A group of first- and second-year students following the B.Sc. (Hons) in Earth Systems course had the opportunity recently to take part in an optional field trip to the slopes of Sicily’s Mount Etna, organised by Institute in Earth Systems.
23 students, accompanied by members of the Institute’s academic staff, took a day flight to Sicily on Monday 18 April 2016. From Rifugio Sapienza at an altitude of 1,923 metres above sea level, they travelled via cable car to the higher slopes of Mount Etna (2,500 to 2,600 metres in elevation) for a guided walk and information session on the seismic monitoring stations. Following a quick lunch in the piazza of Zafferana Etnea, the group went on a guided jeep safari, exploring the ecology, lava fields, craters and caves of the Milo/Fornazzo area.
Student field trips form an integral part of the study of Earth Systems, and are organised regularly, both locally and abroad, throughout the Institute’s courses.