What Do Geosciences Graduates Do?

GEOSCIENCES

AT  WEBER  STATE  UNIVERSITY

Geoscientists  work  in  the  field,  lab,  and  with  computers  …

•  In the field to collect samples of rocks, fossils, and water for study …

•  In the lab where detailed information can be obtained about composition, structure, and classification of material…

•  With computers to analyze data, to prepare illustrations, and to create maps.

Geoscientists  work  in  the  Field  … Describing and measuring sedimentary rock layers.

Jeff Eaton WSU students doing fieldwork in southern Utah.

Geoscientists  work  in  the  Field  …

Advising on the drilling of wells and studying water movement.

Marek Matyjasik Students gathering data at the WSU well field.

Geoscientists  work  in  the  Field  … Studying the interaction between surface water and ground water.

(above) Students map rocks at point where a stream sinks underground. (right) Dye tracing a sinking stream to determine its path to a spring. Jim Wilson

Geoscientists  work  in  the  Field  …

Monitoring the flow of streams and ground water.

Marek Matyjasik WSU faculty and students doing fieldwork in the Uinta Mountains.

Geoscientists  work  in  the  Field  … Studying structure (deformation) of the rocks.

Jim Wilson

EOS

Geoscientists  work  in  the  Field  …

Making maps of rocks and structures to guide future development.

UGS

Geoscientists  work  in  the  Field  …

Geologists inspect the Wasatch Fault as revealed in a trench.

Jim Wilson

Mapping faults along which future earthquakes may occur.

Geoscientists  work  in  the  Field  …

Locating and studying mineral deposits.

Bingham Canyon copper mine, Utah. Jim Wilson

Geoscientists  work  in  the  Field  …

Searching for new energy resources.

UGS and DOE

Newly discovered Covenant oil field in central Utah.

Geoscientists  Study  Minerals  …

Rutile, from Diamantia, Brazil

John Betts

Geoscientists  Study  Minerals  …

Red Beryl from Millard Co., Utah - a rare Utah gemstone

USGS

Wikipedia Commons

Geoscientists  Study  Minerals  …

Topaz from Topaz Mountain, Utah. Utah’s state gemstone.

USGS Topaz with a cube of bixbyite. Jim Wilson

Geoscientists  Study  Minerals  …

Adamite, a mineral found at Gold Hill, Utah.

Wikipedia Commons

Geoscientists  Study  Minerals  …

USDA

Rock Crystal Quartz

Geoscientists  Study  Minerals  …

Jim Wilson

Students learn mineral properties and develop skills so that as professionals they can identify minerals and use them to map and locate new resources.

Geoscientists  Study  Rocks  …  

Basalt (volcanic) boulders in a Utah canyon

Jim Wilson

Geoscientists  Study  Rocks  …    

Goblins (hoodoos) at Goblin Valley State Park, Utah

Jim Wilson

Geoscientists  Study  Rocks  …

Igneous intrusions into other rocks.

Jim Wilson

Dikes, Wisconsin (left) and Alta, Utah (above).

Geoscientists  Study  Rocks  …

Cross-bedded sandstone layers in southern Utah.

Jeff Eaton

Geoscientists  Study  Fossils  …

Fossil material is collected in the field, then brought back to the lab for detailed study.

Jeff Eaton Jenny Schaeffer

Geoscientists  Study  Fossils  …    

Two common trilobite fossils found in Millard Co., UT.

Andrew McRae

Elrathia kingi

Asaphiscus wheeleri

Geoscientists  Study  Fossils  …    

Utah is home to many dinosaur and mammal fossils

Jim Wilson UMNH

Students examine fossils in lab (right). Recent discovery Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (below).

Geoscientists  Study  Fossils  …    

Ammonites are common fossils found in Utah.

Jim Wilson UMNH

Geoscientists  Study  Sediments  …

Jim Wilson

Mud cracks and salt at Death Valley,California (right) and in southern Utah (below).

Geoscientists  Study  Sediments  …  

Wind blown sand dune at Little Sahara, Utah

Jim Wilson

Geoscientists  Study  Sediments  …  

USGS scientists camp on a sand bar in the Grand Canyon.

USGS

Geoscientists  Study  Sediments  …  

Sand ripples (left) and animal/insect tracks in sand (right).

Jim Wilson

Heavy minerals are sorted out to make dark bands. Tracks can become fossilized.

Geoscientists  Study  Processes  that  Shape  the  Earth  …  

Such as the flow of water in rivers and streams.

Jim Wilson

Geoscientists  Study  Processes  that  Shape  the  Earth  …  

Such as the flow of ice in glaciers.

Jim Wilson

Geoscientists  Study  Processes  that  Shape  the  Earth  …  

Such as the failure of slopes.

Thistle Landslide, Spanish Fork Canyon, Utah.

South Weber home damaged by mudflow.

UGS

Geoscientists  Study  Processes  that  Shape  the  Earth  …  

Such as the action of waves and currents.

Jim Wilson

Olympic Peninsula, Washington

Geoscientists  Study  Processes  that  Shape  the  Earth  …  

Such as the growth of coral reefs.

NASA

Satellite image of Bora Bora, south Pacific.

Geoscientists  Study  Processes  that  Shape  the  Earth  …

Such as the impact of major storms.

NASA Hurricane Katrina comes ashore, 2005.

