The complexity of simple geology

Geology becomes, like all natural sciences, increasingly dependent on sophisticated, complex technologies. This is not generally acknowledged, because many geological ‘products’ seem so simple that it is, for both the general public and decision makers, often difficult to understand how complex the activities are that are needed for making these apparently very simple raw materials available. A good example is aggregate, probably the simplest geological product. The understanding of aggregate characteristics (required to determine whether the material is suited for a specific purpose) requires a profound knowledge of the rock properties and of the variation of these properties. This is not enough, however, since the users must also be convinced that ‘stones’ are not always interchangeable, but that the efficacy of their application depends on their characteristics. Particularly decision makers and customers in the fields of housing, civil engineering and environmental planning should be convinced that they need the expertise of earth-science specialists, and that they should have themselves at least a basic knowledge of applied geology, including the possible use of, and the problems related with, aggregate.