WHAT DOES GEOLOGY STUDY? - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The geology studies the earth surface, the processes acting on it, the study of materials that make up the earth, its characteristics, structure and forces acting on them, and ways of life that have lived or live in the planet.

This discipline has been a subject of interest to man since the times of ancient Greece, during the 4th century. Aristotle was one of the first people to make some kind of observation on earth.

Similarly, at this time it was the first time that scientists and philosophers noticed certain differences between rocks and minerals.

During the 17th century, fossils were used to understand what has happened on Earth over time and to determine the age of the planet.

In the 18th century, minerals acquired more importance and commercial value. In the same way, the first theories about the formation of the earth's surface were raised.

James Hutton is considered the father of modern geology when determining the origin of different types of rocks. Hutton indicated that there are some rocks that arise from volcanic phenomena and others that arise from a sedimentation process (Dean, 1992).

In general, geology studies the composition of the earth, structure, morphology, dynamics and age. His fields of study include mineralogy, crystallography, petrology, internal and external geodynamics, geochemistry, tectonics, stratigraphy, sedimentology, geomorphology, paleontology, historical geology, and applied geology.

Object of study of geology

Categories

There are two main categories that geology can be divided into: geophysics and historical geology. Physical geology is responsible for studying the physical characteristics of the Earth and the processes that act on them.

This includes volcanic formations and activity, earthquakes, mountains, and oceans. In general, all the physical characteristics of the terrestrial soil.

Historical geology is the study of the history of the Earth. Historical geologists focus on what has happened to the planet since its formation. They also study the changes in life forms throughout history.

Within historical geology, you essentially travel back in time to the moment the Earth formed and how it evolved over time.

Fields of study

1- Climatology

This branch of geology is responsible for studying and classifying the different types of climates.

2- Mineralogy

Mineralogy is the branch of geology that studies the formation of minerals and their properties. It establishes its classification and crystallographic structure.

3- Crystallography

It is a branch of mineral geology that is responsible for studying crystalline matter, its forms, structures, properties and classification (Dana, 1875).

4- Edaphology

Edaphology is the science between geology and biology that studies the formation of the soil, its classification and dynamics.

5- Stratigraphy

Stratigraphy is the branch of geology that studies, explains and classifies the different types of sedimentary rocks in relation to those that are arranged in their environment.

In this way, it determines the temporal relationships and correlations between distant and nearby units (Prestwich, 1886).

6- Geochronology

Geochronology is the branch of geology that studies and applies the age of rocks. It uses multiple methods to determine the age of rocks in a relative or absolute way.

7- Geodynamics

Geodynamics is the branch of geology that is responsible for studying geological processes, actions and consequences that generate modifications in the earth.

These events can be caused by external agents (winds, rainfall, among others) and internal agents (volcanic activity, earthquakes, orogeny, among others).

8- Geophysics

Geophysics is the branch of geology that applies physical methods (gravity, magnetism, among others), to stretch the Earth from its internal layers (structure), to its external layers (winds, currents, among others) (Neuendorf & Institute, 2005).

9- Geomagnetism

Geomagnetism is the branch of geophysics that studies terrestrial magnetism and its application in the study of the structure of the Earth, continental drift and the investigation of certain resources, among others.

10- Geotechnical

Geotechnics are a branch of geophysics that applies this type of knowledge for the development of solutions in the field of civil engineering, such as the construction of different types of structures.

11- Geothermal

Geothermal is a branch of geophysics that is responsible for studying the internal temperature of the Earth, heat sources and the thermal properties of materials.

12- Gravimetry

Gravimetry is the branch of geophysics that is responsible for studying Earth's gravity and anomalies within it. These anomalies can be caused by mineral deposits and other factors within the terrestrial soil.

13- Applied Geology

Applied geology is the branch of geology that studies the application of geological knowledge to different human activities, mainly for the development of agriculture, certain resources and geological techniques.

14- Structural geology

Structural geology is the branch of geology that is responsible for studying the arrangement of rocks and the internal structure of the earth.

It is similar to the tectonic branch, but delves into regional and structural issues on a smaller scale (Fossen, 2010).

15- Geomorphology

Geomorphology is the branch of geology that studies the relief of the Earth, both continental and oceanic, and is responsible for inferring what has caused this type of formation and its development.

16- Geochemistry

Geochemistry is the branch of geology that studies the chemical elements and the distribution of isotopes in different places on earth, their layers and sedimentation, as well as the possible reactions that may take place (Tipper, 1976).

17- Hydrogeology

Hydrogeology is the branch of geology that studies groundwater and its relationship with surface water and rainfall.

It is in charge of studying the availability of water resources taking into account their overexploitation, contamination and derived problems.

18- Petrology

Petrology is a branch of geology that studies rocks, rewrites them, investigates their origin and classifies them taking into account different parameters, such as time.

19- Tectonics

Tectonics is a branch of geology that studies the structure of the earth's crust, the changes it has undergone, its origin and development. Analyze the structure of the cortex broadly.

20- Seismology

Seismology is a branch of geology that studies earthquakes, their effect and form of propagation in wave motion within the structure of the Earth (Girona, nd).

References

1. Dana, JD (1875). Manual of geology. New York: University of Michigan.
2. Dean, DR (1992). James Hutton and the History of Geology. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press.
3. Fossen, H. (2010). Structural Geology. Cambridge: Cambridge.
4. Girona, U. d. (sf). THE GATEWAY TO GEOLOGICAL FIELD ACTIVITIES. Obtained from The Disciplines of Geology: webs2002.uab.es
5. Neuendorf, KK, & Institute, AG (2005). Glossary of Geology. Alexandria: American Geological Institute.
6. Prestwich, J. (1886). Geology: Chemical, Physical, and Stratigraphical. Clarendon Press.
7. Tipper, JC (1976). The Study of Geological Objects in Three Dimensions by the Computerized Reconstruction of Serial Sections. The Journal of Geology, 476-484.