INTRODUCTION TO ORDINARY LEVEL GEOLOGY (PART 2)

Relationship between geology and other science subjects

 

Importance of geology to man

            Geology is important because virtually all the natural materials our society
needs such as oil, gas, metals, building materials, and so forth are found by geologists.
Geologic engineers evaluate roads, buildings and dams for geologic stability and hazard
potential.  The entire human race depends directly or indirectly on geology for its livelihood and survival, for example; the cloths you wear, the radio you listen to, the food you eat and even the pencil you use at school exist because of geologic discoveries.

            In summary, knowledge about geology helps in:

-          Supplying our daily needs by helping us in locating energy resources and raw materials required for survival, comfort and pleasure.

-          It helps us to lessen or prevent damage to the environment especially during the exploitation of natural resources.

-          Some geologic methods and principles are used to predict and prevent some geologic hazards and also protect human lives from such hazards.

Some Geology related Careers

Geology is a broad collection of disciplines.  When someone decides to become a geologist, he or she is selecting one of those disciplines.  The choice is very large and some are more financially lucrative than others which in turn might be more satisfying.  Below are a few areas of specialisation for geologists;

-          Earth System Scientist: study of the interaction of oceans, atmosphere, and the solid earth for the purpose of understanding past, present, and future environmental conditions

-       Economic Geologist: genesis, location, and other aspects of economic materials; including metallic, non-metallic (industrial rocks and minerals), and groundwater supplies (location and occurrence of subsurface water).

-          Environmental Geologist:  geological study of our natural environment; primarily concerned with depletion of natural resources, preservation of environmental quality, pollution problems, and natural hazards.

-          Field Geologist: collection, interpretation, and synthesis of geological data in the field (outside, in nature); generally consists, at least in part, of making geologic maps

-          Geoinformaticians: utilization of computers and data retrieval storage equipment for simulation, analysis and synthesis of geological data.

-          Geophysicist: "the study of the physics of the earth" - includes Seismology (study of earthquakes) and other studies of physical properties

-          Hydrogeologist: the study of subsurface waters (groundwater) and the related geologic aspects of surface waters.

-          Hydrologist: study of the movement of water in and on the earth; flood hazard is a primary concern.

-          Marine Geologist: study of various aspects of the geology of the oceans and coastal areas.

-          Mineralogy: study of crystal structure and chemistry, identification, classification and genesis of minerals.

Although not listed above, teaching is also an equally important field in which geologists work.  Some teach at the college levels while others lecture in the university.  Demand is increasing for geologists to teach in secondary and high schools as more and more schools are adding the subject into their curriculum.