Requirements
1. Define geology. Discuss how geologists learn about rock formations. In geology,
explain why the study of the present is important to understanding the past.
2. Pick three resources that can be extracted or mined from Earth for commercial
use. Discuss with your counselor how each product is discovered and processed.
3. Review a geologic map of your area or an area selected by your counselor,
and discuss the different rock types and estimated ages of rocks represented.
Determine whether the rocks are horizontal, folded, or faulted, and explain
how you arrived at your conclusion.
4. Do ONE of the following:
(a) With your parent’s and counselor’s approval, visit with a geologist, landuse
planner, or civil engineer. Discuss this professional’s work and the tools
required in this line of work. Learn about a project that this person is now
working on, and ask to see reports and maps created for this project. Discuss
with your counselor what you have learned.
(b) Find out about three career opportunities available in geology. Pick
one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this
profession. Discuss this with your counselor, and explain why this profession
might interest you.
5. Do ONE of the following (a OR b OR c OR d):
(a) Surface and Sedimentary Processes Option
(1) Conduct an experiment approved by your counselor that demonstrates
how sediments settle from suspension in water. Explain to your counselor
what the exercise shows and why it is important.
(2) Using topographical maps provided by your counselor, plot the stream
gradients (different elevations divided by distance) for four different stream
types (straight, meandering, dendritic, trellis). Explain which ones flow
fastest and why, and which ones will carry larger grains of sediment
and why.
(3) On a stream diagram, show areas where you will find the following
features: cut bank, fill bank, point bar, medial channel bars, lake delta.
Describe the relative sediment grain size found in each feature.
(4) Conduct an experiment approved by your counselor that shows how
some sedimentary material carried by water may be too small for you to
see without a magnifier.
(5) Visit a nearby stream. Find clues that show the direction of water
flow, even if the water is missing. Record your observations in a notebook,
and sketch those clues you observe. Discuss your observations with
your counselor.
(b) Energy Resources Option
(1) List the top five Earth resources used to generate electricity in the
United States.
(2) Discuss source rock, trap, and reservoir rock—the three components
necessary for the occurrence of oil and gas underground.
(3) Explain how each of the following items is used in subsurface exploration
to locate oil or gas: reflection seismic, electric well logs, stratigraphic
correlation, offshore platform, geologic map, subsurface structure map,
subsurface isopach map, and core samples and cutting samples.
(4) Using at least 20 data points provided by your counselor, create a subsurface
structure map and use it to explain how subsurface geology maps
are used to find oil, gas, or coal resources.
(5) Do ONE of the following activities:
(a) Make a display or presentation showing how oil and gas or coal
is found, extracted, and processed. You may use maps, books, articles
from periodicals, and research found on the internet (with your parent’s
permission). Share the display with your counselor or a small
group (such as your class at school) in a five-minute presentation.
(b) With your parent’s and counselor’s permission and assistance,
arrange for a visit to an operating drilling rig. While there, talk with
a geologist and ask to see what the geologist does onsite. Ask to see
cutting samples taken at the site.
(c) Mineral Resources Option
(1) Define rock. Discuss the three classes of rocks including their origin
and characteristics.
(2) Define mineral. Discuss the origin of minerals and their chemical composition
and identification properties, including hardness, specific gravity,
color, streak, cleavage, luster, and crystal form.
(3) Do ONE of the following:
(a) Collect 10 different rocks or minerals. Record in a notebook where
you obtained (found, bought, traded) each one. Label each specimen,
identify its class and origin, determine its chemical composition, and
list its physical properties. Share your collection with your counselor.
(b) With your counselor’s assistance, identify 15 different rocks and
minerals. List the name of each specimen, tell whether it is a rock
or mineral, and give the name of its class (if it is a rock) or list its
identifying physical properties (if it is a mineral).
(4) List three of the most common road-building materials used in your
area. Explain how each material is produced and how each is used in
road building.
(5) Do ONE of the following activities:
(a) With your parent’s and counselor’s approval, visit an active
mining site, quarry, or sand and gravel pit. Tell your counselor what
you learned about the resources extracted from this location and how
these resources are used by society.
(b) With your counselor, choose two examples of rocks and two
examples of minerals. Discuss the mining of these materials and
describe how each is used by society.
(c) With your parent’s and counselor’s approval, visit the office of a
civil engineer and learn how geology is used in construction. Discuss
what you learned with your counselor.
(d) Earth History Option
(1) Create a chart showing suggested geological eras and periods. Determine
which period the rocks in your region might have been formed.
(2) Explain the theory of plate tectonics.
(3) Explain to your counselor the processes of burial and fossilization,
and discuss the concept of extinction.
(4) Explain to your counselor how fossils provide information about ancient
life, environment, climate, and geography. Discuss the following terms and
explain how animals from each habitat obtain food: benthonic, pelagic,
littoral, lacustrine, open marine, brackish, fluvial, eolian, protected reef.
(5) Collect 10 different fossil plants or animals OR (with your counselor’s
assistance) identify 15 different fossil plants or animals. Record in a notebook
where you obtained (found, bought, traded) each one. Classify each
specimen to the best of your ability, and explain how each one might have
survived and obtained food. Tell what else you can learn from these fossils.
(6) Do ONE of the following:
(a) Visit a science museum or the geology department of a local
university that has fossils on display. With your parent’s and counselor’s
approval, before you go, make an appointment with a curator
or guide who can show you how the fossils are preserved and
prepared for display.
(b) Visit a structure in your area that was built using fossiliferous
rocks. Determine what kind of rock was used and tell your counselor
the kinds of fossil evidence you found there.
(c) Visit a rock outcrop that contains fossils. Determine what kind of
rock contains the fossils, and tell your counselor the kinds of fossil
evidence you found at the outcrop.
(d) Prepare a display or presentation on your state fossil. Include an
image of the fossil, the age of the fossil, and its classification. You may use
maps, books, articles from periodicals, and research found on the internet
(with your parent’s permission). Share the display with your counselor or
a small group (such as your class at school). If your state does not have a
state fossil, you may select a state fossil from a neighboring state.
Resources:
Scouting.org Merit Badges - Requirements
boyscouttrail.com Merit Badges