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The Cornwall Geologist
Around about 2014 I started posting pictures of my geological adventures on social media. It was a bit of organised procrastination around the day job, and a way to try and communicate some of the incredible natural wonders that can often pass us by.
People seemed to like it, and what started off as a bit of a hobby has evolved in to this - an avenue for people to engage with geology beyond social media. An opportunity to join the Cornwall Geologist and explore, learn, and discover Cornwall like you never have before!
About the Cornwall Geologist - Dr Sam Hughes
Hello, my name is Sam, and I am a geologist!
I find beginning with that sentence when meeting people is always a conversation starter. I am usually met with "ah, my brother's wife's second cousin's third born is a geologist, do you know them?". It can be a small world, so sometimes I do! But what usually follows is a lot of interest and questions about this fascinating subject.
It is a subject that took me 17 years of my life to find. Growing up in St Ives, Cornwall, I always had a fascination with the world around me. I was obsessed with wanting to learn more about the rolling seas colliding with the rugged coastline, the towering granite tors that puncture the hilltops, and those old engine houses that stand like ancient monuments across the land. This, alongside a desire to collect rocks and minerals, would make it seem that I was destined to become a geologist.
But I didn't know geology was a thing until I went to Sixth Form at Cornwall College Camborne in 2003. It was only then that I found geology as an A-Level, and it changed my life forever.
I went on to study a BSc in Applied Geology from 2005 to 2008 at the world-famous Camborne School of Mines (CSM), part of the University of Exeter. After a brief foray in to surveying, I returned to that same institution as a lecturer in geology from 2009.
During my time at the University of Exeter I worked my way up to senior lecturer. I taught on a variety of degree programmes at CSM, including geology, mining engineering, and surveying. I ran modules in field geology, geological mapping, structural geology and tectonics, igneous and metamorphic petrology, and engineering surveying. I also supervised undergraduate and postgraduate research projects. During my time as a lecturer I was also deputy Director of Education for CSM and programme director for the undergraduate geology programmes.
Alongside my lectureship I also completed a PhD. This labour of love was eventually completed in 2018, and my thesis was titled "The tectonomagmatic evolution of the Land’s End Granite". The research focussed on trying to understand how regional tectonics impact the generation, movement and evolution of granite magmas in the crust, and how this can influence granite-related mineralisation. Of course, the case study was Cornwall! One of the biggest things I learnt during my PhD was no matter how much work has been done before, there is still so much more to discover.
Having closed the chapter on lecturing in 2024, I have decided to turn Cornwall Geologist in to the next career chapter. The company “Cornwall Geologist” was founded in 2024.
I have always seen an opportunity to use my passion and expertise for promoting Cornwall’s incredible geological story. So many people have said they would love for me to come on a walk with them to explain about the landscape all around. Well, now is their chance!
My aim is to promote, conserve, and educate about Cornwall’s fascinating natural history. And hopefully keep up with indulging my hobby as a career! I hope you enjoy your interaction with Cornwall Geologist.
Keep geologising,
Sam
Biography
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2024 - Established the Cornwall Geologist company
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2022 to 2024 - Senior Lecturer at the Camborne School of Mines, Univesrsity of Exeter
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2021 to 2024 - Programme Director of Undergraduate Geology at the Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter
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2018 to 2021 - Deputy Director of Education at the Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter
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2009 to 2022 - Associate Lecturer at the Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter
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2009 to 2018 - PhD in Earth Resources at the Camborne School of Mines, Univesrsity of Exeter
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2009 - Surveyor, Kemp Engineering and Surveying
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2005 to 2008 - BSc Applied Geology at the Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter