Just as British astronaut Tim Peake was crossing over the Atlantic and broadcasting a science lesson from space yesterday,an equally exciting project is underway 400km below on the ocean surface. Stockport teacher Angela Bentley is currently on board the research vessel RRS James Cook, tasked with providing educational resources and outreach as portion of the Teacher at Sea project.
The expedition is being funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and operated by the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), and involves Birmingham,Cardiff and Durham Universities. Angela will be joining the scientists with the aim of preparing resources for schools and the public that will make the research accessible. The expedition has already departed from Cape Verde (just off the West Coast of Africa) and will arrive in Trinidad and Tobago on February 24th, stopping at the major ocean ridge in the Atlantic Ocean to conduct a variety of geophysical experiments.
The Royal Research Ship James Cook."The Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) between these countries is very captivating, and " says Angela. "It is not covered by sediment so the geology of the sea floor is clearly visible. There is remarkable interest in the science world about the MAR at this location because it is not spreading as geologists used to reflect."
Whilst on the expedition,Angela will be tweeting and writing a blog, and teachers can also contact her for a range of resources relating to the science, and to take portion in live classrooms with Q and A sessions from the James Cook. Further information can also be found on the project's homepage and on Facebook,and also on the NOC's educational resource pages.
Source: ras.org.uk