The really useful geologist

By the end of this talk I hope you will:

appreciate why geologists are useful;recognise why geology is an excellent career choice;understand more about geologists value to society; realise how you may become an essential player in the Planets fight for survival;acknowledge that Earth science needs to be communicated in ways that will interest and involve pupils, teachers - and the public at large.

Why Geology?Interest in mind boggling concepts of time and space:

- events that took seconds & happened this morning

- events that took millions of years & happened hundreds of millions of years ago?

Why Geology?Interest in the Earthsenvironments todayInterest in the Earths past environments

Interest in volcanic hazards Why Geology?

Why Geology?Interest in making a small fortune!Interest in working in new/exciting places

How can geologists be really useful?

Geology in the world of work

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What makes a geologist so useful?

Team workingAdaptabilityProblem solvingPlanningInitiativeCommunicationAnalytical

Flexibility Spatial visualisation Inter-disciplinary thinking Understanding of Earth systems Creativity Imagination

Will there be opportunities for geologists in the future?Geology is the bedrock of every economyEverything material that we possess is either dug from the Earth or grown in its soilGeologists can do good & save lives!The Earth is under pressure - so there are plenty of challenges for geologists & Earth scientists

Meeting the challenges!

Understanding natural hazardsFloodsEarthquakesVolcanoesLandslidesWild firesSolar storms

FloodsEarthquakesVolcanoesLandslidesWild firesSolar storms

Understanding natural hazards

Understanding natural hazardsFloodsEarthquakesVolcanoesLandslidesWild firesSolar storms

Understanding natural hazardsFloodsEarthquakesVolcanoesLandslidesWild firesSolar storms

Understanding natural hazardsFloodsEarthquakesVolcanoesLandslidesWild firesSolar storms

Understanding changing climate

Geoengineering e.g. carbon sequestration

Assessing future energy & water resources

Studying deep time topicsEarth systems are complex - to understand the physical, biological and chemical processes involved scientists have to study records of these processes over geologic time.PalaeobiologyPalaeoclimatesCrustal evolution and dynamicsResourcesTopics for study include:

How are deep time topics important?Give time scales for past climate shifts

Show biospheres reaction to environmental change

Allow prediction of future environmental changes

Provide records of past crustal deformation

Help with management of energy resources (oil, gas, coal, uranium & geothermal) and water resources.

Growing the geoscientists of the future

Who said?During my second year at Edinburgh [1826-27] I attended Jameson's lectures on Geology and Zoology, but they were incredible dull.

The sole effect they produced on me was the determination never as long as I lived to read a book on Geology.

Charles Darwin

I have tried lately to read Shakespeare, and found it so intolerably dull that it nauseated me. Charles Darwin

Teaching methodsCapturing the excitement of discoveryEngaging your audience in genuine inquiryThinking about how Earth processes workSeeing the Earth around us in a new lightUsing simple models to provide opportunities to experience the process of doing science

Teaching ideasA geologic time scale from a toilet rollFrom an orange to the whole EarthThe Himalayas in 30 secondsQuake will my home collapse?Rock, rattle & rollHigh flow, low flow: atmosphere & ocean in a tankStress, strain and sweetsSwiss roll foldsBanana benders Laying down the principles

Sharing ideas

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Referenceshttp://www.esta-uk.net/Earth Science Teachers Association information on a career in teachinghttp://www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/index.cfm?pid=61&catalogueContentID=594http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/gsl/education/careersCareers advicehttp://geology.com/articles/geologist-salary.shtmlWhy its still good time to be a geologist! http://www.nsf.gov/geo/acgeo/geovision/nsf_ac-geo_vision_10_2009.pdfGeology in the 21st Century the Geo Vision reportAn autobiography of Charles Darwin and selected letters. Francis Darwin (Ed.) New York, Dover, 1958.http://www.earthlearningidea.com/Innovative, Earth-related teaching ideas

The really useful geologist