Historical geology studies the Earth’s past through rock formations and fossils. Radiometric dating helps determine the age of rocks and the planet. Sedimentary rocks provide information about past species and climates. Historical geology is useful for mining and oil companies. It has uncovered mysteries about the planet’s past.
Written human history goes back only a few thousand years. The Earth is considerably older than the human race and has gone through countless events and momentous changes long before the arrival of humans. Historical geology studies rock, mineral, and geological formations to give modern humans a better picture of ancient history on Earth. By making use of modern technology such as radiocarbon dating, historical geology teaches humans about the past and can also give a glimpse into the future behavior of the planet.
Determining the age of rocks is an important part of historical geology. In the 19th century, the work of several prominent scientists brought the concept of radioactivity to light. More recent discoveries have shown that some radioactive elements decompose at a predictable rate into a more stable form of the element. By measuring a rock sample for the amount of the original element and its broken down version, geologists can now get a pretty good idea of the sample’s age. Using radiometric dating, historical geology has made confident estimates not only of the age of rocks, but also of the age of the planet itself.
Sedimentary rocks are of great importance in historical geology and related fields of ancient history. Sedimentary rocks occur through the compression of sediments over time, such as soil, sand, and organisms. Much of science‘s fossil information comes from bones and skeletons embedded in sedimentary rocks. Historical geology can tell a lot about previous species and extinction by examining the fossils and surrounding rock. Sedimentary rocks can also provide considerable information about past climates, as sediments wear out differently depending on the atmosphere around them.
Historical geology not only provides clues about the past but can also formulate an understanding of the geological makeup of the present. Mining enterprises and companies seeking oil and natural gas reserves often employ geologists who study historical geology. Understanding the past of a region can go a long way in understanding the likelihood of certain substances or minerals in the present.
For centuries it was believed that the Earth was only a few thousand years old. It’s hard to believe now that people at the time of the Civil War had never seen or heard of a dinosaur, as the first fossils weren’t discovered until 1890. When early geologist James Hutton proposed that the earth was millions of years old, it was met with almost universal scorn and derision. In the short time it has existed, historical geology has unlocked untold mysteries about the planet humans inhabit.
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