Earth:Outline of geology

Short description: Hierarchical outline list of articles related to geology

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to geology:

Geology – one of the Earth sciences – is the study of the Earth, with the general exclusion of present-day life, flow within the ocean, and the atmosphere. The field of geology encompasses the composition, structure, physical properties, and history of Earth's components, and the processes by which it is shaped. Geologists typically study rock, sediment, soil, rivers, and natural resources.

Branches of geology

Geology applies primarily to Earth, but can be applied to any planet or extraterrestrial body.

Geology of Earth

Subdisciplines of geology:

• Earth:Biogeology – Study of the interactions between the Earth's biosphere and the lithosphere
• Earth:Economic geology – Science concerned with earth materials of economic value
• Engineering:Engineering geology – Application of geology to engineering practice
• Earth:Environmental geology – Science of the practical application of geology in environmental problems.
• Chemistry:Geochemistry – Science that applies chemistry to analyze geological systems
• Geologic modelling – Applied science of creating computerized representations of portions of the Earth's crust
• Physics:Geomorphology – Scientific study of landforms
• Physics:Geophysics – Physics of the Earth and its vicinity
• Earth:Historical geology – Study of the geological history of Earth
• Earth:Hydrogeology – Study of the distribution and movement of groundwater
• Earth:Marine geology – Study of the history and structure of the ocean floor
• Earth:Mineralogy – Scientific study of minerals and mineralised artifacts
• Biology:Paleontology – Study of life before 11,700 years ago
• Earth:Petroleum geology – Study of the origin, occurrence, movement, accumulation, and exploration of hydrocarbon fuels
• Earth:Petrology – Branch of geology that studies the formation, composition, distribution and structure of rocks
• Earth:Sedimentology – Study of natural sediments and their formation processes
• Earth:Stratigraphy – Study of rock layers and their formation
• Earth:Structural geology – Science of the description and interpretation of deformation in the Earth's crust
• Earth:Volcanology – Study of volcanoes, lava, magma and associated phenomena

Planetary geology

See also: Astronomy:Geology of solar terrestrial planets – Geology of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars and Ceres

Earth:Planetary geology – Geology of astronomical objects apparently in orbit around stellar objects

• Astronomy:Geology of Venus – Geological structure and composition of the second planet from the Sun
• Astronomy:Geology of the Moon – Structure and composition of the Moon
• Astronomy:Geology of Mars – Scientific study of the surface, crust, and interior of the planet Mars

Principles of geology

• Principle of cross-cutting relationships – Principle that the geologic feature which cuts another is the younger of the two
• Earth:Law of included fragments – Clasts in a rock are older than the rock formation
• Principle of uniformitarianism – Assumption that the natural laws and processes of the universe are constant through time and space
• Earth:Principle of original horizontality – Layers of sediment are deposited approximately horizontally under the action of gravity
• Principle of superposition – In undeformed stratigraphic sequences, the oldest strata will be at the bottom of the sequence
• Physics:Principle of faunal succession – Concept in geology

Geological processes

• Earth:Petrogenesis – Processes that form rock

History of geology

• Earth:History of geology
  • Earth:Geological history of Earth – The sequence of major geological events in Earth's past
  • Earth:Timeline of geology – Chronological list of notable events in the history of the science of geology

Geologic provinces

World geologic provinces
Oceanic crust

  0–20 Ma

  20–65 Ma

  >65 Ma

Geologic provinces

  Shield

  Platform

  Orogen

  Basin

  Large igneous province

  Extended crust

Geologic provinces based on origin:

• Shield – Large stable area of exposed Precambrian crystalline rock
  • Platform – A continental area covered by relatively flat or gently tilted, mainly sedimentary strata
  • Earth:Island arc – Arc-shaped archipelago formed by intense seismic activity of long chains of active volcanoes
  • Earth:Continental arc – Type of volcanic arc occurring along a continental margin
  • Earth:Forearc – The region between an oceanic trench and the associated volcanic arc
• Earth:Oceanic basin – Geologic basin under the sea
  • Cratonic basin – Old and stable part of the continental lithosphere
  • Earth:Foreland basin, also known as foredeep basin – Structural basin that develops adjacent and parallel to a mountain belt
• Earth:Large igneous province – Huge regional accumulation of igneous rocks
• Extended crust – Outermost solid shell of astronomical bodies
  • Earth:Rift – Geological linear zone where the lithosphere is being pulled apart

Plate tectonics

• Earth:Plate tectonics – Movement of Earth's lithosphere

Occupations in geology

The Dictionary of Occupational Titles lists the following occupations in Geology, which it describes as "concerned with the investigation of the composition, structure, and physical and biological history of the earth's crust and the application of this knowledge in such fields as archeology, mining, construction, and environmental impact":

• Crystallographer – Scientific study of crystal structures
• Geologist – Scientist who studies geology
• Petroleum Geologist – Earth scientist who works in geological aspects of oil discovery and production
• Geophysical Prospector – Systematic collection of geophysical data for spatial studies
• Volcanologist
• Engineer, Soils
• Geophysical-Laboratory Chief (Alternate Titles: Director, Geophysical)
• Geological Aide (Petrol. & Gas)
• Prospector – The physical search for minerals
• Paleontological Helper – Study of life before 11,700 years ago
• Laboratory Assistant (Petrol. & Gas) (Alternate Titles: Analyst, Geochemical Prospecting; Core Analyst; Laboratory Tester)

Geology lists

• Glossary of geological terms – List of definitions of geological terminology
• Earth:Geologic time scale – System that relates geologic strata to time
• Chemistry:List of compounds – Set index article
• Chemistry:List of chemical elements
• Earth:List of minerals
• Earth:List of plate tectonics topics – Hierarchical outline list of articles related to plate tectonics
• Earth:List of rock types – List of rock types recognized by geologists
• Earth:List of tectonic plates – Overview of different types of tectonic plates
• Earth:Lists of volcanoes

See also

• Earth:Outline of geography – Hierarchical outline list of articles related to geography

• American Geophysical Union
• American Geosciences Institute
• European Geosciences Union
• Geological Society of America
• Geological Society of London

External links

• A. Balasubramanian, First edition, July, 2017
• Earth Science News, Maps, Dictionary, Articles, Jobs
• Video-interviews with famous geologists
• "Geology, Importance, Branches, Career in Geology, Indian Education System for a career in Geology
• Geology Buzz: Branches of Geology