AI exposure: Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers
Study the composition, structure, and other physical aspects of the Earth. May use geological, physics, and mathematics knowledge in exploration for oil, gas, minerals, or underground water; or in waste disposal, land reclamation, or other environmental problems. May study the Earth's internal composition, atmospheres, and oceans, and its magnetic, electrical, and gravitational forces. Includes mineralogists, paleontologists, stratigraphers, geodesists, and seismologists.
Reading this score
computed42.6% of this occupation's weighted task load is exposed, which puts Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers at the 76th percentile of 923 occupations. The capability is largely there. Its average task scores 2.6 out of 4 on what a current system can produce, and the frictions that hold other jobs in place are comparatively weak here.
What holds the line here is context. Across this occupation's 32 tasks it averages 1.89 out of 3, the highest of the five friction dimensions. In plain terms, the work depends on knowledge the model cannot hold. Much of this job runs on things that were never written down: what this particular organisation does, what happened last week, what the person across the table actually meant. That context is the barrier, and it erodes as systems are given more access.
The most exposed thing this job does is Review environmental, historical, or technical reports and publications for accuracy, at 86.7%. The least is Inspect construction projects to analyze engineering problems, at 5.8%. A gap of 80.8% between two parts of the same job is the reason this index publishes at task level. An occupation-wide number would have hidden both.
Within life, physical and social science occupations, this one is more exposed than most. The median across the 60 roles in the group is 35.8%, and only 16 of them score higher than this. Occupational families are not uniform, and the spread inside them is often wider than the gap between them.
What would move this score. Of 32 tasks, 25 are currently banded exposed, 3 assisted and 4 untouched. For that distribution to shift materially would take cheaper ways to verify output, since the cost of checking is currently doing more to hold this work in place than the cost of producing it. The score is re-computed every quarter against a fresh capability reference, and the change is published rather than quietly applied.
Task by task
32 tasks, O*NET 31.0| Task | Exposed | Assisted | Untouched | Importance | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Review environmental, historical, or technical reports and publications for accuracy. | 86.7% | 13.3% | 0.0% | 3.56 | exposed |
| Locate and review research articles or environmental, historical, or technical reports. | 80.0% | 20.0% | 0.0% | 4.41 | exposed |
| Identify risks for natural disasters, such as mudslides, earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions. | 70.0% | 30.0% | 0.0% | 3.84 | exposed |
| Analyze and interpret geological data, using computer software. | 58.3% | 29.2% | 12.5% | 4.19 | exposed |
| Analyze and interpret geological, geochemical, or geophysical information from sources, such as survey data, well logs, bore holes, or aerial photos. | 58.3% | 29.2% | 12.5% | 4.15 | exposed |
| Prepare geological maps, cross-sectional diagrams, charts, or reports concerning mineral extraction, land use, or resource management, using results of fieldwork or laboratory research. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 4.30 | exposed |
| Locate and estimate probable natural gas, oil, or mineral ore deposits or underground water resources, using aerial photographs, charts, or research or survey results. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 4.08 | exposed |
| Identify deposits of construction materials suitable for use as concrete aggregates, road fill, or other applications. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.32 | exposed |
| Design geological mine maps, monitor mine structural integrity, or advise and monitor mining crews. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.29 | exposed |
| Identify new sources of platinum group elements for industrial applications, such as automotive fuel cells or pollution abatement systems. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.20 | exposed |
| Develop applied software for the analysis and interpretation of geological data. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.00 | exposed |
| Locate potential sources of geothermal energy. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.00 | exposed |
| 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. | 47.5% | 27.5% | 25.0% | 4.33 | exposed |
| Communicate geological findings by writing research papers, participating in conferences, or teaching geological science at universities. | 46.7% | 28.3% | 25.0% | 4.35 | exposed |
| Review work plans to determine the effectiveness of activities for mitigating soil or groundwater contamination. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 3.95 | exposed |
| Advise construction firms or government agencies on dam or road construction, foundation design, land use, or resource management. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 3.79 | exposed |
| Determine methods to incorporate geomethane or methane hydrates into global energy production or evaluate the potential environmental impacts of such incorporation. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 3.00 | exposed |
| Determine ways to mitigate the negative consequences of mineral dust dispersion. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 2.89 | exposed |
| Research ways to reduce the ecological footprint of increasingly prevalent megacities. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 2.56 | exposed |
| 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. | 26.7% | 23.3% | 50.0% | 4.19 | exposed |
| Study historical climate change indicators found in locations, such as ice sheets or rock formations to develop climate change models. | 26.7% | 23.3% | 50.0% | 4.00 | exposed |
| Conduct geological or geophysical studies to provide information for use in regional development, site selection, or development of public works projects. | 26.7% | 23.3% | 50.0% | 3.65 | exposed |
| Develop strategies for more environmentally friendly resource extraction and reclamation. | 26.7% | 23.3% | 50.0% | 3.65 | exposed |
| Develop ways to capture or use gases burned off as waste during oil production processes. | 26.7% | 23.3% | 50.0% | 3.00 | exposed |
| Research geomechanical or geochemical processes to be used in carbon sequestration projects. | 26.7% | 23.3% | 50.0% | 2.75 | exposed |
| Collaborate with medical or health researchers to address health problems related to geological materials or processes. | 23.3% | 26.7% | 50.0% | 2.95 | assisted |
| Test industrial diamonds or abrasives, soil, or rocks to determine their geological characteristics, using optical, x-ray, heat, acid, or precision instruments. | 23.3% | 26.7% | 50.0% | 2.95 | assisted |
| 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. | 13.3% | 11.7% | 75.0% | 3.91 | untouched |
| Measure characteristics of the Earth, such as gravity or magnetic fields, using equipment such as seismographs, gravimeters, torsion balances, or magnetometers. | 13.3% | 11.7% | 75.0% | 3.61 | untouched |
| Provide advice on the safe siting of new nuclear reactor projects or methods of nuclear waste management. | 13.3% | 36.7% | 50.0% | 3.93 | assisted |
| Identify possible sites for carbon sequestration projects. | 10.0% | 15.0% | 75.0% | 3.00 | untouched |
| Inspect construction projects to analyze engineering problems, using test equipment or drilling machinery. | 5.8% | 19.2% | 75.0% | 3.41 | untouched |
Task text and importance ratings sourced from O*NET 31.0. Shares computed. The occupation score is the importance-weighted mean.
Where the score comes from
judgedEvery task is scored through the standardised work activities it maps to. These are this occupation’s averages on the six rubric dimensions. Capability is what AI can do; the other five are what stands in the way.
| Dimension | Mean | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Capability | 2.59 | 0-4 |
| Embodiment | 0.85 | 0-3 |
| Presence | 0.39 | 0-3 |
| Accountability | 1.22 | 0-3 |
| Context | 1.89 | 0-3 |
| Verification cost | 1.88 | 0-3 |
What this means in practice
Where most of a role's weighted task load is exposed, the work that survives is usually the part of the job nobody wrote into the job description: deciding what should be produced rather than producing it, and being answerable for the result. The tasks lowest on this page are a better guide to where to spend your time than any general advice about the future of work.
Occupations either side of this one
The four closest scores in the same occupational family, then the four closest anywhere in the index.
Read this carefully. Exposure is not displacement. A high score means current AI systems can produce this work, not that anyone will stop paying a person to do it. Adoption depends on economics, regulation and inertia that this index deliberately does not model. How the score is built.