GEOLOGY. Studying the Earth.

GEOLOGY. Studying the Earth.

How did the Earth get its shape?

What was the world like millions of years ago?

What is the Earth made of?

Why do earthquakes happen?

These are some of the many questions that geologists try to answer. Geologists are people who study the Earth's structure and its history. The word 'geology' comes from Greek words meaning 'earth science'.

Geology is the study of the Earth, the materials of which it is made, the structure of those materials, and the processes acting upon them. It includes the study of organisms that have inhabited our planet.

Geology is an important science. Geologists help people find useful fossil fuels, such as oil and coal, which lie hidden in the Earth's crust. Geologists also help find out where earthquakes are likely to happen. This helps people choose the safest place to put up buildings.

Because there are so many things about the Earth that geologists study, geology is divided into many separate areas. For instance, the study of physical geology looks at the changes that take place inside the Earth and the reasons for those changes. Geochemistry is concerned with the chemical elements that make up rocks, soil, and minerals. Petrology deals with rocks themselves.

Do you know that paleontology is a form of geology? Paleontologists study life forms that existed on Earth millions of years ago, from the tiniest bacteria to enormous dinosaurs. But because these creatures died so many millions of years ago, their bodies have turned into fossils -living things preserved as rock.