A Brief Story of the History of Geology.

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Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction: geology as a “superpower”
​01:22 – First geologists: Og, flint, obsidian, and early pigments
04:35 – Salt, early civilizations, and geology as the bedrock of empires
05:10 – Egyptians and Maya: pyramids, obsidian, and jade
07:39 – Renaissance to Steno: Leonardo, Agricola, and superposition
09:35 – Hutton, deep time, Lyell, and William Smith’s map
11:25 – Radioactivity, Patterson’s 4.55 Ga Earth, and Lehmann’s inner core
12:40 – Plate tectonics: Wegener to seafloor spreading and transform faults
13:15 – Anthropocene, climate change, and green‑energy minerals
13:55 – Astrogeology, careers in geology, and closing call to explore more

Explore the comprehensive history of geology, geological science evolution, and Earth history through the lens of Earth sciences, geological research, and the geological time scale. This video delves into Earth's structure, plate tectonics, seismology, and paleoclimatology while examining the vital contributions of Clair Patterson and Inge Lehmann to our modern understanding of climate change and the Renaissance geology foundations that started it all. Drawing from the narrative established in the sources, we trace the discipline from prehistoric mineral use to the formal stratigraphic principles established by Nicolaus Steno and the pivotal geological discovery of "deep time" by James Hutton (Valls, 2026). We analyze the 20th-century revolutions sparked by Patterson's determination of the Earth's absolute age and Lehmann's brilliant deduction of the solid inner core through seismic wave analysis (Valls, 2026). The discussion further explores the Anthropocene, highlighting how geology has transformed into a dynamic, quantitative science essential for resource sustainability, geothermal energy, and carbon capture and storage (Valls, 2026). As the discipline expands its horizons into astrogeology and the search for life on Mars, modern geoscientists remain at the forefront of addressing planetary crises and securing a sustainable future (Valls, 2026). By understanding these historical milestones, junior and senior geologists alike can better appreciate the evolution of modern exploration techniques and the vital role of the geoscientist in the 21st century (Valls, 2026).

P. Geo. Ricardo A Valls, M. Sc. and Geo Gadfly
Valls Geoconsultant
ORCID ID- https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5421-0914
Scopus Author ID: 7003369619/35335510700
ResearcherID: S-6604-2018

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Primary Source

Valls, R. A. (2026). A brief story of the history of geology. Valls Geoconsultant.. Kindle edition available at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GHHR68MD