Staffa
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The Columnar Basalts of Staffa
October 18th, 2011 · No Comments · Higher Geology, Intermediate Geology
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StormTracker from The Met Office
July 28th, 2011 · No Comments · Higher Geography, Intermediate Geography
A free version of StormTracker has been made available by the Met Office giving us access to the latest tracks of current storms, 5 day forecasts, latest observed cloud cover (visible and IR), current sea surface temperatures and historical data – good for the Hazards section in Intermediate Geography.
The map below provides information on DON, the 4th named storm of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season: forecasted track and cloud cover.
This will also be such a useful resource when we come to study ocean currents at Higher. The zoom in/out tool in this Google Map based application allows us to focus on regions or take a whole world view (below left) and it becomes an even more powerful tool if we combine it with the Ocean Observations Layer in Google Earth. Information from The K1 Buoy off the SW of Ireland is shown (below right).
A set of hurricane related material has also been recently added to Google Earth. You need to enable the ‘Places’ layer, as it is to be found here and not in the ‘Weather’ folder. There’s lots of data, plus historical tracks and 3 and 5 day future track predictions from NOAA National Hurricane Centre.
Tropical Storm DON 29th July 2011
Google Earth and StrataLogica
July 25th, 2011 · 2 Comments · Resources
Just downloaded the free trial of StrataLogica . I’ve only gone through a few of the interactive map features available in the trial version, which contains a broad sample of their library content, but I’m already looking forward to using this with classes next term. I particularly like the dual map viewer, the tools bar and just the overall fantastic interactivity.
Have a look at the video.
Tags:Google Earth·stratalogica
The Scott Centenary Sledge Pull
July 19th, 2011 · No Comments · Student Pages
I’ve now received details of our route for The Scott Centenary Sledge Pull. Our 4 mile stretch will start from Rhicullen at 17.33 on Sunday 11th September. You are expected to arrive in Alness at 18.26. (on the same day!) Our team is Liam Creighton and Connor Innes (S4); Kieran Auld and Michael McKenzie (S5) and Fraser Hart (S6). I hope you guys are keeping fit over the summer!
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Student Awards 2011
July 9th, 2011 · No Comments · Student Pages
The past session has seen a number of outstanding student performances in the department. We were informed in September, that Sam Shaw had achieved the highest mark in the SQA Higher Geology examination 2010, a fantastic achievement! Sam was then invited to attend the British Geological Survey’s 175th Anniversary Science Symposium at the Royal Institution in London. He has written a very interesting article about the event and you can read it here.
Sam pictured with Sir David Attenburgh at The BGS175 Anniversary Science Symposium September 2010
He was then awarded with the very prestigious School Book Prize by The Geological Society. Well done Sam! and we wish you continued success in your studies at The University of Edinburgh.
After winning the TOTAL Oil Geoscience Challenge in October, our winning team were guests of TOTAL Oil in Aberdeen. Lewis Bleau, Craig Fraser, Cameron Grant, Kieran Petrie and Zak Dixon accompanied by Mrs Crawford enjoyed a very interesting three days, which included visits to the Maritime Museum, Aberdeen University School of Geosciences, Frank’s Drilling Company and the TOTAL Offices.
I posted a couple of days ago, about the success of our Geoscience Club’s recent achievement at the Glasgow Science Centre, in winning The Young Engineers and Science Club 2011 Award. Again, brilliant girls!
And, finally. Our major school prizes for Geoscience this year: The Shield for Advanced Higher Geography was awarded to Ben Jones and the “Ginny McDonald” Quaich for excellence in fieldwork to Struan Auld.
Well done everyone! Looking forward to lots of successes in 2011/12. No pressure then!!
Tags:student success
Young Engineers and Science Club of the Year Award 2011
July 7th, 2011 · No Comments · Geoscience Club, Student Pages
Congratulations to Cassie Armstrong, Meg Beatie, Katie Cooper, Holly Henderson, Kayleigh MacDonald, Emma Roddick and Josie Tolliday. Fantastic result!! Well done girls. You’ve now got an invitation to attend Scotland’s International Awards in November in Glasgow, to be addressed by Kofi Annan no less!!
