石油资源勘查专业英语.doc

Unit 1 Basic Geology Lesson 1 Geology Earth science (also known as geoscience, the geosciences or the Earth sciences), is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth. It is arguably a special case in planetary science, the Earth being the only known life-bearing planet. There are both reductionist and holistic approaches to Earth sciences. The formal discipline of Earth Sciences may include the study of the atmosphere, oceans and biosphere, as well as the solid earth. Geology is generally categorized within the geosciences. Geology (from the Greek，geo, earth and, logos, speech) is a natural science, which studies the geology science of the earths history, composition, and structure, and the associated processes. It draws upon chemistry, biology, physics, astronomy, and mathematics (notably statistics) for support of its formulations. Geology is a very complex science. There are many branches of Geology, which can be grouped under the major headings of physical and historical geology. Physical Geology Physical geology includes mineralogy, the study of the chemical composition and structure of minerals; petrology, the study of the composition and origin of rock; geomorphology, the study of the origin of landforms and theirs modification by dynamic processes; geochemistry, the study of the chemical composition of the earth materials and the chemical changes that occur within the earth and on its surface; geophysics, the study of the behavior of rock materials and in response to stresses and according to the principles of physics; sedimentology, the science of the erosion and deposition of rock particles by wind, water, or ice; structural geology, the study of the forces that deform the earth’s rocks and the description and mapping of deformed rock bodies; economic geology, the study of the exploration and recovery of natural resources, such as ores and petroleum; and engineering geology, the study of the interaction of the earth’s crust with h