Req 4b — Energy Underground

This option is about geology beneath the surface. You will connect energy use in the United States to the rocks and structures that hold fuels underground. You will also practice one of the most important exploration ideas in geology: using limited data to map what you cannot directly see.

What You’ll Complete

• Req 4b1 — Power Sources in the United States: Identify the major Earth resources used to generate electricity. You will gain national-scale context for energy geology.
• Req 4b2 — Source, Trap, and Reservoir: Learn the three-part system needed for oil and gas accumulation. You will gain the key vocabulary of petroleum geology.
• Req 4b3 — Tools for Finding Oil and Gas: Study exploration tools from seismic surveys to core samples. You will gain a look at how geologists investigate hidden structures.
• Req 4b4 — Subsurface Structure Maps: Build a map from counselor-provided data points. You will gain real practice turning numbers into a geologic picture.
• Req 4b5 — Show or Visit a Drilling Operation: Choose either a presentation path or an approved field visit. You will gain a chance to communicate or observe real-world exploration work.

How to Approach This Option

Keep a notebook page just for terms and diagrams. This option uses several technical words, and a labeled sketch of a trap, well log, or structure map will help more than trying to remember definitions in your head.

You are about to look at the geology behind the electricity people depend on every day.