Read what the media have to say.
The Ross-shire Journal. “Alness girls prove science isn’t just for boys”
The Highland Council. “Alness Academy are the Young Engineers and Science Club of the Year 2011″
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Inchnadamph: June 2011
July 7th, 2011 · No Comments · AH Geography
Here are some of the photographs from the trip. Lots of midge nets on view. Just think, we’re back for more in september! Make sure you make use of the Advanced Higher links and posts on this site. I would also draw your attention to some specifics from SQA.
Advanced Higher Geography. The main page from SQA, includes: Arrangements Documents, External and Internal Assessment Reports, Past Papers and Marking Instructions and Understanding Standards. I would also draw your attention to two excellent presentations to be found under the Understanding Standards Event Presentations by Erica Caldwell and Phil Duffy.
Inchnadamph 2011
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Zoom in and out if you need to, and compare this to the geology map below. Can you see how the Traligill Fault impacts on the river valley’s morphology and also the relationship that exists between the dry valleys and the thrust plane? More to follow. Click map to enlarge.
Tags:Fieldwork
Higher Geology 2011
May 14th, 2011 · No Comments · Higher Geology
Good luck to you all on monday. Expect Section A of the paper to be the same as the past couple of years: lots of short answer questions and multiple choice. In Section B: the essay (15 marks) you know the style. Bullet pointed statements are acceptable, but remember coherent sentence structure is expected! One thing to note: you can get more than 5 out of 5 for a 5 mark part of an essay question! Choose wisely! (Can’t get more than 15/15 unfortuately)! Sam got top marks for higher geology in Scotland last year. No pressure then!!!!!
All the very best
Mr F
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Advanced Higher Geography Fieldwork: Sediment Analysis
July 21st, 2010 · No Comments · AH Geography
The Traligill Valley. Looking west towards the mouth of the river in Loch Assynt and the nunatack of Quinag. Fieldwork, rain, mud, sunshine, midges and ticks in Inchnadamph seem like an age away now, but I still have the bite marks to prove it! However, as George says, it’s better than doing quadratic equations in a maths classroom! You’ve now had a couple of weeks to recharge the batteries so, I thought you might want to think about processing some of your data?! I’ve started off with some ideas, useful as a precursor to sediment analysis. You can find them here. This could be the entire focus of your geographical study and if it is, you certainly want to consider most, if not all of the processing options. The all important analysis, stats and otherwise, we will talk about in August. If sediment or particle size analysis is not your focus, it may well form part of your study in terms of river characteristics/morpholgy, so, dip in appropriately.
Higher Geography Revision: River Basin Management
April 21st, 2010 · No Comments · Higher Geography
As I said in class last week, I would post some revision notes here for the River Basin Management question in the forthecoming exam. I’ve started with the benefits and adverse consequences (social, economic and environmental) of the Aswan High Dam on the River Nile. Please remember that these are only revision notes. Use them with your home texts and course notes. You can view them, download them or print them off here. In the 2000 exam there was a question on the cost of River Basin Management schemes. I’ve put together some notes on cost for the Aswan High Dam and associated infrastructure past and present. The GE image below shows the Mubarak Pumping Station and associated transfer canal. It took five years to build at a cost of $436 million. The project involves pumping water from the Nile to the Toshka Depression along the 50km canal. The project is scheduled for completion in 2017 with an estimated cost of $70 billion. Click on Mubarak Pumping Station, zoom in and move north west along the canal in the GE file and see some of the irrigation developments already in place. Read more for revision notes……
A question on the impact of river basin management on the hydrological cycle last appeared in 2003 and before that in 2001, 2000, 1999, 1997 and 1995. This question would now be worth about 10 marks. See revision notes.
