Ontario Geological Survey the rock (bedrock); b) the deposits of sand, gravel, and till left by the glaciers; c) the mineral resources and potential; d) the energy resource potential within the rocks and soils; and e) the groundwater aquifers that contain groundwater resources. An understanding of what is at, and below, our feet is fundamental to human existence on the Earth, to understand the environment and habitats, and our ability to adapt to future changes, such as global warming. This geological knowledge is used to assess Earth resource potential, to attract investment, to ensure the health and safety of Ontario people from geo-hazards,
Granular material by vaulting and arching. If the granular material is driven harder such that contacts between the grains become highly infrequent, the material enters a gaseous state. Correspondingly, one can define a granular temperature equal to the root mean square of grain velocity fluctuations that is analogous to thermodynamic temperature. Unlike conventional gases, granular materials will tend to cluster and clump due to the dissipative nature of the collisions between grains. This clustering has some interesting consequences. For example, if a partially partitioned box of granular materials is vigorously shaken then grains will over time tend to collect in one of