Teacher Education – Out There Learning

What’s on our Plates?

Leave a Comment / Earth Science Curriculum, Julian's Blog, Teacher Education / Julian Thomson / Active Fault, Alpine Fault, Earthquake, Geology, Plate Boundary

Researching tsunami deposits on the East Coast

New Zealand has thousands of active faults each of which will produce an earthquake of some magnitude when it ruptures. However the two giants are the Alpine Fault and the Hikurangi Subduction Fault. They each form a segment of the plate boundary – the Alpine Fault can be traced across land, the length of the South Island, whilst the Hikurangi Subduction Fault is lying in wait under the Eastern part of the North Island, with its surface trace hidden deep underwater along the bed of the Hikurangi Trough and Kermadec Trench. Kekerengu Fault rupture in Nov 2016 (J.Thomson / GNS) Each of these plate boundary faults is capable of causing a massive earthquake greater than magnitude 8, thereby wreaking major destruction and disruption across New Zealand. It makes sense then that a lot of research effort is going in to understanding the past history of these faults. This allows us to gain insight into the probabilities of future ruptures and the sorts of impacts that could occur when one or the other of them next produces a big ‘quake. It also makes sense that if you are living in New Zealand, you should be interested in learning about how the scientists go about their research and what they have been discovering! What’s On Our Plates? is a set of free multimedia learning modules designed to enable anyone to explore Aotearoa New Zealand’s active plate boundary online, including the Alpine Fault and Hikurangi Subduction Zone. The modules are for any interested non specialist who would like to know more about out Plate Boundary research, but they also include notes for teachers who would like to use them as an educational resource. So get ready to dig in to the fascinating story of our two colliding tectonic plates. You can access the modules here. The resource has been created by a collaboration of AF8 (Alpine Fault Magnitude 8) and East Coast LAB (Life At the Boundary). AF8 is undertaking a comprehensive study of the impacts a rupture of the Alpine Fault would have on infrastructure and the people living in communities across the South Island. It is a collaboration between the South Island Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) groups and scientists from six universities and Crown Research Institutes, emergency services, lifelines, iwi, health authorities and many other partner agencies. The programme is managed by Emergency Management Southland. East Coast LAB (Life at the Boundary) is also a collaborative programme. It brings together scientists, emergency managers, experts and stakeholders across the East Coast to help us better understand and prepare for the natural hazards such as earthquakes and tsunami that may affect us. https://youtu.be/L8UXkQmbHZw

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Where to explore the Wellington Fault

Leave a Comment / Earth Science, Earth Science Curriculum, Julian's Blog, NZ Geology Sites / Julian Thomson / Active Fault, GeoTrips, Wellington

The Wellington Fault is one of several large active faults in the lower North Island of New Zealand. From the Tararua Mountains and Kaitoke it runs the length of the Hutt Valley, the edge of Wellington Harbour, through Tinakori in the City and across the hills to Cook Strait. Earthquakes occur on the Wellington Fault approximately every 700 to 1000 years on average, with the last between 170 and 370 years ago. The probability of a rupture in the next 100 years is calculated to be about 10%. Because it runs along the highly populated Hutt Valley and right through the Capital City via its transport bottleneck, it is regarded as one of the country’s highest risk faults. You can find out information about all of New Zealand’s known active faults on the GNS Science Active Faults Database, but in this image you can see a screen grab of those known in the Wellington area, some of them labelled: As you can see there are many other faults in the region, each of which is capable of rupturing, so that the real possibility of a large earthquake occurring at some point from one or other of the faults is something that should inspire everyone to be prepared. (Make some time to go to https://getready.govt.nz/ ) As you can see there are many other faults in the region, each of which is capable of rupturing, so that the real possibility of a large earthquake occurring at some point from one or other of the faults is something that should inspire everyone to be prepared. (Make some time to go to https://getready.govt.nz/ to get the best information on how to do this.) Here is an aerial view of the Wellington Fault trace (bottom right to centre top of the photo) passing through California Park in Upper Hutt and along the centre of California Drive beyond In neighbouring Harcourt Park, the fault crosses a flight of river terraces at a right angle. This allows us to see clearly that the slip (movements) on the fault are mostly horizontal with some vertical movement as well. Looking across the fault the opposite side moves to the right. This means that the fault is a “dextral oblique slip fault”. This diagram shows how the Harcourt Park River Terraces are offset by the Wellington Fault The fault can be followed along the Hutt River. In Lower Hutt it runs right along the side of Hutt Road, and into Petone. This photo shows the fault scarp at the end of Te Mome Road where it meets Hutt Road at a T junction: The entrance to Wellington City at Thorndon is a bottleneck, where the Wellington Fault passes underneath the railway, State Highway and Ferry Terminal, as well as the water supply. This makes Wellington vulnerable to being cut off by a rupture of the Wellington Fault. You can learn more by visiting the Wellington Fault at several points from Upper Hutt to Wellington. Check out this video for details:

