be good for you to grow as a person and I think that explains today's experience quite well. From the people I have met so far on my travels in the US, the topic of guns is highly debatable. For myself, growing up in a country with strict laws and licenses, guns aren't something you come across. I'm not saying gun crime doesn't happen in the UK, it does, however my views aren't shared by many friends in the US. However, I know no different than to fear guns. Arizona has lenient gun laws compared to other states in the US and the rest of the world, as citizens of AZ state do not need permits to own such a weapon. Many friends who I have met from university carry fully loaded guns in their cars for protection purposes. This makes me feel very uneasy. It scares me tha

The previous weekend I spent wilderness camping in the Superstition Mountains for my Volcanology fieldwork. One word - cold!!! It felt like Scotland. We arrived in the darkness of the night, raining heavy, fighting mother nature as we erected our tents for the evening. No stargazing for the night due to the epic amounts of clouds, however slightly entertained by the coyotes in the distance howling.  However Saturday began on a slightly drier note. We headed for a hike to the top of a mesa in order to map the opposite cliff faces on topography maps. This wasn't something I had done before. Having to estimate elevations from hundreds of meters away and map by birds eye view, yet what I was seeing what the cross-sectional view. We spent most of the day on top of the mesa, mapping a km or so, using our knowledge of cross-cutting relationships in order to separate and distinguish different lava domes and tuff deposits. Luckily, the day had continued to stay dry and I was certainly lo