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What do geologists do?

What do geologists do?. In school : Learn how the Earth works—processes On the job : Use knowledge about Earth processes to produce something of value: Knowledge=$. Major Career Options. 1. Discovering and protecting resources 2. Identifying and

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What do geologists do?

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  1. What do geologists do? • In school: Learn how the Earth works—processes • On the job: Use knowledge about Earth processes to produce something of value: Knowledge=$

  2. Major Career Options 1. Discovering and protecting resources 2. Identifying and avoiding natural hazards 3. Researching natural processes

  3. Resources • Energy to run everything • Oil, Gas, Coal, Steam, Hydroelectric, Uranium • Materialsto make almost everything • Metals, Oil (plastics, chemicals), • Construction, gems, chemicals • Waterfor food, industry, agriculture

  4. Energy • How to find oil, gas, coal? Shell Oil, Mars Platform in Gulf of Mexico (130 miles from New Orleans). 2940 ft of water. $1.2 billion Spindletop, Beaumont, TX, 1901

  5. Finding Resources • Understand how they are formed—processes. • Predict where those processes should occur now or in the past. • Identify likely locations. • Test your ideas. Are you right?

  6. Process of oil formation Source Rock

  7. Prudhoe Bay Oil Field (1968) Anticlinal/Unconformity Combination Trap

  8. Identify likely locations Field mapping Aerial photo Working geological map

  9. Geologic map of rocks at the ground surface in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge by Bob Hatcher Greenville Clemson Anderson 30 miles

  10. Geophysics Looking into the subsurface • Gravity • Magnetics • Seismics JMA

  11. Seismic Imaging of Anticline Vibrator Truck (Energy Source) Recording Truck Geophone (Receivers) Returning Sound Waves American Petroleum Institute, 1986

  12. Geologists making 3D seismic surveys

  13. Seismic Image of Anticline 1000 Milliseconds 2000 3000

  14. 3D imagingof subsurface geology

  15. The Test Casing Drill Pipe Bit

  16. Cost of Drilling Rigs Offshore Onshore Daily Rig Cost 1998 $90,000 1999 $40,000 (Single year contract) Daily Rig Cost 1998 $60,000 1999 $30,000 (Single year contract) Ultra Deep Daily Rig Cost 1998 $180,000 1999 $180,000 (Five year contract) JMA

  17. Other exploration targets Diamond Salt Emerald Gold Gravel

  18. Approach • 1. Understand geological processes • 2. Identify possible targets—field mapping, surface sampling, geophysics, computer simulations and analysis • 3. Test—drill and sample • 4. Discover!

  19. GroundwaterFinding and protecting a resource

  20. Strategy • Understand how contaminants move in ground water. • Identify sources of contaminants at site • Identify plumes in ground water • Clean it up

  21. Soil Sample Water sampling Handling samples in the field Identifying contaminants below ground Small drilling rig

  22. 3-D Map of contaminant plume

  23. Computer simulations

  24. Natural Hazards • Earthquake • Volcano • Debris flow • Landslide • Tsunami • Swelling soil • Subsidence Santa Tecla Landslide, El Salvador. Jan. 13, 2001800+ dead

  25. Landslide, La Conchita, CA

  26. Thistle Landslide, Utah Landslides

  27. McClure Pass Landslide, CO

  28. What happens? • Rain fall increases water content and • pore pressure. • More rain = worse Scarp • Soil weakens and slips. • Clay soils = worse • Ground shaking = worse • Movement from few inches • to ½ mile or more Toe

  29. Risk of Landslide = Rock types + water Understand the geology, estimate the risk

  30. The next eruption? Volcano hazards and the geologist

  31. How eruptions happen

  32. More Landslide Trouble….

  33. Pyroclastic flow

  34. LaharAnother problem during eruptions

  35. Geologists’ roleUnderstand recent and ancient eruptionsto determine risks in the future

  36. Example: Evaluate locations and sizes of Lahars associated with Mt. Rainier. Develop plan to evacuate, avoid danger in Tacoma

  37. Monitor warning signals

  38. Tsunami • Where, when, how big will the wave be? • Learn to recognize recent tsunami deposits, then identify ancient deposits. • Evaluate future risk from past events. Sampling site of July 17, 1998 tsunami in Papua New Guinea. Recent tsunami deposit in Papua New Guinea Mapping tsunami deposits

  39. Evidence for a Big Tsunami in Pacific Northwest Tsunami sand deposit from Washington coast. Buried soil age dated to 1700 Figure 5: Mud rip-up clast in tsunami sand. A 2-cm gray colored mud rip-up clast is visible in the upper left corner of this photo. • Ghost forest in coastal Washington. Tree rings indicate they all died in 1700 from sudden subsidence and sand inundation=tsunami

  40. Research • Advance understanding about Earth processes • Improve efforts to locate resources, reduce risks from hazards • Answer other questions…

  41. Life on Mars? On Earth, life requires water

  42. Evidence in the landscape Former river drainage? Landslide. Was water involved?

  43. Robots to obtain geological data

  44. Concretions deposited from water (blue) Panorama of the landing site Evidence for water Layered sediments deposited in flowing water

  45. Common Themes • Use understanding of processes to predict what or where • Go outside to obtain data • Assemble data in the office to test predictions • Integrate technology in the field and office

  46. Common traits of jobs as a geologist • Solve challenging problems • Work outdoors • Casual atmosphere • Travel • Technology • Computers

  47. Who hires geologists? • Companies who sell resources • Oil, minerals, metals • Companies who sell/need advice • Environmental consultants • Geotechnical/Engineering consultants • Industries with environmental problems • Government Agencies • USGS, NASA, DOE, NRC, NPS • Universities

  48. Career Prospects • Energy: Very good, highest $ • Environmental: Excellent. Largest employer • Minerals: Fair. Travel • Hazards: Good, in the right places • Research:Good, need grad degree

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