| Maree was a PhD student in Geology at the University of Western Australia. She is currently Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at James Cook University. |  |
| Maree was a PhD student in Geology at the University of Western Australia. She is currently Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at James Cook University. | |
In which area or areas of science do you work?
Geology, in the fields of sedimentology (studying sedimentary rocks - what sort of environment they were deposited in and what has happened to them since) and tectonics (studying how the earth's plates have moved relative to each other).
When and how did you first become interested in this career?
I only became interested in geology in the first year of my science degree. I took geology to make up points/avoid doing other "yucky" options.
When I started geology in first year, I had never even contemplated studying it (I went to an all-girls high school and we didn't even talk about subjects like that - everyone was busy learning how to be secretaries and accountants). Once I started it though, I realised what an exciting, broad ranging and interesting field it was. Suddenly, every time I walked outside and saw a hill, mountain, beach, or river I could see much more than just the aesthetic. I could understand how they got to be there, and why they looked like they did.
I had actually enrolled to study marine biology (with a couple of hundred other budding marine biologists). While I really enjoyed this subject too, I realised that I liked geology just as much, and that a) I was more likely to get a job doing geology, and b) I wasn't going to get sea sick doing geology field work (although, later discovered this isn't always true).
What education and training do you have to have for your job?
You need adequate grades from years 11 and 12 to gain admission to uni. I didn't do straight science subjects in high school, although I think the pressure is now on to do so. I then did a three year science degree majoring in geology, although tried to do a broader range of science subjects as much as possible, to leave my options and interests open. I then did a final honours year by research in geology. You need a first class or upper second class grade in your honours year to qualify for postgraduate study. I am now currently finishing my PhD in geology, having been at it for four years.
How long did it take you to get the necessary qualifications?
Four years undergraduate study, plus four years so far for my PhD. (at UWA I think the average PhD takes 4.5 years, although it is supposed to only take three).
How has your career progressed?
My undergraduate degree was broken by various moves around Australia - but I was able to transfer between unis, and also undertake study by correspondence when I was living in the Northern Territory. I also did some contract work in a gold mine in the NT while in second year, as well as for an environmental science company between finishing my undergraduate degree and starting my postgraduate study. Most geology students also do vacation work in mines or with mining/petroleum companies throughout their undergraduate degree. It is an excellent way to get experience, make some money and the mining companies get all their "yucky" jobs done.
What are the tasks that you do in a typical day?
There is no such thing as a typical day. Here's the best bit first: Undertaking field work (I did 9 months of this in total over three years) - working in very remote areas of the Kimberley, measuring rock sections (looking at all the features that are preserved in rocky outcrops which give clues to how the rocks were deposited, what sort of environments they were deposited in, and what has happened to them since), collecting lots of rock samples, walking through remote wilderness to find the best rocks; swimming in billabongs at lunch time; eating lunch on tall cliffs overlooking amazing vistas; changing flat tyres, digging the 4WD out of bogs; avoiding stampeding cattle; eating dinner around the fire at night; climbing into the swag exhausted at the end of the day; watching the amazing light show of the universe above, sleeping the soundest sleep.
Collecting data in the field (measuring a section). These rocks were deposited as a floating ice sheet or icebergs melted and the debris (mud, pebbles and boulders) caught up in the ice was released. The debris then fell through the water column and accumulated on the ocean floor, later becoming lithified to rock.
Other things I do at various stages of my study; in the library chasing down research papers - lots of photocopying - then reading the papers - lots of colouring in with highlighter pen; Planning, organising and coordinating field work - studying aerial photographs and geological maps, reading about what is already know of the rocks I was to study, organising field equipment - camping gear, geological tools, vehicles; corresponding with other researchers in Australia and the world - email is a wonderful tool; participating in department seminars, workshops discussing broad topics; tutoring undergraduate classes; cutting up rocks collected in the field; making thin sections of rocks and studying them under the microscope and scanning electron microscope; preparing rock samples for chemical analysis; preparing and presenting talks for conferences in Australia and overseas - attending conferences; and last but not least, writing everything I've learned down in a thesis - this involves lots of sitting on your bum in front of a computer.
What skills do you use in your job?
Research and data acquisitions - using geological knowledge to observe rocks and extract information from rocks; computing skills - using a wide variety of computer programmes, some highly specialised, others very general like word processing, data spreadsheets, drafting and photo packages; communiciations - presenting ideas to other researchers and the general public both verbally and on paper, talking with other researchers, teaching undergraduates; organisation - organising your own project, how you allocate time, what resources you need, logistical planning for field work and laboratory studies; laboratory skills involved with preparing and studying rocks, using specialised equipment like scanning electron microscopes; self reliance - being able to look after yourself in remote areas, vehicle maintenance, first aid, how to make an excellent roast lamb in the camp oven; dedication, self control and self motivation to get the job done.
