NEW ZEALAND
Summary
The New Zealand field trip to the central Southern Alps on South Island, enables third year BSc students to get first-hand experience of conducting field-based research in physical geography in an exotic and challenging environment. This is a landscape with a diverse range of tectonic, glacial and fluvial landforms, and a wide range of vegetation and fauna. It has one of the highest sediment delivery rates in the World, which presents an incredible opportunity to dramatically understand processes that have formed, and are forming the landscape. We arrive in Queenstown ('the outdoor adventure capital of the World') and are based near Wanaka. We spend several days on a guided tour, visit a local academic and/or governmental research institute, and conduct our own field research.
See New Zealand field trip Website
Structure and content
The New Zealand field trip is part of a third year module. In semester one, students are required to complete an online Virtual Field Course briefing and introduction. They must also produce a research proposal, including a budget and a full risk assessment, and defend this at an 'interview'.
The field trip normally takes place in early December, and lasts for two weeks. Travel and accommodation details are given below. Students will collect field data in groups but will be individually responsible for processing, interpreting and presenting that data themselves. Many different aspects of both modern and past glacial, fluvial and ecological phenomena can be investigated and advice towards topical research and staff research interests will be given.
In semester two, students are required to give an oral presentation at a 'School of Geography Third Year Conference'. Additionally, the 4000 word final report will take the format of an academic paper or short communication, and will be included within a bound 'proceedings' volume.
Staff
Dr Jonathan Carrivick and Dr Lee Brown.
