Down to earth

October 12, 2011 07:24 pm | Updated November 26, 2011 12:19 pm IST

When reports of the Sikkim earthquake were trickling in through the media, a group of people on Facebook were already discussing the disaster online. A member of the group had relayed and posted a first-hand experience of another member from Gangtok.

“It started when a student of mine called me from Kolkata and told me how she experienced tremors. I immediately called Trideep Kumar, a former student of mine who works at the Geological Survey of India in Gangtok. He filled me in on his experience. He said the quake felt like being on a rocking boat. I immediately posted this on Geology Café,” says K.P. Jaikiran, founder of Geology Café.

Sea smell

The group was also the first to discuss the stench arising from the Arabian Sea. “A student called to say that there was an odd smell surrounding the city and its suburbs. I immediately contacted experts at Centre for Earth and Science Studies and India Metrological Department. They said it was the result of a bacterial decay of algal bloom. I posted a thread on our group and others who had additional information on the scenario added their input. It was only two days later that the media got a whiff of the news,” says Jaikiran.

So what exactly is Geology Café? Started in June 2011 by Jaikiran, an Assistant Professor in Geology and Coordinator, Internal Quality Assurance Cell at University College, Palayam, and his friend, Sajith Girinathan, Geology Café is a result of the duo's decision to start an online alumni group.

Says Sajith who is employed with Schlumburger (an oilfield services company), Abu Dhabi: “While chatting online with Jaikiran one day, we realised that there is no alumni association for geology students of the University of Kerala. We wanted to start a platform where students of geology could interact with former students who are now working with various companies and institutes. We have members who are working with National Gas Corporation, De Beers, and Shell Petroleum...”

The online group, which started with just 10 members, has now 217 members from different age groups. There are members who passed out from the University in the 1980s and those who are currently studying at the University. And although it was tough finding old students of the department, Saijith and Jaikiran said they found most of them through various social networking sites.

Says Sojen Joy, Manager Technical Reviews, De Beers Group Exploration, South Africa: “I passed out from University College in 1988. I was invited by Jaikiran to be a member of this group. Geology Cafe is a great venue to share knowledge, information, and also to keep in touch with friends. It holds interesting discussions about what is happening in the geological circle in India and abroad. I believe that in future even email as a communication medium will disappear and the social media will take over the communication channel. Forums like this can help students of geology through assistance in research or academic problems, career guidance or through mentoring. And for professionals, it is a privilege to share knowledge with the students; it pampers the teacher in you.”

Spreading wings

Apart from discussions on the latest development in the field of geology and on the latest geological occurrences across the globe, the group also posts job updates. Says Jaikiran: “We hope to expand our network. It will not be just alumni from the University of Kerala; all former and present geology students from around the world are welcome. That way, youngsters can expand their knowledge through online discussions. We plan to conduct various geology-related lectures in the city soon. In fact, in December, we hope to hold a discussion on flash floods, when many members of the group will be in the city.”

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