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发信人: myosotis (阿金), 信区: AdvancedEdu
标 题: 98-99 ocupational outlook/Geologists and Geophysi
发信站: BBS 水木清华站 (Mon Apr 6 22:06:34 1998)
Geologists and Geophysicists
Geologists and Geophysicists
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Nature of the Work
Working Conditions
Employment
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement
Job Outlook
Earnings
Related Occupations
Sources of Additional Information
(D.O.T. 024.061 except -014, and .161)
Significant Points
* Work at remote field sites is common.
* A bachelor's degree in geology or geophysics is adequate
for entry-level jobs; better jobs with good advancement
potential usually require at least a master's degree; and a
Ph.D. degree is required for most research positions in
colleges and universities, and for some research jobs in
government.
* Job opportunities are expected to be good in the petroleum
and related industries, reflecting increasing demand for
energy coupled with fewer degrees awarded in geology in
recent years.
* Nature of the Work
Geologists and geophysicists, also known as geological
scientists or geoscientists, study the physical aspects and
history of the Earth. They identify and examine rocks, study
information collected by remote sensing instruments in
satellites, conduct geological surveys, construct field
maps, and use instruments to measure the Earth's gravity and
magnetic field. They also analyze information collected
through seismic studies, which involves bouncing energy
waves off buried rock layers. Many geologists and
geophysicists search for oil, natural gas, minerals, and
groundwater.
Other geological scientists play an important role in
preserving and cleaning up the environment. Their activities
include designing and monitoring waste disposal sites,
preserving water supplies, and reclaiming contaminated land
and water to comply with Federal environmental regulations.
They also help locate safe sites for hazardous waste
facilities and landfills.
Geologists and geophysicists examine chemical and physical
properties of specimens in laboratories. They study fossil
remains of animal and plant life, or experiment with the
flow of water and oil through rocks. Some geoscientists use
two- or three-dimensional computer modeling to portray water
layers and the flow of water or other fluids through rock
cracks and porous materials. They use a variety of
sophisticated laboratory instruments, including x-ray
diffractometers, which determine the crystal structure of
minerals, and petrographic microscopes, for the study of
rock and sediment samples. Geoscientists also use
seismographs, instruments which measure energy waves
resulting from movements in the Earth's crust, to determine
the locations and intensities of earthquakes.
Geoscientists working in metal mining or the oil and gas
industry sometimes process and interpret the maps produced
by remote sensing satellites to help identify potential new
mineral, oil, or gas deposits. Seismic technology is also an
important exploration tool. Seismic waves are used to
develop three-dimensional computer models of underground or
underwater rock formations. Seismic reflection technology
may also reveal unusual underground features which sometimes
indicate accumulations of natural gas or petroleum,
facilitating exploration and reducing the risks associated
with drilling in previously unexplored areas.
Geologists and geophysicists also apply geological knowledge
to engineering problems in constructing large buildings,
dams, tunnels, and highways. Some administer and manage
research and exploration programs; others become general
managers in petroleum and mining companies.
Geology and geophysics are closely related fields, but there
are major differences. Geologists study the composition,
structure, and history of the Earth's crust. They try to
find out how rocks were formed and what has happened to them
since formation. Geophysicists use the principles of
physics, mathematics, and chemistry to study not only the
Earth's surface, but its internal composition, ground and
surface waters, atmosphere, oceans, and its magnetic,
electrical, and gravitational forces. Both, however,
commonly apply their skills and knowledge to the search for
natural resources and to solve environmental problems.
There are numerous subdisciplines or specialties falling
under the two major disciplines of geology and geophysics
which further differentiate the type of work geoscientists
do. For example, petroleum geologists explore for oil and
gas deposits by studying and mapping the subsurface of the
ocean or land. They use sophisticated geophysical
instrumentation, well log data, and computers to collect
information. Mineralogists analyze and classify minerals and
precious stones according to composition and structure.
Paleontologists study fossils found in geological formations
to trace the evolution of plant and animal life and the
geologic history of the Earth. Stratigraphers help to locate
minerals by studying the distribution and arrangement of
sedimentary rock layers and by examining the fossil and
mineral content of such layers. Those who study marine
geology are usually called oceanographers or marine
geologists. They study and map the ocean floor, and collect
information using remote sensing devices aboard surface
ships or underwater research craft.
Geophysicists may specialize in areas such as geodesy,
seismology, or marine geophysics, also known as physical
oceanography. Geodesists study the size and shape of the
Earth, its gravitational field, tides, polar motion, and
rotation. Seismologists interpret data from seismographs and
other geophysical instruments to detect earthquakes and
locate earthquake-related faults. Volcanologists,
geochemists, and petrologists study the chemical and
physical evolution of rocks and minerals, particularly
igneous and metamorphic rocks. Geomagnetists measure the
Earth's magnetic field and use measurements taken over the
past few centuries to devise theoretical models to explain
its origin. Paleomagnetists interpret fossil magnetization
in rocks and sediments from the continents and oceans, which
record the spreading of the sea floor, the wandering of the
continents, and the many reversals of polarity that the
Earth's magnetic field has undergone through time. Physical
oceanographers study the physical aspects of oceans such as
currents and the interaction of the surface of the sea with
the atmosphere. Other geophysicists study atmospheric
sciences and space physics. (See the statements on
meteorologists and physicists and astronomers elsewhere in
the Handbook.)