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Geology of Bitou, Lailai and Beiguan, Taiwan

Leave a Comment / Earth Science, Earth Science Curriculum, Julian's Blog, Projects, Teacher Education / Julian Thomson / Field Trip, Geology, Igneous, Sedimentary, Taiwan

Bitou – this small fishing village is about 70km north of Yilan City. Right next to it is the Bitou Geopark. Here you can take a clifftop walk above steep sandstone cliffs, or descend to the shore platform to see some strange mushroom like features at close quarters Here the shore platform is festooned with these strange mushroom shaped concretions. They really are unusual, and make this a famous geological location in Taiwan. As you can see it is also a popular spot for fishing. Due to storms and occasional freak waves there are many accidents all along this coast where people get swept into the sea. Our next stop was the well known shore platform at Lailai. Here the gently dipping sedimentary beds have been folded and faulted. with hard layers of sandstone being less easily eroded (and therefore sticking out more) than the more easily etched out softer mudstones. The shore platform is impressive, with the tilted sedimentary rocks folded into gentle curves, and a lot of faults cutting through the layers. It was a perfect area to use my drone to get these aerial images. A short distance away there is a dyke (an igneous intrusion that originally pushed into the sedimentary rocks as hot magma) that can be soon cutting through the sedimentary layers of the shore platform. It stands out because it is made of harder rock than the surrounding sediments, and is therefore more resistant to being eroded. Here you can see the dyke is offset – sometimes by faults but also simply by the magma pushing up through slightly different pathways in the original country rock. You can see here how the dyke has baked the adjacent mudstone – giving it a darker colour for about 40cm to either side of the once hot dyke. A closer view of the dyke standing up like a man-made wall on the shore platform. The baked sediments right next to it have also been hardened by the heating process, so they have also resisted erosion more than the softer surrounding rocks. This video shows a bit more detail of the rocks of Lailai ,which I think is an ideal place to run a geological field trip: Finally on our way back to Dongshan, we stopped in the small Beiguan Tidal Park where you can see these rocks with impressive joints forming a diamond checkerboard pattern. In the background is Turtle Island, another well known local feature.

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Geology on the Yilan Coast, Taiwan

Leave a Comment / Earth Science, Earth Science Curriculum, Julian's Blog, Projects, Teacher Education / Julian Thomson / Field Trip, Geology, Igneous, Minerals, Sedimentary, Taiwan

To find worthwhile locations that offer great learning opportunities in geology, you have to spend time exploring outcrops, trying to make sense of the geological features that are exposed and then think of ways that students can explore and make sense of them out of their own activity. This inquiry learning process can work well via guided questions that encourage careful exploration and observation and then the unfolding of ideas and understanding. however it doesn’t usually just happen by magic – it takes some working out to frame interesting learning activities at a given unique location. With a small group of teachers from CiXin School, we explored several locations along the coast north and south of Yilan. Heading South we went to a coastal fishing settlement called Feniaolin. Here there were some amphibolites (metamorphic rocks) that are part of a long outcrop extending further south. These are amongst the oldest rocks in Taiwan and have been exhumed from many kilometres deep in the earth’s crust. Just past the fishing wharf there is an area of sea stacks – classic coastal erosion features: We continued further south to the Nanao Valley where there is a mixture of rocks on the river bed including many huge boulders. Some of the boulders were granites (that were once molten magma deep in the earth). They had lumps of schist included in them – fragments of the crustal rocks (xenoliths) that must have been incorporated into the molten magma before it crystallised. – given them a very striking apprearence. All in all there is plenty here to discover – rocks and minerals that have been metamorphosed by intense pressure and heat a long way down in the earth’s crust. Here is a video I made about our trip:

