Examining the Impact of Geology on Society:
An Inter - disciplinary Approach
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The experiences we all face as humans are somehow connected in one way or another to Earth and all of its daily processes and functions. Said that, understanding Earth's relationships is very critical to the ability of our own society, as well as the capabilities within ourselves to make well-informed decisions about Earth's environmental issues. One way or another, these issues affect our daily lives.
Unfortunately, for many years and even still resuming today in many cases, our level of geologic knowledge has indicated that the history and nature of our environmental interactions is not that well understood. Respectfully, there have been numerous assumptions and theories along the way. However, there has been a controversy overlying much of our understanding. This controversy earned its attention starting in the early 19th century when geological theories of 'How old is the earth?' became popular.
Alfred-Wegener-Oberschule, Im Gehege Dahlem-Dorf, ...
Photograph of Alfred Wegener, the scientist
Earth Lights N S America EuropeIn the mid to late 1700's, the dominant view in Europe regarding Earth's age was based entirely on biblical interpretation. In the bible, the book of Genesis said that the Earth was approximately 6,000 years old, because God created the world in six 24-hour days about 4000 B.C. and about 1600 years later the earth was reformed by 'Noah's catastrophic flood.' During the late 17th and 18th centuries, the authority and inspiration of the bible began to fade away. Biblical skepticism was flourishing by the formation of group followings in areas such as atheism, agnosticism and deism. These groups and their ideas started to have a great impact on the theories and development of Earth's geography and age. As a result, science and geology began growing in its influences and they were on their way to becoming the ultimate source of truth.