Geology Books

What is Geology ?

Geology is the study of the solid earth, that is the rocks of which it is formed (rather than e.g. just recent coverings of peat, soil and other soft organic materials) and how those rocks have changed and are changing with time. As geology concerns materials and structures beneath the surface of planet earth it includes the structures and formation of crystals, minerals and gemstones, fossils and the many different types of stone used for different applications when building structures for human use such as habitation.

The study of geology generally includes consideration of the relative and absolute ages of rocks, hence the geological history of the earth including plate tectonics and evidence of climate at different stages of the earth's history.

Geology is an earth science of which there are many specialisms and related disciplines including, for example, engineering geology, environmental geology, geoarchaeology, geochemistry, geometallurgy, geophysics, glaciology, mineralogy, palaeontology, plate tectonics, sedimentology, stratigraphy and volcanology, among others.