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Rock collecting can teach you about the Earth's history. Not only can rocks be aesthetically interesting, but many may include fossils or layers that tell the viewer something about the world and time period that rock has existed through. Some special powers have been attributed to certain rocks, such as the moonstone, which gives the... more »
Students who attend trade school can become court reporters, electricians, construction workers, cosmetologists, cooks or chefs, carpenters, nursing and lab technicians, mechanics or electricians. They can also become secretaries, writers, accountants, graphic designers, game designers and technicians, and fashion designers and... more »
Everyone has seen images of oil spurting from the ground while oil-soaked workers battle to control the powerful geyser. But it's not always that easy to get oil out of the ground. Oil reservoirs can be thousands of feet below the surface, trapped in pockets of hard rock. Petroleum engineers are in charge of finding those pockets and... more »
If you own a rock and mineral shop, rockhounds, lapidary enthusiasts, gold bugs and mineral collectors form your primary market. You can go beyond that to boost your business and introduce a new generation to the rock and mineral hobby. Create a mini-public relations program. more »
Geologists study the physical features, properties and history of Earth, including the composition and structure of rocks, the layers of Earth's crust and the varieties of soil. They can work in a variety of jobs, such as searching for water, metals, oil, natural gas and other natural resources; advising construction projects on the... more »
Many jobs in fields such as psychology require that you receive a doctoral degree before...
Geology is often reduced to simply being "rock science," or the study of the rocks we can see. It is much more than that, covering everything from... more »
If you are interested in getting a Ph.D. in geology, there are some things that you should know. First, getting a Ph.D. is never easy. There are... more »
The study of geology is composed of different divisions, of which physical geology is one. Physical geologists investigate the processes and... more »
You can easily teach younger children a bit about geology by letting them have a pet rock. Here's what to do. more »
Geologists study the physical processes that create and change the landscape of the Earth as well as rocks and minerals. The U.S. Bureau of Labor... more »
Geology (from Greek: γη, gê, "earth"; and λόγος, logos, "speech" lit. to talk about the earth) is the science and study of the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth. The field of geology encompasses the study of the composition, structure, physical properties, dynamics, and history of Earth materials, and the processes by which they are formed, moved, and changed. The field is a major academic discipline, and is also important for mineral and hydrocarbon extraction, knowledge about and mitigation of natural hazards, some engineering fields, and understanding past climates and environments.
History and Etymology
History
The work Peri Lithon (On Stones) by the ancient Greek scholar Theophrastus (372–287 BC), a student of ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, remained authoritative for millennia. Peri Lithon was translated into Latin and some other foreign languages. Its interpretation of fossils was the most dominant theory in classical Antiquity and the early Middle Ages, until it was replaced by Avicennas theory of petrifying fluids (succus lapidificatus) in the late Middle Ages.Hassani/> In the Roman period, Pliny the Elder produced a very extensive discussion of many more minerals and metals then widely used for practical ends. He is among the first to correctly identify the origin of amber as a fossilized resin from pine trees by the observation of insects trapped within some pieces. He also laid the basis of crystallography by recognising the octahedral habit of diamond.
Some modern scholars, such as Fielding H. Garrison, are of the opinion that modern geology began in the medieval Islamic world.Fielding H. Garrison wrote in the History of Medicine:
Abu al-Rayhan al-Biruni (973–1048 AD) was one of the earliest Muslim geologists, whose works included the earliest writings on the geology of India, hypothesizing that the Indian subcontinent was once a sea.Salam>Abdus Salam (1984), "Islam and Science". In C. H. Lai (1987), Ide read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology
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