USK Physics Master’s Program Holds Field Camp and Data Analysis at Ie Seum

Banda Aceh, June 23, 2024 – The Master of Physics Program, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Syiah Kuala (USK), successfully held a Field Camp and Research Data Analysis activity on June 21–22, 2024, in the Ie Seum area, Aceh Besar.

This activity is part of the research-based learning curriculum designed to provide students with practical experience in observation, measurement, and data analysis in environmental physics, instrumentation, and geophysics. It involved active participation from graduate students, accompanied by a team of faculty members and technical staff.

Over two days, students engaged in the following core activities:

Hot Water Analysis by the Instrumentation Team involved measuring temperature, pH, conductivity, and ionic content using field equipment.

Passive Seismic Learning by the Geophysics Team involves installing seismometers to record natural seismic waves (ambient noise) and training in spectral data interpretation and subsurface structure analysis.

Additional Geophysical Surveys, including topographic mapping using geodetic GPS and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to detect subsurface conditions.

In Scientific Discussion and Data Analysis Sessions, students present their observations, compare results across teams, and develop data integration plans for their respective theses.

The Head of the Master’s Program in Physics at USK, Prof. Dr. Muksin, S.Si, M.Si,M.Phil, stated that this activity is a concrete example of field-based learning implementation, encouraging students to understand geophysical phenomena and the potential of renewable energy directly. “This Field Camp provides students with an opportunity to develop research skills, collaboration, and multidisciplinary data analysis all of which are crucial in both academic and professional settings,” said Prof. Muksin.

One participant, a second-year student, also shared their experience, “We can directly apply the theories we learned in class, from data acquisition to interpretation. This is an important foundation for our final projects,” she said

This Field Camp activity is part of the USK Physics Master’s Program’s efforts to enhance the quality of graduates ready to compete in energy research, disaster mitigation, and sustainable environmental technology development.