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What Is Geology? - What Does a

Geologist Do?

Article by: Hobart M. King, Ph.D., RPG

Definition of Geology:
Geology is the study of the Earth, the materials of which it is made, the structure of those
materials, and the processes acting upon them. It includes the study of organisms that have
inhabited our planet. An important part of geology is the study of how Earth's materials,
structures, processes and organisms have changed over time.

What Does a Geologist Do?

Geologists work to understand the history of our planet. The better they can understand Earth’s
history, the better they can foresee how events and processes of the past might influence the
future. Here are some examples:

Geologists study Earth processes: Many processes such as landslides, earthquakes, floods,
and volcanic eruptions can be hazardous to people. Geologists work to understand these
processes well enough to avoid building important structures where they might be damaged. If
geologists can prepare maps of areas that have flooded in the past, they can prepare maps of
areas that might be flooded in the future. These maps can be used to guide the development of
communities and determine where flood protection or flood insurance is needed.

Geologists study Earth materials: People use Earth materials every day. They use oil that is
produced from wells, metals that are produced from mines, and water that has been drawn from
streams or from underground. Geologists conduct studies that locate rocks that contain important
metals, plan the mines that produce them and the methods used to remove the metals from the
rocks. They do similar work to locate and produce oil, natural gas, and groundwater.

Geologists study Earth history: Today we are concerned about climate change. Many
geologists are working to learn about the past climates of Earth and how they have changed
across time. This historical geology news information is valuable to understand how our current
climate is changing and what the results might be.

Volcanic Hazards Map

Volcanic Hazards Map: Geologists prepared this volcanic hazards map to communicate the location of
hazardous areas to citizens, government agencies, and businesses. To prepare a map like this requires an
understanding of volcanoes, an ability to recognize volcanic deposits in the field, an ability to prepare a map,
and an ability to communicate. All geological tasks require a diversity of skills. This is why students who are
interested in geology are encouraged to do well in all of their courses and to seek advanced training in Earth
science, chemistry, physics, math, computers, and communication skills. USGS image. View larger map.

Geology as a Career
Geology can be a very interesting and rewarding career. The minimum training required is
a four-year college degree in geology. Pre-college students who are interested in becoming
geologists should take a full curriculum of college preparatory courses, especially those in math,
science, and writing. Courses related to computers, geography and communication are also
valuable.

Geologists work in a variety of settings. These include: natural resource companies,

environmental consulting companies, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and
universities. Many geologists do field work at least part of the time. Others spend their time in
laboratories, classrooms or offices. All geologists prepare reports, do calculations and use
computers.

Although a bachelor's degree is required for entry-level employment, many geologists earn
master's and/or doctorate degrees. The advanced degrees provide a higher level of training, often
in a geology specialty area such as paleontology, mineralogy, hydrology, or volcanology.
Advanced degrees will often qualify the geologist for supervisory positions, research
assignments, or teaching positions at the university level. These are some of the most sought-
after jobs in the field of geology.

Employment opportunities for geologists are very good. Most geology graduates with a strong
academic background and good grades have no trouble finding employment if they are willing to
move to a location where work is available.

If you are a pre-college student, you can prepare to become a geologist by doing well in all of
your courses. Science courses are especially important, but math, writing, and other disciplines
are used by every geologist during every working day.

If you are considering college or graduate school, there are many universities that offer courses
or programs in geology. Visit the website of a school that offers a geology degree, get in touch
with the geology department, let them know you are interested and make arrangements to visit
the campus. Don't be hesitant. Good schools and professors want to be contacted by interested
students.

Earth’s Place in the Universe

Where is Earth in the Milky Way?
https://www.universetoday.com/65601/where-is-earth-in-the-milky-way/

For thousand of years, astronomers and astrologers believed that the Earth was at the
center of our Universe. This perception was due in part to the fact that Earth-based
observations were complicated by the fact that the Earth is embedded in the Solar
System. It was only after many centuries of continued observation and calculations that
we discovered that the Earth (and all other bodies in the Solar System) actually orbits the
Sun.
Much the same is true about our Solar System’s position within the Milky Way. In truth,
we’ve only been aware of the fact that we are part of a much larger disk of stars that orbits
a common center for about a century. And given that we are embedded within it, it has
been historically difficult to ascertain our exact position. But thanks to ongoing efforts,
astronomers now know where our Sun resides in the galaxy.

Size of the Milky Way:

For starters, the Milky Way is really, really big! Not only does it measure some 100,000–
120,000 light-years in diameter and about 1,000 light-years thick, but up to 400 billion
stars are located within it (though some estimates think there are even more). Since one
light year is about 9.5 x 1012 km (9.5 trillion km) long, the diameter of the Milky Way galaxy
is about 9.5 x 1017 to 11.4 x 1017 km, or 9,500 to 11,400 quadrillion km.

