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An Introduction to Geology

© Geoff Habiger

At some point in your life you have probably experienced it, the subtle nagging that comes from not knowing the answer to a perplexing question. Maybe it was a vacation where you drove through picturesque mountains, the road cutting like a knife through their granite cores. Or on a long walk along a sandy beach watching the waves work and re-work the sand. It might have started with a trip to the museum and a look at the gem collection or staring up at the long neck of Diplodocus. Or maybe it was more dramatic, experiencing an active volcano or feeling the earth roll and tremble from an earthquake. No matter how it started, you were struck by an unquenchable desire to find the answers to burning questions. How did the mountains form? Where does gold come from? What causes an earthquake? How did the dinosaurs die?

Enter Geology.

Geology is the answer to all of these questions and many more. At its basic level, geology is simply the study of the Earth. Beyond the basic definition though lies a complex world full of fundamental questions and amazing answers. Geology is more than the study of the rocks of the Earth. It’s studying the rocks and learning what they have to tell us about the Earth’s formation and history. The rocks tell us about the animals that once crossed an ancient river swollen from floods, or swam beneath the oceans millions of years ago. The rocks can tell us how old the Earth is, and about its violent history of earthquakes and volcanoes. The rocks can tell us what the continents looked like hundreds of millions of years ago, and where to dig to find gold. The rocks of the Earth are a huge storehouse of information, waiting for the right person to come along and dig in to release that knowledge.

A geologist is a person who not only needs to know the names of the rocks; he or she needs to understand chemistry to know how the minerals and rocks formed. A geologist needs to understand physics to know how sound travels through the earth to help read the seismic waves from earthquakes or to find oil and gas. A geologist studies biology to learn how animals and plants live now to interpret the fossils found in the rocks. The geologist studies geography to help map important information, either for exploration or to re-create ancient continents. A geologist is all of these things and much more.

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