The impact of quality control on analyses will also be discussed, as well as the production of standard reference materials that are distributed internationally to Federal and private laboratories. As the primary Federal Earth-Science Agency, the USGS studies and provides solutions to questions concerning our planet, assesses the mineral resources of Federal lands, and serves as a repository for geochemical data generated by numerous Federal programs. These data are being applied to new economic and environmental concerns and provide a cost effective method to solve geochemical problems, often with no impact on wilderness or fragile refuges. Even if we can, our senses are not sharp enough to detect everything that is happening. The Earth is relentless in its course of change, but the transformation occurs over a vast amount of time.
Some geologic processes can take a million years or more to complete.
We know that today's events have also occurred repeatedly throughout geologic time. To understand our planet Earth, we need to read and interpret the permanent records in the Earth's crust and interior. These records are the key to the future, and many of these clues are preserved in the chemistry of geologic samples. Everything we touch in our daily lives is made up of elements. There are 92 elements that occur naturally, and in most cases, the human senses cannot recognize these elements when they are present in a compound.