Some Problems in Applying Statistics to Geology

In this article Professor Krumbein points out that applications of statistics in some branches of geology are straightforward, but that geologists in general are faced with restrictions on probability sampling, with numerous variables that have to be ‘sorted out’ in terms of their relative importance, and with small‐scale sources of variability that sometimes obscure broader trends in the observational data. Some ways in which geologists approach these problems are discussed to acquaint statisticians with an actively growing field for further application of statistical methods.