What is Geology?

• Means "study of the Earth"

• Earth materials­rocks and minerals

• Earth processes
• internal--rock formation, earthquakes, etc.
• external--landforms

• Earth History
• Relates to all of the Earth's problems

Gaia Figure

How is Geology studied?

• Observation and sample collection (field work)

• Sample analysis (laboratory)

• Computer modeling (office)

Why study Geology?

• Predict natural disasters: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, floods

• Anticipate potential anthropogenic disasters

• Exploit natural resources

• Important academic questions: origin of Earth, life, humans

• Important to all problems (economy,civilization [e.g., geographic barriers], health [e.g., asbestos]

Why should you study Geology?

• As a career (rough starting salaries)
• Environmental Geology: (B.S.), M.S. ~$30-35K per year
• Engineering Geology: B.S., M.S. ~$25-40K per year
• Petroleum Geology and Geophysics: M.S. ~$40-45K per year
• helpful to career (business [oil industry], law [environmental], etc.)
• to better understand your world

• be an informed voter

• be a better teacher (We are all teachers.)

Course Objectives

• recognize the features at the EarthÕs surface (in part a vocabulary lesson) and understand their origin

• understand how the Earth works as a system
• rock cycle and crustal cycling
• impact on oceans and atmosphere

• develop problem solving skills (become geodetectives)