Text reads: Geoscience Today. Geoscience meets AI: Imagining tomorrow's possibilities.

Geoscience Meets AI: Imagining Tomorrow’s Possibilities

Mary-Anne Hildebrandt, P. Geo., FGC Energy and minerals power our lives, and while we Canadians live in a land of abundance, global projections of natural resource consumption far exceed what is readily available. Economic geologists are increasingly challenged to locate near-surface mineral resources that are feasible to extract. Today’s evolving business models focus on creating more precise, surgical methods of extraction, not only to reduce the environmental impact of mining, but also to unlock economic potential in deposits that, in the past, would not have met the threshold for Reasonable Prospects for Eventual Economic Extraction (RPEEE). In parallel, we are working in the era of Big Data. In 2020, NASA reported that its Earth Science data collection had reached 40 petabytes (PB), a unit 1000 times the size of a terabyte (TB) and that this collection was expected to expand to 250 PB within six years. Geoscience data in the mineral and mining industry follows a similar trend. Big data and increased complexity of the deposits make it essential that Professional Geoscientists (P. Geos) leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) because traditional methods of analysis are often insufficient to handle the scale and complexity of modern datasets. There are many companies and software developers trying to deliver solutions that produce high-quality results in real-time such as geochemistry, mineralogy, and structural measurements collected and analyzed in real-time at a drill rig using either powerful downhole tools or field core scanners. Some experts in the field believe that these advancements may reduce the necessity for geoscience professionals; however, it is far more likely that AI will strengthen our ability to understand, analyze, and model vast amounts of data, giving us insights that would otherwise be unattainable in a short amount of time. Consider society’s approach to earthquakes and how advanced we have become in creating predictive models over the last century. There are AI applications in use today that allow P. Geos the ability to analyze large datasets that aid in the creation of robust, predictive models. These detailed models allow P. Geos to have a better understanding of risk to the public and offer greater guidance to inform early warning systems. By integrating AI into our professional toolkit, we will be able to make more informed decisions, streamline complex analyses, and better allocate limited resources.  Professional regulators, such as Professional Geoscientists Ontario (PGO), also stand to benefit from AI. For example, AI could be used to identify patterns and anomalies that would allow regulators to detect unethical behaviour more effectively. Rather than waiting for another Bre-X-type incident, where a company reported falsified assay results that inflated the gold reserves to attract investors, it is in the public’s best interest for our profession—and its regulators—to develop advanced tools to stay ahead. It is certain that bad actors will also leverage AI to attempt to bypass existing legal frameworks, making it essential to reinforce our defences. However, as powerful as AI is, its use must be carefully guided. As a profession, we bear the responsibility to harness AI in ways that ensure its development and applications remain ethical, transparent, and fair. We need greater dialogue and a robust framework to guide this evolving area. Inherently, AI lacks an understanding of ethical intentions. It makes decisions based on the algorithms and code designed by humans, as well as the dataset on which it is trained. However, developers have the ability to instil AI with ethical or unethical subroutines either intentionally or unintentionally. Developers might choose to design it with an underlying malicious intent, such as spreading misinformation, or creating harmful automated decisions that negatively affect individuals, groups, or the natural world. Unintentional biases could also emerge if the AI is trained on a limited or biased dataset, leading to skewed decisions or outputs. For example, a mining company using AI to identify mineral exploration targets might train the system on a flawed dataset that lacks sufficient diversity in the geological dataset used for training. As a result, the AI could misunderstand key aspects of the mineralization controls if its training dataset is incomplete or biased. This could lead to the AI relying on surface-level features like rock type or mineral traces that resemble those found in resource-rich areas. However, without accounting for other critical factors such as depth, geological history, geochemistry, alteration, or other favourable conditions needed for mineral formation, the AI might incorrectly predict the presence of valuable deposits in barren areas. This misinterpretation could lead to the company and its shareholders to invest millions in unproductive exploration, wasting time and money. Meanwhile, the AI might overlook other areas with better prospects due to the skewed training dataset. Without the critical and well-trained eye of a P. Geo. guiding AI and validating its outputs, AI has the potential to cause not only financial losses, but also unnecessary environmental damage. PGO’s Code of Ethics calls on P. Geos to demonstrate “integrity, competence and devotion to service and to the advancement of human welfare”, and it is imperative that AI systems embody these principles as part of the original code. Responsible integration of AI is critical to upholding the public’s trust in our profession, and a balanced approach is needed to ensure that we seize opportunities while safeguarding the public and the natural world from harm. After using the wrong ingredients to bake a cake, Anne Shirley reflects “…isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” (Anne of Green Gables, Ch. 21, by L. M. Montgomery). In the age of AI, geoscientists must remain committed to continuous learning and ethical practice. AI will inevitably become more integrated in our daily activities. To ensure that AI has the right ingredients that will prevent harm to society or the natural environment, we need greater discussion and more collaboration with each other and our peers in data science to build a framework that guides the use of AI in geoscience practice. A proactive approach focusing on the development of an

