Erosion-Problem Study Overseas

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30802, 14 July 1965, Page 16

Erosion-Problem Study Overseas

Opportunities for New Zealand students to undertake post-graduate studies in physical geography—chiefly on the problems of erosion—will be sought by Dr. Jane Soons of the University of Canterbury during travels in Canada, the United States and Britain. She is the first geographer to be awarded one of the university’s Erskine travelling fellowships.

Dr. Soons said yesterday that North American work in 'this field was advanced but it presented peculiar problems in that it was studied under geology. Geographers in New Zealand therefore did not have information through their normal channels of communication. She hoped to find openings for Ph.D. students by personal inquiry.

Dr. Soons will make her main inquiries at the University of British Columbia at Vancouver, the University of Alberta at Edmonton, the

University of Wisconsin, the State University of lowa, Northwestern University near Chicago, the State University of Ohio, the University of Louisiana, the University of Cambridge, and the University College of Swansea. Dr. Soon’s own specialties are glacial and periglacial studies and erosion processes, the latter work now becoming highly-developed at Cass. The University of British Columbia has done a lot of work in this field including the movement of material down slopes through rain, wind, and ice action. Ohio has a Polar Research Institute advanced in glacial work.

Louisiana is noted for coastal erosion studies which Canterbury hopes to develop. Dr. Soons said this could be of considerable economic importance to New Zealand which had such a long coastline in comparison with its small land mass.

Wherever possible Dr. Soons will examine laboratory facilities for physical geography as there are plans for three at Ham in geomorphology, climatology, and soils.

One of her first calls in the United States will be attendance at the conference of the International Association for Quaternary Research at Denver. There will be associated field trips.

As a personal interest she will also examine accommodation for university women students. She is a former warden of Helen Connon Hall.

Tennis Level.— Australia and Sweden were tied, 1-1, after the first two single® in a tennis nternational. J. E. Lundquist heat F. Stolle, 6-4, 8-6, and R Emerson defeated U. Schmidt. T-5. 6-3