Yesterday I visited the Del Puerto Ophiolite, in preparation for a small field trip I'm planning later this month. Every time I go in the field I return amazed at the energy and insight of geologic mappers. Even though I followed a good field-trip guide, I found it difficult to discern everything on my own (fortunately I'll be seeing it again soon). The work that has been done to advance geology to its present state is immense, and highly skilled, and cumulative over centuries of effort. Things don't reveal themselves in one big "aha" insight.
That's why I can't stand the armchair cranks who blithely push theories like creationism, Earth expansion and abiotic oil, assuring their readers that the scientists have everything wrong. I would challenge any of them to approach a real outcrop.
Related:
Earth mysteries
On roadside "mystery spots"
Warren Carey, father of Earth expansion
Wild and bemusing Earth theories
Comments
Very true. It’s true on an individual level too; as your gain more experience, you see more and gain further insights every time you revisit an outcrop.
I am with you Andrew in the justified contempt for the intellectually lazy deniers of physical reality that seem to have a pathetically large audience in this country in the last few decades.
I read this applicable quote recently: “An educated mind is, as it were, composed of all the minds of preceeding ages” Le Bovier De Fontenelle.
Many dedicated,hard working scientists and other openly curious minds over the centuries have helped us to understand how nature works and they did not do it by obstinately believing in ridiculous political conspiracies, paranoia and utter nonsense.