Ground truth A geological survey of a life

A lot in life comes down to the story that we tell ourselves. So much of how we are in the world and the choices we make are rooted in the things we imagine to be true, our first impressions, superficial perceptions and assumptions. Most of the time the story is wrong. Geology is a lot like life. Geology is always a science of imagination, but the study of geology, particularly in the early years of one's education can be a faith-based experience. It requires one to picture forces like heat and pressure greater than our bodies and technology are able to withstand, often happening over time periods that exceed our lifespans, all of humanity, or even the current configuration of the continents. The study of the earth's materials, how they are laid down and subsequently disrupted, deformed, and refashioned almost always occurs at scales either too large or too small to be grasped in their entirety by the human psyche. Much of what you study as a geologist is non-surficial. It lies beneath the surface, at some great depth far beyond the reach of excavators or drills and what is exposed at the surface is often obscured by surface materials and human development. A lot of geology is about taking what is seen on the surface and telling yourself a story about it. In the fertile far west, nearly everything is covered with dense forest and deep layers of soil and sediment that obscures direct observation of even the most surficial rocks and processes limiting one's understanding to textbook pictures and what little can be seen from cliff walls and road cuts. This obfuscation creates a gap in understanding that can only be filled with field work and experience, the essential component of any geologic education. It is a tenant of the science so important that it spurred the common adage, 'He who sees the most rocks wins. To be considered a true geologist then, one must see rocks. For that, most university programs have a simple solution- field camp; a two to ten-week intensive field course surveying as many of the rocks and field techniques your program could cram in. It is designed to be the culmination of one's studies. Excerpted from Ground Truth: A Geological Survey of a Life by Ruby McConnell All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.