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Jinguashi – Gold and Copper mining in Taiwan

Leave a Comment / Earth Science Curriculum, Julian's Blog, Projects / Julian Thomson / Field Trip, Geology, outdoor curriculum, Taiwan

During my stay in Taiwan I have been invited by the teachers to visit several areas that they consider to have educational potential for school camps. Iron and Copper minerals have stained the famous “Golden Waterfall” The first area was on the NE coast around Keelung Mountain which is an old dacite volcano. This area is rich in minerals including copper and gold. Gold was first discovered here by some chinese workers who were washing their food bowls in a local stream. They happened to be experienced gold panners, having moved to Taiwan from California where they had been part of the famous 19th century gold rush some years earlier. Part of the Jinguashi Mine complex, now abandoned. We spent a couple of days exploring the area, including several the rock outcrops, a museum, and the Jinguashi mining buildings. Memorial, Jinguashi Mine There is a memorial at the site of the prison camp where prisoners of World War 2 were held by the Japanese and made to work in the gold mine in slave conditions. Gold miner at Jinguashi, Taiwan This local old timer has a huge collection of minerals and a practical knowledge of the geology of the area as well as methods for mining gold and other precious metals (see video below). Keelung Mountain We decided that the area had great potential for a camp for the year 11 students, with lots of opportunity to explore chemistry, mineralogy and mining methods along with the social, environmental, economic and historical aspects of how resources are used in an area.

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A nature connection curriculum in Taiwan

1 Comment / Julian's Blog, Nature Connection, Nature Curriculum, Projects / Julian Thomson / Curriculum, Taiwan Nature Connection, waldorf education

Fresh water in Transylvania / J.Thomson In my view there are compelling reasons to increase the amount and quality of outdoor education in schools. We have an unprecedented environmental crisis that is accelerating the decline of ecosystems worldwide on the one hand, and a crisis of mental health, disconnection and loss of hope in many young people on the other. The Covid-19 Virus and its social, economic and political consequences is making our interdependence clear on so many levels, and challenging us to adapt in new ways to limit the spread of the pandemic whilst also maintaining positive relationships and attitudes. Atlas Moth in Thailand / J.Thomson It has been demonstrated that nature connectedness improves mental health and wellbeing and also increases the likelihood that the individual will make positive interventions that conserve nature. In other words, it benefits both the natural world and human wellbeing. Nature connectedness doesn’t just mean being surrounded by greenery, exercising in nature or going for holidays in beauty spots. It is an active engagement with nature through attention of the senses, connecting emotionally, seeing beauty and harmony, finding meaning in the natural world, and feeling compassion for all living things. (check out this article for more in-depth on the subject) I am in the Yilan Province of Taiwan, working with CiXin Waldorf School in Dongshan to enhance their outdoor education curriculum right through from Years 1 to 13, but focusing on the high school. The goal is to use outdoor education to let the students grow in their self confidence, their physical and mental resilience, their agility to learn new things, their understanding of their place in the world and their nature connection. In this way we can hope that the students will move on into their lives with a sense of meaning, purpose and empowerment to participate in the world with confidence, offering unique strengths and value. My time with the school involves working with the teachers and administrators to develop a heightened vision for the outdoor programme, review the present offerings and explore opportunities to enhance or add to the various outdoor activities that are already in place. As part of this process I have been invited by the teachers to explore the region of the NE of Taiwan to help find opportunities for creating new outdoor learning experiences for the various classes. This video gives an idea of the forests that are not far from the school. We visited them one day to assess their potential for outdoor activities:

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Natural Hazards Science for East Coast Schools

1 Comment / Earth Science, Earth Science Curriculum, Julian's Blog, NZ Geology Sites, Projects, Teacher Education / Julian Thomson / Disaster Risk Reduction, Field Trip, Geology, Gisborne, Hands on Learning, Natural Hazards, Tairawhiti, Teacher Education

