Geography at UM

The Mediterranean Across Disciplines: An Interdisciplinary Roundtable

Friday May 29, 6.00-8.30pm, Gateway Hall A

On behalf of the Erasmus-funded project ‘(Re)-Visiting the Mediterranean: Literature, Culture, Environment’, and in conjunction with the Department of English, we invite you to join us for The Mediterranean Across Disciplines: An Interdisciplinary Roundtable, on Friday May 29, 6.00-8.30pm, Gateway Hall A.

The roundtable will feature presentations by academics working on the Mediterranean across different fields: Dr Simone Azzopardi (History); Dr Judith Gatt (Classics and Archaeology); Prof. Ritienne Gauci (Geography); Dr Julian Mamo (Institute of Earth Systems); Prof. Norbert Bugeja (Mediterranean Institute); Dr Gilbert Calleja (Art and Art History); Prof. Krista Bonello Rutter Giappone (English); Prof. Daniela DeBono (Anthropological Sciences); Prof. David Zammit (Civil Law); in conversation with Prof. Stella Borg Barthet.

Drinks and a small reception will follow. We hope to see you there!

Happy Earth Day! 🌍

Where else would you find our geography students and staff on a day like this?

Out in the field—where geography comes alive by observing physical landscapes and the processes that shape them over time.

Led by Prof. Ritienne Gauci, our GEO1016 students explored the geology and geomorphology of Għar Lapsi, examining how tectonic controls and surface processes have sculpted the landscape, alongside the more recent impacts of Storm Harry.

Get in touch with us if you are interested in attending our undergraduate courses.

Last Saturday, students taking part in the GEO1011 field visit—within the Diploma in Maltese History in Context—explored Marsaxlokk Bay as an example how geographical landscapes shape and are shaped by human activity.

Led by Prof. John Schembri and Prof. Ritienne Gauci, the students examined how natural coastal landscapes have interacted with centuries of human activity—from traditional fishing practices, salt panning, historic defences and settlement patterns to contemporary economic, industrial and touristic uses.

Marsaxlokk Bay remains a textbook rich example for students to understand how physical and human geography influence the historical evolution of livelihoods from the coast and the sea and the complex coexistence of mutiple coastal land uses.

Back from Easter recess and back to geography in action!

Led by Prof. Ritienne Gauci and Prof. John Schembri, our Geography undergraduates explored hydrology and water management through a field trip spanning key sites across Malta.

From the historic washhouse at Għajn Ħasselin in Msida, to the innovative Għajn National Water Conservation Centre in Rabat, and on to Fiddien and the recently rehabilitated Chadwick Lakes, students engaged with water management through historical, physical, and societal lenses.

A sincere thank you to Ms. Joanna Galea and Ms. Vanessa Maria Vella from the Energy and Water Agency for sharing their expertise and helping make this field trip such a valuable learning experience.


& Water Agency
Programme

Last Monday, Andrea Pace, a casual lecturer in the Department of Geography, took part in the Faculty of Arts’ Second Doctoral Symposium. The event showcased the breadth of doctoral research across the Faculty and offered a meaningful opportunity to appreciate the diversity and interdisciplinarity that characterise the Humanities.

Students enrolled in GEO2008 Applied Geomorphology got hands-on last week conducting sediment analysis using a stereomicroscope. 🔬

Through close observation, they examined grain size, shape, and composition of different sediment: key indicators that reveal the transport and deposition processes behind sediment samples. This practical exercise helps link theory to real-world geomorphological processes, showing how tiny grains can tell important stories about landscapes and environmental change.

💡 Field data meets lab analysis as a perfect example of applied geomorphology in action!

Due thanks to Mr Noel Tonna and Mr Daniel Dimech from the DMME Laboratories of the Faculty of Engineering for providing us the access and support in the use of labs.

Last week the UM Geography Department students following GEO2010 *Environmental Impact Assessment* carried out a field trip in the Rabat area and its rural hinterland. The session introduced key aspects of site-based assessment, giving students the chance to apply lecture-room concepts directly in the field.

The group explored how cultural heritage, landscape character, and visual sensitivity interact with ongoing land-use pressures. Students observed a range of geo-environmental features, discussed potential impacts associated with different development proposals over time, and practised identifying constraints and opportunities within a real planning context. They also saw how the EIA is an iterative process in which, through in-depth study and consultation, development proposals can also be improved.

Fieldwork remains pivotal in geographical training. In this case, it helped students strengthen their ability to read the landscape, interpret spatial processes, and understand the layers of heritage and environment that have to be considered by decision-maker.

The Department of Geography mourns the passing of Dr. Albert Ganado, the great collector and scholar of Maltese cartography and founder of the Malta Map Society. The Department has been closely collaborating with Dr Ganado and serving with him on the Malta Map Society Committee since 2010. Through teaching and research on cartography, our Department has and will remain committed in consolidating the heritage legacy of Dr Ganado.

He will be deeply missed. Our condolences to his friends and family.

Did you know that our historic capital still has street paving made of basaltic rock brought over from Mount Etna? Or that the entrance to the Grand Master’s Palace is lined with limestone from the now-depleted San Leonardo Beds?

Our GEO2000 students do 👇

They have just explored the urban geology of Valletta with Prof. Ritienne Gauci and Prof. John A. Schembri, reading the city and its limestone heritage through its stones, one outcrop at a time.

Fieldwork season has just started! Watch this space!