GEO2137 Virtual Fieldtrip: Low Hauxley

Welcome to Part 1 of the field trip for GEO2137. For this part, we will be visiting Low Hauxley which is located on the Northumberland coastline around 35 miles north of Newcastle. This field trip and the information and techniques you learn will accompany portfolio assessment 4 and the exercises you will be completing in the sedimentology section of this course.

As you scroll down you will find location maps, photos and videos for you to watch. However, before you carry on, it is important that you have first viewed the introductory lecture for this section of the module, and you will find this lecture by clicking  here . You will also find watching the ' Introduction to Sedimentology'  lecture helpful too.

Now that you have watched the introduction lecture you are ready to get on with the field trip and we can start our journey and investigation on the evolution of the Northumberland coastline. There will be a number of questions to help you think about the techniques and how we can interpret the past environmental changes recorded at this study site. You will not have to answer these questions for portfolio assessment 4, but you will need to write a description and interpretation for the sediment section, so these questions will assist you with that.

Below is a map showing you where the study site is located along the Northumberland coastline. Have a look at this map and click on the numbered circles to see more information and pictures. Think about the environment we are in and also the wider context of this location. You can zoom out to do this.

Now that you have looked at the map, next, take a look at the location as if you were standing here. Click on the 360-view of Low Hauxley below. This photo is taken on top of the sand dunes at Low Hauxley. The cliff section and the sediments you will be describing are under your feet and Andy will be standing on the beach between where you are and the sea (the North Sea) in his first video. If you are using your phone please click  here .

Question: We are in a coastal location and on sand dunes and soft cliffs. What natural processes do you think are occurring here? What things do you think you can study here?

Professor Andy Russell is now going to lead you through this section of the field course. There are a number of videos below. Watch them in the order you see them. Also, whilst you are watching these videos and getting an idea of how to describe these sediments, think about:

1. When were these sediments deposited?
2. What was the environment like at the time of deposition?
3. How did the sediment get there, how was it transported?

One of the activities for portfolio assessment four is to describe and interpret this section. Writing down some observations now will assist you with this part of the portfolio assessment.

Question: In this introduction, Andy highlighted why we need to look under the surface of the land at these sediments to understand the landscape evolution. What three methods did he include in this talk?

Question: Before we start any field analysis or sampling we need to know where we are. How can we do that?

In this next video, we have got closer to the sediment section. We can now start to see the details a bit better and we can start to describe the section. Whilst you are watching this video, write down some broad observations. You can expand upon these observations as we go through the next set of videos.

Question: What observations should we be making? Andy suggests a few in this video.

In this next video, we have got even closer to the sediment section (aka sed section). We can start to make some more detailed observations. Add these to the observations you have already made.

Question: In the two videos you have just watched Andy has made suggestions of the observations you should be taking when describing a sediment section. In this location what things should you not add to a sedimentary description?

Question: When we describe the units in the section, what order do we describe them in? Why?

So far the videos have shown you an overview of the section. We will now be getting our hands (virtually) dirty and we will start to describe each unit in turn. Again, write down the important observations that Andy mentions in the video.

i) The bottom unit

Task and question: After watching this video, write a brief description of the bottom unit. Also, think about the following questions:

1. What is diamicton?
2. How would you interpret this material? What was the environment like when this material was deposited? (also look at video 6 below)
3. Can you constrain when this sediment was deposited?

Sometimes the clues to help us interpret these sediments are not always in the section. An example is in the video below. However, we do have to be cautious with this type of evidence because it is not in situ, but has been displaced. You would need to see the same evidence within the section to be certain.

Another method that Andy mentioned in a previous video is fabric analysis using a compass-clinometer. Here is Andy explaining this method in one of his favourite locations, a nice gravel bar next to the River Breamish. Watch the video until 9 minutes and 30 seconds. Although this is describing a river deposit, the same methodology can be used to look at subglacial sediments.

Question: when using the compass-clinometer what two measurement do you take on a clast?

ii) The middle unit

Task and question: After watching this video, write a brief description of the middle unit. Also, think about the following questions

1. How would you interpret this material? What was the environment like when this material was deposited?
2. Is there a reason why the material is here in the first place? Why has it been preserved?
3. Can you constrain when this sediment was deposited? (Look back at the introduction lecture part 2 and also the wider literature)

iii) Top section

Task and question: After watching this video, write a brief description of the top unit. Also, think about the following questions

1. How would you interpret this material? What was the environment like when this material was deposited?
2. How was the material transported here? What clues help us with this interpretation?
3. Can you constrain when this sediment was deposited? (Look back at the introduction lecture part 2 and also the wider literature)

We have now looked at the whole section in detail. This final video gives you an overview of the section.

This is the end of Part 1 of the field trip. You should have made some observations of the different units and started to interpret these units as well. A reminder of a few things you want to think about:

1. What was the environment during the time that each sedimentary unit was deposited?
2. What evidence do you have to support this environmental interpretation?
3. Can we constrain the timing of these deposits? There were some hints were in these videos, but wider reading will assist you here. You can find a reading list by clicking  here .

In the week commencing 22nd March, you will have two online synchronous practical sessions where you will be revisiting this section and looking further at the sedimentology. But, before that, you will be visiting the next field site at Warkworth which is around 3 miles north of us here in Low Hauxley.