Abstract:

As of June 2002, astronomers had discovered more than 100 other plants orbiting distant suns. With advances in technology, that number will surely increase during the opening decades of the twenty-first century. Although our explorations of the Cosmos hold great promise of future discoveries, among all of the known worlds, the Earth remains unique. Thus far it is the only known planet with blue skies, warm seas, and life. Earth is our most tangible and insightful laboratory, and the study of Earth Science offers us precious opportunities to discover many of the most fundamental laws of the Universe.

Although Earth is billions of years old, geology, literally meaning the study of Earth, is a relatively new science, having grown from seeds of natural science and natural history planted during the Enlightenment era of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In 1807, the founding of the Geological Society of London, the first learned society devoted to geology, marked an important turning point for the science (some say its nascence). In the beginning, geologic studies were mainly confined to the study of minerals (mineralogy), strata (stratigraphy), and fossils (paleontology), and hotly debated issues of the day included how well new geologic findings fit into religious models of creation. In less than two centuries, geology has matured to embrace the most fundamental theories of physics and chemistry and broadened in scope to include the diverse array of subdisciplines that comprise modern Earth science. (more) -- 

K. Lee Lerner & Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, editors. London. May, 2002