Loading
Skip to content
Buy Article
Primary Menu
Home
Buy the philosophy article you need today
Buy journalism articles
Contact
Search for:
Geology Articles – Introduction to the discipline and its definition
Geology (from the Greek geo, earth and logos, study) is the science that studies the Earth’s crust, the matter that composes it, its mechanism of formation, the changes it is experiencing since its origin and the texture and structure that its surface possesses currently. It is one of the Earth sciences. Geology was essential to determine the age of the Earth and to develop the so-called plate tectonics theory, according to which the terrestrial lithosphere, which is rigid and formed by the crust and the upper mantle, is fragmented in several tectonic plates, which moving about the asthenosphere, which has plastic behavior. The geologist helps locate and manage natural resources, such as oil and coal, and metals such as gold, iron, copper and uranium, for example. Many other materials have economic interest: gemstones, many minerals with industrial application such as asbestos, pumice, perlite, mica, zeolites, clays, quartz, or elements such as sulfur and chlorine.
Thus, Geology is composed of the study of all the factors that make up the Earth, such as the oceans, continents, reliefs, fauna, flora and the different processes of interaction between all these areas. The main focus of this discipline is the study of all the components that make up the terrestrial globe, from its formation to the possible changes that it will experience in its structure over the years. The main focus of this discipline is the study of all the components that make up the terrestrial globe, from its formation to the possible changes that it will experience in its structure over the years.
The relation of Geology to other sciences and their derived disciplines
Geology is directly related to many other sciences, especially geography and astronomy. On the other hand, Geology also uses tools provided by chemistry, physics and mathematics, among other sciences, while biology and anthropology use geology to support many of its studies.
Within the geological sciences, it is possible to distinguish several disciplines:
Structural Geology is one that studies the structures of the earth’s crust. In this way, it analyzes the relationship between the different rocks that compose it.
Historical geology, on the other hand, studies the transformations of the Earth, from its origin until the moment. To facilitate analysis, geologists have performed chronological divisions such as eras, periods, and ages, among others.
Economic geology is interested in the study of rocks in search of mineral wealth that can be explored by man. When the geologists find deposits, mining begins.
Seismology aims at the study of earthquakes and the propagation of seismic waves. The process of rock breaking, responsible for the release of seismic waves, is one of its main points of in