20 branches of Gelogy

1. Physical Geology
Physical geology is the fundamental study of the earth's lithospheric components like
rocks, minerals, and soils and how they got originated over a period of time. The
subject , physical geology, deals with the Solar system, the Earth's origin, age and
internal constitution, weathering and mass-wasting, geological work of river, lake,
glacier, wind, sea and groundwater. It also deals with the Volcanoes - their types &
distribution, geological effects and products; earthquakes -its distribution, causes and
effects. Physical Geology also projects the elementary ideas about the origin of geo
synclines, concept of isostasy and mountain building(Orogeny), continental drift,
seafloor spreading and plate tectonics. This subject gives the foundation for all other
earth science branches.
2. Historical geology
Historical geology is the discipline that uses the principles and techniques of geology to
reconstruct and understand the past geological history of Earth. It is a major branch
which deals with the records of events of earth history and with the historical sequence
and evolution of plants and animals of past ages. Its object is to arrange the events of
earth history in the regular chronological order of their occurrence and to interpret their
significance.
3. Geomorphology
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. This has the potential for applications in environmental / development
planning, transport, human settlements, mining and hydrological sectors, hospitality
and tourism.
4. Geocryology
Geocryology is the study of frozen rock, soils, and ground. It deals with the origin,
historical development, and conditions of existence of frozen strata in the earth’s crust.
It helps to study the processes and phenomena that occur in freezing, frozen, and
thawing rock, soils, and ground, as well as their structure, composition, and properties.
The subject also deals with the geophysical, physicogeological, geomorphological, and
hydrogeological phenomena that are related to the processes of the freezing, thawing,
and diagenesis of frozen strata.
5. Tectonic geomorphology
Tectonic geomorphology is the study of the interplay between tectonic and geomorphic
processes in regions where the Earth’s crust actively deforms. Tectonic geomorphology
is the study of the interplay between tectonic and surface processes that shape the
landscape in regions of active deformation.
6. Submarine geomorphology
Submarine geomorphology deals with the form, origin, and development of features of
the oceanic bottoms. In shallow marine environments, the landforms include ripples,
dunes, sand waves, sand ridges, shorelines, and subsurface channels.
7. Planetary geomorphology
Planetary geomorphology is yet another branch of geomorphology. It involves the study
of landforms on planets and their satellites. It is a modern branch. Most of the surface
processes on other planets and their satellites depend on various factors like mean
distance from the Sun, annual receipt of solar energy, rotational period, and on the
nature of the planetary atmospheric conditions. Observed geomorphic processes include
weathering, wind activity, fluvial activity, glacial activity, and mass wasting.
8. Applied geomorphology
Applied geomorphology is the study of interactions of humans with landscapes and
landforms. The interaction between geomorphology and public policies, with
contributions on rural land-use and soil erosion, urban land-use, slope management,
river management, coastal management, and policy formulation are discussed in this
subject.
9. Engineering geomorphology
Engineering geomorphology is concerned with the evaluation of landform changes,
especially the effects of construction on the environment, notably on the operation of
surface processes and the risks from surface processes, whether current processes or
the legacies of past processes. Engineering geomorphology provides practical support
for engineering decision-making (project planning, investigation, design and
construction) and engineering geomorphologists form an integrate part of the
engineering or environmental team.
10. Paleontology
Paleontology 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.
11. Palynology
Palynology is the scientific study of contemporary and fossil palynomorphs, including
pollen, spores, orbicules, dinocysts, acritarchs, chitinozoans and scolecodonts, together
with particulate organic matter and kerogen found in sedimentary rocks and sediments.
12. Palaeogeography
Palaeogeography is the scientific study of historical geography, generally within the
physical landscapes. Palaeogeography includes the study of human or cultural
environments. Paleogeography yields information that is crucial to the scientific
understanding in a variety of contexts. Paleogeographers also study the sedimentary
environment associated with fossils for clues to the evolutionary development of extinct
species.
13. Crystallography
Crystallography is the experimental science of determining the arrangement of atoms in
the crystalline solids. Today we know that crystals are made of matter, atoms,
molecules and/or ions that fit together in repeating patterns, called unit cells, which like
bricks stacked in three dimensions form the crystals. Crystallographers use the
properties and inner structures of crystals to determine the arrangement of atoms and
generate knowledge that is used by chemists, physicists, biologists, and others.
Crystallographers have been associated with the geosciences, metallurgy, and ceramics
engineering.
14. Mineralogy
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.
15. Descriptive mineralogy
Descriptive mineralogists use the properties discussed in physical mineralogy to name
and classify the new minerals. Determinative mineralogy is the branch of mineralogy
that deals with identifying unknown minerals, also using the physical properties of
minerals. Other branches of mineralogy include chemical mineralogy (identifying
minerals to determine the chemical composition of the earth's crust), optical mineralogy
(using light to determine the crystal structure of minerals).
16. Optical Mineralogy
Optical mineralogy is the study of minerals and rocks by measuring their optical
properties. Most commonly, rock and mineral samples are prepared as thin sections or
grain mounts for study in the laboratory with a petrographic microscope. Optical
mineralogy is used to identify the mineralogical composition of geological materials in
order to help reveal their origin and evolution. It deals with the principles of optics,
behaviour of light through isotropic and anisotropic substances, petrological
microscope, construction and working of nicol prism, birefringence, pleochrosim ,
extinction, physical, chemical and optical properties of more common rock forming
minerals. The subject deals with the optical properties of crystalline matter and to the
polarizing microscope for optical mineral identification.
17. Petrology
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.
18. Structural Geology
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 rocks.
19. Ore Geology
Geologists are involved in the study of ore deposits, which includes the study of ore
genesis and the processes within the Earth's crust that form and concentrate mainly on
ore minerals into economically viable quantities. The study of metallic ore deposits
involves the use of structural geology, geochemistry, the study of metamorphism and
its processes, as well as understanding metasomatism and other processes related to
ore genesis. In general, ore deposits are delineated by mineral exploration methods,
which uses geochemical prospecting, drilling and resource estimation via geostatistics to
quantify economic ore bodies. The ultimate aim of this process is mining.
20. Geochemistry
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.