Page 17 - Laboratory Manual in Physical Geology

Introduction accordance with government policies developed with
geologists and related to surface and groundwater.
Regardless of your educational background or interests, So geologists are Earth detectives who try to locate
you probably have already done some thinking like a and manage resources, identify and mitigate hazards,
geologist. This lab will help you think and act even more predict change, and help communities plan for the
like a geologist.
future. These things lay the foundation upon which all
industrial societies are based. Yet the growing societies
What Does It Mean to Start Thinking Like a of the world are now testing the ability of geoscientists
Geologist? to provide enough materials, energy, and wisdom to
You start thinking like a geologist when you focus on sustain people’s wants and needs. Now, more than ever,
questions about planet Earth and try to answer them. geologists are addressing fundamental questions about
You were thinking like a geologist if you ever observed an natural resources, the environment, and public policies
interesting landform, rock, or fossil, and wondered about in ways that strive to ensure the ability of Earth to
how it formed. You were also thinking like a geologist if sustain the human population.
you ever wondered where your drinking water comes from,
the possibility of earthquakes or floods where you live, How to Start Thinking and Acting Like a Geologist.
where to find gold, how to vote on environmental issues, As you complete exercises in this laboratory manual,
or what environmental risks may be associated with buying think and act like a geologist or Earth detective.
or building a home. Focus on questions about things like Earth materials
Wondering or inquiring about such things leads and history, natural resources, processes and rates of
one to fundamental questions about Earth and how it environmental change, where and how people live in
operates. Science is a way of answering these questions relation to the environment, and how geology contrib-
by gathering data (information, evidence) based on utes to sustaining the human population. Conduct
investigations and careful observations, thinking critically investigations and use your senses and tools to make
(applying, analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating the observations (determine and characterize the qualities
data), engaging in discourse (verbal or written exchange, and quantities of materials, energies, and changes). As
organization, and evaluation of information and ideas), you make observations, record data (factual information
and communicating inferences (conclusions justified or evidence used as a basis for reasoning). Engage in
with data and an explanation of one’s critical thinking critical thinking —apply, analyze, interpret, and evalu-
process). Geology is the science of Earth. Its name ate the evidence to form tentative ideas or conclusions.
comes from two Greek words, geo = Earth and logos = Engage in discourse or collaborative inquiry with others
discourse. So geologists are also Earth scientists or (exchange, organization, evaluation, and debate of data
geoscientists. and ideas). Communicate inferences —write down or
otherwise share your conclusions and justify them with
your data and critical thinking process.
Why Think Like a Geologist?
These components of doing geology are often not
The products of geologic science are all around you—in
the places where you live, the products you enjoy, the a linear “scientific method” to be followed in steps. You
energy you use, and the government’s environmental may find yourself doing them all simultaneously or in odd
codes and safety policies that you must follow. For order. For example, when you observe an object or event,
example, your home contains bricks, concrete, plaster you may form an initial interpretation of it or a hypothesis
wall boards (sheetrock), glass, metals, and asphalt roof (tentative conclusion) about it. However, a good geologist
shingles made with raw materials that were located by (scientist) would also question these tentative conclusions
geologists. The safe location of your home was likely and investigate further to see if they are valid or not. Your
determined with the help of geologists. The wooden tentative ideas and conclusions may change as you make
materials and foods in your home were processed new observations, locate new information, or apply a
with tools and machines containing metals that were different method of thinking.
extracted from ore minerals found by geologists. The

electricity you use comes from generating plants that How to Record Your Work. When making observations,
are fueled with coal, gas, oil, or uranium that was you should observe and record qualitative data by
found by geologists. The safe location of the generating describing how things look, feel, smell, sound, taste, or
plants was evaluated by geologists, and the electricity behave. You should also collect and record quantitative
is transported via copper wires made from copper ore data by counting, measuring or otherwise expressing
minerals located by geologists. Even your trash and in numbers what you observe. Carefully and precisely
sewage are processed and recycled or disposed of in record your data in a way that others could use it.

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