Imagine if a man with superpowers really did exist - the comic book hero, Superman, would probably be our first choice. Long-time readers of Superman comics may recall past "imaginary" tales depicting what Superman would have done had he retired from fighting crime - invariably, the comic book writers converted the retired crime-fighter into a super-doctor researching miracle cures for deadly diseases. Such scenarios lack imagination - Superman would better serve humanity as a geologist! There is good rationale for this idea; remember that Superman was sent to Earth due to a geological catastrophe (planetary core explosion) on his home planet. A super-powered geologist would fill a severe technological gap in the study of the Earth (especially the study of the Earth's interior). As a mere doctor, Superman's individual efforts could probably be matched by a large team of medical workers. Imagine a superhuman geologist who could do all of these things by himself:

• X-ray diffraction of minerals and rocks, using one eye as an X-ray source, and the other eye as a detector!

 
• X-ray stratigraphy ," in which Superman could locate minerals, oil, and groundwater by sight.

 
• Seismic stratigraphy , using himself as a "thumper truck," and his super- hearing for monitoring and correlation.

 
• Aerial remote sensing , using his telescopic vision.

 
• Deep borehole drilling , as human drill rig - imagine reaching all the way through to the Earth's core and bringing back fresh rock samples, to boot! Superman could revolutionize solid earth science.

 
• Seismic fault monitoring - a superhuman observer could obtain far more data than any instrument; and if an earthquake strikes, he could "heal" the fault zone!

 

 
 
 

In today's age of specialists, here are some geological specialties ideally suited for Superman:
 

• Geophysics : Using his supersenses and unlimited range of exploration, Superman could perform gravity, magnetic, geodetic, and other tests with unprecedented speed and accuracy.

 
• Geochemistry : Using super-strength, Superman could create new and unknown high-pressure minerals (recall his well-known feat of turning coal into diamonds). What about high-temperature minerals? No problem - he also has heat vision. (The world diamond market could be in trouble.)

 

 
 
 

In hostile environments, Superman could literally "go where no man (or geologist) has gone before":
 

• As a planetary geologist , he could obtain extra-terrestrial samples first-hand.

 
• As a marine geologist , he could map the ocean floor by swimming at super-speed, dive down into subduction zones and mid-ocean ridges, investigate intraplate hot spots and hydrothermal vents, and drill through the ocean floor. Perhaps "Project Mohole" should be renamed "Project Kal-El."

 
• As a glacial geologist , Superman could easily bore through the Arctic and Antarctic ice and obtain samples of bedrock.

 
• As a petroleum geologist , Superman could not only find oil using his super-senses, he could also recover it in a way no conventional machines could - by inhaling. If the hydrocarbons are found to be not quite geologically mature, a little heat vision could cook them to the proper composition. The competition by oil companies for Superman's services would be ferocious. Maybe if he worked for the U.S. Geological Survey, he could avoid this controversy.

 
• Perhaps the greatest scientific feat that Superman could accomplish would be time travel . If it were possible, the Earth's past history and the evolution of life could be verified first-hand. We would finally know when the Earth was created, and how it actually happened. (Creationism would be put out of business for good!) Wouldn't it be nice to have dinosaurs and trilobites (and perhaps, early whales) brought back for study?