Old Harry Rocks - the OG (or OH)

 For Year 7 - classic sequence of crack, cave, arch, stack, stump, wave cut platform.

Weathering Safari

We're coming to the stage in the Year 7 work when we explore weathering and how it damages the rocks and also buildings that stand there exposed to the elements.
Some buildings in Ely have been standing there for hundreds of years, so have been explosed to rain, wind, frost and other sub-aerial processes which are breaking down the surface of the earth, and whatever stands on it.
We investigated the buildings on the Junior school site.
The main Junior School building was opened in 2003, so it has been standing there for around 13 years, which makes it of similar age to the DT block. We then made our way towards Hereward, which is hundreds of years old, and also has the markings of former students' names which is a tradition at the school.

Are you lichen this ?

Lichens and moss can be seen growing on the school buildings, as we saw on our weathering safari

This key from the FSC helps us to identify some of them.

Merits for those who can tell me what lichens we have growing on the school site, and where we can find particular types...

Another brick in the wall...

Year 7s have been out undertaking a Weathering Safari this week, and finding evidence that the school is actually falling to pieces!
The good news is that the processes that are taking place are very slow, but nonetheless, the action of frost, wind, rain, plants and the students themselves, along with chemical reactions on the surface of the bricks and stones are continuously happening. On our journey around the site, we came across this wall on Hereward.

Here's the presentation we used to provide the background...


And here's the recording sheet


And here's a picture that I took on the way round...

Is it Physical, Chemical or Biological weathering ?