Hydrology is a discipline closely related to geology and
geophysics. Hydrologists study the distribution,
circulation, and physical properties of underground and
surface waters. They study the form and intensity of
precipitation, its rate of infiltration into the soil,
movement through the Earth, and its return to the ocean and
atmosphere. The work they do is particularly important in
geologists travel to meet with prospective clients or
investors. Marine geologists and oceanographers may spend
considerable time at sea on academic research ships.
Geoscientists in positions funded by Federal Government
agencies may be under pressure to design programs and write
grant proposals in order to continue their data collection
and research. Geoscientists in consulting jobs may face
similar pressures to market their skills and write proposals
to maintain steady work.
* Employment
Geologists and geophysicists held about 47,000 jobs in 1996.
Many more individuals held geology, geophysics, and
oceanography faculty positions in colleges and universities,
but they are considered college and university faculty. (See
the statement on college and university faculty elsewhere in
the Handbook.)
Among salaried geologists and geophysicists, nearly 4 in 10
were employed in engineering and management services, and 2
in 10 worked for oil and gas extraction companies or metal
mining companies. About 1 geoscientist in 7 was
self-employed; most were consultants to industry or
government.
The Federal Government employed about 5,800 geologists,
geophysicists, oceanographers, and hydrologists in 1996.
Over half worked for the Department of the Interior, mostly
within the U.S. Geological Survey (U.S.G.S.). Others worked
for the Departments of Defense, Agriculture, Commerce, and
Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Over 3,000
worked for State agencies such as State geological surveys
and State departments of conservation.
* Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement
A bachelor's degree in geology or geophysics is adequate for
entry-level jobs, but better jobs with good advancement
potential usually require at least a master's degree in
geology or geophysics. Persons with degrees in physics,
chemistry, mathematics, or computer science may also qualify
for some geophysics or geology jobs if their coursework
included study in geology. A Ph.D. degree is required for
most research positions in colleges and universities, and is
also important for work in Federal agencies and some State
geological surveys involving basic research.
Hundreds of colleges and universities offer a bachelor's
degree in geology; fewer schools offer programs in
geophysics, oceanography, or other geosciences. Other
programs offering related training for beginning geological
scientists include geophysical technology, geophysical
project leader, program manager, or another management and
research position.
* Job Outlook
Many jobs for geologists and geophysicists are in or related
to the petroleum industry, especially the exploration for
oil and gas. This industry is subject to cyclical
fluctuations. During the 1980s and the early 1990s, low oil
prices, higher production costs, improvements in energy
efficiency, shrinking oil reserves, and restrictions on
potential drilling sites caused exploration activities to be
curtailed in the United States; this limited the number of
job openings for geoscientists in the petroleum and related
industries. As a result of generally poor job prospects, the
number of graduates in geology and geophysics, especially in
petroleum geology, dropped considerably during the last
decade.
Recently, a growing worldwide demand for oil and gas, and
new exploration and recovery techniques, have returned
stability to the petroleum industry and increased the demand
for geologists and geophysicists. Growing populations,
stronger economies in the United States and abroad, and
continuing industrialization of developing countries are
driving the need for more energy. At the same time, the oil
and gas and related industries services costs
and facilitate exploration and recovery of natural gas
and oil, particularly in deep water and other previously
inaccessible sites. Because of the lower number of degrees
awarded in geology recently and the significant number of
geoscientists who left the industry during earlier periods
of downsizing, job opportunities in the petroleum and
related industries are expected to be good. Employment
prospects will be best for jobseekers who hold a master's
degree and are familiar with advanced technologies, such as
computer modeling and GPS, which are increasingly used to
locate new oil and gas fields or pinpoint hidden deposits in
existing fields. Because of the cyclical nature of the oil
and gas industry, hiring on a contractual basis is common.
Employment of geologists and geophysicists is expected to
grow about as fast as the average for all occupations
through the year 2006, due in part to the generally improved
outlook in the oil and gas industry. Geologists and
geophysicists will also continue to be needed to work in
areas of environmental protection and reclamation. Some will
help clean up contaminated sites in the United States, and
others will help private companies and government comply
with numerous and complex environmental regulations.
However, job opportunities in State and Federal Government
and in environmental consulting firms are expected to be
fewer in number than in the previous decade and, in some
cases, may be limited to replacing retirees or those who
leave geoscience jobs for other reasons. The U.S.G.S., the
primary employer of geologists in the Federal Government,
has recently faced cutbacks. Hiring should continue to be
very limited in the U.S.G.S. and other agencies, as the
Federal Government attempts to balance its budget during the
1996-2006 projection period. Oceanographers, whose work is
often research-oriented and dependent on grants from Federal
Washington, DC 20036.
Information on acquiring a job as a geologist, geophysicist,
hydrologist, or oceanographer with the Federal Government
may be obtained from the Office of Personnel Management
through a telephone-based system. Consult your telephone
directory under U.S. Government for a local number or call
(912) 757-3000 (TDD 912 744-2299). That number is not
toll-free and charges may result. Information also is
available from their Internet site:
http://www.usajobs.opm.gov
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