Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Geoscientist: Earth materials, subsurface data undergird buildings, water systems and energy plans
Summary
Dr. Blackmer of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey told a campus audience that everyday life and infrastructure rely on mined and processed Earth materials, and that geoscientists supply critical data for foundations, water resources, energy and hazard planning.
Dr. Blackmer, a geoscientist with the Pennsylvania Geological Survey, said in a keynote lecture that individuals use roughly 3,100,000 pounds of Earth materials in a lifetime and that geoscientists provide the data engineers use to design safe foundations and infrastructure.
Why it matters: Geoscience informs decisions affecting public safety, water supply and energy development. Blackmer told listeners that knowing whether subsurface materials are soil or rock and where fractures run is essential to designing foundations, managing groundwater and planning subsurface uses such as energy wells and carbon storage.
Geoscientists collect field and laboratory data that feed maps, well and…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
