"Shades of Geology" Science Trip ahead of the World Science Day

World Science Day for Peace and Development is celebrated on November 10. To this end, on November 9, at the initiative of the Public Relations and Career Department of the International Scientific-Educational Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia and with the support of the NAS RA Institute of Geological Sciences, a "Shades of Geology" science trip was organized for the students of the Geology Department of ISEC to discover the geological wonders of Armenia.

In addition to the students of ISEC, the scientific excursion was also attended by the students of the faculties of Geography and Geology of Yerevan State University and Armenian State Pedagogical University. The aim of the scientific campaign was to organize the exchange of best practice between ISEC NAS RA Department of Geology and other departments of the Center as well as students from other RA universities.

The science trip was led by Ghazar Galoyan, head of the Laboratory of Petrology and Isotope Geology of the NAS RA Institute of Geological Sciences, lecturer at the Department of Geology.

The first stop of the science trip was an artificially drilled exposure occurred recently near the Yerevan-Sevan highway, where a tanning contact under the bottom of the volcanic stream placed from above was clearly visible, caused by splitting of the former surface and soil at a temperature of about 1000-1200 degrees, was clearly visible.

The next stop was the abandoned perlite sand quarry of Jraber, where Ghazar Galoyan briefly presented the geological masterpieces of Armenia to the participants with the help of a corresponding map. The excursion members were interested about not only obsidian and perlite, but they were also making general inquiries about other features of Armenian geology.

During the science trip, the participants also visited the slag lapilli quarry of Gutanasar, which was formed as a result of the volcanic eruption of lapilli, and the horizontal accumulation here created an interesting thick layer, on the front part of which a remarkable layered view was formed as a result of the wind, which attracts the visitors so much.

The next place on the agenda was Hanqavan village, where Ghazar Galoyan showed the metamorphic (transformational, old) rocks of a part of the crystalline base of Armenia, at the area of Hanqavan, which are exposed in the form of a wall on the left bank of the river of Marmarik. Here, the students also carried out measurements using a geological compass.

At the end of the science trip, the participants shared their vivid impressions and thanked for the meaningful and memorable event, expressing hope for the future to take part in such adventures again.

Karine Avetisyan, a science trip participant and a 2nd-year Master's student of ISEC Department of Geology mentioned that this trip stood out as a means of strengthening inter-university ties, as not only geologists, but also students from different universities participated in the trip.

Varduhi Hovhannisyan, a lecturer at the Department of Geography and its Teaching Methodology of the Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Geography of ASMU, emphasized that the organization of scientific expeditions for students in such a format, as a means of informal education, contributed to the acquisition of new knowledge through research in the lap of nature, as well as the formation and development of practical skills.

Ghazar Galoyan, the head of the Laboratory of Petrology and Isotope Geology of the NAS RA Institute of Geological Sciences, a lecturer at the Department of Geology, highlighted the significant role of such science trips in the active process of formation of young scientists, as well as for more clear understanding of the field.

Lilit Adamyan, the head of the Public Relations and Career Department of ISEC NAS RA, as the initiator of this scientific event, noted that the science trip was successful, as all the participants enjoyed both the warm and friendly communication and the cooperative learning environment along with gaining new knowledge.

Public Relations and Career Department of ISEC NAS RA