What are the basic characteristics of geology?

Geology is the study of the Earth and the processes that occur both on the surface and in the interior. Geology itself is split into several branches, such as Geophysics (study of the Earth using physical properties), Palaeontology (the study of ancient life) and Environmental Sciences (studying modern processes).

Geologist examine rocks, data and modern processes to understand how the Earth functions, from how the Earth's magnetic field is generated in the core (a study involving magnetohydrodynamics), through sedimentary rocks (to get palaeoenvironments) and exploration seismology (to look at subsurface structure), to modern chemical cycles (to understand how the Earth's climate changes and has changed).

Basic concepts of geology include:

• Uniformatarianism - the present is the key to the past
• Plate Tectonics - provides a global framework on which to base more generalised ideas
• Physical properties - of small rock samples to the whole Earth
• Field work - go and study the rocks, in-situ, and get information from them. This also includes geological mapping
• Theoretical work - either lab based or computer models

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