A vital, and somewhat character building, part of any geoscience degree is the field trips. Loved and dreaded in equal parts, there is nothing more bonding or more exhausting than ten days in the rain with your course mates.
If you're about to set off on your first venture into the field, you're a seasoned geologist or you're simply wondering what really goes on in the field then look no further as I answer some FAQs about time spent in the field.
My somewhat questionable field sketch nicely blocking a view of Durdle Door in Dorset.
1: What is a Field Trip?
Field trips refer to the time spent out of the lecture hall or lab and amongst the rocks undertaken by many, if not all undergraduate geologists and geographers. They provide hands on experience of identifying rocks in the field, allow students to see features they have learnt about in real life and provide an opportunity for hands on learning. Theory and skills taught in the classroom are put into practice over a few days or weeks.
Field Trips are also great fun. My first field trip was in my third week of university when we went to Pembrokeshire in Wales. The geology we learnt went straight over my head and I would be lying if I said I wasn't confused most of the time but it was a great opportunity to bond with my course mates and be able to understand fundamental principles such as dip/strike, the difference between sedimentary and igneous rocks, and how to do a field sketch (a skill that even over a year later is still a work in progress).
2: What Will I be Doing?
Field trip activities vary depending on the course, location and duration. My personal field experiences in my first two years as an undergraduate at Oxford may vary greatly from other people who have done more years of study than me or are studying at different places so I can only speak from a personal viewpoint. Nevertheless it is an interesting insight as to what goes on on a field trip.
Our field trips so far have lasted between 3 - 14 days and have been limited to locations within the UK. We typically start the day with breakfast at around 8am, head onto the bus and into the field for 5-7 hours, stopping along the way for lunch, and then return home for dinner and an evening activity or lecture. The days are usually jam-packed, long and exhausting with lots of walking and brain usage and very little sleep. But don't be disheartened, we have a lot of fun as well!
In the field we have done a whole range of activities. At a site we typically start by doing an overview field sketch of the area, then look at the rocks in more detail, make close up sketches and discuss the geology with each other and professors/demonstrators. A site is usually finished off by a whole group discussion to ensure everyone saw the key bits in the rock and learnt what we were expected to learn. Sometimes we are given other activities to do at a site such as sketch a specific thing, complete a field log, map the area over a few days or collect certain data. Days spent in the field are always lots of fun and very collaborative. Even though it may feel like you have no idea what is going on that is kind of the point. You will learn so much more than you realize which will benefit you back in the classroom so it's worth giving it your all.
3: What Should I Bring?
Packing for a field trip is a tricky one, some people bring loads, some people bring not enough but here is an essential list of what you need:
Geological field equipment
Hard Hat/Helmet (must be worn AT ALL TIMES if you want to be cool)
Hi-Vis vest (essential for road crossing)
Field notebook and Pen
Spare Pen/Pencils (you will lose them so easily so bring a few)
Hand Lens
Compass-Clino
Hammer and Goggles (I have never actually used mine but feels cool to carry it around)
Ruler
Waterbottle (Big one as hydration is key)
Any other gear specified that you need
Your field guide
Field Back Pack (get one that is comfy and fits all your stuff)
Field Clothing
Hat (wooly one and sun one weather likes to be random in the UK)
Gloves (Very hard to sketch when you can't feel your fingers)
Small fleece (Can fit in bag)
Big Jumper
Rain Coat (Being soggy all day is not fun)
Waterproof Trousers
Sunglasses
Sunscreen (certain people get very burnt in the field, don't let it be you)
Hiking Boots (wear them on the bus to save space in your bag)
Other Clothing
Clothes to wear in the field (see Geologists in the field: A Style Guide also on my blog)
Clothes to wear around your accommodation
Enough hiking socks to wear a new pair each day (or your roommates will not be happy)
Flip Flops etc to wear around the accommodation
PJs
Random Items
Toothbrush and Toothpaste
Shampoo and other stuff like that
A book for the bus/headphones so you can watch tiktok
Snacks (for in the field and in your room as lots of walking = hungry)
Blister plasters!
Phone Charger (essential)
4: What Kind of Places Will I be Going?
Field Trip destinations vary between course and university. So far I have been to Pembrokeshire in Wales, Arran in Scotland, Dorset in England and I am soon heading to Assynt in Scotland. Older years at Oxford go to Cornwall, Greece and even Bermuda to name a few. Professors will have picked field trip locations based on their own knowledge of the areas and what they think is good to complement your lecture series. When looking at university courses you can find out what areas they offer field trips to if this is something you are interested in.
5: 10 Top Tips
Bring rubber bands to hold the pages of your notebook down in the wind
Put effort into your field sketches or you will be asked to do them again and its not fun
Talk to the demonstrators/professors when you're in the field. Usually what you think about the rock is not actually what is going on and they will guide you in the right direction.
That being said also talk to them at dinner etc because its nice for them to get to know you and makes it less awkward when they overhear all your conversations on the bus
Bring a portable charger with you because you will take lots of photos and then be sad if your phone dies on the bus on the way home
Pack your bag each night so you don't have to do it in the morning and can maximize sleep
Who you end up sharing a room with is not the end of the world - you get to spend every minute of everyday with everyone else in the field.
Try and pay attention in evening lectures but its not the end of the world if you don't remember everything, a basic knowledge is a good outcome of a day in the field and it can be hard to remember it all when you're exhausted
Whatever you decide to wear in the field ensure it has pockets. Pockets are a geologist's bestfriend, you don't want to dig around in your backpack every time you need a pen or your handlense.
Have Fun! You won't enjoy every minute but you'll look back on them fondly so try have fun when you can.
Bonus: A story from the Field
Field sketches have never been my strong point. I am not an artist and I never will be. But I did not realize how dire the situation was until I showed my sketch to a professor during my trip to Dorset at the start of my second year. As I presented my notebook I gave a warning that this is in fact not a good sketch and he replied with something along the lines of 'everyone always says that, I'm sure its not as bad as you think'. It indeed was a bad as I thought. In fact it was so bad he proceeded to ask me have another go (ie redo the entire sketch), and then check up on my sketching for the rest of the week. Not my proudest moment but he did explain to me how a filed sketch should be approached (which until then had been a mystery to me) and my drawings have improved greatly. So moral of the story, just because you are indeed as rubbish as you think doesn't mean it has to stay that way.
The 'rubbish' sketch in question vs new and improved version done ten minutes later (no judgement please, purely to provide some context to the story):
First attempt
New and improved attempt
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