Very common question at a business meeting, government meeting, or even in a pub, “Hey Doug, it’s good to meet you. What do you do?”
“I am a geologist.”
“Oh, uh … what specifically do you do?”
The Geological Society of America lists 22 geological specialties and EarthHow.com lists 37 (one I had to look up because I had never heard of it). Typically, to answer the question above, I have to explain, and often not very well. Geology is a broad and diverse science, a derivative field of study that uses all the fundamental sciences and disciplines. However, in our growing knowledge base and understanding of the interactions of our planet with the space environment, the quantum universe, the growing understanding of systems interactions and interdependencies, time and entropy, and maybe most of all, the transition of “geo” sciences from being considerably and historically qualitative to becoming increasingly quantitative, requires that we utilize multi-, cross- and transdisciplinary knowledge to – more than describe, but – predictively explain past, present and future status and condition. Many geologists do this now, but not all, and not to the extent that the future requires.
It is not a difficult step from geologist to planetary (geo)scientist, at least I don’t think so. It is not even a step – more like a dance. Our Earth is a planet, yet we don’t always think or conceive of it as a planet like a Venus or a Mars. We focus too closely and for a specific outcome. Personally, I have often become involved with a project or concept that is localized to some need, without routinely or in a disciplined way expanding my view, my mind, to see the bigger picture. I get angry with myself when I realize this. Our planet is relatively small, with cause and effect, action and reaction, fundamental effects that we predict when observing another planet yet often, in my experience and opinion, ignore when we get lost in localized and predictable (my superiors would not like for me to use the word “mundane”) geo-tasks.
As geologists we are trained and experienced in and expected to think in four dimensions: x, y, z and time. For the record, I do not believe we need to think in 10-dimensional space-time, at least not yet! Our science is driven by the nature, character and makeup of the materials that constitute our planet, by the internal energy of these materials, by the external energy provided by our star, by gravity and by electromagnetic force. Our science might be the primary discipline fully engaged and dependent on all these criteria. And although many of us specialize in key topics, much like physicians specialize in their key medical areas, the growing complexity of interactions requires that we expand our abilities, and our minds, to consider new and evolving relationships, expanded systemic influences, and – dare I say it – a more fully-integrated geoscientific schema in which engineering, astrophysics, biology, chemistry, quantum relationships and more all play a part in what we do. We see, interpret, understand, model and predict a specific geologic process but then need to expand and understand the role of these other sciences and the active interrelationships. Specialization is certainly needed, in medicine and geology, but should inform our larger view. In my experience, never is a single factor or a single concept responsible for a geologic evaluation or interpretation and we need a bigger view – a planetary view.
Earth with a Capital ‘E’
Many of my libation-sharing geofriends argue against these thoughts. I have heard, in various iterations and many times, “we are geologists #*&$@!; by definition we are planetary scientists!” Basically, this is true. “Geo” does mean “earth, soil, ground, of or relating to the Earth” and similar descriptions. We all have studied topics related to the Earth. I suspect that everyone reading this has a bookshelf like the one behind my desk, but maybe with more recent publications (see accompanying photo). What interests me is that when we speak of this definition approach, it is almost always using a little “e” “earth.” We must begin considering all that we do as geologists using a capital “E” “Earth.” We are a small planet in a very large solar system where everything is related and we can better explain our scientific areas of study by incorporating the knowledge and data from influencing areas of science.
Is there a thought process we can emulate or learn from that helps us, as geologists, expand our thinking process and become more planetary geoscientists? I think there are several but will mention one, especially given the growing utilization of AI in our science. It is factor analysis.
I will cite a good example citation first.
A good example would be chapter 10 of the 2018 textbook “Geophysical Data Analysis,” entitled “Factor Analysis,” by William Menke. His chapter discusses a factor analysis problem in which a set of measurements are considered a mixture of unknown end members. He shows a technique to evaluate these members using factor analysis identifying chemical end members in a rock chemistry data set, classifying shapes and determining spatiotemporal patterns of variation. It sounds complicated, but factor analysis is a very good way of approaching large geo multi-, cross- and transdisciplinary problems.
I believe another example in which more of a “planetary geologist”-approach is effectively utilized is in the analysis of super basins. Super basins form from a series of multiple-disciplined events across a variable range of time requiring evaluation of multiple inputs from multiple disciplines creating variables requiring a large view, multidisciplined approach. In many aspects, a petroleum systems approach is a focused factor analysis approach, and our growing development into planetary geosciences will expand that focus as we add variables and potential end members.
A strange and very interesting fact, according to Oxford English Dictionary: the term “geology” is dropping in average English use worldwide and is now used 2.9 times per million words, on average. In 2000, it was used 3.1 times and in 1900, five times per million words. It has been passed by the word “planet,” which is now currently used 20 times per million words and has been growing in use since 1900. I believe this suggests that earthlings, on average and as we expand our knowledge, view ourselves with a growing understanding of our planet and its systemic relationships. We are thinking planetary geology! Study the accompanying photo of Earth.
When I teach, I give my students an exam question with an image of the Earth from space with instructions along the lines of, “Observe this image of Earth as you would an image of Mars and list every known geological/planetary interaction you can think of. There is no exact number expected.” I would usually get five or six answers but sometimes a dozen or more. While the five or six could be correct and get full credit, the dozen or more – even if just mostly correct – made me happy.
I used medicine as an example. Within the NASA system there are physicians, usually younger, that carry a title such as “physician-engineer.” These specialists must understand, not just medicine, but also engineering and flight hardware operations as astronauts live in spacesuit and capsule environments and work on equipment in space where the interaction and interplay of gasses, temperatures and pressures is critical to survival. I believe it is time for geologists to become planetary geologists as they view and interpret the earth.
As a last word, for those who think this too much for one field of study I offer the accompanying image of a three-dimensional scan of one cubic millimeter of a human brain. This small volume is capable of processing thousands of terabytes. We are smart and can do this!