It was truly a great day here at BGS on Saturday! The sun was shining and people arrived in their droves to attend the BGS Biennial Open Day! This is the third such event we have hosted and it is becoming increasingly popular, with well over 2000 people attending this year.
There was a small army of BGS staff in dark blue t-shirts ready to answer questions and guide people as they got stuck-in to over fifty different activities and learning experiences. And to top it all, there was even an ice cream van!
As well as a series of talks, the BGS site in Keyworth, Nottingham, was divided into Learning Zones, each one with a different theme:
The Red Zone included demonstrations and activities on plate tectonics, earthquakes, tsunami, volcano mapping, coastal erosion and mapping minerals on the sea bed (with thanks to NOC). You could see how mountains are shaped and unearth the secrets of soil or play a protect-your-soil game. There were fossils through the ages and you could even make your own fossils with Rockwatch, the nationwide club for young geologists.
Getting eaten alive!
Fly above and below the landscape on a virtual 3D tour of the UK
Discover information in our boreholes
Face painting!
The sand pit that changes colour!
The Yellow Zone displayed our maps and apps, which are useful to anyone with an interest in geology, from engineers and other scientists to homeowners, gardeners and walkers, or even minecraft gamers. There was a giant floor map and a place to learn about how we use rocks and minerals in the home.
The Green Zone showcased our landslides and sinkholes research and gave the opportunity for people to talk to the experts about hazards and engineering.
The Purple Zone introduced the Anthropocene - a new geological era that encapsulates human driven biological, chemical and physical changes to the Earth’s system. You could dig through this era in a sandpit of discovery and also find out about the secret life of your mobile phone! You could also pan for gold!
The Blue Zone was full of splashingly good watery fun where you could learn about the water cycle, including how aquifers work. How do we measure water levels and water quality?
A tour of the BGS core store
Fossils through the ages
Digging for dinosaur DNA
The secret life of your mobile phone
Panning for gold!
And if all that wasn't enough, Plymouth University were here helping you walk like a dinosaur to tell you which dinosaur you would have been and how fast you were running compared to animals from today.
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