Adriana Heimann is a native of Uruguay, but through her geological research she has seen the world.

Heimann, graduate student in geological and atmospheric sciences, has traveled around the United States.

She is conducting an extensive research project in Australia.

Heimann is working on a project in Broken Hill, New South Wales, that could create large profits for the mining industry.

“It is the largest deposit in the world of lead, zinc and silver,” Heimann said.

“A deposit would be big at 50 million tons, but this one is 280 million tons.”

This creates big business in economic geology, which deals with metals that have economic value, like gold or lead.

Because of the economic value of this deposit, there is a push from the mining companies in South Australia and the Australian Mines Department to find more deposits similar to this. Heimann said similar deposits exist, and the research she is doing is helping to find them.

Studying rocks from the Broken Hill deposit and finding what minerals are typically present in those rocks gives mining companies an idea of what to look for in a deposit elsewhere in the world that could be profitable.

Projects allowing graduate geology students to travel the world are common at Iowa State and necessary in Heimann’s field of study, she said.

Heimann completed her bachelor’s degree in Uruguay and through a chance meeting at a barbecue there, she was introduced to Paul Spry, professor of geological and atmospheric sciences.

Heimann said she knew she wanted to go to another country for graduate school, and Spry sent her information about Iowa State’s geology program.

She came to Iowa and began her career in geology, and said she has continued to enjoy the many opportunities geology has afforded her.

“You have to go to where the rocks are,” said Carl Jacobson, chairman of geological and atmospheric sciences. “A fair number [of students] go to pretty exotic places.”

Professors and students travel around the United States and to locations all over the world, often to research and try to solve problems dealing with environmental issues like glacial movement, global warming, pollution and agricultural contaminants affecting ground water.

Jacobson said many ISU geology students also go on to work for the government in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, for environmental consulting companies or plan to teach.

Employment in the oil, gas and mineral industries is also making a comeback through the rising price of these commodities related to the increased demand in Asia.

There are about 25 undergraduate students and 15 to 20 graduate students in geology at Iowa State. Although Jacobson said there are not as many total jobs in geology as in some other sciences, there are fewer of these students to start with, and students should be aware of the excellent opportunities these careers can bring.

Heimann said it is important for students to do what they love and make use of the benefits of experiences like those she has had.

“I am just following my passion for geology and science, and the reward is immense,” Heimann said.