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2 WHAT THE GEOLOGIST SEEKS
Let us first define what the geology is. Geology (from the
Greek "earth" and – logia, i.e. "study of, discourse") is the science
comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is
composed, and the processes by which they change. Geology can
also refer generally to the study of the solid features of any
celestial body (such as the geology of the Moon or Mars). Geology
gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the
primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of
life, and past climates. In modern times, geology is commercially
important for mineral and hydrocarbon exploration and
exploitation and for evaluating water resources. It is publicly
important for the prediction and understanding of natural hazards,
the remediation of environmental problems, and for providing
insights into past climate change. Geology plays an important role
in geotechnical engineering and is a major academic discipline.
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. An important part of geology is the study of how
Earth’s materials, structures, processes and organisms have
changed over time. Geologists work to understand the history of
our planet. The better they can understand Earth’s history the
better they can foresee how events and processes of the past might
influence the future. Here are some examples:
Geologists study earth materials: People use earth materials
every day. They use oil that is produced from wells, metals that are
produced from mines and water that has been drawn from streams
or from underground. Geologists conduct studies that locate rocks
that contain important metals, plan the mines that produce them
and the methods used to remove the metals from the rocks. They
do similar work to locate and produce oil, natural gas and ground
water.
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