The final encourages students to think about more than the physical aspects of geoscience, but also how they relate to people, and be aware of the importance of this when evaluating hazards. Groups posed questions such as: will the lava type and surrounding landscape increase the likelihood of lahars? Which areas are likely to be affected and are they residential? If people are going to relocate, where is a safe area for them to move to?
Placing geoscience within the context of real-world examples highlights further the overlap between human and physical environments, and the vital role that geoscience plays within society.
To round off the day, students presented their findings and recommendations to our panel of judges, stating how they would manage hazard impacts and where they planned to invest funding.
If you would like to be a judge for the 2023 Schools Geology Challenge final or would like to contribute to the competition in some way please contact [email protected].
Photos taken by Noah Goodrich of TwobyTwo Event Photography
References:
Boatright, D., Davies-Vollum, S. & King, C., Earth science education: The current state of play. Geoscientist 29 (8), 16-19, 2019 https://doi.org/10.1144/geosci2019-045
Please help us to pass on a passion for geoscience. We would welcome donations to support our education and outreach activities. To find out more, please contact us at [email protected] or call +44 (0) 20 7432 0960.
Source: https://blog.geolsoc.org.uk/2023/05/15/the-2023-schools-geology-challenge/
