So you want to be a Geologist?

What is a Geologist?

A Geologist is a specialized type of Scientist. Also known as: Geophysicist, Geohydrologist, Earth Scientist.

Geology is a study that encompasses all the materials that make up the earth, the forces that act upon the earth, as well as the biology of ancestral inhabitants based on fossil records. A geologist is someone who works to understand the history of the planet we live on, to better predict the future and explain current occurrences.

A geologist studies earth processes such as earthquakes, landslides, floods, and volcanic eruptions to survey land and draw up safe building plans. When geologists investigate earth materials, not only do they investigate metals and minerals, but they also look into oil, natural gas, water and methods to extract these. Overall, geology is concerned with the changes of the earth over time, such as climate change and land formation.

What does a Geologist do?

All divisions of geology provide highly useful information towards understanding the earth and its inhabitants. Depending on the particular specialization in geology, a geologist may study and map rock formations, collect rock samples and fossils, or measure the physical properties of the earth. This helps geologists interpret the active geological processes during the past several million years of earth’s history. Geology plays a vital role behind the success of many other different disciplines, such as climatology, civil engineering, and evolutionary biology.





Making deductions about ancestral climates and environmental conditions through the fossil record is the job of a paleontologist, a type of geologist. We can understand so much more about the past earth thanks to these researchers who analyze deposited layers of rock and soil for clues about pre-historic times. A paleontologist works with evolutionary biology, determining the factors that made species go extinct and those that brought about the origin of species as well.

What is the workplace of a Geologist like?

Geologists work mainly in the field outdoors, and they can also do research within laboratories, classrooms, and offices. Since geology deals with much fieldwork, one should be able to adapt to weather changes and to varying terrains.

Geologists and geo-technologists work for mining companies or oil and gas exploration companies. They can also find work in civil engineering firms, planning city construction. Additionally, government agencies may need the aid of geologists to support geoscience, education, water affairs, and forestry. A geologist may also work with a variety of organizations over the span of their employment, such as non-profit organizations, universities and natural reserve companies, or work as a consultant.

What type of geologist spends the most time outdoors?

Geologists study rocks, minerals, and the physical processes that create and change the earth’s landscape. There are several areas of geology one can pursue, and some geologists spend more time outdoors than others.

If outdoors is where you want to be, look into becoming a field or exploration geologist. They do geological surveys and mineral prospecting that requires them to spend quite a bit of time outdoors.

Environmental engineers spend roughly fifty percent of their time outdoors, helping project managers with field work and doing environmental site assessments. Their other duties may include installing remediation systems, taking soil tests, and surveying monitoring wells.

What is the difference between a geologist and a paleontologist?

A geologist is someone who is involved in the study of the outer layer of the earth’s crust, and who works to understand the history of the planet we live on, to better predict the future, and to explain current occurrences.

A paleontologist, on the other hand, looks at fossil remains on many types of organisms on the earth’s surface in order to study primitive life (these organisms can be plants, animals, fungi, bacteria etc.)