ROCKS IN THE ATTIC AND DIRT IN THE GARAGE: WHY DO WE KEEP ALL OF THIS STUFF?

Geologists have a habit of preserving the geologic past. Our offices are often cluttered with books, manuscripts, and reams of old data. Tucked away in cabinets, in a corner, under the drafting table, or under the desk are boxes of rocks, thin sections, bags of soil, fossils, and mineral specimens that have been collected during our careers. With each field season, the piles grow until a point is reached where action must be taken. Sometimes the older material goes into the dumpster but just as often it is simply moved to another location – a warehouse, a shed, or even home to our own attics and garages.

So why do we keep all of this stuff? Geologists do it because they believe that these data and samples have additional untapped value. And often this perception is correct; provided that the materials are sufficient documented. There are many examples of new life for data and samples that have been recovered from obscurity. Experiences from the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) geochemistry project database, the USGS National Geochemical Database project, the USGS National Geochemical Sample Archive, and the Denver, Colorado, Metropolitan Area Soil Survey will be used to give a few examples.