книги / Профессии в горной промышленности

3.1. Geology Overview

Geology is a study of the Earth and its history as recorded in the rocks. The study of geology involves understanding the relationship between the rocks of the crust of the Earth and envelopes of air and water. Geology is a study of processes that form continents and ocean basins, mountains and oceanic deeps, glaciers and lakes, sand bars and rocky cliffs, and deposits of minerals, coal and oil and gas.

Geologists study rocks to determine what the Earth was like thousands, millions, and billions of years ago. Geologists study volcanoes, lavas, earthquakes, and landslides. They discover how our mineral deposits formed. They give us theories on how the Earth was formed, how it developed, and what the core of the Earth is like. The Earth is about 4.5 billion years old. Geology tells us how the Earth has changed and continues to change. Hills are worn down to form lowlands that may be covered by the sea. Millions of years later, rocks from under the sea may be raised up to form high mountains.

As the Earth changes, different types of rocks are formed. There are three types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.

Igneous rocks are formed from hot melted rock like magma as it cools and becomes solid. As hot magma cools, minerals such as chromite (chrome is used in stainless steel) and platinum (used in catalytic converters) form.

Sedimentary rocks are formed from particles of older rocks. The particles are deposited in a body of water, a valley, or a low plain. The collection of particles is known as sediment. After the particles are deposited, new sediment is deposited on top burying the earlier deposited materials. When sediments are buried, they become cemented to form sedimentary rock. Limestone used to make cement and statues and clay used to make dishes are examples of sedimentary rocks.

Metamorphic rocks are formed in the Earth where there is high temperature and great pressure. The heat and pressure change one kind of rock into another kind of rock. This process of change is known as metamorphism. Marble used in buildings is metamorphosed limestone. A mineral from which tungsten (light bulb filaments are made of tungsten) is produced is formed by metamorphism. As

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igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks are made, minerals may be so concentrated as to become resources for us to use.

The Earth is always changing. Rocks are slowly worn down by the forces of weathering and erosion. Rocks can be lifted or pushed downward. They also can be moved sideways and tilted.

The Earth is the geologists’ laboratory.

Activities

1. Прочитайте текст и выделите все слова и словосочетания,

характеризующие геологию как науку.

2. Прочитайте текст и выпишите из каждого абзаца ключевые слова,

передающие основное содержание.

3.Попросите партнера ответить на следующие вопросы:

1.What is the object of a geological science?

2.What does geology deal with?

3.What processes form the Earth crust?

4.What do geologists study?

5.What tasks do geologists perform?

6.What Earth problems do geologists deal with?

7.How old is the Earth?

8.What stimulated the formation of different types of rocks?

9.What types of rocks are there?

10.What are igneous rocks formed from?

11.What is a sediment?

12.What minerals are the examples of sedimentary rocks?

13.What are the characteristics of metamorphic rocks?

14.What minerals are formed by metamorphism?

15.What processes cause the wearing down of rocks?

4. Дайте определения следующим понятиям, закончив предложения:

1)Geology is a science that studies …

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2)Sedimentary rocks are …

3)Metamorphism is …

5. Подтвердите или опровергните высказывания Вашего партнера,

используя фразы: That’s right, you are right, to my mind, in my opinion, I agree with you, I think so, as is known, I can say that, I do not agree, on the contrary, I think you are wrong, according to the text.

Образец: Geology studies the Earth. – That’s right. As is known, the study of geology involves understanding the relationship between the rocks of the Earth crust and envelopes of air and water.

1.Geology studies the types of rocks.

2.Different types of rocks are formed as a result of changing the Earth.

3.There are two main types of rocks.

4.Chromite and limestone are igneous rocks.

5.Marble is a metamorphosed limestone.

6.The statues are made of the metamorphic rocks.

7.Metamorphic rocks are formed from the particles of older rocks.

6. Решите практические задачи:

Задача 1. The word geology comes from Greek words. Find out what they are and their meaning.

