Main Difference – Geology vs Geography

Geology and Geography are two fields that study Earth in a scientific view point. Geology is the study of physical structure and substance of the Earth, their history, and the processes which act on them. Geography is the study of the physical features of the Earth and its atmosphere, and of human activity as it affects and is affected by these, including the distribution of populations and resources and political and economic activities. The main difference between geology and geography is that geology studies the structure and formation of earth whereas geography deals with the topography of Earth.

What is Geology

Geology is an Earth science which studies the physical structure and substance of Earth; it also studies the dynamic and physical history of the Earth, and the physical and biological processes that create and act on them. Plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, past climates are some of the key areas studied in geography. It mainly deals with the physical properties of the Earth.

The knowledge of geology becomes useful evaluating water resources, understanding of environmental problems and natural hazards as well.

What is Geography

Geography is a scientific field that deals with the study of the land, its features, inhabitants, and the phenomena of Earth. It also studies areas like population distribution, political and economic activities. Geography can be mainly divided into two branches called human geography and physical geography.

Physical geography basically involves areas like land forms, weather, climate, topography, etc. It is a branch of natural science that studies processes and patterns in the natural environment. Since this sub-field looks similar to geology, many people tend to think that both geology and geography refers to the same field. Human geographers study the connection between people and places, settlement patterns, economic patterns, ethnicity, population distribution, etc.

Difference Between Geology and Geography

Definition

Geology is the study of physical structure and substance of the Earth, their history, and the processes which act on them.

Geography is the study of the land, its features, inhabitants, and the phenomena of Earth.

Earth

Geology studies the physical structure and substance of Earth, processes and the history of the Earth.

Geography studies areas like land forms, weather, climate, topography, etc.

People

Geology mainly focuses on nature.

Geography focuses on nature as well as people.

Processes

Geology looks at processes in nature.

Geography also looks at areas like settlement patterns, economic patterns, ethnicity, population distribution, etc.

Image Courtesy:

“China” (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia 

“Hoodoos in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah” by Luca Galuzzi  (CC BY-SA 2.5) via Commons Wikimedia 

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