Investigate the composition, structure, or history of the Earth's crust through the collection, examination, measurement, or classification of soils, minerals, rocks, or fossil remains.

“Investigate the composition, structure, or history of the Earth's crust through the collection, examination, measurement, or classification of soils, minerals, rocks, or fossil remains.” is a core task performed by Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers. Among the occupation's 32 rated tasks, workers place it 30th by importance (#3 most important). About 91% of workers say it is relevant to their job.

This is a single occupation-specific task statement from O*NET. The figures below describe how central the task is to the job and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the task will be automated.

Work activities this task rolls up to

O*NET groups concrete tasks into broader work activities shared across many occupations.

• Research issues related to earth sciences. in Getting Information

AI exposure

The OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rates this task E0. No direct exposure — current language models give little or no time savings on this task.

Exposure measures whether a model could meaningfully speed the task up — it is an estimate of overlap with model capabilities, not a measure of whether the work will be done by software. The study's intermediate score (β) for this task is 0.00. Automation potential label: T1.

Other tasks in this occupation

• Plan or conduct geological, geochemical, or geophysical field studies or surveys, sample collection, or drilling and testing programs used to collect data for research or application. · importance 4.4
• Analyze and interpret geological data, using computer software. · importance 4.4
• Analyze and interpret geological, geochemical, or geophysical information from sources, such as survey data, well logs, bore holes, or aerial photos. · importance 4.3
• Identify risks for natural disasters, such as mudslides, earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions. · importance 4.2
• Assess ground or surface water movement to provide advice on issues, such as waste management, route and site selection, or the restoration of contaminated sites. · importance 4.2
• Prepare geological maps, cross-sectional diagrams, charts, or reports concerning mineral extraction, land use, or resource management, using results of fieldwork or laboratory research. · importance 4.2
• Communicate geological findings by writing research papers, participating in conferences, or teaching geological science at universities. · importance 4.1
• Inspect construction projects to analyze engineering problems, using test equipment or drilling machinery. · importance 4.0
• Provide advice on the safe siting of new nuclear reactor projects or methods of nuclear waste management. · importance 3.9
• Locate and estimate probable natural gas, oil, or mineral ore deposits or underground water resources, using aerial photographs, charts, or research or survey results. · importance 3.8
• Advise construction firms or government agencies on dam or road construction, foundation design, land use, or resource management. · importance 3.8
• Measure characteristics of the Earth, such as gravity or magnetic fields, using equipment such as seismographs, gravimeters, torsion balances, or magnetometers. · importance 3.8
• Locate and review research articles or environmental, historical, or technical reports. · importance 3.8
• Conduct geological or geophysical studies to provide information for use in regional development, site selection, or development of public works projects. · importance 3.7

See all tasks on the Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers page.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-task-3704,
  title  = {Investigate the composition, structure, or history of the Earth's crust through the collection, examination, measurement, or classification of soils, minerals, rocks, or fossil remains.},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/tasks/task-3704}
}