Задача 2. Make a list of 10 rocks and minerals and classify the rocks. Example: granite – igneous, limestone – sedimentary, marble – metamorphic.

Задача 3. Choose one thing in the classroom or home that you like to use/ try to find what mineral resources it contains.

Задача 4. Some elements have strange sounding names. Look up molybdenum, vanadium, beryllium, selenium, and zirconium. What can you find out about each? In what products are they used?

Задача 5. Last spring, a team of geologists made a study of the rock layers exposed on the side of a cliff. Here are the notes one of the geologists made. Draw the rock layers in a cliff by interpreting their notes and using the ideas given in the section Procedure.

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«On this cliff we can see six layers of sedimentary rock. There is an extrusion between the third and fourth oldest layers. Through dating a sample of that rock, we determined the extrusion to be 250 million years old. An intrusion extends from the bottom layer into the fourth oldest layer. Through dating a sample of that rock, we determined the intrusion to be 100 million years old. We also looked for fossils. In the three oldest layers, we discovered fossil trilobites. In the second and third oldest layers, we found fossils of fishes. We found reptile fossils in the third oldest layer and the layer above it. In the younger layer that had a reptile fossil, we also discovered a dinosaur fossil. We found bird fossils in the second and third youngest layers. Most interesting was the fossil from a whale we found in the youngest layer».

Task

This geologist needs a drawing for the final report that shows what the team found. How can you make a drawing from the geologist’s notes?

Procedure

1.Make a list of every feature the geologist found that could help you make a drawing of the site.

2.Make a drawing from your list. Label the sedimentary rock layers A–F, from oldest to youngest.

3.Create a key that tells what symbols you used on the drawing.

Задача 6. Используя информацию из задачи 5, попросите партнера ответить на следующие вопросы:

1.Which rock layer is the oldest? Explain how you know.

2.How did the geologists probably date the extrusion and intrusion? Explain.

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3. Why didn’t the geologist include dates in the notes for the sedimentary rock

layers?

4.What is the age of sedimentary rock layer D? Explain how you determined

its age.

5.By inferring from the fossils in layer B, could this rock layer have been deposited in the Cambrian Period? Why or why not?

6.By inferring from the fossils in each layer, describe a major event in the history of life on Earth that occurred at about the time of the extrusion.

7.In which era was layer F deposited? How do you know?

3.2. Job Position of a Geologist

Geologists work to understand the history of our planet. The better they can understand Earth’s history the better they can foresee how events and processes of the past might influence the future.

The processes acting upon the Earth cause hazards such as landslides, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Geologists are working to understand these processes well enough to avoid building important structures where they will be damaged. If geologists learn a lot about volcanic mudflows of the past then that information can be very useful in predicting the dangerous areas where volcanic mudflows might strike in the future.

The map shows areas that are thought to be at risk from future mudflows around Mount Rainier. Intelligent people should be caution when considering activities or property development in these areas.

Geologists explore land and oceans, using specific data to search for oil and natural gas. A petroleum geologist goes prospecting to find the next well, not out in the open, but in an office. They consult drilling (or scout ticket, which summaries all info about a well) and core records, well logs and associate data.

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They study cross-sections and maps and run simulations on the computer. Geologists are trying to determine the type of trap, composition of sedimentary rock surrounding the drilling site, porosity of the pay zone and if to expect very high pressure.

Geologists must then carefully cross-check the data and conclusions to ensure that the location has not been drilled previously, the company has a legal right to be there, it is the correct spot rather than the wrong place and any geological conditions or faulting will not interfere. Next step is to make the presentation to convince managers, engineers, bankers and investors in order to obtain financing. If geologists get the necessary financial backing, the drilling of the well can begin. Geologists monitor the drilling and when completed hire a logging company to evaluate the hole. From the information contained in the log, geologists will make a recommendation to either plug it or complete it.