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A hiker stands on the top of an outcrop looking over a distant mountain scene. Text reads: "Beneath Your Feet. A geoscience podcast."

PODCAST EPISODE 2: Stories, Science and Society: Reframing Geoscience Communication with P.Geo. Paul Hubley

Join podcast host Veronica Klassen and guest Professional Geoscientist and CEO of Geoscientists Canada Paul Hubley in this discussion of geoscience communication and the future of geoscience. Hear from Paul on his career, life advice, and how we can start to create a more accurate perception of geoscience in society. Join us in discussing how Earth Science can help us wrestle with the big issues of our time, and the importance of relationship building, storytelling, and listening in addressing these issues. Episode Audio: You can also listen to our podcast on these platforms: Episode Transcript: Veronica Klassen Hello, everyone. Welcome to Beneath Your Feet, a geoscience podcast. I’m Veronica Klassen, science communicator, geology enthusiast and your host. Here at the APGO Education Foundation, our mission is to spark curiosity and passion for the geology of Ontario. Whether you’re a geology nerd, science enthusiast, or nature lover, this podcast is for you. Join us as we geek out over fascinating geology, uncover the hidden stories and secrets of our extraordinary planet, and explore the captivating world beneath your feet. Today I’m meeting with Paul Hubley, and we’re going to be talking a little bit about his career, we’re going to be talking about advice for students, the perception of geoscience in society and some other really cool things. So yeah, if you want to just do like a quick introduction to yourself, that would be great. Paul Hubley, P. Geo Fantastic. Thank you very much. Thanks for inviting me here today, I’m excited to be here. So, Paul Hubley, I’m a male in my in my 50s, born in Halifax, living with my wife, Caroline, and on any given day, between two and three of our five kids are living with us as. We also have a little chihuahua. And I’m a professional geoscientist. Before we go further, geoscience is a regulated profession, just like engineering. So I’m a P. Geo. I’ve been in environmental consulting for 35 years, and the vehicle that brought me there is an education in Earth Sciences. I’ve got a Bachelors of Science with Honours in Geological Sciences from Brock University and a Master’s of Science in Earth Science from the University of Waterloo. That was way back when, in 1995 before the turn of the century, turn of the millennium. Other than being a father and geoscientist, I’m a self described serial volunteer. Just to pick up skills and contribute in ways that work didn’t bring bring to me. I like to landscape and build things outside, as long as it doesn’t have to be too fancy, then count me in. I’m a measure once, cut twice, kind of person. So I like to dabble. And I found out recently I like to do some creative writing, so I’m a bit of a groundskeeper as well. Veronica Yeah. And you’ve been doing some creative writing for our blog, which has been very fun. So you can check out those articles on our website.  Paul Yeah, it’s more of a dabbler. So the groundskeeper is the landscaping and the creative writing is a bit of a dabbler. So yeah, I hope that people do check it out. Veronica Yeah. Yeah, for sure. All right. Thanks so much. Yeah. So tell us a little bit about how you first got interested in geoscience. Like what drew you to geology? Paul Well, I had always been drawn to the ocean. Being born in Halifax and going to Nova Scotia almost every year and summer, the ocean was just part of my life. And somewhere around grade 10 or 11, I was convinced that I wanted to be in the Coast Guard. It would take me to the East Coast that I loved, keep me on the water for my entire life. That’s what I was thinking and I thought I’d like to push myself, I like to travel, all those things. And for some reason I just got the feeling that that particular thing was going to be too limiting. And also the 1980s were the time of deep sea exploration. Jacques Cousteau was sending submarines down to deep sea vents and they were finding these black smokers in the bottom of the Mariana Trench and things like that. And I just thought, this is amazing stuff. So then I switched from the Coast Guard to wanting to be a marine biologist. I was absolutely convinced I was going to be a marine biologist until I took a Grade 13 biology class and felt it wasn’t connecting. It was just a lot of memorization and just technical terms I just wasn’t connecting with. And I also had the opportunity to take a geology class in high school, which is pretty rare. That was inspiring. So, at the same time, the biology bubble was deflating and the geology bubble was inflating. And I thought, wow, I decided that I really wanted to work on environmental issues. And this could be a vehicle to do it. And it is. It has been. And I never looked back. I don’t know where I got it in my head. I thought it was my idea and nobody else had this idea, but apparently I was wrong. There was a whole industry that was building up at the time, so I probably picked it up somewhere else, but I took it on as my own. Veronica That’s awesome. Yeah. So you’ve been on quite a journey. What’s your best piece of advice for young students and how how can they figure out, kind of, what they are interested in, what they want to do? Paul Yeah, ultimately the journey was convoluted and it was difficult and there’s a lot of choices and that can be difficult for people. I guess I could say a couple of things here. One is that what you choose, if you’re lucky enough to feel, it feels right like I was, then go for it, do it.

