Topic 5: The role of Geologists in addressing the Challenges of the 21st century

Question 1

Why do many civilization/population concentrate at areas with high tectonic activity?

Answer 1

Tectonic processes focus fertile soil, mineral and energy deposits, portable water –> conditions to develop civilization

Question 2

Seismic activity can trigger what events other than earthquakes?

Answer 2

Seismic activity generates earthquakes, if large enough, can become intraplate earthquakes traveling across the plate, triggering tsunami and affecting many near regions.

Question 3

What is Great Oxygenate Event?

Answer 3

Great Oxygenate Event is when the Earth first experienced a rise in atmospheric oxygen

Question 4

What are some effects of fracking?

Answer 4

Fracking is when people inject fluids into ground to extract gas from shales and coal seams.
Water can lubricate unactive faults and trigger earthquakes.
It can also pollute water squafiers, ground water system.

Question 5

What is the problem with extracting natural materials now?

Answer 5

We have become so dependently on natural resources, so even when we switch to renewables, we still need new materials to build the infrastructure required.
But, most of the easy-to-find sites have been discovered and exhausted and it is expensive too.