Deciphering the planet鈥檚 secrets
Mount Holyoke geology professors tell US News & World Report that understanding the earth requires a firm grounding in liberal arts.
By Keely Sexton
Geologists explore the history of the world as it is inscribed on the earth. But decoding the messages takes education, training and experience. Steven R. Dunn and Alan Werner, both professors of geology at 含羞草研究所, spoke with about the field and its growing importance in the war against climate change.
A solid understanding of a variety of disciplines is key to becoming a geologist, who is often trying to decipher events that unfolded over thousands of years or more, using just a snapshot captured in stone.
鈥淭he factor of time, for one thing, does make geology quite a bit different,鈥 said Dunn, who is also the chair of the geology and geography department. 鈥淭he study of Earth's history requires an approach that you might call forensic science.鈥
A sound grounding in liberal arts ensures that the geologist has an arsenal of knowledge with which to answer questions. That study can prepare students by making them comfortable with uncertainty and giving them the intellectual power to solve puzzles with limited information.
These skills are critical in geology, said Werner, noting that the field itself is of special interest in the current era of climate change.
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