Let's Talk Outcrop
I know you want to learn geology!
I always thought my son would be a geologist. At the tender age of seven or so, he was all about plate tectonics. Then it was rocks and rock polishing. Clambering around our local mesas and arroyos. But as he got older, he had a neighbor who was into physics, and that evolved into a love for space and astrophysics, and now he works as an aerospace engineer for Jeff Bezos at Blue Origin, building navigation for rockets. Cool stuff. Geology also didn’t happen for my son, unfortunately, because a career in that field tended to lead directly into the fossil fuel industry and Big Oil, which just didn’t appeal.
I’m a big proponent of learning natural history. That includes not only the study of plants and animals and the other kingdoms of life — don’t forget the fungi, protists, and bacteria! — but also the physical environment. Yes, that means climate and water and chemical cycles, but also the earth you stand on, the soil plants grow in, the rock formations carved out by water (and ice!) and weather and the earth’s inner workings: earthquakes and volcanoes.
Geology rocks. 😎
Today’s featured Substack is Let’s Talk Outcrop, which I recently discovered, written by the intrepid
, “geology Jake.” His tagline is:Learn about Earth dynamics as we summarize cutting-edge research findings and explore fundamental Earth processes.
Here is the recent post that first drew me in. Growing up in Michigan I learned a lot about glaciers, since the Great Lakes were formed by them. I had no idea they were quite so big, and heavy. Now that we’re losing so many of the world’s glaciers it’s a good time to give them a little respect.
If you prefer a look underground, there’s no better way than to go caving (spelunking). My husband is a great fan of caves — my son must have come by his early love of geology naturally. Yes, I’ve been to Mammoth, and Jewel, and Carlsbad (here in my home state), all incredible visits. But probably the most palpable sense of darkness and depth I ever experienced was crawling through a lava tube in northern Arizona. On a cross-country drive, following a random entry in a guidebook, we located an obscure roadway into the forest outside Flagstaff, and found a hole in the ground. “Be sure you wear enclosed, heavy-soled shoes,” the small sign from the Forest Service read. “And take a light.” And “Watch your head.” After descending a small stairway, part ladder, which took visitors down into the lava tube, the site was otherwise unimproved. You just felt and crawled your way about a quarter mile underground through the tube, with a sharp, craggy floor, limited overhead space sometimes only a couple feet high, and completely palpable darkness. As in, there is no light whatsoever if you turn off your flashlight. It’s not just “I can’t see my hand in front of my face” dark. It’s darkness pressing down on you. And molten hot lava had once flowed through where you stood. Not for the faint of heart, or for claustrophobes.
Anyway. Lava tubes. Here’s Jacob.
If you’re engaged in lifelong learning for the sake of trying to be a good human in the Anthropocene, as I am, you can’t afford to ignore the science. Pick your fields of interest. Include some earth science. Let’s Talk Outcrop is a wonderful place to start.
Wow, what a really incredible shout-out... Thank you so much, Tracy! I love earth science and there is so much to learn about our planet that most people don't know. Learning how the Earth has evolved and continues to evolve is fascinating. As you say, being a good human typically involves learning as much as you can in as many fields as you can. Hopefully, some others get excited about geology. I'm very excited to hear how excited you are about following along. Thank you again!