The Importance of Geology in the Modern World

Geology is very important to life as we know it for several reasons. Though the term 'geologist' conjures up an image of a man out looking at rocks, the geologist of today uses tools such as business models and computers to make important contributions to our civilization today. The geologist and all of her tools are very important to how we live our lives.

Economic geology is important for locating and extracting minerals and fossil fuels such as coal, oil, gold, iron, and aluminum. Locating these deposits requires a geologist to study the geologic setting and several other factors before deciding what location will produce the most material for the price of extracting it. Geologists are also consulted with regard to construction projects. In some cases, such as areas with active faults, the geologists help predict the type of movement and the magnitude of movement from earthquakes. This helps in the design and construction of buildings and highways to make them safer in areas that experience earthquakes. In other areas, sinkholes are prominent and cause a threat to homes and roads too. Geology is used to determine the extent of the sinkholes and helps decide how to build around them. In areas that depend on groundwater for their drinking water supply, the geology of the area is characterized by geologists who determine how deep the wells should be drilled to recover the most amount of water without stressing the surrounding natural systems.

The geologist of today uses many modern tools to complete their work. Seismic reflection and refraction, as well as ground penetrating radar are used with subsurface imaging to see what is below the surface. Previously, cores from drilling and studying rock exposures were the only clues as to some of structures present below the surface. High-powered microscopes and sophisticated scanners can look at the individual crystals that make up different rocks. Of course, no geologist is without their rock hammer when they are out exploring in the field.

Geology, though not always recognized, has played an important part in our civilization today from the water we drink, to where and how we build our homes, to providing the gas, oil, and coal to heat our homes and drive our cars.