Learning about the earth
Who wants to study rocks? Geologists do.
Geologists are scientists who “read” rocks as though they were history
books. Rocks have a history of their own. They show geologists what the
earth was like millions of years ago, how it has changed since then, and
how it is still changing. By studying rocks, geologists learn where
rivers once flowed—where volcanoes once erupted—and where plants and
animals once lived.
Many geologists travel all over the world. They explore mountains,
swamps, deserts, and even the bottom of the ocean. As geologists learn
more about the structure of the earth, the search for oil, coal, and
other sources of energy becomes easier. Valuable minerals, such as gold,
tin, and copper, are found by geologists, too.
Before geologists become geologists they may be “rock hounds.” Rock
hounds collect rocks as a hobby. But if rock hounds become geologists,
they do much more than study rocks. Geologists study everything about
the earth. That is what the word geology means. It comes from two
Greek words, ge, which means “earth” and logos, which means “study.”
And now geologists study rocks brought back from the moon!
