Field trip students get down and dirty in St Kilda

University of Otago geology lecturer Dr Virginia Toy helps Hands-On Science participants Injy Johnstone (left) and Georgia Pringle examine soil samples removed by a manual auger more than 2m below the surface at a St Kilda, Dunedin, property yesterday. Photo by Gerard O'Brien.

Dr Toy yesterday led a group of secondary school pupils probing for information about various subsurface layers at a St Kilda property, as part of a earthquake liquefaction-related study.

The pupils enjoyed getting their hands dirty, using a hand auger to painstakingly remove samples from subsurface layers, finding surprisingly little sand, despite close proximity to the coast.

This is the 23rd year Otago University has run the annual week-long Hands-On Science school, which encourages leading science pupils from throughout the country to consider pursuing careers in science.

Dr Toy remembers being a North Island secondary school pupil and attending the annual Otago school in 1995. The school, including a stimulating geology field trip, had "definitely had an influence"on her opting for a career in geology.

She had also"loved" Dunedin, and had "a really positive experience" at Otago University during that school. These days, she is a lecturer at the Otago geology department and also is one of the co-ordinators of a big international research project which may help clarify the likelihood and effects of a future massive earthquake on the Alpine Fault.

Several pupils yesterday said they were also enjoying their own early taste of geology. Injy Johnstone(15), a year 12 pupil at Kaikorai Valley College, was finding the research "very interesting", including finding sea shells buried in the St Kilda soil.

Georgia Pringle (17), a year 13 pupil at Southland Girls' High School, said she was also "very interested" in the research.

john.gibb@odt.co.nz