CLASSIFICATION OF GEOLOGY

a. According to the Subject Matter concern:

1. Geomorphology is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of landforms and landscapes
created by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or near the Earth's surface. It is
concerned with the internal geologic processes of the earth's crust, such as tectonic activity and
volcanism that constructs new landforms, as well as externally driven forces of wind, water,
waves, and glacial ice that modify such landforms. It is closely related to soil science, hydrology,
geology and environmental science. This has the potential for applications in environmental /
development planning, transport, human settlements, mining and hydrological sectors, hospitality
and tourism.
Geomorphology also focuses on the investigation of surface processes and the way these
processes create small-scale landforms.

2. Paleontology (US spelling) or palaeontology (UK spelling) is the scientific study of the
developing history of life on earth. It is the study of ancient plants and animals based on their
fossil record. It is a fact that the evidence of existence of all life on earth, since the origin, are
mostly preserved in rocks. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks, burrows, cast off parts,
fossilized faeces ("coprolites"), and chemical residues. Body fossils and trace fossils are the
principal types of evidences that help to know about the ancient life. In addition, the geochemical
evidences also help to decipher the evolution of primitive life existed before. The subject of
Paleontology helps to determine the organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and
their environments (their paleoecology). It also heavily relies on the two subjects such as biology
and geology. It differs from archaeology in that it excludes the study of anatomically modern
humans.

3. Mineralogy is the branch of geology concerned with the study of minerals. The early writings
on mineralogy were devoted to gemstones, mostly seen in the records of ancient Babylonia, the
ancient Greco-Roman world, ancient and medieval China, and Sanskrit texts from ancient India
and the ancient Islamic World. The modern study of mineralogy was founded on the principles of
crystallography. It is the scientific study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including
optical) properties of minerals. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of
mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as
their utilization. The history of mineralogy is as old as humankind. Minerals have been an
important part of our society since the time of prehistoric man.

4. Petrology is the scientific study of rocks, their composition, texture, and structure, their
occurrence, distribution and origin in relation to physicochemical conditions and geologic
processes of formation. It is concerned with all three major types of rocks—igneous,
metamorphic, and sedimentary. Petrography is a branch of petrology that focuses on detailed
descriptions of rocks. Someone who studies petrography is called a petrographer. The mineral
content and the textural relationships within the rock are described in detail.
5. Structural geology is the scientific study of the three-dimensional distribution of rock units with
respect to their deformational genesis and histories. The primary goal of structural geology is to
use measurements of present-day rock geometries to uncover the information about their origin
and history of deformation (strain) in the rocks. It helps to understand the stress field that resulted
in the observed features of strain and geometries. This understanding can also be linked to
important events in the geologic past. These can also help to find out the date of events. Once the
nature of these rocks are determined, petroleum geologists can discover if petroleum, natural gas,
or other natural resources that are trapped within the rocks. Deposits of gold, silver, copper, lead,
zinc, and other metals, are commonly located in structurally complex areas.
Structural Geology aims to characterise deformation structures (geometry), to characterize flow
paths followed by particles during deformation (kinematics), and to infer the direction and
magnitude of the forces involved in driving deformation (dynamics). This subject is a field-based
discipline. Field Geology is a branch which requires the knowledge of Geomorphology, Petrology,
Sedimentology and Stratigraphy, Structural Geology and GIS. Structural geology is an essential
part of engineering geology, which is concerned with the physical and mechanical properties of
natural rocks.

6. Stratigraphy is defined as "the science of rock strata." It is "the study of rock successions and
the correlation of geological events and processes in time and space". Stratigraphy is a branch of
geology concerned with the study of rock layers (strata) and layering (stratification). It is primarily
used in the study of sedimentary and layered volcanic rocks. Stratigraphy has two related
subfields. They are lithologic stratigraphy or lithostratigraphy, and biologic stratigraphy or
biostratigraphy.

7. Geochemistry is a branch that uses the tools and principles of chemistry to explain the
mechanisms behind major geological systems such as the Earth's crust and its oceans. The realm
of geochemistry extends beyond the Earth, encompassing the entire Solar System . This subject
has made important contributions to the understanding of a number of processes including mantle
convection, the formation of planets and the origins of all kinds of rocks, minerals, mineral fuels,
soils and valuables. The mobility of all elements on in and out of a planet are fully studied under
geochemistry. Today. geochemistry is a major branch of Earth Science that applies varieties of
chemical principles to deepen the understanding of the planets.

8. Oceanography is a science concerned with the physico-chemical characteristics of oceanic

water, its depth, temperature, salinity, movements like tides, waves and currents, flora and fauna
found at various zones of seas and oceans. As it deals with the distribution and processes of these
water bodies, it comes under earth sciences in general. The subject deals with the physical,
chemical and biological conditions of oceans. It is an inter-disciplinary subject and an emerging
area for marine engineering. It is the science of seas and oceans. Ever since people started sailing
the oceans, attempts have been made to map them. Ptolemy’s oldest map is an example. Ocean
exploration began around 5000 B.C. with the first ocean diving and the first sailing vessels. Many
advances that were made in the subject of oceanography, were all through the great ocean
expeditions and explorations. Oceanography is an interdisciplinary science. It uses the principles
and insights from biology, chemistry, geology, meteorology, and physics to analyze ocean
currents, marine ecosystems, ocean storms, waves, ocean plate tectonics, and features of the ocean
floor, including exotic biomes such as cold seeps and hydrothermal vents.

