Earth's Art

Geology, the study of Earth, is one of the most visual sciences. If a geological problem can be imagined, it can be visualized in the mind’s eye of a geologist. Perhaps that’s why geology textbooks are so richly illustrated. Sometimes, the geology is an extraverted, splendid display of scenery, as captured in many of the photographs in this book. Other times, it is inferred from data, articulated through computer models, or brought to life through high-powered microscopes.

The camera is but one tool of a geologist. In this “field notebook” the camera is the tool that records the journey. The photographs have stories to tell. The words of the authors frame the photos and amplify the stories. But the pictures alone are worth a visit.

Many people have been part of the Bureau of Economic Geology since it was founded in 1909. Some have left the Bureau to pursue other opportunities in the geosciences, the private sector, academia, industry, and other fields. Others have made the Bureau their career home. The authors of these pages have in common their Bureau roots, past or present, and their love of the science that manifests itself in nature’s rich palette.

Whether the images are postcard-perfect shots of majestic scenes or computer-generated, three-dimensional models of reservoirs, or microscopic views revealing porosity and permeability, they tell part of the story of the Bureau’s history and Earth’s history.

We invite you to join us in celebrating our first hundred years of looking at four-and-a-half billion years.

Citation
Laubach, S. E., and Tinker, S. W., editors, Earth's Art, Celebrating the Centennial of the Bureau of Economic Geology 1909-2009: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology, Udden Series No. 4, 148 p.