Branches of Geology

Branches of Geology
1. Physical geology is the fundamental study of the earth's lithospheric components like rocks,
minerals, and soils and how they got originated over a period of time. It deals with the Solar
system, the Earth’s origin, age and internal constitution, weathering and mass-wasting,
geological work of river, lake, glacier, wind, sea and groundwater. It also deals with the
Volcanoes - their types & distribution, geological effects and products; earthquakes –its
distribution, causes and effects. Physical Geology also projects the elementary ideas about
the origin of geo synclines, concept of isostasy and mountain building(Orogeny), continental
drift, seafloor spreading and plate tectonics.
2. Historical geology is the discipline that uses the principles and techniques of geology to
reconstruct and understand the past geological history of Earth. It is a major branch which deals
with the records of events of earth history and with the historical sequence and evolution of
plants and animals of past ages. Its object is to arrange the events of earth history in the regular
chronological order of their occurrence and to interpret their significance. Fortunately, the
historical records are preserved in the layered rocks of the crust. Historical Geology is,
sometimes, called as Stratigraphical Geology. It brings together all collated details of other
Branches of Geology like Paleontology, petrology and structural geology, pertaining to age-wise
correlated beds.
3. Geomorphology is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of landforms and
landscapes created by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or near the
Earth's surface. It is concerned with the internal geologic processes of the earth’s crust, such as
tectonic activity and volcanism that constructs new landforms, as well as externally driven
forces of wind, water, waves, and glacial ice that modify such landforms. It is closely related to
soil science, hydrology, geology and environmental science. This has the potential for
applications in environmental / development planning, transport, human settlements, mining
and hydrological sectors, hospitality and tourism. Geomorphology also focuses on the
investigation of surface processes and the way these processes create small-scale landforms.
4. Paleontology is the scientific study of the developing history of life on earth. It is the study of
ancient plants and animals based on their fossil record. It is a fact that the evidence of
existence of all life on earth, since the origin, is mostly preserved in rocks. This includes the
study of body fossils, tracks, burrows, cast off parts, fossilized faeces, and chemical residues.
Body fossils and trace fossils are the principal types of evidences that help to know about the
ancient life. In addition, the geochemical evidences also help to decipher the evolution of
primitive life existed before.
5. Crystallography is the experimental science of determining the arrangement of atoms in the

crystalline solids. Today we know that crystals are made of matter, atoms, molecules and/or
ions that fit together in repeating patterns, called unit cells, which like bricks stacked in three
dimensions form the crystals. Inside the unit cells atoms are also repeated by symmetry
operations. These patterns cause the crystals to show many sorts of unique shapes.
Crystallographers use the properties and inner structures of crystals to determine the
arrangement of atoms and generate knowledge that is used by chemists, physicists,
biologists, and others.
6. Mineralogy is the branch of geology concerned with the study of minerals. The early writings
on mineralogy were devoted to gemstones, mostly seen in the records of ancient Babylonia,
the ancient Greco-Roman world, ancient and medieval China, and Sanskrit texts from ancient
India and the ancient Islamic World. The modern study of mineralogy was founded on the
principles of crystallography. It is the scientific study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical
(including optical) properties of minerals. Specific studies within mineralogy include the
processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical
distribution, as well as their utilization.
7. Petrology is the scientific study of rocks, their composition, texture, and structure, their
occurrence, distribution and origin in relation to physicochemical conditions and geologic
processes of formation. It is concerned with all three major types of rocks—igneous,
metamorphic, and sedimentary. The classification of rocks is based on the information
acquired during the petrographic analysis.
8. Economic Geology is the scientific study of the Earth’s sources of mineral raw materials and the
practical application of the acquired knowledge. Economic geology is primarily concerned with
the earth's materials that are used for economic and/or industrial purposes. These materials
include precious stones and base metals, non-metallic minerals, construction-grade stones,
petroleum minerals, coal, and water.
9. Stratigraphy is defined as "the science of rock strata." It is "the study of rock successions and
the correlation of geological events and processes in time and space". Stratigraphy is a branch
of geology concerned with the study of rock layers (strata) and layering (stratification). It is
primarily used in the study of sedimentary and layered volcanic rocks. Stratigraphy has two
related subfields. They are lithologic stratigraphy or lithostratigraphy, and biologic stratigraphy
or biostratigraphy.
10. Hydrology is the science that encompasses the occurrence, distribution, movement and
properties of the waters of the earth.
11. Mining Geology: Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials
from the earth usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef or placer deposits. These
deposits form a mineralized package that is of economic interest to the miner.
12. Engineering geology is the application of the geology to engineering study for the purpose of
assuring that the geological factors regarding the location, design, construction, operation and
maintenance of engineering works are recognized and accounted for. Engineering geologists
provide geological and geotechnical recommendations, analysis, and design associated with
human development and various types of structures. The realm of the engineering geologist is
essentially in the area of earth-structure interactions, or investigation of how the earth or earth
processes impact human made structures and human activities.

Branches of Geology

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5. Crystallography is the experimental science of determining the arrangement of atoms in the

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