A photo from today's UNSW Earth and Environmental Sciences class. 100+ students brought in 100+ soil samples for analysis for lead concentration. Thanks to the speed and ease of use of portable x-ray fluorescence analysers, 100+ samples is no problem.

Next week the students will develop hypotheses and start to analyse the data, before writing a report on Sydney soil lead concentrations.

Historically, lead in city soil comes from traffic pollution, lead paint and lead solder, and this persists in the environment today.

Some samples had high lead concentrations, we will retest those and offer advice.

#environment #earthscience #xray #envionmentalscience #geoscience #SciComms #science #academia #HigherEd #UNSW #lead #soilscience #soils #pollution #citylife #GEOS1211 @unsw

Teaching and educating can be fun and rewarding, and today it was my favourite class of the year.

#UNSW #GEOS1211 Earth and Environmental Science students took part in 'The Sandstone City' field class. An exploration of the Triassic Hawkesbury Sandstone, how it formed, and why it makes such a great building and decorative stone.

Thanks to my fellow educators Dr Indrani Mukherjee and Di Li Qian.

#sandstone #geology #earthscience #geologyrocks #sedimentology #geoscience #buildings #iron #geochemistry #sydney

It was groundwater week with the UNSW Earth and Environmental Sciences team. The GEOS1211 explorers investigated ground water recharge processes, spring discharge and groundwater contamination. And there was time for a labyrinth too....

#earthscience #environmentalscience #UNSW #GEOS1211 #academia #groundwater #sustainability #scicomm

Today's #UNSW Earth and Environmental Science class were taught hands-on soil hydrology measurements. Students and staff brought soil samples from home for analysis. That's a lot of sandy loam soils from across the #sydney basin.

Now over 100 students with some new skills relevant to agriculture, environmental science and hydrology. Some 'before' and 'during' photos are below.

#earthscience #soilscience #geoscience #hydrology #groundwater #agriculture #irrigation #academia #GEOS1211

How many undergraduates can you fit in a radiocarbon dating laboratory?

About 60 Earth and Environmental Science students it seems.

And a fish-eye lens helps

#UNSW #chronos #radiocarbon #environment #earthscience #radiocarbondating #academia #scicomm #GEOS1211

Yesterday I asked my first year, first term class of #UNSW #GEOS1211 Earth and Environmental Science class (n=108) about what they knew about generative AI / large language models (ChatGPT, etc.).

55% had heard of generative AI, 17% had used it, and 1% (1 person) had received training in how to use it.

Now I am now looking for some resources to recommend to the students that I teach. I like the look and content here:
https://learnprompting.org/
and would appreciate more suggestions / recommendations.

#HigherEd #academia #education #ChatGPT #generativeAI #science #earthscience #geology #environment #AI

Week one of term one at #UNSW. The #GEOS1211 Earth and Environmental Science students enjoyed some ice-breaker activities, an introduction to the course and teaching staff, welcomes from our wonderful library liaison staff, a questionnaire and Q&A session about generative AI, and more. Here, Dr Indrani Mukherjee leads a discussion on women in science.

#highered #geology #earthscience #environmentalscience #AI #chatgpt #scicomm #academia

The #UNSW #earthscience teaching lab is all set up for start of term.

We have a new 'cave animal' poster on display for 2023 - this year it is the glow worm. Thanks to the 'Australian Cave Animal of the Year'. We have hundreds of free stickers for the students.

And an isotope analyser is analysing the #carbondioxide and #methane of the air in the lab. In a couple of weeks, students will be collecting air quality data from all over #sydney for their project.

#academia #scicomm #envionment #geology #atmosphericscience #GEOS2291 #GEOS1211 #picarro