We’re excited to launch our new Earth Sciences subject spotlight, in partnership with Springpod. Discover how our planet works - and how Earth scientists help us understand the powerful processes shaping the world we live in. Our Earth Sciences subject spotlight invites high school students to “try before they apply”, giving them a first taste of Earth sciences as a subject. View the trailer for the course below. Earth Sciences is a key subject area addressing pressing issues facing our planet today, such as climate change, natural hazards, resources and sustainability. Our spotlight gives students the chance to explore some of these big global challenges and dig a little deeper into new subject areas often not studied at school.Led by Professor Eliza Calder, Lecturer in Earth Sciences and a volcanologist in the School of GeoSciences, our subject spotlight offers an engaging introduction to volcanoes, natural hazards and disaster risk reduction. Drawing on Eliza’s own research, including case studies from Guatemala, the course gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how Earth science research happens in the real world, and how scientific knowledge and social understanding come together to manage risk in complex environments. It also showcases how active, world-leading research feeds directly into our teaching in the School of GeoSciences. Behind the scenes photo taken during filming for the new Springpod spotlight course. Earth Science is about understanding how our planet works and how people interact with it, and how we can use that understanding to tackle challenges like natural hazards and climate change. Working on this Springpod project gave me the opportunity to bring my research into a learning environment and to share with prospective students why this work matters, both scientifically and for society. Eliza Calder Professor of Volcanology, School of GeoSciences This SpringPod spotlight is an exciting opportunity to share our passion for Earth Sciences more widely, and to give prospective students an authentic insight into the subject and our approach to teaching and research. Bryne Ngwenya Head of School, School of GeoSciences How to take partOur Earth Sciences subject spotlight is ideal for anyone interested in exploring natural and physical sciences, and how we interact with our planetYou can sign up via Springpod, and work through course content online, at your own pace. Access SpringPod and register here Springpod is a UK-wide online platform that helps students explore subjects and career pathways before they apply to university. Through free, interactive courses and subject spotlights, it gives learners insight into what studying a subject is really like. Learn more about our undergraduate degrees in Earth Science and Environment Our degrees in Earth Sciences and Environment Publication date 13 Feb, 2026
