An article written by two students of Geography, Kyra and Sophie, and a Chemistry student, Yanxuan
Earth Sciences is an interdisciplinary field exploring how our planet formed, developed and sustained life. While generally considered geographical in nature, it also stretches into other subjects such as Chemistry, Biology and even History, encompassing geology, climatology and more, making it an ideal degree for those who enjoy cross-curricular learning and aren’t 100% sure on what they want to do.
Bundled in scarves and puffers, we followed Mrs Black’s brisk pace, arriving at the Earth Sciences Department on South Parks Road in excellent time. Dr Charlie Rex welcomed us into the Mineral Lab with a fantastic introductory talk, with an emphasis on the excellent facilities available. We then split into two groups: one visited the labs studying algae formation (lab coats and goggles included!) while the other explored the undergraduate facilities.
In the lab, Luke Williams, the Biogeochemistry lab manager, talked us through microscopic observations of coccolithosphores (algae with calcium carbonate shells) in relation to understanding ocean regulation of carbon. We peeked into the Computing Lab, which contained a multitude of unassuming computers with very high processing power to manipulate and analyse large data sets. Later in the library, we browsed the books with the special task of finding the (very cosy) dino blankets.
We came back together for a lecture on peatlands by Catherine Baldwin, a 3rd year DPhil researcher. It was a fab recap on what we learnt in class, and we also gained further knowledge such as a methane cycle in the peat and how it functions as a major transfer of terrestrial carbon. The section on radiocarbon dating was especially interesting as it combined aspects of Physics and Chemistry to form an idea of the age of carbon being lost.
We ended the visit with the ‘Climate Detectives’ activity, designed to introduce us to the relevance of proxy sources in climatological research through the use of several boxes of kinetic sand with hidden clay ‘proxies’. We also had the chance to handle an assortment of rocks and fossils, ranging from an extremely heavy meteorite (a clear favourite of Miss Sissons) to featherlight pumice. We observed a range of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rock samples, as well as pollen, under microscopes. With a polarising filter, they appeared in a range of colors that shifted as we spun the rotating stage – something the biology lab microscopes certainly can’t replicate!
The trip was an excellent opportunity to gain some insight into Earth Sciences and build on the A-Level syllabus. Thank you to Miss Sissons and Mrs Black for organising this wonderful experience!
(Shown in main image: A rock sample, seen under a polarising filter)
