WILLIAM SIOK GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Matthew Tello, SA-6837 Colorado School of Mines, CO Section
I feel that the most important area of employment in the geosciences by 2030 will be geological engineering. This is driv- en by two issues in the near future requir- ing specialized skill sets in geoscience and
geological engineering: climate change and population growth.
Humanity continually faces the growing problem of land availability and preservation of natural habitat. As our popu- lation exponentially increases, the amount of land necessary to support homes, infrastructure, parks, and agriculture also increases. Land is a finite resource which will require careful consideration as it becomes more and more limited. One way to solve this is by utilizing underground construction. Roads and utilities can be rerouted underground to increase space on the surface for additional development, parks, bike paths, and green space that can increase the overall health, safety, and happiness of a population. Tunneling and underground construction requires intricate planning and high safety standards. This is a very complex process that involves many parties, and geology may be the most important aspect of underground construction. Approaching engineering from a geological perspective will help to identify complexities, pro- vide a basis for appropriate project estimation, allow sound design of the infrastructure, and create a safe environment for the workers building the tunnels. Geological engineers play that vital role throughout the life of the projects.
As we continue to address complex geological problems we also need to consider the detrimental effects of climate change. Climate change precipitates a multitude of problems including increased intensity of storms, drier seasons, more severe and frequent droughts, increased amount and intensity of forest fires, larger swings in temperature, and water management issues, to name a few. Of particular interest to geological engineers is the increased intensity of storms and forest fires. These two alone have produced several recent catastrophic events that are extremely costly. They also pose an increased number and magnitude of threats as climate change acceler- ates into the future. Geological engineers have a specialized skill set in the prediction and mitigation of the geohazards that are typically a byproduct of these catastrophic events. For example, forest fires are proven to increase the likelihood of debris flows by decreasing the resisting forces in the soil slopes (i.e. destroying vegetation) and by altering the state of the soil grains (i.e. sintering of clay grains). This, along with the increased intensity of rainfall events, creates a perfect storm for debris flow hazards. Geological engineers at the USGS, universities, and in private industry are interested in assisting to mitigate these hazards as they threaten the safety of people, infrastructure and the environment.
Hurricanes also significantly contribute to geohazards, and they are occurring more often and with higher intensity due to climate change. Puerto Rico serves as a catastrophic example. During hurricane Maria in 2017, the USGS docu- mented over 50,000 landslides directly related to rainfall from the hurricane. Landslides can be catastrophic and proved to be devastating in Puerto Rico by destroying several homes and damaging infrastructure. Hurricanes and heavy rainfall events can also cause flooding which can then lead to slope stability issues. Geological engineers help to better understand the secondary effects of these events and help to predict and mitigate potential issues.
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As a geologist and geological engineer, I look forward to contributing to the solutions to these global issues. I feel as though they will have major impacts on our society and I believe that geological engineers can design safe, efficient, and healthy environments for people to live in.
Jordan Caylor, SA-9940 University of Texas at El Paso, TX Section
As we push forward into the 21st cen- tury many industries are evolving rapidly to keep pace with our changing world. The industries tied to geosciences are certainly
no exception. By 2030 I believe the most important area of employment for geoscientists will be in natural resource explo- ration and optimization. I believe that the need for energy will be the underlying force that drives the majority of employment opportunities for geoscientists in 2030.
It is no secret that many people around the world desire a
shift towards cleaner energies. Some geoscientists view this as harmful for their careers since we have historically been the explorers and discoverers of fossil fuels. I see this view of the job market as being based in fear and not reality. As our world population continues to grow our need for energy grows in proportion. To provide energy to our expanding population in 2030 we will have to utilize both renewables and fossil fuels.
It is highly probable that we will see our energy shift gradually in the direction of renewables such as wind, solar, and geothermal. However, this by no means takes geoscien- tists out of the equation. Thus, while solar and wind energy will provide larger parts of our energy needs in 2030, we will still require large amounts of our energy to come from fossil fuels. By 2030 our oil reserves will be becoming more sparse meaning that geoscientists will be tasked with finding oil in more remote and more geologically complex locations. In the renewable energy sector, I believe geothermal energy will see more growth than wind and solar. Geothermal energy is a win-win for both geoscientists and society since we will be employed to discover these resources, and people around the world will be happy to be getting clean energy from these plants. Furthermore, geothermal energy is much more reliable than wind and solar energy. Unlike wind and solar plants, geothermal plants gather their energy from sources that are constant over the brief geologic time that we exploit them. Renewable energy projects will also employ geoscientists due to the demand for rare earth materials to create these plants.
The key components of all renewable energy generators
require rare earth elements and other exotic materials. While we continue to expand our energy horizons away from oil and gas, geoscientists will be in great demand in the mining sector to explore for these rare and vital materials. Thus, the mining sector of geosciences will likely see the largest growth in job opportunities for geoscientists.
While our world continues to evolve the employment oppor- tunities for geoscientists will change, but I believe they will also grow in number. Just as in the past it is highly probable that the need for energy will be the underlying force that drives employment of geoscientists. The future makeup of our energy needs and resources may shift dramatically from that of today, but the need for geoscientists in the world will remain.
Jul.Aug.Sep 2019 • TPG 29
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