GEOLOGY - Around Us

If we start thinking in terms of geology , we will always find geology around us. Whether we are walking through the fields ; or driving through the country ; or standing near a temple or a building ; or sitting at a place , we will always be incontact with the processes and materials of geology. For example , pick up a piece of Limestone rock. There will probably be fossils in it , which may well represent the remains of the animals that lived in some prehistoric sea , which once covered the area.
Similarly , say for example , we are walking along a river bank , and notice the silt , which has been left on the bank by the river floods. This should , in geological parlance , remind us of the ability of the running water to deposit sediments - sediments that may on a later date be transformed into rocks. At the same place , if we notice , we can find the scoured river banks , which have been eroded by the swift water currents. This will indicate , as to how the soil has been removed by erosion - a geological process , which is so very important in shaping of various features of our Earths surface.
Sometimes , you may notice a field of black fertile soil supporting a fine crop of corn. You may be surprised to know that this dark rich soil may have been derived from an underlying chalky white Limestone - still another reminder of the importance of Earths material in our every day life.
Sometimes , you may be sitting or standing a near a building or a temple , where you will notice a various types of stones used in flooring ; or in face work ; or in a structural members. Will you not like to know as to what are rocks are they , where are they found , and what are their strengths and costs ? All these details shall indeed be provided by the study of geology.
Geology , therefore , concerns with our daily life , and is the most interesting and useful subject for a layman as well as for knowledgeable people like you. One must know , if not in a specialised manner , then atleast in a general way , something about geology. The engineers , particularly the civil engineers - who have to use the rocks for construction purposes , and the grounds (soil and rocks) for supporting their engineering structures like dam's , roads , bridges , railway tracks , docks and harbours , tunnels , etc. must have a good and a through knowledge of the subject. Similarly , the mining engineers , who have to mine the rocks , to take out ores and other rocks for their various economic and building uses , must be well aware of this subject.