Question

QUESTION: Suggest the overlapping tasks between an engineering geologist and a geotechnical engineer in both landslide and earthquake occurrences/fincidents. Your Should include your own opinion and relate these two geohazards with soil and rock mechanics/behavior.

the answer should be more than one page

Answer 1

A geologist knows the types of soils and rocks, a engineer knows the stability of these with respect to the stress. So for natural geohazard studies, the responsibilities of both professionals carry equal importance. In other words both should be proficient geologically and geotechnically to address the issue and to take the corrective and preventive action plans.

The slope stability is the major factor to be considered for landslide study. A geologist can help by studying the local subsurface lithology, hydrogeology, drainage pattern, land use pattern to calculate the slope stability of the outcrop rock and to calculate the maximum allowable stress on the rock for any construction to prevent any unforeseen damage.

The origin of the soil is also a major factor to know the soil stability. Geologist can do a assessment on the origin and on the basis of the outcome, the engineer can do a study of the soil stability. One Engineer can a plan for the best suitable method and design of any civil construction above the hazardous area for a safe operation.

For earthquake, the knowledge of the different layers of the earth and their response to different waves is primary concern. Both the professionals should be acquainted with these characters. They both know the seismic propagation within different rocks and different layers of the earth. The geologist can give the input for the composition of crust, mantle and core on the basis of which the geotechnical engineer can do an assessment  of the seismic wave propagation through these media and they can find the epicenter and the responsible stress.

A geologist know how the soil and rock were formed and the geotechnical engineer know why these are formed in term of their mechanical properties. So there is a wide overlapping between these experts and a high level of collaboration is needed to get the maximum success.