Natural Hazards Activities for Schools This article is about a science education project that I was involved in that was supported by MBIE’s Unlocking Curious Minds fund in 2018. It involved four three-day natural hazards science camps for intermediate level students in New Zealand’s rural Tairawhiti (Gisborne – East Cape) region. A total of 109 year 7 and 8 students and 16 teachers, from 19 schools were represented. The science camps were based at four different locations (Gisborne, Te Karaka, Tolaga Bay and Ruatoria / Te Araroa) with the activities and field trips tailored to suit each area. The events included lots of field trips and hands-on problem solving tasks. Here for the record is a summary of some of the activities and also a few of the places we visited: Introductory activities included observation and thinking exercises around the theme of science and natural hazards. These included demonstrations such as: earthquake P (longitudinal) and S (transverse) waves using slinky springs. A TC1 seismometer was used to demonstrate how ground shaking (created by participants jumping on the floor) can be captured as a wave trace on a projector screen, giving a record of the magnitude (energy) and duration of the vibrations. The TC1 can be used by schools and individuals who wish to detect earthquakes and interact with other enthusiasts online as part of the Ru programme in New Zealand Rock deformation: Alternating layers of flour and sand in a transparent container show how rocks can be faulted and folded by compression of the earth’s crust. For information about this demonstration have a look this earthlearningidea.com page. For a bit of a hands-on problem solving challenge, participants were invited to create some model structures to protect an area fromcoastal erosion. The models were set up in shallow storage containers. Once the ‘seawalls’ were built, the area behind them was backfilled with sand, the containers tilted at a shallow angle, and water added to within about 15cm of the ‘sea wall’. Here is one example: Testing involved using a plastic lid to push the water in waves up against the seawall, first gently, then with increasing energy. Different designs could then be compared and strengths and weaknesses discussed. Following this exercise we travelled to Wainui Beach, Gisborne where there has been a variety of attempts to protect the foredunes which have properties built on them. Interestingly, many of the methods that had been used were similar to those that the students thought of with their model making. Here you can see the remains of a concrete wall that has been undermined by wave erosion Another similar model making exercise, this time including a slope of cardboard at one end, was to design rockfall barriers. These were also tested to destruction using varying quantities and sizes of rocks rolled down the slope. We were also able to do another activity associated with flooding which has been a big issue this year in the Gisborne area.The photo shows the sediment covering some of the farmland near Te Karaka following the floods. For this activity, participants had to design a stop-bank, and test how long it could retain water, by recording any pooling of water on the ‘dry’ side , every 30 seconds. If you are an educator wanting information sheets to run these activities they can be found on the GNS Science website learning pages here. Here are some of the field locations that we visited, and what we investigated at them: At Pouawa Beach, north of Gisborne, we made careful drawings of some deposits that are thought to have been laid down by a tsunami. Shells in these layers have been radiocarbon dated at about 2000 years old. The layers include gravel and shells that would have been transported from the sea floor. Using a drone we could get a good view the top of a marine terrace (the flat surface upper left of pic) at the north end of the beach. The terrace was formed at sea level as a wave-cut platform during the last interglacial (about 80 thousand years ago), and has been uplifted since its formation by tectonic activity. There is a wide shore platform which you can see just covered by water in the photo. Another great example is nearby at Tatapouri – for more information check out the GeoTrip here – these surfaces will also be uplifted eventually to form another step in the landscape. These marine terraces show that earthquakes and tsunamis have a long history on the East Coast! At the north end of the beach. we passed a landslide that had occurred during the very wet weather in June 2018. From the ground we could see the toe of the slip which included tree trunks, boulders and lots of muddy sediment. With our drone, we were able to get a much more complete view of the slip, including the source area, which was not visible from where we were standing. This shows clearly the value of drone technology as a tool to extend our view of this active landscape: Next stop Tolaga Bay, where the beach has been covered by logs, brought down from the forestry plantations by the recent heavy rainfall. The logs caused a lot of damage to properties, bridges and land as they travelled down the flooded rivers. Here we spent some time analysing the types of logs scattered on the beach, by counting the different species (pine, poplar, willow or other) within 10m square quadrats. The results showed that by far the majority came from pine forestry. We were able to visit a forestry area inland of Tolaga Bay, which showed that following harvesting of the pine trees, there is a period of time where the land is vulnerable to erosion before the next generation forest grows large enough to stabilise the soil. Following clear-felling, the slash (abandoned logs and branches) can get washed into rivers during heavy rainfall. Further North still we did a day trip

