The Return to Home Plate Options

[Stephen]

I've heard people try to use "areology" for the study of Martian landforms, "selenology" for the study of lunar landforms, etc. Frankly, I'd rather just use the term "geology" for all of them, and I'm glad there is an acceptance of the term as it applies to the study of non-terrestrial landforms.

Hmm. Does that mean we should not be referring to people like Steve Squyres as "planetologists" but go back to referring to them as "geologists"?

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Stephen

[nprev]

Well..."planetary scientist" is a suitably broad term, though perhaps not useful for describing a specialty or focus. I think that, for example, "planetary geologist", "planetary geochemist", etc., etc. would more than suffice.

Main thrust here is to at least state that the person's focus is extraterrestrial, with an implicit acknowledgement that observations must inevitably echo the fact that the scientist in question is probably going to compare and contrast them to his or her own direct terrestrial experiences, odd as Earth may be in many ways...

[CosmicRocker]

Various terminologies are useful at different times, but you can really get get caught up in semantics if you try to be too specific. I would think that most scientists think outside of their specific specialties when they need to. I'm sure it is dangerous, but I sometimes wonder about the geology of neutron stars. Does that make me a stellar geologist? You might find some who would object.

[Stephen]

Well..."planetary scientist" is a suitably broad term, though perhaps not useful for describing a specialty or focus. I think that, for example, "planetary geologist", "planetary geochemist", etc., etc. would more than suffice.

I'm sure that's all very logical, but think about it: is someone whose speciality is the study of the rocks of Mars to be dubbed a "martian geologist"? That would surely evoke visions in many lay people of little green men with rockhammers!

Main thrust here is to at least state that the person's focus is extraterrestrial, with an implicit acknowledgement that observations must inevitably echo the fact that the scientist in question is probably going to compare and contrast them to his or her own direct terrestrial experiences, odd as Earth may be in many ways...

I suppose it all depends on what these terms are supposed to signify. Does "geology" signify the study of rocks (& stratas & soils etc) in general or of Earth rocks et al only (or at least of them in particular)? If the latter then to use "areology" to signify the study of the rocks of Mars (as distinct from those of such places as Earth or the Moon) does have a certain consistency and logic to it. But in that case some other term ("planetology", maybe?) would need to step in for the study of rocks in general regardless of planetary location.

Conversely, if "geology" means the study of rocks et al in general then sooner or later there will come a need to coin terms for the fields of study of those who specialise in the rocks of particular planets, be it Mars, the Moon, or Io, just as there has come to be a need to distinguish the field of "geology" from the fields of "geochemistry", "geophysics" etc. It no longer suffices to simply call them all geologists.

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Stephen

[centsworth_II]

...if "geology" means the study of rocks et al in general then sooner or later there will come a need to coin terms
for the fields of study of those who specialise in the rocks of particular planets, be it Mars, the Moon, or Io...

This would be an unnecessary and confusing complication. A 'geochemist' can apply his expertise
to Io just as well as to Mars. Can you imagine the problems caused when an 'Iologist' tries to present
a paper on Mars surface chemistry. Will his research be taken as seriously as that of an 'areologist'?

Edit: On rethinking (while in the dentist's chair) your explosion of officially named specialties
may well be the norm about a hundred years from now. It will be that long before there
enough material for study in each specialized area. For the time being I prefer something
like: "Venus geologist" (as opposed to a Venusian geologist)or "Geologist specializing in
lunar mountain formation"

This post has been edited by centsworth_II: Jun 15 2007, 04:03 PM

[jvandriel]

Here is the panoramic view taken on Sol 1223

with the R0 Navcam.

jvandriel

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[Guest_Edward Schmitz_*]

According to Webster, there is dual meaning in the term geology. The term is useful to describe a person studing rocks on another planet.

[Gray]

I'm sure that's all very logical, but think about it: is someone whose speciality is the study of the rocks of Mars to be dubbed a "martian geologist"? That would surely evoke visions in many lay people of little green men with rockhammers!

Sometimes English isn't very precise. I'm a paleontologist who studies invertebrate fossils. Those of us in this field often refer to ourselves as "invertebrate paleontologists" yet we do have a backbone!

(No spineless jokes, please. )

[SteveM]

According to Webster, there is dual meaning in the term geology. The term is useful to describe a person studing rocks on another planet.

Since this thread doesn't seem like it's dying, let me give it a bit more sustenance. In Liddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon, the root for geology, Γή, has several meanings:
1. Earth, opposed to heaven, or land, opposed to sea.
2. Earth, as an element, opposed to air, water, fire.
II. A land or country.
III. The earth or ground as tilled.
IV. A lump of earth.
Looking from a strict etymological point of view, it seems that most of these meanings of the Greek root, and particularly the last two, free us from any planetary restrictions on geology.

Steve

[CosmicRocker]

Agreed, unless you want to try to define an Internet geologist.

[jvandriel]

Here is the panoramic view taken on Sol 1223 and Sol 1227

with the Lo Navcam.

jvandriel

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[alan]

Uh-oh, Spirit either tipped over or broke a couple of rocks with her stuck wheel.
She have to go back to get a closer look at them now.

[Phil Stooke]

Here is jvandriel's latest pan in polar format:



Phil

[Tesheiner]

Uh-oh, Spirit either tipped over or broke a couple of rocks with her stuck wheel.
She have to go back to get a closer look at them now.

Your "wish" was granted Alan.
Spirit is back again at Nancy Warren.

[Tesheiner]

Let me "ressurrect" this old thread once again, hopefully for the last time!
Yestersol (sol 1298), Spirit left the area under study since sol 1221 (!) and is currently on the way back, again, to Home Plate.