”We need to understand what’s under our feet”

– I’ve always been fascinated byglaciers and high mountains, and I’m driven to try to explain our landscape. As a state geologist at the Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU), I work to create soil maps and produce soil information. It’s important to understand our geology, what’s under our feet, and how rock and loose masses are distributed – in particular so that we can tell where and how we can build.

– I live near Stenungsund, and when the major landslide happened I went there immediately. It felt apocalyptic taking in the new landscape. Soon the media started calling. There was a chain reaction, and I probably talked to 15 journalists in the first week. But it was fun. Now I’m involved in the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority’s inquiry into the incident. It’s important to learn from what happened in order to better assess future development and to reduce the risk of similar events. I believe that there is a growing demand for geological knowledge, and that the potential for landslides is also increasing due to climate change and more extreme rainfall.

– It was through my master’s thesis that I came into contact with SGU, and it’s something of a dream workplace. I like the societal aspect, that our geological surveys benefit society. It’s a cross between academia and a pure consultancy job, because what we do constantly borders on research. I have an incredible amount of knowledge from my education, and because it was so broad, Iunderstand my colleagues and related subjects very well – even though my area of expertise is soil geology. We also did a lot of fieldwork, which is extremely important and that’s where my enthusiasm really came out.

Text: Ulrika Ernström
Photo: Ulrika Ernström