Final Field Trip for Upper Sixth Geologists

Our Geology Department provides an outstanding A-Level offering, allowing students to delve into important questions in today’s society, including how to mitigate natural hazards, respond to climate change and protect Earth’s limited resources. A key component of the course is fieldwork and our students are lucky to have access to some of the finest Geology in the world in and around Cornwall.

Last weekend, our Upper Sixth geologists enjoyed visiting multiple sites on the Lizard Peninsula for the final field trip of their A-Level course.

The Lizard is a world-famous example of an ophiolite; created when a fragment of the oceanic crust has been thrust up above sea level. The pupils examined rocks at each location that provides evidence for the structure of different layers of the oceanic crust:

1. Parbean Cove: Roseland Breccia Formation and raised beach deposit

2. Porthallow: evidence for the Lizard Boundary fault

3. Godrevy Cove: a sequence of sheeted dolerite dykes

4. Coverack: exploring the Moho transition zone between gabbro and serpentinised peridotite

5. Poltesco: examples of fresh peridotite from the upper mantle.

Thank you to all of the staff and students who made this trip so fascinating and worthwhile.