This summer, a group of intrepid students headed down to Provence for our first environmental geochemistry field trip.
The students received training that will prepare them for their geochemistry-focussed final year project; an alternative to the longstanding and successful traditional mapping project.
According to Ed Tipper, co-director of undergraduate teaching, “The decision reflects the diverse research areas of our teaching staff, combined with a growing student interest in pressing environmental issues."
"This year, 13 students enrolled in the new type of project, making it viable to develop a new field trip to train students ready for this environmental pathway.”
The new trip showed students vignettes of different geochemistry projects that they could design and undertake by themselves. Trip highlights included visiting the travertine deposits of the Sainte-Baume National Park and exploring environmental problems around the brackish lagoon, Étang de Berre.
The trip was overseen by a teams of lecturers and demonstrators: Marie-Laure Bagard, Oscar Branson, Thomas Marquand, Emily Stevenson, and Ed Tipper.
You can read an account of the field trip over on our blog.
Featured image: credit Ed Tipper.