Tasks Carried Out by Licensed Professional Geologists

Research and Field Methods:

Evaluate property/mineral rights	Interpret regulatory constraints
Identify, locate, and utilize available data sources	Plan and conduct field operations
Construct borehole and trench logs	Design and conduct laboratory programs and interpret results
Develop and utilize Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) procedures	Construct and interpret maps and other graphical presentations
Design and interpret data from geologic monitoring programs	Read and interpret topographic and bathymetric

Communications:

Write and edit geologic reports

Interpret and analyze aerial photos and other remotely sensed imagery

Mineralogy:

Identify minerals and their characteristics	Identify mineral assemblages
Determine probable genesis and sequence of mineral assemblages	Identify minerals on the basis of chemical composition
Predict subsurface mineral characteristics on the basis of exposures and drill holes

Petrology/Petrography:

Identify and classify major rock types	Determine physical and chemical properties of rocks
Determine types and/or degrees of rock alteration	Determine suites of rock types

Geochemistry:

Establish analytical objectives and approaches	Evaluate geochemical data
Construct models based on results of geochemical analyses	Make recommendations based upon results of geochemical analyses

Historical Geology/Stratigraphy:

Identify rock sequences	Establish relative position of rock units
Determine relative and absolute ages of rocks	Interpret depositional environments
Perform facies analyses	Correlate rock units
Interpret geologic history	Establish stratigraphic classifications

Structural Geology:

Identify structural features and their interrelationships	Select features for structural analyses
Determine orientation of structural features	Perform qualitative and quantitative structural analyses
Map structural features	Correlate separated structural features
Interpret structural features	Interpret tectonic history

Paleontology:

Identify applicable type of paleontological investigation	Estimate relative geologic ages of rocks
Identify fossils	Correlate rocks biostratigraphically
Identify fossil assemblages and make paleontological interpretations

Geomorphology:

Identify landforms	Determine methods of geomorphic investigation
Perform geomorphic field investigations	Determine geomorphic processes and development of landforms and soils
Determine age relationships of landforms and soils	Identify potential hazardous geomorphological conditions

Geophysics:

Select methods of geophysical investigations	Perform geophysical investigations in the field
Perform geological interpretation of geophysical data	Identify potential hazardous geological conditions using geophysical techniques

Hydrogeology:

Design and interpret data from hydrologic testing programs	Utilize chemical data to evaluate hydrogeologic conditions
Apply geophysical methods to analyze hydrologic conditions	Determine physical and chemical properties of aquifers and vadose zones
Determine ground-water flow systems	Evaluate ground-water resources
Evaluate ground-water quality	Design wells and drilling programs
Develop ground-water resources-management programs	Plan and evaluate remedial-action programs

Engineering Geology:

Provide geological information and interpretations for engineering design	Identify and evaluate potential seismic and other geologic hazards
Provide geological consultation during and after construction	Develop and interpret engineering geology maps and sections
Evaluate materials resources	Define and establish site-selection and evaluation criteria
Design and implement field and laboratory programs	Describe and samples soils for geologic analyses and materials-properties testing

Mining Geology:

Formulate exploration programs	Implement field investigations on prospects
Perform geologic interpretations for mineral reserves	Perform economic analyses/appraisals
Provide geologic interpretations for mine development and production activities	Provide geologic interpretations for mine abandonments/closures/restorations

Petroleum Geology:

Formulate exploration programs	Implement field investigations on prospects
Perform geologic interpretations of physical properties and hydrocarbon reserves	Perform petroleum economic analyses/appraisals
Provide geologic interpretations for petroleum development and production activities	Provide geologic interpretations for abandonments/closures/restorations