It became its current size and shape by eating up other galaxies, and is still doing so
today. In fact, the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy is the closest galaxy to the Milky Way
because its stars are currently being added to the Milky Way’s disk. And our galaxy has
consumed others in its long history, such as the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy.

And yet, our galaxy is only a middle-weight when compared to other galaxies in the local
Universe. Andromeda, the closest major galaxy to our own, is about twice as large as our
own. It measures 220,000 light years in diameter, and has an estimated 400-800 billion
stars within it.

Structure of the Milky Way:

If you could travel outside the galaxy and look down on it from above, you’d see that the
Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy. For the longest time, the Milky Way was thought to
have 4 spiral arms, but newer surveys have determined that it actually seems to just have
two spiral arms, called Scutum–Centaurus and Carina–Sagittarius.

The spiral arms are formed from density waves that orbit around the Milky Way – i.e. stars
and clouds of gas clustered together. As these density waves move through an area, they
compress the gas and dust, leading to a period of active star formation for the region.
However, the existence of these arms has been determined from observing parts of the
Milky Way – as well as other galaxies in our universe.
The Milky Way’s basic structure is believed to involve two main spiral arms emanating from
opposite ends of an elongated central bar. Credit: T. Dame

In truth, all the pictures that depict our galaxy are either artist’s renditions or pictures of
other spiral galaxies, and not the result of direct observation of the whole. Until recently,
it was very difficult for scientists to gauge what the Milky Way really looks like, mainly
because we’re inside it. It has only been through decades of observation, reconstruction
and comparison to other galaxies that they have been to get a clear picture of what the
Milky Way looks like from the outside.

From ongoing surveys of the night sky with ground-based telescopes, and more recent
missions involving space telescopes, astronomers now estimate that there are between
100 and 400 billion stars in the Milky Way. They also think that each star has at least one
planet, which means there are likely to be hundreds of billions of planets in the Milky Way
– billions of which are believed to be the size and mass of the Earth.

As noted, much of the Milky Way’s arms is made up of dust and gas. This matter makes
up a whopping 10-15% of all the “luminous matter” (i.e. that which is visible) in our
galaxy, with the remainder being the stars. Our galaxy is roughly 100,000 light years
across, and we can only see about 6,000 light years into the disk in the visible
spectrum.

Still, when light pollution is not significant, the dusty ring of the Milky Way can be
discerned in the night sky. What’s more, infrared astronomy and viewing the Universe in
other, non-visible wavelengths has allowed astronomers to be able to see more of it.

The Milky Way, like all galaxies, is also surrounded by a vast halo of dark matter, which
accounts for some 90% of its mass. Nobody knows precisely what dark matter is, but its
mass has been inferred by observations of how fast the galaxy rotates and other general
behaviors. More importantly, it is believed that this mass helps keep the galaxy from
tearing itself apart as it rotates.

The Solar System:

The Solar System (and Earth) is located about 25,000 light-years to the galactic center
and 25,000 light-years away from the rim. So basically, if you were to think of the Milky
Way as a big record, we would be the spot that’s roughly halfway between the center and
the edge.

Astronomers have agreed that the Milky Way probably has two major spiral arms –
Perseus arm and the Scutum-Centaurus arm – with several smaller arms and spurs. The
Solar System is located in a region in between the two arms called the Orion-Cygnus
arm. This arm measures 3,500 light-years across and is 10,000 light-years in length,
where it breaks off from the Sagittarius Arm.
The location of our Solar Systemin the Orion Spur of the Milky Way galaxy. Credit: Roberto
Mura/Public Domain

The fact that the Milky Way divides the night sky into two roughly equal hemispheres
indicates that the Solar System lies near the galactic plane. The Milky Way has a relatively
low surface brightness due to the gases and dust that fills the galactic disk. That prevents
us from seeing the bright galactic center or from observing clearly what is on the other
side of it.

You might be surprised to learn that it takes the Sun 250 million years to complete one
rotation around the Milky Way – this is what is known as a “Galactic Year” or “Cosmic
Year”. The last time the Solar System was in this position in the Milky Way, there were
still dinosaurs on Earth. The next time, who knows? Humanity might be extinct, or it might
have evolved into something else entirely.
As you can see, the Milky Way alone is a very big place. And discerning our location
within it has been no simple task. And as our knowledge of the Universe has expanded,
we’ve come to learn two things. Not only is the Universe much larger than we could have
ever imagined, but our place within in continues to shrink! Our Solar System, it seems, is
both insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but also extremely precious!