What is geology? Geology deals with the study of the Earth. Geologists and geoscientists try to understand how the planet has developed, how life came to exist and why everything is the way it is today. To do this, scientists have to study rocks and materials that have existed for a very long time. In terms of infrastructure and the economy, geology is incredibly important. We would not have materials for computers, smartphones and every plastic product you can think of without geological research and surveys. But also, by studying our planet we learn more about how life came to be and also about the challenges we currently face. In relation to climate change, geological studies have shown us how dramatically we have brought change to our atmosphere, unlike any other processes in Earth’s natural history. And while geology can teach us about the severity of climate change and its repercussions, it is also part of finding and creating the many sustainable solutions to climate change currently being engineered around the world. Thus, geology studies the past, which helps us understand and potentially save the future through studying the vast history of our planet and, more locally, our surroundings. Further, by understanding the City’s geology and appreciating its geoheritage we further realise that our environment is incredibly dynamic despite us often not considering it to be as such. Rivers change their courses; sea levels rise and fall and every day new rocks are created and eroded away. The world around us is constantly changing, even if everything may seem static and solid. Geology is everywhere in Cork! It is part of our buildings and more obviously the ground. It is in our bodies in the form of dust, minerals and ions and we use it daily. We walk, rest and socialise on it.
Panoramic view over Cork City from Togher Road with the Nagle Mountains in the very back.
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