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A geologic map showing different coloured rock units. Text over the map reads: "Geoscience Today. Introductory Resources for Exploring the Geology of Ontario."

Introductory Resources for Exploring the Geology of Ontario

A note from APGOEF:  Today we are publishing something a bit different than our regular blog posts! It is our primary goal at APGOEF to educate and spread awareness about geoscience, so when Ken Lyon presented us with this comprehensive list of resources, we couldn’t resist sharing it with our readers. We hope you will find this compilation useful to your exploration of earth science. APGOEF does not take responsibility for the content of the resources provided, and cannot vouch for their validity. Preface The following is written by: Ken Lyon, MSc, P.Geo, kenlyongeo@gmail.com, Peterborough, ON The impetus for this compilation of over 50 publications and internet resources came from Laura Mancini of the Ontario Geological Survey. Laura reached out to me in 2021 in my capacity as Newsletter Editor of the Kawartha Rock and Fossil Club. She had been contacted by someone who was looking to explore the geology of Ontario, and wondered if the Kawartha club might have something to help. Laura’s question fit in with a list of resources that I had started compiling for rockhounds, field naturalists and other people who like these kinds of things. Perhaps now more than ever with climate change and related issues front-and-centre, we are coming to appreciate that geoscience is hugely significant and fun to learn about and explore. In compiling this list, I have tried to offer some guidance by assigning levels to the resources ranging from Level 1 for those who know nothing or little about geology to Level 3 for those who feel comfortable with basic concepts. Resources marked with a * are particularly recommended. I have included some of my favourite books that cost money and also many good resources that are free of charge. Level 3 and beyond takes you into the worlds of serious mineral, rock and fossil collectors and people who have taken college and university courses. This is not to say that you need formal study. I am constantly learning from members of the Kawartha and other clubs who are self-taught and know more about some topics than I ever will. This compilation is a work-in-progress and I have made some minor revisions since 2021. Hopefully, you will find a few “nuggets” of information to help you get out and have some fun. Amethyst rock from Thunder Bay area, ON. Photo: Ken Lyon Amethyst is a purple variety of quartz and the official gemstone of Ontario. The reddish-brown crystals on the left are amethyst crystals coated with the iron mineral, hematite. The length of the rock shown is 40 cm. My wife bought this as a treasured addition to her rock garden. Acknowledgements While I take responsibility for selection of the resource list and comments, I would like to gratefully acknowledge review comments and encouragement provided by the following in alphabetical order: Andy Fyon, PhD, formerly of the Ontario Geological Survey; Kevin Kidd of the Kawartha Rock and Fossil Club and the Gem and Mineral Club of Scarborough; Laura Mancini, MSc, PGeo, of the Ontario Geological Survey; Bill Pearson, PhD, PGeo, and Deana Schwarz, PhD, PGeo, of the APGO Education Foundation; and Ashley Pollock of the London Gem, Mineral and Fossil Society, the Walker Mineralogical Club, and the Central Canadian Federation of Mineralogical Societies (CCFMS) Some Important Precautions and Disclaimers You are responsible for knowing where you can go, where you can park, what safety hazards may exist and what personal protective equipment you need, and what you can pick up and take back home. Parking rules change from road to road and place to place.  