Geology

Geology is the study of the materials, processes, and evolutionary development of the Earth. Geologic understanding of the Earth is obtained by geoscientists working in a range of disciplines. Examples of the areas of study are: Mineralogy - the study of Earth's naturally occurring minerals; Petrology - the study of rocks; Paleontology - the study of the history of life on Earth; Seismology - the study of Earthquakes; Volcanology - the study of volcanoes; Environmental Geology - the study of the interactions between humans and the geologic world; and Petroleum Geology - the study of fossil fuel resources and their development.

There is a working relationship with paleontology- for example petroleum geologists when finding certain extinct microorganism fossils in great numbers might expect there is oil nearby - and palontologists when they see newly uncovered layers of limestone, such as building a highway through the mountains, know it is a great opportunity to find fossils.