Which description best matches Physical Geology?

• A. The study of materials and processes that operate on and beneath our planet's surface
• B. The chronological study of the geologic past
• C. The study of atmospheric weather patterns
• D. The study of oceans

Answer: (A)

Physical geology focuses on Earth’s materials—minerals and rocks—and the processes that shape the planet on and beneath its surface, such as rock formation, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanism, weathering, and erosion. This emphasis on real substances and active processes today distinguishes it from fields that study geologic history, the atmosphere, or the oceans. So the description that centers on materials and the processes operating on and beneath the surface best matches physical geology.