Can you imagine what our planet would look like stripped of all plants, soils, water, and man-made structures?OneGeology, the largest geological map of the world in history, shows it to us.
Earth Science and Computer Science specialists from 79 nations, including Spain, are working together on a global project calledOneGeology (A Geology) to produce theworld’s first digital geological map. This project does the same as Google with the maps of the earth’s surface, but at the level of the rocks under our feet.
According to Ian Jackson, head of operations for the British Geological Society and coordinator of the project, “Geological maps are essential tools for identifying natural resources such as water, hydrocarbons and minerals, as well as fororganize plans to reduce geological hazardssuch as earthquakes, volcano eruptions or radon emissions ?. In addition, there are otherchallengessuch as “rising sea levels, waste management (nuclear or domestic) and CO2 storage, for which knowledge of the rocks on which we all live has become increasingly important.” “Sharing this knowledge at a time of global environmental change is crucial,” he concludes.
The images will be made public starting tomorrow during the 33rd International Congress of Geology, which between 5 and 15 August brings together 6,000 geoscientists from 117 countries in Oslo (Norway) under the slogan “geology for society.”
OneGeology (www.onegeology.org)
