Geology

Geology is the fascinating study of the Earth, its rocks and minerals. Geologists are the 'field hands' of earth science who work to understand how the dynamic forces which shape our earth work, and use this knowledge to predict their affect on mankind. Earthquakes, volcanoes and soil erosion affect all of us: even if the geological event occurs halfway around the world, we are all touched to a greater or lesser extent.

More than just naming rocks and digging up fossilized bones, geologists tell us the story of the earth. That story goes back billions of years, and leaves its impression in the very ground we walk on. In this section you will learn about the amazing Earth.

	Caves A cave is a natural opening in the ground extending beyond the zone of light and large enough to permit the entry of man. Occurring in a wide variety of rock types and caused by widely differing geological processes, caves range in size from single small rooms to interconnecting passages many miles long.
	Collecting Rocks The Earth is made of rock, from the tallest mountains to the floor of the deepest ocean. Thousands of different types of rocks and minerals have been found on Earth.
	Copper Copper is one of the basic known elements. It is both ductile and malleable, meaning it can respectively conform to various shapes without fracturing, and can be beaten into thin sheets. It has a high electrical and thermal conductivity second only to the conductivity of silver.
	Hope Diamond and Diamond Introduction he Hope Diamond is an extremely large gem that gained popularity is due to the alleged "curse" that was placed upon it.
	Faults Like most stories in geology, this one starts beneath the surface. The continents we live on are parts of moving plates. Most of the action takes place where plates meet. Plates may collide, pull apart, or scrape past each other...
	Geologic Glossary An extensive list of geologic terms.
	Geologic Time The Earth is very old -- 4.5 billion years or more. This vast span of time, called geologic time by earth scientists, is difficult to comprehend in the familiar time units of months and years, or even centuries. This section discusses how scientists reckon geologic time, and why they believe the Earth is so old?
	Glaciers Glaciers carve some of our planet's most spectaculer scenery, but it's not until glaciers melt that their rasping handiwork is exposed. This section includes Glacier Formation and Glacier Valley's.
	Gold Through the ages men and women have cherished gold, and many have had a compelling desire to amass great quantities of it--so compelling a desire, in fact, that the frantic need to seek and hoard gold has been aptly named "gold fever."
	Geologic Time Scale The study of the Earth from the beginning of time to the present can be broken down into sections called geological eras, periods, and epochs.
	Hawaiian Volcanic Rocks Explore the vast diversity of Hawaiian Volcanic rocks.
	Meteoroids and Meteorites The term meteor comes from the Greek meteoron, meaning phenomenon in the sky. It is used to describe the streak of light produced as matter in the solar system falls into Earth's atmosphere creating temporary incandescence resulting from atmospheric friction.
	Minerals and Their Uses Every segment of society uses minerals and mineral resources everyday. The roads we ride or drive on and the buildings we live learn and work in all contain minerals. This is a selected list of commonly used metallic and nonmetallic minerals, ore minerals, mineral byproducts, aggregates, and rock types that are used to make products we use in our daily life.
	Mohs Rock Hardness Scale One of the important identifying features of rock is its hardness.
	Natural Gemstones - Mineral Gemstones - Birthstones - Organic Gemstones A natural gemstone is a mineral, stone, or organic matter that can be cut and polished or otherwise treated for use as jewelry or other ornament. This section includes information about Natural Gemstones, Mineral Gemstones, Birthstones, and Organic Gemstones.
	Rocks and the Rock Cycle What are rocks? How are they formed? This section will answer these basic questions and how rocks are classified into one of three categories: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic. The Rock Cycle describes how rocks are transformed from one type to another. Rock Physical Property Tests discribes the basic ways to identify a rock.
	Geology Educational Activiteis Here are five geology activities for the classroom. SHAKE, RATTLE, AND Liquefy The Art and Science of Making Fossils Mudpile Mountain Do Rocks Last Forever? Everyone Needs a Rock