GSA Tasmania

Historical accounts of the first European responses to Australian landscapes rarely mention the ways that their decisions were influenced by the terrain. This talk is about the role that geology and landscape played in the places chosen for permanent European settlements in Australia, and in the earliest land-use choices made as they adapted to their new environments.  To access a recording of the talk please click HERE

Rebecca Carey talks with Bruce Houghton about the current eruption at Geldingadalir, Iceland!

Our first recorded zoom interview with world renowned volcanologist Bruce Houghton. Rebecca Carey has recorded a recent conversation she had with Professor Bruce Houghton about the new eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula Iceland that commenced in March this year. 

The interview also shows some footage of the eruption and answers some key questions relating to the eruption dynamics at Geldingadalir.

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The interview can be streamed by clicking on the image above or HERE!

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Sally Hurst is a Masters of Research student with Macquarie University in Sydney. She is currently undertaking a project that asks the Australian community what they might do if they ever discovered a fossil, or an Indigenous artefact (fossils and artefacts are both included in this research as they are often items found on the land by property owners, and are often mistaken for each other). These questions about fossils and Indigenous artefacts are being asked through an Australia-wide survey and is open to every person over the age of 10, with the aim of promoting the celebration and conservation of natural and cultural heritage material in Australia.

The survey itself is completely anonymous, and only takes about 6 minutes to complete. You can check it out here: www.foundafossil.com/the-survey

If you wanted to know more about Sally’s project and the work that I’m doing, you can check out the website she’s built: www.foundafossil.com

GSA Tasmania Division was proud to help sponsor students to attend the  5-day field trip to King Island in April. Here is a report on their adventures:

Between 13th - 18th April 2021, UTAS Earth Science postgrad students and staff participated in a student-run SEG student chapter fieldtrip to King Island.

The aim of this trip was to discover the unique geology of the island, particularly focusing on the Economic geology, a mutual interest amongst all students and staff on the trip.

The trip was made possible by Geological Society of Australia sponsorship and fundraising activities by the SEG student chapter. Read more about the trip through our newsletter or by clicking HERE

or watch the vlog (video blog) of the trip HERE

On the 20th and 21st of August the Festival of Bright Ideas (FoBI) was held at the Princes Wharf in Hobart. An Earth Sciences stall run by Hannah Moore and Acacia Clark with help from Alex Farrar, Karla Morales and Zeb Zivkovic delighted visitors with volcanic explosions, gemstone identification samples of fossilised wood and ferns, and Rosie the Utah Raptor.

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Both days were jam packed with visitors, the Friday was a schools only day and the Saturday open to the public. A total of 5000 people visited FoBI, a testament to the love of all things science, technology, engineering and math.

Rosie a life-size, life-like robotic dinosaur who roamed the exhibit hall roaring, chirping and showing her impressive teeth was a crowd favourite as was the miniature volcanic explosion.

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Read all about it in our newsletter HERE or listen to Hannah Moore's radio interview live from FoBI HERE

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