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Synopsis The earth, is concerned with the systematic study of rocks and minerals, in which there is preserved a record of the 0 changes produced by processes that have long been at work on the surface of the earth and deep within it. In seeking information about the earth's origin and place in the solar system, the science of geology obviously impinges on astronomy; in attempting to understand the earth's dynamic evolution, it must make use of physics and chemistry; and in its inquiry into the origin and evolution of life, geology must both embrace and contribute to biology. In short, geology is an eclectic science in which every available tool is applied in the effort to understand the planet on which we live. Investigations of the physical properties and internal processes are called geophysics, those that concern chemical processes are geochemistry, and those that deal with ancient biology are paleontology. Geology has powerful tools of its own, primarily geologic mapping, but in large part it draws upon its sister sciences in investigating the origin and history of the earth.