An environmental geologist discovers contamination in soil surrounding groundwater which supplies a local reservoir. What are some steps he/she should take to figure out where the contamination stems from? (Scientific method)

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer: Although not a step of the scientific method, the geologist should immediately notify all emergency personnel in order to keep people from drinking contaminated water! First, the geologist proposes a simple question: Where is this coming from? After collecting data and seeing what the contaminant is (mercury), the geologist can narrow the possibilities to a few sources. After research on the data, the geologist sees that mercury is a common pollutant from factories. The geologist then formulates a hypothesis that the mercury stems from a factory located several miles away. This hypothesis is then tested through several field and lab experiments. The results support the hypothesis, and so the geologist writes reports analyzing, discussing, and concluding the results. He/she then communicates the results to other colleagues or officials in order to shut down the source and clean the soil, creating clean drinking water once again.