I.a Geology and the Scientific Method
Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning “knowledge”) is the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical, natural, and social world. This systematic study is accomplished through the scientific process (see inset below), and so science is not only facts and theories but also the process by which we gain knowledge. Geology is a physical science as it deals with the natural world, as opposed to a social science which focuses on human and societal interactions.
Geology is the study of Earth. This includes its interior and exterior surface, the minerals, rocks, and other natural resources found in and on Earth, and the processes that create and change those materials and landscapes. It also includes studies of the water both on the surface and in the ground, studies of climate and energy, and many other facets of the natural world. As geology is a science, it accomplishes these studies using the scientific process.
Geology is a very integrated science, arguably the most integrated of the sciences, in that it requires the understanding and application of all the other sciences: physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, etc. to varying degrees depending on the specific focus within the discipline. However, a major difference between geology and the other sciences is that geology deals with time in a very different way. Geologists not only study what is happening right now or can be measured in an experiment over the course of several minutes/hours/days, they analyze processes that can take hundreds to thousands to millions or even billions of years. Compared to other sciences, geologic processes take place at very slow rates – for example plates move at rates of millimeters to centimeters per year – but because of the huge amount of time that has passed in Earth’s history, these processes can still produce massive results.
The Scientific Method
Science is based on the scientific method. This is often described as a simple set of steps:
- Ask a question (This is what you are trying to figure out. It is typically based on pre-existing knowledge or observations.).
- Make a hypothesis (Is there a way to explain these observations? All of them, not just some of them.).
- Collect data/make more observations (This can be done in several ways. Data could be collected by designing and running an experiment, conducting field work, administering surveys, etc. It is collecting information to add to an existing knowledge base.).
- Analyze and interpret the data (This is the hard part! This is the part where you sit and think. Do the data support the hypothesis you started with? Are there data that contradict your hypothesis? Are the data inconclusive?).
- Draw a conclusion (This is where you give your “final answer” about the initial question).
Simple right?
In reality, the process is much more iterative, and you go through multiple rounds of data collection and then analysis and back to more data collection and then more analysis (likely with some alterations to your initial hypothesis and the formation of totally new questions in there too as you learn more) before you can finally move on to drawing any definitive conclusions.
The data collection, analysis/interpretation and conclusions are not typically the work of one individual. Teams of scientists will work together on problems and then discuss findings with other scientists to get feedback and brainstorm about ideas and different ways of thinking through the problem. This process of collaboration and brainstorming is a powerful tool for advancing knowledge.
From there, after testing a hypothesis many, many times and usually by many different groups of scientists, a hypothesis becomes accepted as a scientific theory. A theory is a hypothesis that carries more weight as it has been repeatedly supported through experimental and observational verification and is accepted by the scientific community. To go from hypothesis to theory takes years, or more often decades, of repeated verification.
A fundamental tenet of scientific hypotheses and theories is that they are testable and therefore falsifiable. So, while a scientific theory is our best (and accepted) explanation of why or how something works, it is based on current knowledge. As that knowledge grows, we may discover something in the future that proves our theory false, in which case, we go back and come up with a new hypothesis and then start testing it!