Respect all laws and rights governing private and Crown property, and obey all rules and regulations covering any access to and from any of locations. Bedrock outcrops and other locations can pose traffic, slip-trip-fall and other hazards. The use of hammers can be dangerous and in some cases destroys the outcrop for future observation. Rock, mineral and fossil samples cannot be removed from protected areas such as parks and conservation areas or from private property without permission. If you are rockhounding, please follow the CCFMS Code of Ethics for Rockhounds (https://ccfms.ca/Copied_Field_Trips.php) and Safety for Field Trippers (https://ccfms.ca/CCFMS-Safety-Rules.php). I have not personally visited most of the sites listed and cannot vouch for the accuracy of the content of the resources. And finally, I have to disclaim any liability in connection with the use of the information presented and my annotated comments and recommendations. Great Unconformity bedrock outcrop at Galesburg just northeast of Peterborough in The Land Between. Photo: Ken Lyon Paleozoic Ordovician limestone about 450 million years old overlying Precambrian granitic mountain core about 1 billion years old; incredible time spans. Annotated List Alphabetically by Author (or source when no author is available) Resources marked * are particularly recommended. Level 1 Resources Brachiopod and bryozoa fossils in limestone near Lindsay, ON. Photo: Don McLeod used with permission. Don maintains a good nature blog at https://www.donaldmcleod.com Fossiliferous Ordovician limestone about 450 million years old. At the time we were under a warm shallow sea south of the equator. The large fossil is about 3 cm across. Other Museums, Science Centres, Geo-Parks There are many museums and other facilities across southern Ontario that feature geology exhibits. Here are a few that were recommended by my reviewers: Arkona Lions Museum –  Arkona, ON Bancroft Mineral and Mining Museum, Bancroft, ON Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, ON Hooper Virtual Natural History Museum – Carleton University, Ottawa, ON Metcalfe Geoheritage Park – Almonte  Miller Museum of Geology, Queens University, Kingston, ON Oil Museum of Canada, Oil Springs, ON Science North – Sudbury, ON Additional Fossil Resources Some additional fossil references recommended by my reviewers are listed below: Level 2 Resources Physiographic features of the Peterborough – Stoney Lake, ON area. Small portion of Physiography of the South Central Portion of Southern Ontario. Ont. Dept. of Mines and Northern Affairs, Map 2226. Scale 1:253,440. © Queen’s Printer for Ontario 1972. Reprinted 1984 with minor revisions. Features shown include till moraine (purple), sand plains

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Aerial view of a landscape with rolling hills, a valley, and a river. On top of the photo text reads: "Geo Careers. Mary-Anne Hildebrandt." with the icon of a pickaxe hitting a rock.