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Stopping for lunch at a pristine billabong in the Kimberley Ranges. |
What do you enjoy most about your job?
It's a privilege to be able to study and try to resolve really interesting problems of global significance. - to be able to satisfy ones curiosity for a living is a pretty darn fine way to spend ones days.
What is the most exciting aspect of your job?
The field work is by far the best bit. I have made sure I do my field work in great locations ie the Kimberley (I also did honours on the Abrolhos - coral reefs/islands off the coast of Geraldton, WA). But most geologists, no matter what they do, get to do a lot of travelling all over the world.
What do you enjoy least about your job?
There is a lot of tedious lab work, like cutting rocks.
What are some alternative jobs that you would be qualified for?
Environmental Science; Teaching - high school (would need to do a Dip Ed); museum work; town planning (would need to have special skills like Geographic Information Systems); mining industry; petroleum industry; academia - lecturing and research.
What are some of the advantages to working in this field?
Relative autonomy on a day to day basis; get to meet people from all over the world who come to study at my university, the opportunity to study at other universities in the world; depending on the mining industry, there is a moderate amount of research funds from industry available; get to work on a beautiful campus; don't have to get dressed up for work.
What are some of the disadvantages to working in this field?
Having to spend a lot of time trying to find research money - and there is less and less about. Having to deal with bureaucracy. Having to work long hours. Maybe having to look overseas for work (which could go under 'advantages').
How has your work contributed to science?
My project covers quite an academic topic. I am looking at a local Australian component of a global problem. It's like putting pieces of a jigsaw together to get the broad picture, and once there are enough pieces, we may be able to make out the image and figure out what was going on. The problem involves sorting out what was going on with the earth's climate about 600 million years ago - this was just before life went from being blue/green and slimy to complex and crawly at about 545 million years ago (the beginning of the Cambrian). It seems that there were several (not sure how many) episodes in which the whole of the earth was covered in glaciers - the proposed 'snow ball earth'. Myself and researchers elsewhere in Australia and the world are trying to figure out if this actually did happen, and if it did, why and how it happened. If it did happen, obviously really strange things were happening on earth that we don't see any equivalence to now. What was going on? And did these amazing climatic events influence the evolution of complex life on earth?
Rocks which preserve this history are found in the Kimberley, and I have been studying them to extract their contribution to solving the puzzle.
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Recording data about the distinct laminated rocks in the background. These dolomite rocks were deposited all over the world after a global glaciation. |
How has your work benefited society?
Apart from being able to help understand the history of our planet, how climate may have changed on a global scale in the past, and how this may have effected the evolution of life, there are some economic implications that may benefit society. Part of the global glaciation story involves the movement of the continents around the earths surface. My project is part of a larger research project centered at the University of Western Australia where we are trying to figure out how the continents moved and what configurations they were in as far back in earth history as we can. It is thought that the configurations of the continents into large 'supercontinents' can affect global atmospheric and ocean cycles and therefore the climate. As part of that, we can also see geological structures that once extended across supercontinents, but are now broken up into smaller pieces on modern day continents, Many of these structures contain economic deposits of minerals like gold and iron, and if we can work out how the continents used to go together, we might be able to find the continuation of mineral bearing structures from one continent to the next. A good example is the mineral rich zone of Mount Isa in western Queensland. The part of Queensland east of Mount Isa was not always attached to the rest of Australia, which is much older. It looks like there is a 'suture line' right through Mount Isa, so that part of the Mount Isa rocks (and associated minerals) were broken off the original continent, before the younger eastern part of Qld was attached. What happend to the other half of Mount Isa? If we can find it, it might be like finding a buried treasure chest of minerals.
(The trick with science is that often, in the words of Paul Kelly 'from little things, big things grow', and you have to do the basic research in the first place to understand the big picture. Often the research may seem trivial, but it forms the basis of understanding our world and our place in the universe - and every now and then, some unexpected piece of information pops up that has incredibly profound implications...)
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
Hopefully I will have finished my PhD and someone will be happy to employ me to continue my research, and lecture to the next generation of geologists.
Find out more about Maree and sedimentology
If you wish to ask Maree for additional information, you can email UniServe Science and we will contact Maree for you. Make sure you include Maree's name and occupation in the Subject line.
Sedimentology - Entry from Wikipedia
Useful Links for Geology/Geophysics as a career
Science Futures - profile of Andrew McDonald - an exploration geologist in Science Futures (WISENET)
Why Study Geology at the WA School of Mines?
Careers in Geosciences from Queensland University of Technology
Profiles of Geoscientists - an American site which contains a wide range of related careers in the geosciences
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For further information contact
Kaye Placing
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