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Volcano City

Leave a Comment / Earth Science, Earth Science Curriculum, Julian's Blog, NZ Geology Sites, Projects, Teacher Education / Julian Thomson / Auckland, Field Trip, Geology, GeoTrips, Igneous, Volcanoes

Mangere Mountain, L. Homer / GNS Science Volcanic cones, explosion craters and lava flows form much of Auckland’s natural topography. All of these, apart from one (Rangitoto Island) are from vents that erupted once only (monogenetic), with eruptions lasting a few weeks or months and then ceasing completely. There are many accessible and beautiful locations that can be visited to uncover the geological history of the area. Auckland volcanoes, GNS Science Although there are about 50 volcanoes within a 20km radius of the city, there is a similar eruption process that generated them, with three main possible styles of eruption. Knowing the difference between these eruption styles allows you to interpret the different features and rock types of each of the volcanoes that you might wish to explore. The magma that erupts in the Auckland Volcanic Field (AVF) is generated in a ‘hotspot’ about 80 to 100 kilometres below the surface. It is a very fluid type of basalt that is known to rise quickly to the surface (at up to 5km / hour) from the magma source. Tuff outcrop at North Head, J..Thomson / GNS Science Once at the surface, the style of eruption depends largely on the amount of groundwater or sea water present. If there is a lot of water near the vent, its interaction with the hot magma (1000 plus deg C) causes it to instantly vaporise. This, along with the expansion of gases within the lava itself, creates extremely violent eruptions that fragment the lava into small particles and blasts them upwards and sideways from a wide, flat explosion crater. This becomes surrounded by a ring of ash. Such deposits are known as tuff (pronounced ‘toof’ as in ‘woof’). You can see outcrops of this in Auckland, for example around the shoreline at North Head. Each individual layer represents an explosion from the vent. Surtsey eruption, courtesy NOAA This type of eruption is known as a phreatomagmatic or wet eruption, and a classic example occurred off the coast of Iceland from 1963-67 when the island of Surtsey was born. Mount Eden Crater, J.Thomson / GNS Science Scoria outcrop, Mount Wellington, J.Thomson / GNS If the magma reaches the surface where there is little interaction with water there is a different type of eruption. This includes eruptions in areas of dry land, as well as those that start off as wet eruptions, but where the water supply near the vent gets used up before the supply of erupting magma runs out. The magma then erupts in a fountain of lava, driven up by gases within it that are expanding as the pressure is reduced.The lava fountains might be several hundreds of metres high, with blobs of lava partially solidifying in mid-flight, and landing as scoria in a ring around the vent. This is a bit like the froth coming out of a soda bottle once the lid has been removed. The scoria pieces and lava bombs are relatively sticky and can build the steep sided cones that are very recognisable in the Auckland landscape. The reddish colour comes from the oxidation of iron in the magma as it cools during its flight through the air. Lava bomb approx 1/2 m in length, Mangere Mountain If you look at the rock that makes up these cones, you will see that it is made of bombs and fragments that may be partially glued together or more or less loose and rubbly. Takapuna lava flow, J.Thomson / GNS Science If one of these eruptions gets to the stage where the gas has mostly been expelled, then there is less energy available and the fire-fountaining stage ends. Should the eruption continue (which is not always the case) then the third eruption style starts to dominate. Lava pours out of the vent and pushes through the sides of the scoria cone to spread out around the volcano. Because it is such a fluid type of lava, a variety of flow structures are preserved when it finally solidifies. Lava tree mould with bark impression, J.Thomson / GNS A great example of such a lava flow can be found along Takapuna Beach. About 200,000 years ago lava poured out of the nearby Pupuki crater and flowed through a forest. The tree trunks and branches were surrounded by the lava which cooled around them. The trees then burnt, leaving tree shaped holes within the lava. Takapuna Fossil Forest and Rangitoto, J.Thomson / GNS For more information about where to go in Auckland to see some of these geological localities, have a look at our new online map of geological locations atwww.geotrips.org.nz Could a volcanic eruption occur in Auckland in the future? What are the probabilities in the short to medium term and what would the impacts be? The short answer to the first question is ‘Yes, definitely!’ There is no reason to think that eruptions won’t occur again. In order to answer the last two questions (‘When?’ and ‘What?’) it is important to get as clear a picture as possible of the history of past events, their timing, duration and magnitude, and their geographic relationship to the housing and infrastructure in the wider Auckland area. Auckland Museum Volcanic Eruption Auckland City and Mount Victoria, J.Thomson / GNS These questions are the focus of a long term scientific programme called DEVORA (Determining Volcanic Risk in Auckland). DEVORA is led by GNS Science and the University of Auckland, and is core-funded by the EQC and Auckland Council. The first part of this programme has been to further our knowledge of the eruption history of the Auckland Volcanic Field volcanoes. What this work has shown is that there is no simple pattern that we can project to help easily forecast the likelihood of eruptions in the future. The timeline of eruptions shows them to be clustered, with large gaps between phases of relatively high activity. Graham Leonard, photo by Brad Scott / GNS Graham Leonard of GNS Science is a co-leader of the project. He comments

