Course goals
At the end of the course, the student will:
be able to set-up a field project with a specific research question;
be able to carry out this field project;
be able to report about the field research project.
Content
Please note: Students are only allowed one MSc fieldwork / excursion (GEO4-1424a; 1430; 1431; 4418) during their MSc training.
Approximately the month of June is reserved for a research-oriented fieldwork in the Betic Cordillera, southern Spain for students that choose to incorporate a field activity in their master programme.This will be at the end of year 1 of the enrolled programme.
The course will start with a three-day introductory excursion aiming to give an overview of the regional geology relevant to the area of study.
Subsequently, independent field research will be carried out with a focus on either geodynamic (tectonics, basin development, structural geology, metamorphic geology), or on environmental/climate related topics (sedimentology, stratigraphy, paleontology, biogeology). The exact objectives of the field research (i.e. the research question to be answered), the area of focus (the data collection area) and the scientific approach (the applied methods) will be defined via discussion with the staff. Objectives, area and approach will be different for every team
.Development of Transferable skills:
Ability to work in a team: the field work is carried out in a team of two students, both members having the same responsibility with respect to the final product ;
Written communication skills: results of the field work are presented in the form of a written report, journal paper style;
Strong work ethic: field data are collected with full respect for nature, wildlife and the demands of local land owners and users;
Problem-solving skills: Fieldwork typically requires that problems are solved that were not anticipated before, and that strategies are adjusted;
Initiative: the students largely work independently so cannot wait until supervision arrives, they have to take initiatives themselves to get progress;
Analytical/quantitative skills: knowledge and skills obtained during regular intramural classes have to be applied to answer typical field-related research questions;
Flexibility. adaptability: Field projects typically require continuous adaption of strategy depending on the data collected;
Technical skills: use of GPS and digital mapping, sample collection and separation, software like stress inversion software, Stereonet orientation analysis, digital logging..
