Interview with a geologist

For the past month and a half, our class (and the scientists of JRL Associates lab 204) have been studying islands. We read about a few, thought about how islands are made, and even made up our own!

We thought of questions to ask a geologist. We interviewed Dr. Nicole Kinsman, the head geologist in the Coastal Hazards division of Alaska's Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys. She, along with the team of scientists that she manages, is in charge of studying Alaska's coastline and how it is changing. She was kind enough to answer a bunch of far-ranging questions we had.

She said, "Thanks for thinking of so many great questions to ask me about geology and Alaska!  We need more earth scientists all over the United States and there are so many adventures to have if you are interested in becoming a geologist when you grow up."

Is it awesome to study geology?
        Studying geology is AWESOME!  As a geologist I get to travel all over Alaska and the world to see very different types of places and meet lots of amazing people.  There are many kinds of  geologist and only some of them study rocks; I work with people who study earthquakes, glaciers, rivers, fossils, minerals (like gold!), volcanos and oil.  I am a coastal geologist so I work near the ocean most of the time and the ocean is one of the most awesome things on earth- we have only just begun to explore this part of our world.

Do you like being a scientist?
        I do like being a scientist.  My favorite part about being a scientist is that you never have to stop asking questions and I get to think about interesting puzzles every day.

How did you become a geologist?
        When I was a kid I used to hike around and play outside a lot.  As I got older I just kept on looking for ways to play outside at school and when I went to college too.  Now, playing outside is a big part of my job!

Do you climb mountains to see new coastlines far away?
        Sometimes I climb up mountains, but there is so much to see that it is usually faster to fly around in a plane or helicopter to see new parts of the coast.  I do need to go to the tops of mountains sometimes because that is where we set up antennas for some of the equipment that helps us map the coastline.

What kinds of transportation do you use to get to the beaches you study?
I use MANY types of transportation to get to the beaches I study. Sometimes it can take a long time to get places in Alaska because there are not many roads.  Here are some of the things I use to get around:
- big planes
- very tiny planes
- helicopters
- trucks
- 4-wheelers (ATVs)
- boats
- jet skis
- snow mobiles (when it is winter)
- my legs

Do you ever go to the coastline to study the coast?
        I go to the coastline all the time in the summer because being there in person is one of the best ways to understand a place.  I also visit the coast other times of the year if there is a big storm so that I can learn more about erosion and flooding.  When I am not at the coastline I can still study what is happening with satellite pictures and by looking at numbers from equipment I leave at the beach (like tide gauges).  People who live near the coastline will send me pictures from their phones when I am not there so I can see what is happening too.

Do you work on the coastline or in a lab with other scientists?
        Sometimes I work on the coastline and sometimes I work in a lab because I can look at things like the sand more carefully when I am in a lab.  I also do a lot of my work on the computer with other scientists to make maps.  We have computer programs that are sort of like video games that help us figure out how areas near the coast will flood during a big storm.

Have you been to all the islands in Alaska or only a couple?
        I have been to a lot of islands in Alaska, but it seems like only a couple because of how many there are that I have not been to.  We have over 3,000 islands in Alaska; there are so many islands in Alaska that if every single student in all of the schools in Watertown each visited a different island there would still be extra islands to see.

Do you ever find fossils in the rocks?
        I do.  My favorite fossils are ancient coral reefs all the way on top of mountains.

Are there any fossils under rocks deep underground?
        There are lots of fossils underground, and this means there are lots of fossils to still find and unbury.

Are there rocks underwater at the beach that have fossils?
        There are rocks underwater that have fossils and sometimes, where there is a big storm, these rocks get moved around and the cliffs next to the beach will get washed clean by the waves.  When this happens it is one of the best times to look for fossils on the beach because new fossils get uncovered.

Have you found any coal on the beach?
        Yes.  I also find shells and seaweed and things like soda bottles and fishing buoys that have floated to Alaska all the way from places on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.

What animal fossils have you found?
        There are lots of squid fossils, corals and wooly mammoth fossils in the places where I work in Alaska.  I really like finding the wooly mammoth fossils because people make jewelry out of the old tusks.

Have you found any crystals or special rocks on the beach?
        I think most rocks that I see are special and when I find a really cool one on the beach I will bring it home to add to my collection.  I have not found many crystals but other people who I work with find crystals all the time.

What kinds of rocks do you find on the beach?
        I find all sorts of rock types on the beach, some of my favorite beaches have green sand because the rocks there came from volcanos and they contain a lot of a green mineral called "olivine".  Sometimes I find gold in the beach! Alaska's beaches are famous for having a lot of gold on them.
 
What have you discovered about the shoreline?
        There is so much shoreline in Alaska that if you stretched it out around the equator it would go around the earth one and a quarter times, so there is a lot to discover about how this coastline is changing.  One of the biggest discoveries is that many parts of the coastline are eroding and sinking because ice under the ground in Alaska (we call this permafrost) is melting.  There is also less ice on the sea than there used to be so the shoreline gets attacked by lots of waves in the fall when it used to be protected, this means that in many northen parts of Alaska the shoreline is getting closer and closer to houses, schools and to the airports that Alaskans use to get around.

Are islands in Alaska mostly volcanic, mountainous, or sandy and glacial?
        We have all types of islands in Alaska.  Most islands on the north and west coasts are sandy, the islands in the south are mostly mountainous and glacial and Alaska has a long tail of islands in the southwest part of our state called the Aleutian Islands that are volcanic.  Some of the Aleutian islands are active volcanoes!

What is it like living in Alaska?
        Sometimes Alaska can feel far away because you have to fly for a long time to get there from other parts of the United States, but living in Alaska is fun because there is so much to do and explore, especially if you enjoy the outdoors.

Is it fun being in Alaska?
        I think it is very fun to be in Alaska. Even though there are not a lot of people, the people that do live in Alaska live there because they love it so much.  In the summer I like to hike, fish and canoe, and you can do a lot of things because the days are very long, in some places the sun never sets at all.  In the winter I do a lot of skiing!

How cold does it get?
        Where I live in Alaska it get to be -50 degrees F sometimes, but this winter it has been a lot warmer than usual and it is -10 degrees F out right now. One of the reasons if gets so cold is that the days are very short, in the winter.  Sometimes people just think that Alaska is cold all the time, but in the summer it will get up to 90 degrees F.

What kinds of food do you have in Alaska?
      We have grocery stores and we eat a lot of the same foods that you do.  Many people in Alaska also hunt, fish and gather foods then they will trade or share things like blueberries and moose meat with their friends and family. Fish is very popular to eat in Alaska, especially salmon!