Is being a geologist hard?

Much of the work that geologists do must be done in the field, and the field is typically fairly remote. Some locations are inaccessible except by foot, so geologists may need the stamina to hike to study rock formations and then carry samples out for further study.

This fieldwork also means that geologists have to travel a lot. Petroleum geologists may conduct explorations to locate gas and oil deposits, securing samples as they go. Engineering geologists may need to visit proposed dams or highways to determine the project's geological feasibility. All of this means a lot of travel.

The final challenge is insufficient science. In some sciences, answers are either right or wrong; there is a definite solution to a problem, and it is easy for a scientist to prove his theory. Geologists seldom have any of these luxuries, which can negatively affect the science-minded.

Because they are dealing with events that happened millions of years ago, concrete proof is hard to come by. For each set of data, several interpretations might be possible. Geologists must explore all possible answers to find the most likely scenario.