About Geology, BA (Hons) - at Trinity College Dublin
What is geology?Geology is the science of the Earth. It investigates minerals and rocks, the internal and external processes affecting these, and the evolution of the Earth and its living organisms. It embraces the study of such diverse topics as dinosaurs, volcanoes, meteorites and earthquakes.
What will you study?In the Junior Sophister (third) year you will undertake detailed studies of the three main kinds of rock - igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic - and their response to enormous forces in the Earth which cause them to bend, buckle and crack. You will also study the measurement of geological time, the reconstruction of ancient environments and the evolution of life. You will learn skills in computing, statistics and rock analysis. Examinations take place in April, leaving scope in the third term for a laboratory project and fieldwork. During the summer before the Senior Sophister (fourth) year you will spend six weeks working in pairs in the field, preparing a geological map for your honors thesis.