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The geological history of Earth follows the major geological events in Earth's past based on the geologic time scale, a system of chronological measurement based on the study of the planet's rock layers (stratigraphy).
Historical geology extends physical geology into the past. [1] Economic geology, the search for and extraction of fuel and raw materials, is heavily dependent on an understanding of the geological history of an area. Environmental geology, which examines the impacts of natural hazards such as earthquakes and volcanism, must rely on a detailed ...
The history of geology is concerned with the development of the natural science of geology. Geology is the scientific study of the origin, history, and structure of the Earth . [ 1 ]
In practical terms, geology is important for mineral and hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation, evaluating water resources, understanding natural hazards, remediating environmental problems, and providing insights into past climate change. Geology is a major academic discipline, and it is central to geological engineering and plays an ...
Geochronology is the scientific branch of geology that aims to determine the age of rocks, fossils, and sediments either through absolute (e.g., radiometric dating) or relative means (e.g., stratigraphic position, paleomagnetism, stable isotope ratios). Geochronometry is the field of geochronology that numerically quantifies geologic time. [16]
[1] [2] Nearly all branches of natural science have contributed to understanding of the main events of Earth's past, characterized by constant geological change and biological evolution. The geological time scale (GTS), as defined by international convention, [ 3 ] depicts the large spans of time from the beginning of Earth to the present, and ...
James Hutton FRSE (/ ˈ h ʌ t ən /; 3 June O.S. [1] 1726 – 26 March 1797) was a Scottish geologist, agriculturalist, chemical manufacturer, naturalist and physician. [2] Often referred to as the "Father of Modern Geology," [3] [4] he played a key role in establishing geology as a modern science.
1830 – Sir Charles Lyell publishes book, Principles of Geology, which describes the world as being several hundred million years old; 1837 – Louis Agassiz begins his glaciation studies which eventually demonstrate that the Earth has had at least one ice age; 1841 – August Breithaupt, Vollstandiges Handbuch der Mineralogie