What's your favorite field?

For all those practicing geologist and hobbyist, What field or specialty do you find the most exciting?

For me, I love Hydrogeology and Hydrology; the way water shapes and interacts with the Earth is some thrilling stuff. It’s partially the reason I want to go into environmental geology after I graduate.

I have been doing what you might call "environmental geology" for about 19 years now; it consists mostly of writing reports to various governmental agencies that are (I suspect) thrown away as soon as they are received, and writing compliance manuals for my own entity that are ignored.

I find my personal favorite is what you might call "geological tourism"; getting a field guide or such like and just doing some of the trips on my own.

Microtectonics. It's the only reason I could ever love sitting at a microscope for hours at a time.

Structural geology. It's the only reason I could ever love tromping around in the Mojave Desert wearing rattlesnake gaiters, denim pants, and hot alpine boots in the middle of May.

Hydrology. It's the only reason I could ever love tromping around in a mountain stream in the middle of June while being eaten alive by mosquitoes.

Not that the conditions are always this harsh, but the fact that we are willing to endure these conditions when we have to, all for the sake of getting the data, tells it all.

I find most exciting that topics I most intimate with - but I've always had a preference for sedimentology. My master's thesis was in sedimentology of a flysch. My job is seismic processing, with interpretation focused primarily on salt (Gulf of Mexico). At the moment I'm spending all my time trying to understand and interpret salt structures on seismic data - which is both fascinating and painful.

Artemis26 - I don't know, I think I'd like tromping around in the Mojave Desert. (but, I'd just a well skip the mosquitoes in mountain streams.)

Hi Daniel - I was just referring to the heat in mid-May, when it's about 105 degF before noon and there's no shade. My study area was actually surrounded by a Joshua Tree forest, but they were pretty sparse right within the study area. It's kinda hard to think straight when your brain is on fire and you're wearing denim and heavy Kevlar gaiters. I never wore the gaiters - assuming the snakes would hear me coming and vacate - until the day that I just about stepped on mating diamondbacks, which I'm certain would have been the end of me.

The geology is very cool - I highly recommend it anytime from October through early April. If you like sediments, there are plenty of them, from Paleozoic through Holocene.

I love historical geology and geomorphology - I like the big picture! I've worked as a hydrologist, too. But my degree is actually in biology (with a good helping of geo on the side). My specific biology degree is in Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, so you can see that big picture theme there! I love looking at landforms and processes and being able to visualize the history of an area, and how the processes are continuing to shape it today and into the future. Looking at a glacier and seeing a future lake and then glacial valley with hanging waterfalls, or the reverse. Looking at a meandering river and seeing oxbow lakes in the future, or caves and arches being formed. Looking at exposed stratigraphy and seeing geologic history unfold in a vast panorama in my mind's eye - I love it!!