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Physical geology examines the materials and processes of the Earth. Historical geology examines the origin and evolution of our planet through time.
Geology is an evolving science - the theory of plate tectonics was just accepted in the 1960's. Plate tectonics is the unifying theory in geology.
Although geologists treat it as a law - plate tectonics is still and will likely remain a theory
Geology is an extremely controversial science - the theory of evolution (paleontology) is central to geology. Geology seeks to understand the origin of our planet and our place in the Universe - answers to these questions are also posed outside of the realm of science.
Although catastrophism was abandoned, there is certainly evidence that sudden events do occur.
Geologic Time
Relative Dating: Putting geologic events into proper order (oldest
to youngest), but without absolute ages. We use a number of principles and laws to do this: Law of Original Horzontality - Sedimentary units and lava flows are deposited horizontally. Law of Superposition - the layer below is older than the layer above. Principle of fossil succession - life forms succeed one another in a definite and determinable order and therefor a time period can be determined by its fossils.
Law of Cross-cutting Relationships - A rock is younger than any rock across which it cuts.
Geologic Time
Absolute (Radiometric) Dating: Using radioactive decay of
elements to determine the absolute age of rocks. This is done using igneous and metamorphic rocks.
Geologic Time
The concept of geologic time is new (staggering) to many nongeologists.
The current estimate is that the Earth is ~4,600,000,000 (4.6 billion) years old. As humans we have a hard time understanding the amount of time required for geologic events. We have a good idea of how long a century is. One thousand centuries is only 100,000 years. That huge amount of time is only 0.002% of the age of the Earth! An appreciation for the magnitude of geologic time is important because many processes are very gradual.
Geologic time is divided into different types of units. Note that each Eon, Era or Period represents a different amount of time. For example, the Cambrian period encompasses ~65 million years whereas the Silurian period is only ~30 million years old. The change in periods is related to the changing character of life on Earth and other changes in environment. The beginning of the Phanerozoic represents the explosion of life. The time before the Phanerozoic is commonly referred to as the PreCambrian and represents over 4 billion years of time. The Phanerozoic eon (abundant life) represents only the last 13% of Earth time.
Our generation is unique in its perspective of our planet. From space, Earth looks small, finite and fragile. What's the first thing that you notice about our planet when you see this image? The Earth is composed of several integrated parts (spheres) that interact with one another: atmosphere hydrosphere solid earth (lithosphere) biosphere (cryosphere)
Atmosphere: the swirling clouds of the atmosphere represent the very thin blanket of air that covers our planet. It is not only the air we breathe, but protects us from harmful radiation from the sun.
metamorphic - form from other rocks that recrystallize under higher pressures and/or temperatures.
A number of geological processes can transform one rock type into another.
The continents sit just above sea level, except for the mountain belts, and include continental areas which are slightly covered by the oceans (<100m depth). The oceans are about 5km deep in the basins, but run to 10km in the trenches and as shallow as 2km on the mid-ocean ridges. Something systematic is going on to produce these global patterns.
2. continental - up to 70 km thick and composed of a wide variety of rock types (ave. granodiorite). Ranges from young to old (>3.8 billion years old).
Asthenosphere (~100 to 660 km) It's hot and flows like molasses
Radioactive dacay causes the Earth to heat up on time scales of millions of years. In the course of tens/hundreds of millions of years, this heat production is enough to warm the interior by hundreds of C. This heat is carried away by the convective circulation of the earth's interior. The convection delivers heat to the surface, so it can eventually be lost into space. Most of the earth's interior is heated to a temperature (> 300C) which makes it ductile, so that it is soft, and can flow like a viscous liquid. You have seen this behavior as glass is heated to near its melting point. The soft region (just below the lithospheric plates) is called the asthenosphere
Outer (2900 to 5170 km) and Inner Core (5170 to 6386 km)
Outer core is liquid and composed of an iron-nickel alloy. Convective flow of this fluid generates much of the Earths magnetic field. Inner core is solid iron-nickel alloy. It is hotter than the outer core, but the intense pressure keeps it solid.
Plate Tectonics
A relatively recent theory that the Earth's crust is composed of rigid plates that move relative to one another. Plate movements are on the order of a few centimeters/year - about the same rate as your fingernails grow! There are 3 types of plate boundaries: 1. divergent 2. convergent 3. transform
Plate Tectonics
Convergent boundaries - plates move together forming a subduction zone and mountain chains. Divergent boundaries - plates move apart forming the mid-ocean ridge and seafloor spreading. Transform boundaries - plates grind past one another. These boundaries subdivide the mid-ocean ridge and also form the San Andreas fault system.
A simplifed model of tectonic plates and the location and nature of earthquakes.
