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long-term efforts. That is not their mission. GSA can lead those computers, and the basic workings of things are harder for the pub-
efforts. Through its membership, its status as a professional organi- lic to grasp. We have gone from lenses, film, and photographic
zation, and its nonprofit foundation, we should develop a strategy paper to computers and data storage. Indeed, images today use con-
for long-term sustainability. cepts such as the Fast Fourier Transform and data processing of
This does not mean that GSA pays for all of the efforts. Instead, sparse matrices, subjects developed only in the last few decades.
can we foster leadership with other groups to move forward, much in Understanding digital images requires the physics and math most
the way that the GeoScienceWorld effort was spearheaded by GSA folks take after their freshman year in college. This reality makes
and AAPG and has changed the way the Society monetizes its publi- even simple, everyday tasks difficult to understand by most peo-
cations? The final result will almost certainly be some sort of pri- ple. Opening our science will allow others to peer deeper into and
vate-public or non-profit–for-profit partnership. This model works understand better what we do. By exposing our work, perhaps we
well for other infrastructures, like highways and utilities, and non- can make inroads to understanding and trust by the public.
profit organizations like GSA and companies like Brunton. We will Technology and online geology are also a way to enhance access,
not know how to do this or what it will look like until we try. diversity, and inclusion by relying less on or modifying the field
The second is knowing when to stop. In this, I am reminded of setting. In an excellent paper in GSA Today this September,
the saying, “perfection is the enemy of good” (Voltaire [1764], in Whitmeyer et al. (2020) gave compelling examples of how living in
Ratcliffe [2011]). In the case of data and reporting it, perfection can the online world and using mobile technologies can vastly expand
become a barrier to any progress. Geology and its descriptions are access and inclusion. Our science’s quality increases immensely
based on words. Words mean things, but they can mean very differ- with such efforts and can be taken to groups previously excluded
ent things to different people. In our case, the Pareto principle or from field research. The techniques developed address accessibility
80–20 rule means that 80% of our effort is explained by 20% of our and inclusion and make it possible to share and involve anyone
terms. We can never capture every sense in which a word has been interested in field geology, showing them the richness displayed by
used. Our best path is to figure out how terms are mostly used. rocks, sediments, volcanoes, and geomorphology from the field.
Terms are metadata in many ways, and usage is at the heart of trust We should be able to foster the broadest possible participation
and understanding. It is a basis for being FAIR. Knowing how regardless of the setting.
words are used also rests in understanding why someone collected Not only are persons with disabilities poorly served by many of
the data in the first place. GSA should be the international profes- our activities, but so are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
sional association that works with the earth sciences community on The geosciences lag significantly in the inclusion of People of Color
this critical metadata and articulates the ontologies that reflect the in its disciplines. Some of this indeed resides in the emphasis on
science’s meaning and context. field geology and fieldwork so proudly and prominently displayed
on our website and in our publications. While many of us, including
INTENDED AND UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES me, are lured by the field and find it compelling, it is a hard sell to
The online world is where we are going to live and work. individuals who may be unsafe in remote and rural settings because
Embracing this reality and recognizing that mobile devices will be of the color of their skin. Changing the safety aspect is something
used increasingly in the field for data collection and knowledge we are all responsible for but will take tireless and longtime work.
summary will build much better science. Some of the best inten- However, changing the way field data and fieldwork becomes avail-
tional outcomes of this are clear and important. able is something we can and must do now (Anadu et al., 2020).
1. We can make our research more repeatable and transparent. Access Mobile technologies and online geology are a way to abolish these
and rich data collection will allow anyone to examine field rela- limits and make our science accessible to anyone.
tions or all of the thin sections or models used by a researcher. All
field observations can carry location information and images, SUMMARY
thereby giving full context and content. The Geological Society of America should seize this opportunity
2. We can engage the citizen scientist. As has already been done in to lead the earth sciences forward with online efforts centered on
many fields, we should bring the citizen scientist into our work. scientific data and rigorous analysis. Creating an online commu-
Some geology can undoubtedly be crowdsourced, and engagement nity is a broad subject and requires us to participate in a wide range
makes our science more real and less intimidating. What would hap- of activities. First, we must produce understandable and widely
pen if we crowdsourced the modal compositions of rocks, with data available outreach materials and couple them with our scholarly
preserved and reviewable, using a mobile app such as StraboTools? products. Second, through continued efforts at peer review and
3. We can better get reliable information to the general public. We can understanding reporting standards, our data and interpretations
use open-access journals and open data to showcase our science to must continue to meet the geological community’s requirements.
the public and bring our field experiences to them. This way, noth- Third, our work must be widely and seamlessly available through
ing is hidden or unrevealed. Full access may make consuming and open access and open data (Bolukbasi et al., 2013). Last, we must
appreciating science more attractive and palatable to the public. preserve our efforts for future use and reuse by devising a funding
Working with citizen scientists and the public is where we have and partnership model for the long-term preservation of digital
great opportunities. Modern science seems mysterious and daunt- information. In these ways, we can provide relevant, complete, and
ing. Just 50 or 100 years ago, you could get out of high school, fact-based information to all curious and interested persons.
understanding much of the basic science and math for how you
lived, and know how things worked from a light bulb to a car. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Ordinary people could fix a car. This ability made science open, This address was the outgrowth of years of working on field computing and data
transparent, real, and very relevant. Now we deal more with collection for geology. Discussions with Jason Ash, Ross Black, James Bowring,

6 GSA Today | February 2021