Geo Careers: Mary-Anne Hildebrandt

What is a career? Merriam-Webster defines career as “a profession for which one trains, and which is undertaken as a permanent calling.” With more workplaces embracing the idea of flexibility, the weight of words like “permanent” and “calling” evoke something else entirely. Career originates from the Latin carrus, as in a wheeled cart, which some interpret to mean chariot (Online Etymology Dictionary, n.d.). It sounds a great deal more epic than logging into a laptop for another Zoom call. Imagine you and your coworkers embarking on a journey in chariots each day. Surely, with that as your vision, nothing is out of reach. So, what do you do for a living? It’s a common question for any social gathering, and yet, my answer is met with surprise. People are surprised to learn that I am not a teacher or nurse or some other career that matches their perception of who I am. No one has ever guessed that I am a geoscientist. Why? Do I not look or sound like a geologist? This encounter is not exclusive to the public. In truth, I’ve even been mistaken for an administrative assistant when standing in my office wearing head to toe safety gear surrounded by rock samples, and that’s not to say administration staff don’t do field work. They most certainly can and do! It’s that everyone carries bias, and when no other information is available, we fill in the missing data with assumptions based on our own perceptions of the world. Even recently at PDAC, I was asked if I was there as a member of the media, and not a geologist. Who knew that you could work in an industry for 17 years and still feel at times that you don’t quite fit other people’s perceptions of your job title. Every day there are lessons, and some are only learned much later.  When I left university for my first summer field position in 2006, I intended to return for a Master of Science, but looming student debt and other family obligations drove me to stay in the industry. I dreamed about continuing to hone my skills in the areas of geoscience that I enjoyed. Early on, I had a conversation with a manager of a team I wanted to join about my career aspirations, and he tried to put an end to those dreams. He explained that no company would invest their finite resources to support my development in this field because I was a woman, and at the age of 25, I was too old. In his experience, it wouldn’t be long before I would marry, have children, and pursue a different career. I left that conversation feeling devastated because this manager was someone that I truly respected. At the time, I didn’t know how to challenge the underlying beliefs and assumptions that he had conveyed about me. I questioned whether saying anything at all would make a difference. Who was he to decide what my future would hold? That evening, I resolved to not let his ignorance define me.   Did you stay in Geoscience? I have had the good fortune to have worked in the field of geoscience since graduating and successfully achieved my designation as a Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.) in 2017. Drilling, sampling, mapping, and modelling led me to a deeper understanding of the influence of geological processes, sample bias, and error within spatial models and mineral estimates. In addition, the depth and breadth of the technical projects I have been able to work on has increased not only my technical skills but also my leadership skills. After working for several years as the person performing the annual reconciliation for Mineral Resources and co-authoring the technical report on the resource, I was appointed to carry out the duties of Competent Person (as defined in the SAMREC and the JORC codes) for the deposit I had spent years mapping and modelling. A Competent Person is responsible for preparing the technical report used for public disclosure of a Mineral Resource and Reserve. In the Canadian context, a CP would be similar to a Qualified Person or QP under the National Instrument 43-101 Standard. CPs, like QPs, are considered to be competent to sign-off because they meet or exceed the knowledge requirements and have enough time working in a particular commodity, like gold. There are other requirements, and for those working in the industry, it is best to be well-versed in the governing code or standard for your jurisdiction. It’s an incredibly important responsibility that cannot be taken lightly, and I was honoured to know that those in power trusted my capabilities to appoint me into that role. Although I enjoy the technical aspects of my work, I have found mentoring and coaching others to be equally, if not more, rewarding. My career has carried me to remote areas across Canada and even overseas to Botswana and South Africa. I am forever grateful to have been mentored and supervised by professionals who are highly respected in their field. These are the people who saw the value I could add to a team and a project, and they were instrumental in why I stayed the course. I found professionals from all disciplines were always there to lend a hand or an ear to help find a solution to the latest problem.  One project that I had been assigned was to create a spatial estimate for a stockpile. This was not the norm and fell outside of our regular workflow. A stockpile is not an in-situ deposit. To use it in a business plan, my work still needed to answer similar questions that would be asked during mineral classification of an in-situ deposit. There are a number of factors involved in this work, but to keep this brief, these are the types of questions that needed to be considered: How did the mining team place the rock? Do we have confidence in the volume of the stockpile? How was the volume measured? At what frequency was the volume measured? Do

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Grey and red stones. Text overlay reads "Geo Careers. Sisyphus Mountain, A career reflection by Melanie Siewert, President of PGO"

