Dying to know: Death during geological fieldwork

Marjorie D Cantine,Jenn Pickering,Jeong-Hyun Lee,Howard Harper

doi:10.2110/sedred.2021.3.2

Abstract

Fieldwork is a common element of geological research and education, and it involves many types of risk and reward. This study introduces a database of historical deaths during geological fieldwork to understand the causes of death, the most extreme consequence of physical risk, in the field. Most deaths in the field are unintentional. The database shows that vehicles and environmental risks from terrain, climate, and animals cause most unintentional deaths in the field. Most intentional deaths in the field result from conflict between geologists and community members, often related to land rights or political strife. Causes of geologist deaths in the field are compared to visitor deaths in the US National Parks and US workplace fatalities generally, revealing similarities and differences. This study highlights the central importance of site selection in managing risk during fieldwork. It also makes recommendations for how these data might inform teaching, research, and recruitment, especially regarding risk mitigation and student conceptions of workplace safety.

Highlights

Fieldwork is a common element of geological research and education, and it involves many types of risk and reward
Historical views of fieldwork’s importance within geology are reflected in statements that field study is "the ground truth for all Earth science investigations" (Ernst et al, 2006) and that "the geologist is made in the field" (Himus et al, 1955)
If fieldwork remains a central part of Earth science curricula–as the vast majority of surveyed Earth scientists believe it should (Petcovic et al, 2014)– doing fieldwork well, safely, and in a way that appeals and is accessible to a broad swathe of students is a critical step in recruiting and retaining a large and diverse Earth science workforce: an important and ongoing effort (Stokes et al, 2015, Bernard and Cooperdock, 2018, Wilson, 2019, Stokes et al, 2019, Easterling, 2020)

Summary

Introduction

Fieldwork is a common element of geological research and education, and it involves many types of risk and reward. This study highlights the central importance of site selection in managing risk during fieldwork It makes recommendations for how these data might inform teaching, research, and recruitment, especially regarding risk mitigation and student conceptions of workplace safety. Fieldwork encompasses activities from taking soil samples in an urban garden to SCUBA diving in an icecovered Antarctic lake or traditional bedrock mapping in rugged terrain It forms the basis for much research in the Earth sciences. By studying the deaths of fellow geologists in the course of fieldwork, we can gain a more accurate understanding of the sources of physical risk in the field, allowing us to communicate about the dangers of fieldwork, anticipate physical risks, and prevent deaths This practice allows us another way to honor and remember the lives and contributions of our lost colleagues

Results

Discussion

Conclusion