Geoscience majors in Yunnan find field trips pay dividends

More than 10 teachers and 25 students from the School of Earth Sciences of Yunnan University carried out some field trips in the cities of Kunming, Lufeng and Tengchong, as well as the Dali Bai autonomous prefecture from July 22 to 31.

Yunnan University currently has five geoscience majors, namely: atmospheric science, geophysics, geographic science, geographic information science, and geology. It is one of the most comprehensive universities in China in this area.

The purpose of the latest round of field trips was to train students' vision and thinking in terms of geodesy – the science of accurately measuring and understanding the fundamental properties of the earth – and to boost their general geoscientific talent. Over 10 teachers and 25 students from five majors at the School of Earth Science participated.

The field trips focused on the formation of unique geological landforms, climate and natural and human landscapes in the Hengduan Mountain area of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, so as to guide geoscience majors to better understand how the planet functions.

The Naigu Stone Forest, which is known for its striking karst landforms, serves as the students' first stop. [Photo/WeChat account of Yunnan University]

On July 22, the team visited the Naigu Stone Forest to inspect its karst landforms, observe the main lithology, and the features of fossils unearthed there, as well as learn about the reasons why the karst landforms were created, engage in some paleoclimatic research, and study the methods of remote sensing positioning.

Students learn about dinosaur fossils and get some hands-on experience of excavating some petrified remains. [Photo/WeChat account of Yunnan University]

The team visit Erhai Lake and pose for a group photo. [Photo/WeChat account of Yunnan University]

Subsequently, the team learned how the earth's environment was linked to the survival and extinction of Lufeng dinosaurs; studied the characteristics of gneiss, marble and other rocks; and learned skills related to locating and collecting geographic information.

They also learned about various mountain trends and the formation of clouds and rain, as well as seismic fault zones and how to identify different kinds of rocks.

Moreover, they gained a deeper understanding of the uses and working principles of various meteorological and seismic monitoring instruments and equipment; studied the formation and changes in traditional culture under the geographical environment of Cangshan and Erhai Lake; and learned the principles and working operations of various weather-monitoring instruments as well as ways to create artificial rain and reduce hail.

The students conclude their trip by presenting special reports and receiving feedback from their teachers. [Photo/WeChat account of Yunnan University]

The activity was seen as promoting the exploration and reform of teaching students via field trips in geoscience.