TALES FROM THE FIELD It is time for reform.
Reform requires more than installing solar panels on our roofs, composting the Chinese take-out from last night, or hid- ing CO2 emissions under our door mats. Reform calls for an ideological change, realizing fulfilment can only be found in the ecology which surrounds us, the ecology we play a fundamental role in. Without our connection to the environment, the Earth will become a product of the human will, lacking the essence of nature and wilderness we once sought so passionately.
It is time we rediscover the fulfillment the natural world can bring. Fulfilment lies in the oceans, the forests, the grassy plains, the deserts, the mountains, and the soil beneath our feet. The landscape is awaiting our return.
Why I Want to be a Geologist
I find it unfortunate that geology and earth sciences are barely touched upon in our primary schools, as it deprives young students of an understanding of the earth, its complex history, and its operating processes. I was lucky enough to be introduced to geology and soil science at a young age, which persuaded me to learn as much about the earth as possible and eventually pursue a degree in geology. As a geologist and educator, I will help others, specifically young students, develop a conservation-oriented environmental perspective through an understanding of the earth sciences.
I hope to educate young students in a non-traditional for- mat, such as in an outdoor or backcountry leadership school. Geology and earth systems sciences should be taught outdoors where students can experience the immense power of land-
scapes and sense the billions of years of history that went into forming them. For example, when I was made aware of the mechanisms of freeze-thaw weathering, I was scrambling across a scree field, looking up upon snow-capped peaks. When I was first taught the physics of mass wasting, I was sitting upon a boulder within a massive landslide deposit, shocked by the amount of energy it must have taken to transport the material. When I first learned the chemistry of acid mine drain- age, I was touring an abandoned mine site in the mountains of Colorado, watching a stream of orange sludge trickle into the nearby creek. I have fully embraced my role as a geologist because I was shown the true nature of the earth science field from the start. Fostering my love and appreciation for the outdoors, from the bedrock to the treetops, can be attributed to my geology and earth science education. I hope I can pro- vide this opportunity for other students, particularly students from under-resourced schools and districts, who would not otherwise have access to outdoor education.
Teaching students the complexities of the earth’s systems has value beyond general education. Developing an apprecia- tion for the natural world, along with its history and complex processes, is an essential part of preserving Earth’s landscapes and precious resources. As we continue to demand more from our ecosystems and resource reserves, it is imperative that developers, policy makers, and citizens recognize the impacts of their actions, and this awareness should begin with educa- tion. As scientists, educators, and policy influencers, it is our duty to ensure that the next generation sees the unmatchable value of the environment and that they have the knowledge to properly care for it.
TALES FROM THE FIELD A Close Call in Vazante
John L. Berry, CPG-4032
In 1980 I was prospecting for lead and zinc in the southern part of the Bambui Basin of Minas Gerais, Brazil. I stayed in the only hotel in Vazante, a small and rather quaint mining town. The hotel had only five rooms, was clean, and was run by a rather pleasant lady. The only issue I had with my room was that the water for the shower was heated by an electrical coil in the shower nozzle. This was normal in rural Brazil, but it meant that, since I am very near-sighted, every time I reached up to adjust the shower nozzle 240 volts of electric- ity traversed the full extent of my wet body, from the fingers clutching the coil in the nozzle to the toes standing in water in the shower-pan. Not pleasant!
I had interpreted Landsat imagery back in the States and had defined a series of targets based on tonal anomalies and structural geologic features. I had brought with me from America a dithizone kit, in order to analyze soil samples for base metals while in the field – time was limited and I needed immediate results in order to eliminate targets or perform follow-up work on promising ones without waiting for analyti- cal results from a far-off lab.
Every evening, when I came back from the field, I would analyze the day’s samples in my hotel room: my memory of
www.aipg.org
the details of the process are now a bit fuzzy, but I digested the samples in, I think, strong hydrochloric acid, and then reacted them with dithizone in carbon tetrachloride. They turned pretty colors, and these I compared with a set of stan- dards I had prepared. After completing the work I then very, very thoroughly cleaned everything with benzene: the biggest problem with dithizone analyses is contamination. Everything was going swimmingly: I had found a couple of really nice, coherent anomalies in one target area, amid a sea of negative results, just as one would expect. While preparing one of the anomalous samples I had noticed crystals of martite after pyrite, and that sample was taken over the projection of the ore-bearing horizon. Then, when I returned from the field one evening, I was met at the door by a very upset landlady:
“You have to leave. You can’t stay here any longer!”
To which I replied, in a state of great confusion, “Why? What is the problem?”
“You have nearly burned down my hotel!” “I’m terribly sorry! In fact mortified that I have so upset
you! But how can it be? What have I done?”
Jul.Aug.Sep 2017 • TPG 25
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
