Teaching Earth Sciences - Earth Science Teachers' Association

Sub-surf Rocks! ESTA at Southampton
Hazel Mather
Sub-surf Rocks! is a new, free online resource aimed at
enhancing A-level geology teaching using seismic data.
It was produced by the charity UKOGL (UK Onshore
Geophysical Library) using datasets from its public
domain UK onshore seismic data archive. The website
www.sub-surfrocks.co.uk has been loaded to CD-
ROM and a copy is included with this issue of TES.
The resource was developed with help from members
of ESTA and is designed to relate to A-level geology
teaching requirements. At the launch in Southampton,
delegates were given a brief tour of the website which
supplies information in short sections and uses audio-visual
presentations and animations. Topics include:- background
information on seismic exploration; how seismic data
are acquired; how to interpret seismic data; a glossary of
keywords used in the text; some embedded mathematics
and a quiz. A case study of the hydrocarbon-producing
Weald Basin contains a ready-to-use student exercise and
features a 3-D model provided by the British Geological
Survey illustrating the relationships between the solid
geology, geological cross-section and seismic data.
Those at the session were then let loose with coloured
pencils and a copy of the seismic line (downloadable as A3
or A4 colour or greyscale printable files from the CD
or website) and invited to ‘find the oil’ for themselves.
The exercise requires the interpretation of three horizons
and the picking of several faults. Many delegates
commented on the excellent quality of the data
which clearly depicts the structural features. There is
a stratigraphical column to complete and questions
encouraging students to identify source, reservoir and
cap rocks before finally picking a location to drill.
A PowerPoint presentation with ‘the answer’ finished
off the session, although as is often the case with
interpretation, there may not be a definitive answer
giving scope for interesting extension activities.
UKOGL has also made available PDF images of all the
seismic lines in its library. Seismic coverage of the UK is
pretty good and so it may be possible for you to download
an image of subsurface under your school or town. See
the UKOGL website at www.ukogl.org.uk for free
downloads.
Finally I apologise for the title, it was irresistible!
Hazel Mather
pink.house@virgin.net
'technology and transport has improved so
much in recent years that the coal mines are
now located away from the coalfields'
www.esta-uk.net Vol 35 No 1 2010 Teaching Earth Sciences 19