In preparing for our first National Conference, we have spent some time collating a selection of reading material. We believe that this material and the accompanying discussion questions will help enable those attending the conference to engage with our work, get the most out of the conference and enhance the conference experience for those attending. For many undergraduate students, this will be ...[Read More]
Geology for Global Development
Guest Blog: A Summer of Volcanic Observation in Ecuador (1)
David Litchfield holds an MA in Social Work and has worked in this field for a number of years. However, experience of travel and living in Latin America led to the renewal of a long-forgotten interest in geosciences and especially in volcanism. On return to the UK he completed a second undergraduate degree in Geosciences with the Open University and is currently studying part-time for an MSc in G ...[Read More]
Geology for Global Development
Professionalism and Social Responsibility (2) – Mapping Project Guide
As summer is upon us, some lucky people will be embarking on their 21 day minimum mapping dissertation field work. An extensive field based dissertation forms a core part of many undergraduate courses. Some of you will be heading to areas well trodden by the BGS, others may be exploring new territory. If you are travelling abroad, there will be many additional considerations – you may want t ...[Read More]
GeoSphere
The Mysteries of Maqarin
We all know that cement is a man-made substance and therefore cement is always synthetic right? Wrong! In the unusual case of Maqarin, Jordan the stars aligned to produce natural cement and many of the “synthetic” minerals found therein. The Maqarin site has been the subject of an intense geological investigation by a consortium of over 100 researchers for years in an attempt to try an ...[Read More]
Geology for Global Development
Friday Photo (88): Volcanic Mud Pits
The Solfatara volcanic crater at Pozzuoli, part of the Campi Flegrei volcanic area, has many fumaroles and mud pools. The bubbling mud pits are created by rainwater and vapor condensation, which mix with the clay material present on the surface of the volcanic crater. The gas composition which spews out from the mud pit is varying (H2S, N2O, H2O, CH4, He, C); the liquid composition is as rich (Bor ...[Read More]
Geology for Global Development
Guest Blog: Mount Vesuvius Today
Christopher Dimech is a PhD researcher at University College London. We wrote about the Roman eruption of Vesuvius, and the consequences for Pompeii and Herculaneum, on our blog in June. Chris has spent some time at the monitoring station near mount Vesuvius, and here gives us an insight into the kind of research that goes on there. Italy is much better prepared for volcanic hazards today than it ...[Read More]
Green Tea and Velociraptors
Fossil feathers are frickin’ sweet
The origin and evolution of dinosaur feathers, and their colour and function, has been high up on the pecking order for palaeontologists of late. The adaptive poetry that unfolds from fossil finds allows us to bear witness to one of the most beautiful transformations in the history of life on Earth, and the attention to this story is rightly deserved. I’ve devoted quite a bit of this blog to writi ...[Read More]
Geology for Global Development
GfGD National Conference – Present a Poster
As part of the GfGD National Conference, we would like to give students the opportunity to contribute your ideas on the conference topics, share your research (e.g., MGeol, MSci, MSc, and Mapping Projects), and profile GfGD University Group Activities. This will happen through a poster session. Poster sessions form an important part of many academic conferences. Posters will be displayed throughou ...[Read More]
Geology for Global Development
Professionalism and Social Responsibility (1) – Top Travel Tips
As outlined at the start of last week, each Monday over the summer we’ll blogging about different aspects of professionalism and social responsibility. This week we’re looking back over a popular series we did last summer – ‘Top Travel Tips & Resources’ – which gave students various things to think about before embarking on overseas mapping projects, researc ...[Read More]
Green Tea and Velociraptors
Partially sane; roads – many; and time
So I hit the 9 month barrier for my PhD the other day. Where ze hell did all that time go?? Well, you can actually see if you want – I’ve uploaded the 9 month report to Figshare, excluding the preliminary results (which are beginning to look cool btw). You can find it here, where it’s already had almost 200 hits. Figshare is so awesome it hurts. Summary points: The primary task i ...[Read More]