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GeoTrips – visiting New Zealand’s geology and landforms

8 Comments / Earth Science, Earth Science Curriculum, Julian's Blog, NZ Geology Sites, Teacher Education / Julian Thomson / Field Trip, Geology, GeoTrips

Tasman Glacier Lake, J.Thomson / GNS Science New Zealand is an isolated country with a very active plate boundary running right through it. For a relatively small landmass it has an astonishing variety of landscapes and is being continuously subject to dramatic physical occurrences that include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, landslides, rapid erosion and sedimentation. The geology of New Zealand can be explored in innumerable individual localities that each give individual insights into the geological story, like pieces of a jig saw puzzle. In order to visit these locations, a non specialist normally has to seek information in widely scattered sources such as specialist papers, local guidebooks, various websites or visitor centres. Many of these are out of print or out of date, and hard to get hold of. To overcome this issue, GNS Science has created a New Zealand geological locations map that allows interested people (eg members of the public, researchers, teachers and students) to have the information they need to explore our geology first hand. The content is provided by geoscientists and is aimed to encourage you to go to these localities and make your own observations, just like scientists do. As well as some geological background, there are images, directions, and some basic safety and accessibility information too. You can search the map using filters to focus on specific topics, rating scales or accessibility. So… have a look, explore and plan some trips to become a New Zealand geological investigator! www.geotrips.org.nz

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Power of the Planet Geocamp in Taranaki

Leave a Comment / Earth Science Curriculum, Julian's Blog, Teacher Education / Julian Thomson / Field Trip, Hands on Learning, outdoor curriculum, Taranaki

Over the last two weeks, GNS Science, with support from the Todd Foundation, the Royal Society of New Zealand, and Puke Ariki Museum in New Plymouth, has been running a hands on immersion geology course for teachers and years 7 to 9 students from 5 Taranaki schools. 24 students and about 10 teachers participated in this “Power of the Planet” Geocamp which culminated in a geoscience expo at Puke Ariki, that was created and run by the participants. Richard Levy (paleoclimate scientist) and Kyle Bland (petroleum geologist) helped lead the camp along with myself. This was the second such event that we have organised, following last years’ “Dinosaurs and Disasters” Geocamp in the Napier Aquarium. The basic approach is that we encourage the participants to make very careful observations of a variety of rock outcrops and landforms at different field sites. The video will give you an impression of the geological features that were researched by the participants: Following each field trip, and with a series of guided questions and the use of simple models, the participants had to debate and interpret their findings to come up with understandings of the geological processes at work. This process of developing confidence in observation and thinking takes time, which is the value of having such an in-depth full time two week course. In addition to the field trips, the participants also had the opportunity to visit local fossil collector Dave Allen, and to have a live video link with the ocean drilling ship Joides Resolution, presently working off the coast of Alaska. Day by day a framework of understanding is built up. The final community / public expo event then requires the participants to become the educators, further re-inforcing the level of understanding of the geological concepts. Through sharing the Geocamp experience with the participating students, the teachers are also able gain professional development in geoscience education with this inquiry learning approach. We hope that the ideas and practices can be shared as the teachers return to their schools, to add longer term benefit. This video shows the active engagement of the participants with members of the public during the expo. Their brief was to challenge the visitors to observe and think, in the same way that they had been challenged during their own Geocamp experience. I would like to thank the teachers and students of Oakura School, Kaimata School, Eltham Primary, Makahu School and Sacred Heart Girls’ for their positive participation and response to the Geocamp.

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