|
FIELDTRIPS
Field trips offer an
unrivalled experience for students. At Abbey Gate College we guide the
students through the education process giving them first hand knowledge and
experience of subjects through a variety of trips.
Contents
February 2003
The pupils braved freezing cold
temperatures as low as -23 degrees Celsius at times to have a most enjoyable
skiing experience . Despite the cold the snow conditions were excellent with
bright sunshine most days to provide some exhilarating runs and breath-taking
scenery.
There was time in the evening to enjoy
Canada's no.1 sport by taking in an ice-hockey match (which turned out to be a
very physical contest indeed!). The pupils also had the opportunity to ski at
night, and witness the beauty of the mountain lit up in all it's glory.
Top of Page
October 2003
Top of Page
October 7th - 13th 2000
|
 |
 |
|
The Alpine village of Leysin
|
The Mer de Glace
|
|
 |
 |
|
Looking across the Alps from the top of the Berneuse Mountain
|
Pupils noting the human influence surrounding the Grande Eau
|
Top of Page
Friday
28th June - Thursday 4th July
2002
The Party
Andrew Austen
(Geography);
Karl Gray (Geography
and IT);
Emma Flatman (P.E. and
Biology).
35
pupils in total
(15 boys
and 20 girls);
Age range from 4th year
to Lower Sixth.
Itinerary
Friday
- Travel to Iceland
Saturday
- "Worlds apart"
þingvellir
rift valley. Whale watching trip. Reykjavik
|
 |
 |
|
A deep fault/fissure cutting through the crust of the
earth |
View across the Mid-Atlantic Ridge |
|
 |
 |
|
Group photo opportunity on ancient lava flows |
The first of many waterfalls to be seen on this trip |
|
 |
 |
|
Our tour guide, Jenni, explains what to look out for when
searching for whales |
Pupils looking for whales - no luck yet! |
|
 |
 |
|
But then ... out of the blue (ha-ha!) there's a 'wave'
(get it!?) - from a whale!! |
Tail fin of a humpback whale |
|
 |
 |
|
We've seen our whale - now it's time to sleep |
View of Reykjavik as the boat returns to the harbour |
‘Steamy’
Sunday
Hveragerdi geothermal farm. Geysir geothermal
area. Gulfoss waterfall;
|
 |
 |
|
A visit to Fridarstadir Farm, Hveragerdi to study
greenhouse cultivation |
Utilising the hot water from below ground to grow
horticultural produce in greenhouses |
|
 |
 |
|
Gryla Geyser - once active, but now mainly dormant
...but you never know! |
A collapsed volcanic cone (caldera) now filled with a
crater lake |
|
|
|
|
A visit to the Geysir Centre in the West Volcanic Zone
of the Mid Atlantic Ridge
|
Stoke City?? Do the right
thing Miss Flatman and throw it in
|
|
 |
 |
|
Bubbling pools with
temperatures between 10 and 90 o C |
Water in the geysir starts to bubble indicating an
increase in pressure |
|
 |
|
|
Strokkur Geysir explodes up
to 35 metres in height
|
The water drains away again |
|
|
|
|
Another eruption - on
average every 10-15 minutes |
Columnar basalts line the
gorge of recession by Gullfoss waterfall |
|
 |
 |
|
Group photo by Gullfoss |
One of Iceland's most
popular waterfalls |
|
 |
 |
| 105 cubic metres
per second pass over this spectacular waterfall |
Staff photo by
Gulfoss
|
|
 |
 |
Monday -
"water, water, everywhere"!
Skogafoss waterfall. Skogar folk museum.
Dyrholaey - coastal erosion. Renisdranger - coastal deposition. Seljalavellir
hot-pot;
|
 |
 |
|
Skogafoss waterfall - tumbles 60 metres over ancient
basalt cliffs |
Pupils view this classic 'curtain' style waterfall |
|
 |
 |
|
Mr Austen talks about isostatic readjustment |
Phew ... that's a long phrase |
|
 |
 |
|
I just don't believe it. You close your eyes for a minute and somebody ties your
laces together! |
Skogar Folk Museum |
|
 |
 |
|
Must be where the elves live! |
And there's another one! |
|
 |
 |
| Mr Gray spins a good tale - sending the pupils to sleep (no
change there then!) |
At the snout of a glacier
|
|
 |
 |
|
Outwash material from the glacier
|
Pupils explore the moraine deposits in more detail
|
|
 |
 |
|
The headland of Dyrholaey (meaning 'door hole')
|
Looking out toward Reynisdrangar and depositional
coastal features
|
|
 |
 |
| Pupils stand on the black sand beach - part of the spit
enclosing the lagoon |
The most striking form of basalt is columnar basalt - an
extrusive igneous rock that pours out of volcanoes when they erupt to form
lava flows
|
Tuesday
- "ice with that?"
Markarfljot valley: Stora Dimon,
Seljalandfoss waterfall, Gigjokull glacier, þorsmork
valley;
|
 |
 |
|
Climbing up Stora Dimon on the north bank of the
Markarfljot River
|
The wide floodplain of the Markarfljot River - a
glacial meltwater river. Straight ahead in the distance is the
Myrdalsjokull icecap.
|
|
 |
 |
|
Seljalandsfoss - one of thousands of waterfalls in
Iceland, but very scenic and very popular with visitors
|
Seljalandsfoss has a fall of 65m
|
|
 |
 |
|
Behind the waterfall (and in the drenching spray!)
|
View of undercutting and the magnificent plunge pool
|
|
 |
 |
|
View of Gigjokull glacier over the moraine dammed
lake. (Also site of the famous Birdie-song/Agadoo singing competition! -
enough said!!)
|
Classic features of a retreating glacier including
dirt/debris cones, ablation zone, crevasse zone and medial moraine
|
|
 |
 |
|
Thorsmork - 'Time spent amongst nature' - following
one of the picturesque nature trails up to Valahnukur
|
Simply ...on top of the world
|
|
 |
|
Any ideas? 'cos I don't know! First signs of madness
perhaps
|
Wednesday
- solfatara and steam!
|
 |
 |
|
Guess where we're going today?
|
The famous blue lagoon - the geothermal seawater is kept
at between 36-39oC all year round
|
|
 |
 |
|
John and Ollie
|
Watch out Claire, those sharks bite!
|
Top of Page
Summer 2003
Top of Page
| 
