On May 11, a public lecture entitled "Let's Walk and Learn! Petrology Vol.1 — After the Noto Peninsula Earthquake" was held at Kotogahama, a singing sand coast and Kuroshima Fishing Port in Monzenmachi, Wajima City. It was attended by 19 participants, ranging from junior high school students to adults.
In the first half of the lecture, participants observed the Kotogahama Coast that collapsed due to the Noto Peninsula Earthquake and the exposed rocks. They learned about the formation process of columnar joints that appeared on the collapsed surface by imagining magma flow. Professor Tomoaki Morishita from the Faculty of Geosciences and Civil Engineering, Institute of Science and Engineering said, "It is important to think about not only the size, shape, and color of the rocks, but also why they are here," and encouraged the participants' spirit of inquiry.
The group then moved to Kuroshima Fishing Port, where the seafloor was uplifted by crustal deformation caused by the earthquake and the coastline was drastically changed. While standing in a place that was originally underwater, the group learned about the effects of earthquakes, active faults, and plate tectonics around the Japanese archipelago.
Participants commented, "The teacher's explanations were easy to understand and the time passed quickly," "I was glad that the students who came to support the lecture answered my questions carefully," "I would like to visit the recommended geological and rock outcrops," and "I would like to make materials from the rocks I collected." Participants had a fulfilling time deepening their understanding of rocks and landforms in the magnificent natural environment of the Noto Coast.
Lecturer: Professor Tomoaki Morishita from the Faculty of Geosciences and Civil Engineering, Institute of Science and Engineering??
?For details and applications for Kanazawa University 's public lectures and mini lectures, click here.
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The collapsed Kotogahama Coast -
Paticipants observing collapsed rocks -
Kuroshima Fishing Port, where the seafloor has been greatly uplifted -
Prof. Morishita explains the plates around the Sea of Japan
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