9. Geodesy is the science of accurately measuring and understanding three fundamental properties
of the Earth: its geometric shape, its orientation in space, and its gravity field— as well as the
changes of these properties with time. By using GPS, geodesists can monitor the movement of a
site 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

10. Geophysics (/ˌdʒiːoʊˈfɪzɪks/) is a subject of natural science concerned with the physical
processes and physical properties of the Earth and its surrounding space environment, and the use
of quantitative methods for their analysis. The term geophysics sometimes refers only to the
geological applications: Earth's shape; its gravitational and magnetic fields; its internal structure
and composition; its dynamics and their surface expression in plate tectonics, the generation of
magmas, volcanism and rock formation.[3] However, modern geophysics organizations use a
broader definition that includes the water cycle including snow and ice; fluid dynamics of the
oceans and the atmosphere; electricity and magnetism in the ionosphere and magnetosphere and
solar-terrestrial relations; and analogous problems associated with the Moon and other planets.

11. Physiology is the study of all the physical and chemical processes that take place in organisms
in order for them to perform all the functions and activities associated with living. Physiology can
be studied at the molecular level all the way up to the level of entire organisms, and includes
everything in between like cells, tissues, organs, and body systems. It involves studying how the
different parts of the body work, separately and together, to allow an organism to function
properly.

b. According to its Industrial and Commercial Application

1. Mining Geology is a branch of geology that provides geological information about mines,
shafts, and placers. The major goal of mining geology is to supply geological data to mining
enterprises during the opening, preparation, and working of mineral deposits. Exploration is done
in order to determine more precisely the outline of the mineral body and the distribution of
valuable components within the mineral body. Samples are taken of the exploratory, preparatory,
and cleared excavations during the course of work, and the samples are chemically analyzed to
check the quality of the mineral material. Mining geology is related to the regular geological
documentation of mining operations, which involves making geological sketches of the walls of
mining excavations, formulating descriptions of the walls, making laboratory studies of rocks and
mineral samples, and compiling composite geological plans and cross sections on the basis of the
information obtained. It is responsible for keeping systematic account of the mineral reserves of
excavated deposits and establishing the period for which a working mine will have adequate
reserves. Mineral losses and depletion are considered, and steps are taken to reduce them. Mining
geology studies the geological engineering properties of rocks and the hydrogeological conditions
of deposits. Knowledge of these factors is necessary in the selection of efficient methods to obtain
the mineral resources. It is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from
the earth

2. Petroleum geology is the application of geology (the study of rocks) to the exploration for and
production of oil and gas. Geology itself is firmly based on chemistry, physics, and biology,
involving the application of essentially abstract concepts to observed data. In the past, these data
were basically observational and subjective, but they are now increasingly physical and chemical,
and therefore more objective. Geology, in general, and petroleum geology, in particular, still rely
on value judgments based on experience and an assessment of validity among the data presented.
The preceding section showed how petroleum exploration had advanced over the years with the
development of various geological techniques. It is now appropriate to consider in more detail the
roles of chemistry, physics, and biology in petroleum exploration. It is the study of the origin,
occurrence, movement, accumulation, and exploration of hydrocarbon fuels

3. Engineering geology is the application of the geology to engineering study for the purpose of
assuring that the geological factors regarding the location, design, construction, operation and
maintenance of engineering works are recognized and accounted for. Engineering geologists
provide geological and geotechnical recommendations, analysis, and design associated with
human development and various types of structures. The realm of the engineering geologist is
essentially in the area of earth-structure interactions, or investigation of how the earth or earth
processes impact human made structures and human activities.Engineering geology is the
application of the geology to engineering study for the purpose of assuring that the geological
factors regarding the location, design, construction, operation and maintenance of engineering
works are recognized and accounted for. Engineering geology studies may be performed during
the planning, environmental impact analysis, civil or structural engineering design, value
engineering and construction phases of public and private works projects, and during post-
construction and forensic phases of projects. Works completed by engineering geologists include;
geological hazard assessments, geotechnical, material properties, landslide and slope stability,
erosion, flooding, dewatering, and seismic investigations, etc.

4. Hydrology is the study of water. Hydrologists examine the physical processes involved in the
global water cycle, which spans most disciplines in Earth and environmental sciences. The
hydrological community includes physical scientists, engineers, and water resource managers, and
in common practice it is distinct from the oceanography and atmospheric science communities,
because hydrology concentrates on surface water and groundwater in terrestrial environments.

5. Military Geology:The application of the earth sciences to such military concerns as terrain
analysis, water supply, foundations, and construction of roads and air-fields. The Military Geology
Unit was a unit in the United States military during World War II. It was established on June 24,
1942, six months after Pearl Harbor. "During World War II geology won its spurs as an important
tool in both planning and operations in the US Army.
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https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geophysics
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/petroleum-geology
https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Mining+Geology
https://biologydictionary.net/physiology/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/hydrology
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/geodesy.html
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geophysics