Geological Sciences

What is Geological Sciences: 

Geology is the study of the Earth, its composition, its history, and its constantly changing character. Geologists study the origin and evolution of our planet; the chemical and physical properties of minerals, rocks, and fluids; the structure of our mobile crust - it’s newly forming ocean floors and its ancient drifting continents; the history of life; and the human adaptation to earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides and floods. The subject matter of geology ranges from dinosaurs to the prediction of earthquakes. If you are intensely curious about the planet on which we live, challenged by problems which involve the Earth, and are intrigued by the potential of a subject which combines the best of both the arts and sciences, geology is a major you should consider. Geology attracts women and men who love the outdoors and thrive on practical challenges. In addition to a basic field component, the earth sciences employ much of the sophistication of chemistry, physics and engineering to interpret the nature, origin and usefulness of minerals, rocks, soils, oceans, groundwater and atmosphere.

Why is Geology important? Geology is the study of the Earth and how it works.  Geologists investigate processes that operate at and below the surface of the Earth, and the materials in which these processes occur.  Geologists not only look at the present-day processes, but they examine the historic record of geologic events preserved in the rock record. Believe it or not, geology is all around us - not just in the mountains or oceans, but we actually see geology and depend on geologic resources in our everyday lives.  For example, if you wanted to construct a building, you would need geologic materials for construction such as gypsum, limestone, clay, sand, gravels, to name a few. Globally, we face natural hazards of one sort or another.   Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, droughts, groundwater pollution, hurricanes... all are dynamic processes taking place even as you read this.  We can't prevent hazards from occurring.  But, if we study the past and present record of these events, we can gain a better idea of how these processes work and help predict and prepare for future events. And yes, geology does involve looking at rocks.  But there is so much information locked up in these rocks that can help us better predict the behavior of the Earth.   Geologists keep busy trying to find, develop, and conserve natural resources.   Geologists investigate our water supplies and strive to keep them clear of pollutants.  Geologists are working to determine the controls on, and lessen the effects of, natural hazards.

What do Geologists do?

Whether you are interested in fieldwork or in the laboratory, geology offers you many options for an interesting career. You might work with a rock hammer, a drilling rig, a microscope, a computer or with scale models such as wind tunnels. You might even reach the moon!

Geologists investigate the materials, processes, products and history of the Earth. They often specialize in one of the following areas:

Hydro geologists: study the abundance, distribution and quality of ground water.

Environmental geologists: work to solve problems with pollution, waste disposal and urban development and hazards such as flooding and erosion.

Geo morphologists: study the effects of Earth processes and investigate the nature, origin and development of present landforms and their relationship to underlying structures.

Pale climatologists/Pale oceanographers: interpret past global changes and predict future changes from past records.

Volcanologists: investigate volcanoes and volcanic phenomena.

Seismologists: study the location and force of earthquakes and trace the behavior of earthquake waves to interpret the structure of the Earth.

Petroleum geologists: are involved in exploration and production of oil and natural gas.

Economic geologists: explore for and develop geologic materials that have profitable uses.

Engineering geologists: investigate geologic factors that affect engineering structures such as bridges, buildings, airports and dams.

Geochemists: investigate the nature and distribution of chemical elements in rocks and minerals.

Pathologists: determine the origin and genesis of rocks by analyzing the textures and chemistry of minerals and rocks.