This year I have started Level Three work and my first course is Geology-based. I have decided that it is about time I started taking a more active interest in the practical side of the subject and so this weekend I travelled to Lickey Hills Country Park, south of Birmingham, where I joined other members of the OU Geological Society.
Our task for the day was to identify igneous rock specimens, using a hand lens to look at individual crystals, if they were large enough to be distinguished as separate grains. The tutor who lead the activity was very knowledgeable and had prepared detailed notes, including a step by step method to identify important features which would lead to the identification of the rock sample.
Most of the participants worked individually, but I worked with V and we worked through the samples, following the suggested method, and having feedback from the tutor for each sample we worked with. We agreed on most of the details and were able to correctly identify most of the samples we worked with.
This sample, a basalt, had crystals of olivine, and so was aptly named Olivine Basalt.
We finished the day with a walk to a very small quarry on the Lickey Hills site, that had recently been cleared of excessive plant growth so that the rock formations could be clearly seen. The weather was kind and we enjoyed the walk in the warm, afternoon sunshine.
2 comments:
Woohoo Gill! Well done on passing your exam - I'm so pleased for you after all the hard work you put in. Now for the next level... :o)
Congratulations, Gill! It's exciting that you've completed so much, and the practical side sounds like a lot of fun, especially in nice weather :)
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