geology

/dʒiˈɑlədʒi/

/dʒiˈɒlədʒi/

Other forms: geologies

Geology is the study of the Earth and what it's made of, including its natural history.

Just as biology is the study of earth's life forms, geology is the study of the earth itself. Geology tells us where lakes once were, where volcanoes erupted, where glaciers pushed up mountains and then melted. Geologists — people who study geology — tell us where to find oil, coal and diamonds and then they explain how they got there. If you find the natural world beautiful and interesting, you might enjoy studying geology.

Definitions of geology

1. noun

   a science that deals with the history of the earth as recorded in rocks
   types:

   hypsography

   the scientific study of the earth's configuration above sea level (emphasizing the measurement of land altitudes relative to sea level)

   palaeogeology, paleogeology

   the study of geologic features once at the surface of the earth but now buried beneath rocks

   geophysical science, geophysics

   the science that studies how energy and matter interact in the earth's surface, interior, and surrounding space

   orography, orology

   the science of mountains

   stratigraphy

   the branch of geology that studies the arrangement and succession of strata

   mineralogy

   the branch of geology that studies minerals: their structure and properties and the ways of distinguishing them

   spelaeology, speleology

   the scientific study of caves

   economic geology

   the branch of geology that deals with economically valuable geological materials

   geomorphology, morphology

   the science that studies the characteristics, configuration, and evolution of rocks and land forms

   hydrology

   the branch of geology that studies water on the earth and in the atmosphere: its distribution and uses and conservation

   seismology

   the branch of geology that studies earthquakes

   volcanology, vulcanology

   the branch of geology that studies volcanoes

   magnetics, magnetism

   the branch of science that studies magnetism

   geodesy

   the branch of geology that studies the shape of the earth and the determination of the exact position of geographical points

   petroleum geology

   the branch of economic geology that deals with the occurrence and exploitation of oil and gas fields

   mining geology

   the branch of economic geology that deals with the applications of geology to mining

   type of:

   earth science

   any of the sciences that deal with the earth or its parts