Blog & News

Undergraduate Sponsorship Scheme – Mapping Project Review

Mon 17 December 2018

Category: Education, Geology, Reviews

The PESGB YPs aim to support young geoscientists and encourage participation in the oil and gas industry. Our main outreach project involves a donation of £100 to up to 46 students at a range of UK universities, including Durham, Liverpool and Manchester. In this month’s issue we will look at the undergraduate mapping experience of Sophie Diver, who spent five weeks in beautiful Coniston (in the Lake District!):

Earlier this summer I undertook a geological mapping project for my final year dissertation in the Lake District. Based in Coniston village for 5 weeks, I started with transects through the Ordovician succession in the area north of Coniston and Torver. Initially I focussed on the unconformity between marine sands and siltstones of the Windermere Group and the tuffs and sills of the Borrowdale Volcanics. As the weeks went by I became fascinated with the volcanics and concentrated more on the tuff units and Andesitic intrusions around the Old man of Coniston and associated Dow Crag ridge. Using the data I collected I have begun writing up detailed descriptions of the mapped units and piecing together a geological history and tectonic setting for the study area.

Anticipating lots of Lake District rain I decided to invest the PSEGB money in a new waterproof jacket. What I hadn’t predicted was the 5 week long heat wave, the hottest summer weather the Lake District has seen for at least 10 years. With only one single day of rain, unfortunately my new jacket spent most of the time at the bottom of my rucksack. However, with up-coming fieldtrips to Dartmoor in December I’m sure it will be much appreciated and will continue to be of use as I continue my geological career.