Sisyphus Mountain: A Career Reflection by Melanie Siewert, President of PGO

In ancient Greek mythology, Sisyphus is known as the guy destined to push a rock up a mountain for all of eternity, with the rock rolling back to the bottom of the hill each time. For those that do not know the rest of the story, King Sisyphus was a mortal man, known for his arrogance. He made demands of the gods, claiming that his feats as a mortal made him worthy of becoming a god. He claimed he deserved, even demanded, that the gods grant him immortality. The Greek gods were ever obliging but in their twisted way, their gifts were rarely without a price. It is thought that the gods responded to King Sisyphus’ arrogance by rewarding him with a lesson in humility. This story of incessant effort with no reward is often used as a metaphor for our daily slog –  wake up, go to work, put in your hours, come home, go to sleep and do it all over again tomorrow. If this is what you are doing, you are not living a fulfilling career. You are merely collecting a pay cheque. It shouldn’t be that way! After over twenty years practicing as a geoscientist, I often get questions about what I like about my profession and what keeps me engaged. Indefinitely, my answer revolves around lifelong learning. I’ve seen a lot of change in the industry over my time. When I started in the industry, I thought it was about soil, rocks, water and their interactions with contaminants. Since that time, I’ve learned that a career in environmental consulting is about much more than the physical matrices we assess. I’ve learned about various site characterization and remediation technologies, human health and ecological risk assessment, ecological considerations, environmental liability and legal considerations. I’ve seen regulation changes that made previously ‘clean’ sites contaminated once more. I’ve even seen the evolution of methods to deal with contaminants of concern that had not even been identified when I first started practicing. Over the years, I’ve learned invaluable lessons about health and safety, professional ethics, client satisfaction and staff motivation. Some lessons were not necessarily by choice, like experiencing the look of disdain on the face of a driller’s helper that I sent home because he showed up at the drill site in running shoes or experiencing the gut-wrenching feeling of shutting down a job site after hitting a buried line after the public utility locator rushed and missed a traffic line. Other lessons are earned, like the understanding of how different contaminant plumes migrate and the telling evidence to suggest a commingled plume. And some lessons come from investing 10,000 hours in listening to client needs and learning how to tailor the products we provide to satisfy project specific objectives.  One of the most fulfilling aspects of my profession is passing those lessons on to the next generation of professionals: explaining the importance of listening to clients and hearing what drives their decisions. Is it fear of a health and safety incident or fear of a financial audit? Or is their priority protecting site aesthetics like a showcased tulip garden at a public park or avoiding disruptions to site operations like a profitable coffee drive through at a gas station. Or teaching reporting staff that how we present results can be as important as the actual results. I had a tough lesson very early in my career that always stuck with me. A reporter from a small town newspaper took a sentence from my publicly accessible environmental report and presented it out of context. It left me keenly aware of the importance of making every sentence count. I am immensely proud to know that young professionals that I have mentored over my career are now found throughout our industry in regulatory positions.  In my career, I’ve been blessed with daily challenges and opportunities for problem solving. I once visited a job site to perform a safety observation on field staff. Instead, we spent most of our time troubleshooting our drilling location as site logistics wouldn’t allow us to place the borehole where we needed to characterize soil contamination. Sitting in the van after finding a workable solution, he asked me “Have you ever had a job run exactly as planned?” I searched my memory bank and came up with nothing. Consulting is an industry of thinking on our feet and managing change. That same individual from the van left me thoroughly impressed when he applied his determination to a monitoring site where we had “lost” a well for several monitoring events. Other monitoring teams had been to the site and reported back that they couldn’t find the well based on the measurements provided. I remember the look on that determined individual’s face when he said “I saw that well before. I know I can find it.”  And he did! It had incorrectly been recorded relative to two adjacent survey pins; when he shifted his search to the next set of pins, the well was at the exact measurements provided on the figure. I find I have met the most interesting people over the years because consulting attracts people that thrive in an environment of discovery and change. For my part, I have never shied away from accepting those opportunities.  I’ve learned that geoscience is more than geology. You need to be part historian and part detective to piece together a complete conceptual site model. You need to be part interpreter and part politician to bring the right group of technical experts to the table to collaborate on multidisciplinary projects. Any environmental consultant will tell you that there is never a dull moment. We are masters in logistics and contingency planning. If your day to day feels like you are merely punching a time clock, perhaps you are not listening to what the universe is offering.  So back to the guy with the rock. There is an alternate theory to explain the lesson the Greek gods had for King Sissyphus. In

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