Some of us may notice that geology is considered as a return to past or specifically the stone age as depicted in movie. If it is allowed to be surveyed, most students of geology and the like are the second or third choice of their major college options instead of being the first choice. There is nothing wrong with this thinking, considering that now is the era of technology. Everything must be sophisticated and scalable with the support of modern tools. But we often forget where we stand, whether it is in a safe zone or a disaster zone. It can be said that geology is an ancient and underdeveloped science because it “only” examines rocks, the earth’s crust, and the like. Suppose you are interested in Geology and needed a forum where you can find all the enthusiasts about this knowledge. In that case, you may want to visit GeologyBuzz, whereyoucan find any related information about Earth Science such as Geology.
Whereas geology and meteorological geophysics are not just exploring the contents of the earth’s crust but also mapping the movement of earth and elements that exist both on the surface and in the bowels of the earth. We only realized the importance of geology when a disaster struck. Many geological maps contain information about volcanic and earthquake zones, known as rings of fire, fault or fault zones, aquifer zones or groundwater collections, fertile soil zones, rocky soil, dry soil, etc. Unfortunately, policymakers, especially in spatial planning, often ignore the warnings contained in these maps. We often forget that the bowels of the earth are still actively moving, not at all.
Regional Planning Plans
In preparing urban or regional planning plans, we are familiar with the term overlay or overlaying thematic maps. It determines which spaces can be used for activities, including living, spaces that can only be used on a limited basis, or event spaces that cannot be used at all. The results of the overlay are then colored according to the spatial designation plan and future spatial zoning.
However, in reality, urban spatial planning has largely surrendered to the existing conditions and is merely adding infrastructure or structuring the infrastructure network.
So far, the preparation of city plans is nothing more than giving color to the planned space, such as yellow for housing, green for green open spaces, dark blue for industry, light blue for commerce, and orange or red for offices. After that, the space pattern is planned to follow these colors so that they are integrated with one another.
Unfortunately, geological maps that contain information about rocks, soil types, faults, and the potential for earthquakes are not given much attention in the preparation of spatial plans.
In fact, this kind of information is actually more needed in preparing a spatial plan than just giving colors to the map. We are not observant in utilizing this information so that when an earthquake or other natural disaster occurs, the victims are greater because we do not anticipate the impact of the geological information.
Geological Maps
In urban or regional spatial planning, geological maps are more often considered displays that complement secondary data in giving color to the spatial zoning of cities or regions.
When there is an earthquake or tsunami disaster, then everyone realizes the importance of geology. Experts began to release data and information that had been neglected even though it had been exposed in the media the year before. It was too late, the victims suddenly fell, and once again, the government and the community had to return to taking care of a big celebration to cope with the impact of the earthquake.
We certainly don’t want events like this to keep repeating themselves because we are “lazy” to study geology and apply it in spatial planning. Therefore, it is necessary to provide insight to prospective high school graduates regarding the importance of geology and regional leaders to be more assertive in regulating the zoning of potentially disaster-prone spaces. The licensing sector also needs to be addressed by issuing permits and examining the extent to which the building is calculated to be resistant to earthquake shocks.
