Earth and Environmental Sciences (SEES)
Field courses
All of the geosciences masters courses offered by Portsmouth include an extensive programme of field based training activities, ranging from one day site visits, residential three day through to extended overseas field courses. Importantly, transportation and accommodation costs for all field courses are met by the department.
Importance of field courses
Field courses are an essential component of all the MSc courses as they reinforce learning from lectures and practicals and provide students with important skills for their independent research project. Each field course is linked with a taught unit on the course and is used to underpin teaching on this unit. Field skills are highly valued by employers and so these trips provide students with transferable skills for entry into employment on graduation.
Field mapping and data collection skills
The types of skills developed include engineering rock and soil descriptions, field reconnaissance, walk over surveys, geological and geomorphological mapping skills, landcslide recognition and volcanic and seismic hazard mapping. Students also develop advanced skills in desk study preparation, interpretation of aerial photography and remote sensing imagery prior to entering the field. A selection of photos from some of the field courses is provided below:
Engineering description of soils and rocks are an essential skill for all applied geoscience students. These skills are developed through lab and field training in description to current UK and EU standards.
Engineering geological mapping in complex geological terrains is currently undertaken in the French Alps, using a simulated underground diversion channel for a reservoir as the basis for a detailed engineering geological investigation.
Engineering site visits provides an opportunity to study the Earth’s surface - structure interaction at close quarters and appreciate the critical role that engineering geology plays in all types of development.
Landslide recognition and mapping is an essential skill for any applied geoscientist. Students visit examples of coastal and inland landslides and learn field techniques for landslide mapping including geomorphological mapping techniques.
Field data collection in seismic terrains, in this example the measurement and interpretation of fault kinematic data on a fault surface. Measurement of features such as slickenlines and slickensides provides evidence of the movement history of the fault.
Volcanic landform recognition is an important skill for any geological hazard expert and in this case students are studying a section through a valley in filled with a repeated sequence of lahar and ashfall deposits
Field logging of volcanic deposits is a key skill for any geological graduate and the MSc is no exception. When assessing volcanic risk, it is essential to acquire some evidence of previous volcanic activity in the area. One of the best ways is to study the deposits left by previous eruptions using logging as the key recording methods.
Environmental pollution and waste management are important components of the course with field courses and visits to examples of contaminant treatment and waste disposal sites form part of the course.
Find out more
The best way to find out more about our field courses is to come and visit us. You can find dates of upcoming postgraduate open days here. Otherwise, please feel free to contact the Admissions Tutor with any questions you may have.