Plate Margins
At an ocean-ocean collision, one plate subducts beneath the other, leaving a trace of the process in volcanoes and earthquakes. At the fast collisions (Fiji-Tonga) the subducting plate gets as deep as 700 km while still cool: it is here that you get the deepest (deep focus) earthquakes.
At an ocean-continent collision, the ocean subducts, and the continent rides high. Volcanoes are built on the continental side due to melt which comes off the subducting plate. Nazca-South America is an excellent example.
A continent-continent collision is like a train wreck - both sides end up taking severe damage. Neither side wants to subduct. The entire Alpine-Himalayan mountain system from Spain to Thailand is behaving this way. Mountain belts are stacked range upon range across the landscape for 1000's of km. These mountains are permeated with thrust faults, which carry slices of crust many dozens or 100's of km over other slices.
This image of the Sinai peninsula shows where the Red Sea spreading center forks into two branches which can be seen as forming a brandnew oceanic rift in the land.
The major fields in GEOLOGY are mineralogy, petrology, sedimentology, geochemistry, geomathematics, stratigraphy, palaeontology, structural geology, economic geology, petroleum geology, mining geology, structural geology, marine geology, engineering geology, geomorphology, hydrogeology, environmental geology and geoscience education. GEOPHYSICS is often regarded as a separate Earth Science discipline. Check out the links at left to find out more about each of these Earth Science Disciplines.
GEOLOGY The primary objective of the science of geology is to understand the processes by which the planet earth was formed, the evolution of the continents and seas, and the origins of the materials within the earths crustthe igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks and their minerals. PETROLOGY Petrology is the study of rocksthe minerals that they are composed of, and the textures and other features that provide clues about how the rocks formed. It is subdivided into sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic petrology. This is because the processes under which sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks form are quite different and require different skills in their study. Sedimentary petrology is the study of the mineral composition of sedimentary rocks, mainly as a guide of where on the earths crust the rocks originated. Igneous petrology involves the study of magmas and the processes which give rise to varying compositions and textures of intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks. Metamorphic petrology concentrates on how rocks of all kinds can be changed by heat and pressure within the Earths crust into metamorphic rocks. MINERALOGY is the study of the minerals themselvestheir chemical composition and crystal formsfor which a background in chemistry is desirable
Sedimentology and volcanology are closely allied fields that examine rocks at outcrop and larger scales, with the aim to unravel the geological history of a reasonably large areaancient volcanoes, or river valleys, or entire sedimentary basins. Sedimentology is devoted to the study of rock sequences laid down as sedimentary rocks by water, wind or ice, whereas Volcanology studies the results of eruptions of igneous rocks. Volcanic eruptions involve the passage of large volumes of hot fluids rich in metallic minerals through the earths crust so that the study of volcanology is an important component of Economic Geology.
STRATIGRAPHY Stratigraphy is the study of the composition, ordering and relationships of rock strata in order to determine their geological history. It was one of the first disciplines in Geology and remains one of the most important skills. Principles such as the law of superposition, recognition of erosional breaks (unconformities) and cross-cutting relationships are peculiar to geology. The stratigrapher must understand the individual events that have resulted in the rock formations as they occur today. Many of the other disciplines (Palaeontology, Sedimentology, Volcanology, Structural geology, Geochronology) are used by the stratigrapher.
PALAEONTOLOGY
Palaeontology is the systematic study of animal/plant fossil remains. At its core is the principle that organisms evolve, and that the changes wrought by evolution can be used to determine the age of the fossil and its host rock. The last 500 million years of earths history (known as the Phanerozoic) has been divided into very fine subdivision on the basis of this principle, with the fine subdivisions named after the fossils that are found in it. Age determination and correlation (using the same fossil to date rocks in different places, often at a global scale) remain one of the most important services that palaeontologists provide. Palaeontology is also used to help identify where sedimentary rocks have been laid down (e.g. in a river, or near a seashore) and can help determine the nature of biological provinces that result from the migration of continents. A knowledge of biology is a good start for budding palaeontologists. Specialists studying plant fossils are called PALAEOBOTANISTS. MICROPALAEONTOLOGISTS and PALYNOLOGISTS study fossilised microscopic animal remains, spores, pollens and certain other microfossils. Both fields are particularly useful in petroleum exploration. Palaeontologists need to use their studies of fossils to interpret the PALAEOECOLOGY and PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY i.e. the environmental conditions in which the fossils were laid down. Most palaeontologists are employed by museums, mining companies specialising in oil, coal and limestone and universities.
STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY
Structural geology is the study of structures in rock formations that were caused by deformation of any kind, usually due to folding or faulting. It has become increasingly important over the last few decades as it has proved to be a powerful tool in elucidating the overall history of regions and continents. It is an important component of global studies on the movement and formation of the earths tectonic platesPLATE TECTONICS. It is also one of the most important disciplines in the study of mineral deposits in determining the influence of structure on the formation, distribution and geometry of deposits of metallic ores, petroleum and coal.
TECTONICS
Tectonics is the study of large-scale structures of the earth such as mountain ranges, sedimentary basins, continents and oceans. This field of study utilises many of the other disciplines of geology, such as structural geology, petrology, stratigraphy, geochemistry, marine geology and geophysics. Most earth scientists use the theory of PLATE TECTONICS to explain the origin of continents and oceans, the current distribution of earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain ranges and rift valleys, and to determine the past distribution of landmasses and seas. Knowledge of tectonics helps in the discovery of ore bodies and petroleum deposits.
GEOCHRONOLOGY
The study of the radioactive decay of isotopes that occur naturally in some minerals, with the aim to determine the absolute age of a rock. Geochronology also includes other methods of age determination, such as fission track studies and solar irradiation studies.
MINING GEOLOGY
Involves working in an operating mine or quarry to accurately survey the progress of operations in respect of geological structure, sample mineral or rock to obtain assays to determine whether economic grade or yield is being maintained; design and supervise exploration programs ahead of production to maintain reserves. Mine geologists need to have a broad knowledge of earth sciences as well as general knowledge of mining engineering, metallurgy and mineral economics.
MARINE GEOLOGY
Marine geology is the application of earth science studies to modern marine environments. Specialised ships are used as a platform for drilling the sea bed and for undertaking seismic studies. Marine Geology is used in the study of PLATE TECTONICS and in oil and gas exploration. In recent years Marine Geology has been applied to the exploration for rich sea-floor massive sulphide deposits of gold, silver, copper, zinc and lead. Mining of these deposits remains some years off, however. Marine Geology expeditions often utilise specialists in Sedimentology, Palaeontology, Geophysics, Economic Geology and Petrology.
ENGINEERING GEOLOGY
Engineering geology involves the study of the stability and structure of the materials of the Earths crust in particular reference to the foundations of man-made structures such as roads, bridges, tunnels, freeways, dams, power stations, and large buildings. A good knowledge of the stratigraphy and geological structure of the local area is necessary, as well as the physical and chemical characteristics of the foundation materials. The nature and movement of underground waters is also necessary as an essential component of such studies. The continual expansion of cities requires prior studies of landforms by geologists to assess whether land is susceptible to landslides, unstable foundation materials or whether development will lead to pollution of valuable sources of surface or underground water. Coastal areas are particularly susceptible to ill-considered developments. GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING makes such studies available to architects and engineers.
GEOMORPHOLOGY
Geomorphology is the study of landforms from the interplay of constructional and destructional forces acting on the Earths surface. It involves study of the erosional and depositional work of water, wind, ice and gravity as well as the constructional influences of earth movements and volcanoes. It is an important aspect in the study of the geological history of a region, especially in Australia where erosional forces have been a dominant influence for a long time. A Geomorphologist needs to understand Stratigraphy, Petrology, Geochemistry and Palaeoclimatology. An important skill gained by those trained in Geomorphology is aerial photo interpretation, the ability to identify the rock types and their history from aerial photographs. Geomorphology is needed for tourism in national parks, and in the study of physical geography and PLANETARY GEOLOGY.
HYDROGEOLOGY
Hydrogeology is an increasingly important area of Earth Science. It is the study of groundwaters including the location and nature of water-bearing layers (aquifers) and structures in geological formations. The role of Hydrogeologists is to plan drilling programs and use geophysical techniques to locate water supplies and assess their quality and yield for towns and cities, mining and agriculture projects. Another important function is to protect water resources from overdevelopment and pollution from industrial and domestic disposal of waste materials. The issue of groundwater salinity is set to become an increasingly serious problem throughout inland Australia. Hydrogeologists will play a vital part in understanding and addressing this problem. By identifying and mapping salt-water reservoirs before they erupt at the surface, hydrogeologists will provide catchment managers with the raw data required to manage groundwater aquifers
GEOPHYSICS
Geophysics is often regarded as a distinct field of study different from Geology. It combines a knowledge of physics and geology in analysing the physical characteristics of the materials in the Earths crust. Highly sophisticated instruments and techniques are used to measure a wide range of properties. These include magnetism, radioactivity, electrical conductivity, rock density, seismic variations, heat flow, spectral properties (light wavelengths reflected by different minerals), radar reflectivity and others. Many of these are important in various branches of economic geology. Earthquake hazards provide an important impetus to seismic studies. A sound training in physics and mathematics is essential for those wanting to tackle this rewarding discipline.