Geologists can also work outdoors to recognize the types of rock that are deposited in the near-shore environments. This knowledge enables them to recognize potential oil and natural gas source rocks.

In the photo at right oil field workers are placing a tool into an oil exploration well. This tool will be lowered down the hole and will record tiny amounts of radioactivity released from the rocks below (rocks rich in organic materials frequently contain tiny amounts of radioactive materials).

The information obtained from the tool will help them assess the oil and natural gas production potential of the rocks below. If they do these tests at many locations within a region they might be able to map an oil or natural gas field.

Activities

1. Прочитайте текст и выпишите все глаголы, характеризующие профессиональную деятельность геолога.

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2. Найдите в тексте английские соответствия следующих слов и словосочетаний: стихийное бедствие, обвал, наносить ущерб, грязевый оползень, застройка участка земли, разведка нефти, каротаж скважин, состав горных пород, тектоническое нарушение, финансовая поддержка,

промыслово-геодезическая компания, прибрежная зона.

3.Попросите партнера ответить на следующие вопросы:

1.What knowledge are geologists required to foresee the impact of past processes on the future?

2.What hazards do the Earth processes cause?

3.Why do geologists study the hazards?

4.How can the knowledge of volcanic mudflows of the past help geologists in their work?

5.What are the functions of a petroleum geologist?

6.What information do geologists supply drilling with?

7.What are geologists responsible for?

8.What do geologists cross-check the data for?

9.What terms are necessary to observe to start drilling?

10.What does the logging company deal with?

11.What recommendations do geologists give from the information of logging company?

12.Why do geologists determine the type of rocks deposited in the near-shore environment?

13.What information helps geologists to assess oil and natural gas production potential?

4.Прочитайте текст и выпишите тезисы, отражающие основные профессиональные обязанности геолога в соответствии с двумя условиями:

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5.Работайте в парах. Один из вас является геологом, работающим в офисе, другой – на открытой местности. Расскажите друг другу о своих должностных обязанностях, используя записи задания 4.

6.Прочитайте текст и озаглавьте каждый абзац. На основе заголовков обобщите содержание текста.

7. Ознакомьтесь с краткой дополнительной информацией. Изучите ее содержание и скажите, где ее целесообразнее поместить в тексте.

Обоснуйте свое решение.

Geologists are employed to explore for crude oil and natural gas and to help develop reservoirs. Geologists search for oil and gas by studying rock formations and using microscopes to examine rocks fragments (cuttings) from wells that are being drilled. Geologists develop surface and subsurface maps to locate oil and gas resources. They locate rock layers cropping out on the surface of the ground and use data from existing wells to make subsurface maps of the reservoir rocks. By matching rock layers between wells, they can draw cross sections to find petroleum traps. Geologists 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, analyze information collected through seismic studies, and use instruments to measure the earth’s gravity and magnetic field.

8. Выполните учебный перевод текста из предыдущего задания.

9. Прочитайте интервью с геологом и подумайте, на какие вопросы он дает ответы.

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I did a Bachelor of Science degree with a range of general science subjects for the first year. Towards the end of first year, geology came out on top because my marks for it were the best and I was far more interested in it. One of the lecturers came up to me and said ‘Stick with geology because it is one of the few sciences where jobs are available.’

____________________________________________________________? To get work as a geologist there are occasional low periods where there

aren’t many jobs around. At the moment there are a fair few jobs in the industry on offer. But if you’re determined, it’s not hard to get a job anywhere. A lot of mines will take you on if you show up and show you’re interested.

____________________________________________________________?

You see parts of Australia that you probably wouldn’t see if you were working in the city. There is a fair amount of freedom about you get with your job and where you work. The money is actually quite good compared to other jobs for graduates. And if you’re really interested in what you do then working in the minerals industry is great.

In the future I will probably go overseas, take the chance to see the world and use what I’ve learnt to travel. I will be in mining somewhere and there’s plenty of rocks out there to see.

______________________________________________________________?

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