Geology Students Visit Somerset and Bude

Fieldwork is a crucial part of A-Level Geology, and the South West has many fine places we can explore as part of the syllabus. Our Upper Sixth Geologists have been in Somerset for a field trip and on their journey northward, they stopped at the world-famous Millook Haven, to examine the stunning chevron folds, and on to Bude where they mapped geological structures on Crooklets beach.

On the second day, the group visited Blue Anchor where they looked at evidence of environmental change recorded by the rock and the stress regimes they have experienced since their deposition. They also went to Kilve to view evidence for the opening of the Bristol Channel.

Throughout the trip the pupils completed several specified practical activities and spent the evenings processing data they recorded in the field and interpreting their results to further their understanding.

On the final day, they were hosted by the Somerset Earth Science Centre, which gave tours of local quarries to examine processing techniques and discuss potential careers in the geoscience industry. The trip concluded with a fascinating lecture from Dr Peter Hardy on the geology of the Mendip region entitled ‘Coral seas, volcanoes and tropical rainforests in the Mendip Hills’.

A big thank you to everyone involved in this fascinating field trip.