Lorca Field Class

Year 2 – ENVS 228

This field class takes place at the beginning of 2nd Year. It builds on fieldwork during Year 1 in the UK by giving students the chance to undertake fieldwork and collect data in a contrasting environment, that of drylands near Lorca in southeast Spain. Students learn how physical geography processes operate in very different ways in this semi-arid environment. They learn about the interaction of all the major components of physical geography – meteorology and climatology, hydrology, geomorphology, soils and biogeography, and how the features of the environment are produced. 

Students examine a variety of semi-arid environment characteristics and processes, including landforms such as gullies and dry river channels, the sparse vegetation patterns, and the influences of high temperatures. They discuss the effects of the lack of rainfall such as the high rates of soil erosion, the issues of water resources and the problems of managing flash floods.  Students work in small groups for their field data collection and produce an individual report based on their findings, as well as writing an essay on a regional topic”.