Geoscientists  Study  Volcanoes  …  

Lava flow in Hawaii

USGS

Geoscientists  Study  Volcanoes  …  

Lava flow in Hawaii

USGS

Geoscientists  Study  Volcanoes  …

Sampling sulfurous gases at Mt. Baker, Washington

USGS

Geoscientists  Study  Volcanoes  …  

Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

Matthias Prinke, Wikipedia Commons

Geoscientists  Study  Volcanoes  …  

Okmok Caldera, Alaska

AVO - USGS Christina Neal

Geoscientists  Study  Volcanoes  …  

Kasatoschi Volcano, Alaska

AVO - USGS Jerry Morris

Geoscientists  Study  Volcanoes  …  

AVO - USGS Jessica Larsen

Measuring the temperature of rocks inside the crater of a volcano.

Geoscientists  Study  Volcanoes  …  

Skylight of a lava tube in Hawaii.

HVO - USGS

Geoscientists  Study  Volcanoes  …  

Sunset Crater, Arizona

USGS

Geoscientists  Study  Volcanoes  …  

Eruption of Stromboli, Italy, showing paths of projectiles.

Wolfgang Beyer, Wikipedia Commons

Geoscientists  Study  Volcanoes  …  

Aniakchak Caldera, Alaska - a large explosion-collapse feature

M. Williams, National Park Service"

Geoscientists  Study  Earthquakes  …

Identifying faults and preparing maps of areas with high risk of earthquakes.

The Wasatch Fault at the mouth of American Fork Canyon.

USGS

Geoscientists  Study  Earthquakes  …

And create maps of areas with high risk of earthquakes.

USGS

Earthquake occurrences in Utah.

Geoscientists  Study  Earthquakes  …

And attempt to prevent property damage and loss of lives.

USGS

Geoscientists  Study  Earthquakes  …

To determine the type of ground motion.

USGS

Offset rows in lettuce field El Centro, California, earthquake, 1979. Univ. of Colorado

Deformed fence, Hebgen Lake earthquake Montana, 1959.

Geoscientists  Study  Climate  Change  …  

Desert sand dunes move into an African village.

USGS

Geoscientists  Study  Climate  Change  …  

Melting of the Shepard Glacier over a 92 year period as shown by photographs at Glacier National Park.

USGS

Geoscientists  Study  Other  Planetary  Bodies  …

NASA

Mars

Earth’s Moon

Geoscientists  Study  Other  Planetary  Bodies  …

The 1st civilian on the moon was a geologist, Harrison Schmitt.

USGS

Geoscientists  Study  Other  Planetary  Bodies  …

Harrison Schmitt collecting rocks on the Moon, Apollo 17.

NASA

Geoscientists  Study  Other  Planetary  Bodies  …  

Rock “berries” on Mars (Circle is sampling spot by the Mars rover.)

Rock “berries” on Earth Zion National Park, Utah

NASA

Jim Wilson

Geoscientists  Study  Other  Planetary  Bodies  …   Volcano erupting on Io, a moon of Jupiter.

NASA

Geoscientists  use  Computer  Techniques  … Creating maps that the public can understand and use.

UGS

Geoscientists  use  Computer  Techniques  … Creating images of areas that cannot be directly observed.

USGS Seamount and volcano on the floor of the Pacific Ocean.

Geoscientists  use  Computer  Techniques  … To bring out subtle differences in images of rocks.

USGS

Modified color satellite image of the Atlas Mountains, Morocco.

Geoscientists  use  Computer  Techniques  … To make 3-D images of the Earth.

USGS

Geoscientists  use  Computer  Techniques  … Such as remote sensing data to study the Earth.

USGS

Satellite image of mountains and folded rocks at Coahuilla, Mexico.

Weber  State  Faculty  and  Students  … Use equipment such as the scanning electron microscope (SEM) to image and analyze tiny grains and details of rock.

Jim Wilson

Volcanic ash particle.

USGS

Weber  State  Faculty  and  Students  … Use equipment such as the x-ray diffractometer to identify specific minerals and measure their atomic spacings.

Jim Wilson

Weber  State  Faculty  and  Students  …

Use equipment such as the atomic force microscope to study the surfaces of materials.

Marek Matyjasik

Microorganism on surface of a calcite grain. Width of the image Is less than 2 microns.

Weber  State  Geosciences  Graduates  find  employment  with  …

U. S. Geological Survey Utah Geological Survey

National Forest Service National Park Service

Utah Dept. of Environmental Quality

Oil exploration and production

Mineral extraction industries

City and county government, planning & zoning

Environmental and engineering consulting

Public school system

Geosciences  General  Education  and  Science  Inquiry  

at  Weber  State  University.

GEO PS 1020 Dinosaurs and the Fossil Record GEO PS/SI 1030 Earthquakes and Volcanoes GEO PS 1060 Environmental Geosciences GEO PS/SI 1110/1115 Dynamic Earth: Physical Geology & Lab GEO PS/SI 1130 Introduction to Meteorology GEO PS/SI 1350 Principles of Earth Science (for Elementary Ed. majors) GEO SI 3010 Oceanography and Earth Systems

Only one GEO course is allowed for Physical Science Gen. Ed., but a second course can be counted for Science Inquiry.

Thanks  for  Viewing  Geosciences  at  Weber  State  University  

Mt. Redoubt Volcano, Alaska

AVO - USGS Dennis Josefcyzk