This lesson will introduce you to the science of geology. You will learn the meaning and principles of geology, as well as the various branches of geology.
Do you feel amazed by the mountain peaks, waterfalls, molten lava, canyons, and rocks? Do you wonder what lies at the bottom of the seas and oceans, or the layers of material beneath the Earth's surface, mantle and core? Do you look up at the sky and think about what's in the sky?
All these questions are covered by the field of geology.
Geology is the study of the Earth's origin, structure, composition, and history (including the development of life) and the nature of processes that have given rise to the Earth as we know it today. Geology is the study of the interior and exterior surface of Earth. This includes the rocks and other materials that are around us, the processes that have resulted in the formation of those materials, the water that flows over the surface and lies underground, the changes that have taken place over the geological time, and the anticipated changes in the near future.
It is a science that uses deductive reasoning and scientific methods to understand geological problems. Understanding and application of all the other sciences like physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, astronomy, etc are involved in geology.
Do you know that the Earth is about 4.6 billion years old? A lot has happened in that time.
Geology is unique because unlike most of the other sciences, it also takes into account an extra dimension of 'time'. Most often, geologists are studying the results of processes that happened thousands, millions, and even billions of years ago. Most of these processes took place at a significantly slow rate but because of the amount of time available, they produced massive results.
Apart from the Earth's processes, geology also studies the evolution of life on Earth, exploring resources such as metals and energy, identifying and reducing the environmental effects of using these resources, and learning how to mitigate the hazards related to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc.
Through the study of geology, scientists have learned what our Earth is made of, how it changes, and how we can use it to produce things we need for survival.
Geology is a very broad field and it can be divided into many more specific branches. Broadly, geology is divided into three subcategories
1. Physical geology is the study of the solid Earth and the processes that change the physical landscape of the planet.
2. Historical geology is the study of analyzing Earth's past by investigating rocks and the information found in them.
Physical geology focuses more on the present-day planet, while historical geology investigates the planet's past.
3. Environmental geology is the study of the interaction between humans and the geological environment. The main goal of this branch of geology is to solve problems that have arisen due to this interaction. As the human population continues to increase, there will be shortages of natural resources, such as water, food, and energy, as well as an increase in environmental disasters like hurricanes. These issues caused by the growth of the human population put many people at risk. Using environmental geology, scientists are trying to learn more about how humans interact with their environment and what can be done to solve these issues.
These issues caused by the growth of the human population put many people at risk. Using the branch of environmental geology, scientists will attempt to learn more about how humans interact with their environment and what can be done to solve these issues.
Based on their specialties, there are specific titles. For example,
Other more specific branches
Besides the three broad branches, there are many other more specific branches of geology.
Planetary geology is the study of the solid matter that makes up celestial bodies, such as planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and meteorites. This focuses on the material composition of the other celestial bodies, how they are formed, and also how they interact with each other.
Economic geology is the study of the location and extraction of geological materials that are used by humans as economic resources. It focuses on the extraction of metal ores, fossil fuels, and other natural materials in the earth that have a commercial value.
Geochemistry is the study of the chemical processes which form and shape the Earth. It includes the study of the cycles of matter and energy which transport the Earth's chemical components and the interaction of these cycles with the hydrosphere and the atmosphere.
Oceanography is the study of the physical and biological aspects of the ocean. It covers a wide range of topics, from marine life and ecosystems to currents and waves, the movement of sediments, and seafloor geology.
Paleontology is the study of fossils and what they reveal about the history of our planet.
Sedimentology is the study of sedimentary rocks and the processes by which they are formed. It includes the five fundamental processes - weathering, erosion, transportation, deposition, and diagenesis.
Biogeology is the study of the interactions between the Earth's biosphere and the lithosphere.
Engineering geology is the application of geology to engineering practice.
Geochemistry is the science that applies chemistry to analyze geological systems.
Geologic modeling is applied science of creating computerized representations of portions of the Earth's crust.
Geomorphology is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them.
Geophysics is the physics of the Earth and its vicinity.
Historical geology is the study of the geological history of Earth.
Hydrogeology is the study of the distribution and movement of groundwater.
Marine geology is the study of the history and structure of the ocean floor.
Mineralogy is the scientific study of minerals and mineralized artifacts.
Mining geology is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth.
Petrology is the branch of geology that studies the origin, composition, distribution, and structure of rocks.
Stratigraphy is the study of rock layers and their formation.
Structural geology is the science of the description and interpretation of deformation in the Earth's crust.
Volcanology is the study of volcanoes, lava, magma, and associated phenomena.
