About Campus Geosites @ Otago
Moeraki Boulder outside the Otago Museum (Great King Street / State Highway 1 northbound)
Campus Geosites @ Otago is a project led by the Department of Geology at the University of Otago. Free interactive exercises based around geologically interesting sites on and near the University campus can be completed by people with a range of ages and abilities in a safe and accessible environment. The University of Otago campus and surroundings are rich in geological heritage, and a wide range of rock types and geological concepts can be taught and explored by carefully observing building materials, ornamental and landscaping stones, and natural rock outcrops.
Exercise sheets can be freely downloaded and printed for class use (PDF links below). Teachers can contact us to request help sheets, or to request field trip helpers/leaders to accompany school group visits.
Recommended equipment
A Geosites class kit can be borrowed from the Geology Department, which contains hand lenses, charts to help describe grain characteristics, and some bottles of dilute HCl. Please use the contact emails below to request the kit, which can be picked up when you visit the campus.
- Printed exercises or notepad
- Pens and pencils
- Colored pens and pencils
- Ruler or grain size chart (printed on some exercises)
- Grain size/shape comparator (printed on some exercises)
- Hand lens or magnifier
- Camera and scale (e.g. coin, camera lens cover)
Geosites
The first Geosites are now available for download. New Geosites will be added regularly, so please continue to check in for new updates.
- Site 1 – Marble: Castle Lecture Theatres
- Site 2 – Moeraki Boulder: Otago Museum
- Site 3 – Basalt and Schist: Castle Building seating area
- Site 4 – Basalt: Staff Club eastern wall
- Site 5 – Milburn Limestone: Geology Building
- Site 6 – Oamaru Limestone: Geology Building
- Site 7 – Port Chalmers Breccia: Geology Building
- Site 8 – Otago Schist: Geology Building
- Site 9 – Wangaloa Formation: Geology Building
- Site 10 – Pounamu: Otago Polytechnic
Contact
Dr Steven Smith
Email steven.smith@otago.ac.nz
Department of Geology
Email geology@otago.ac.nz