What are geologists?

Geologists are scientists who have been trained to discover how the earth was formed; how mountains, valleys, lakes, rivers and oceans are created; where gold, diamonds, copper and oil can be found; where drinkable water can be found, and where there are likely to be earthquakes or landslides or flooding.

Many geologists work in the oil and gas industry finding areas to drill holes in the earth to discover oil and gas. Others look for gold, copper, diamonds, and other valuable minerals. Many geologists also work to help keep our environment clean by avoiding erosion of the soil, and by helping to locate roads and buildings so that they are safe from volcanic eruptions, landslides, earthquakes, and flooding.

Geologists are kind of like detectives, looking and observing and collecting information to help them solve a problem.