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Petrology (from Ancient Greek πέτρος (pétros) 'rock' and -λογία 'study of') is the branch of geology that studies rocks, their mineralogy, composition, texture, structure and the conditions under which they form. [1] Petrology has three subdivisions: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary petrology. [2]
Lithology is the basis of subdividing rock sequences into individual lithostratigraphic units for the purposes of mapping and correlation between areas. In certain applications, such as site investigations , lithology is described using a standard terminology such as in the European geotechnical standard Eurocode 7 .
The study of rocks involves multiple subdisciplines of geology, including petrology and mineralogy. It may be limited to rocks found on Earth, or it may include planetary geology that studies the rocks of other celestial objects. Rocks are usually grouped into three main groups: igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks and metamorphic rocks.
Lithostratigraphic units are recognized and defined on the basis of observable physical rock characteristics. The lithology of a unit includes characteristics such as chemical and mineralogical composition, texture, color, primary depositional structures, fossils regarded as rock-forming particles, or other organic materials such as coal or ...
Engraving from William Smith's monograph on identifying strata based on fossils. Catholic priest Nicholas Steno established the theoretical basis for stratigraphy when he introduced the law of superposition, the principle of original horizontality and the principle of lateral continuity in a 1669 work on the fossilization of organic remains in layers of sediment.
Lithology: A description of the rock's physical characteristics, such as grain size, composition and texture. [4] By studying the lithology of local geological outcrops and core samples, geoscientists can use a combination of log measurements, such as natural gamma, neutron, density and resistivity, [2] to determine the lithology down the well.
The Summerville Formation is composed of alternating thin beds of two lithologies, mudstone and sandstone, penetrated by veins of a third lithology, gypsum. The boundaries of a formation are chosen to give it the greatest practical lithological consistency. Formations should not be defined by any criteria other than lithology.
Lithification (from the Ancient Greek word lithos meaning 'rock' and the Latin-derived suffix -ific) is the process in which sediments compact under pressure, expel connate fluids, and gradually become solid rock.