Dig into jobs that take people underground, and imagine what future explorers might find on other planets.
Diamonds. Iron ore. Underground rivers. What comes to mind when you think about the world beneath your feet? And not just our world, but the unexplored nether realms of other planets? Read on to discover the underground careers of today and tomorrow.
Working off-world (i.e. in the rest of the solar system)
Planetary geologists are a bit like space detectives! They study how planets, moons, asteroids and comets formed, and what they are made of.
If you become a planetary geologist, you could work at:
Space agencies
Go on planetary missions and do research with the Australian Space Agency (ASA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) or the European Space Agency (ESA).
Aerospace companies
Design spacecraft or plan space exploration missions.
Universities
Why not research planetary science and astrobiology?
Media
As a science communicator, you could get paid to inspire others!
Mining companies
Work out how to mine resources on other planets or on asteroids.
Imagine walking around the desert – in a space suit!
Angela Garcia trains the engineers, astronauts and geologists who will be sent on NASA’s Artemis mission to the Moon.
Working on-world (i.e. here on planet Earth)
Geologists and geoscientists are the people you want to know when you need to find out what’s way, way beneath your feet. From volcanoes to gold mines and earthquakes to underground water sources, geologists rock!
The top 5 on-world jobs
(In alphabetical order – because they are all ‘ore-some’!)
1. Earth science teachers
Arguably the most important, because we always need new geologists!
2. Engineering geoscientists
Decide if the ground is stable enough for large buildings, mine projects, dams or oil drilling.
3. Environmental geoscientists
Study our planet to help us use its resources wisely, and keep it healthy.
4. Exploration and resource geologists
Look for minerals like gold, copper or iron ore, and work out the amounts and quality of minerals underground.
5. Geophysicists
Be a volcanologist, earthquake researcher, tectonic plate scientist and more!
Storytime
Semper
Could there be useful minerals, water, or even life on Jupiter’s remote moons?
Check out this edited extract from Semper, a story of a girl and her robot dog searching for resources on Europa… 780 million kilometres from home.
Shang stared out at Jupiter through the viewport, hanging overhead like their own cold sun. Every time she caught sight of it, she’d get goosebumps. It had taken her 6 years to get here, most of which she’d spent sleeping.
She was eager to get onto Europa, the moon she’d been assigned to explore for resources and critical minerals. She’d sacrificed a lot to be here. Everything, in fact.
But Shang had been assigned the worst robo on the entire base. It looked like a giant terrier puppy, a big useless Drobo that was smooth and silver and needy. The one good thing about Semper, she thought, was that it didn’t drool like Earth dogs did . . .
Read or listen to Semper. How many STEM skills can you find in the story?
Sneaky schoolwork
Psst! Get this mission marked off in the classroom. Hand your teacher this B&G matrix to show you’ve got schoolwork sorted.
This article was first published in Careers with STEM: Primary, and was produced in partnership with Future You.
– Written by Kath Kovac
