As I have learnt from the older Physical Geography PhD students here, often research students come across obstacles that delay their research as we are so reliant  on various equipment to undertake our studies. In my case, I require use of the equipment in the Cosmogenic Isotope Facility at the University to process the rock/sand samples I collected in California. Ultimately this process will allow me to identify the age of particular surfaces at my study area, which is essential for matching offset surfaces together and locating possible earthquake ruptures.

The Cosmogenic Isotope Facility is a fantastic, state of the art laboratory however unfortunately, as with everything, various pieces of equipment currently need replacing, meaning the laboratory won’t be up and running again for a minimum 6 weeks. When I initially submitted my project proposal for my MPhil thesis I was required also to submit a gantt chart which highlighted what I would be doing and when to demonstrate that my proposed research could be completed within a year.  Originally, I had planned to spend a couple of months after my research trip to California processing my samples in the laboratory and obviously the delay caused by waiting for new equipment to arrive has disrupted this plan.

This has required me to be flexible and stay optimistic! Luckily I have plenty of mapping to do in the mean time so I have simply had to re-arrange my time. Often this is the case with a research degree, therefore I advise whenever applying for a research degree or writing a research proposal to keep an open mind and be ready to adapt to whatever new situation may arise.

🙂