THE SCOPE OF GEOLOGY 207 



parative simplicity of geological structure, that 

 points to Britain, above all other countries, as the 

 ideal birthplace of geological science, especially of 

 that part of geology which deals with the relative 

 ages and normal superposition of the stratified 

 deposits. 



Geology, as a pure science, stands for all that 

 pertains to the past history of our planet, and by 

 a careful study of natural processes now in operation 

 seeks to outline the train of events which has caused 

 the Earth to assume its present external form and 

 internal structure. Viewed from an economic 

 standpoint, however, the chief aim of geology is 

 accurately to define the distribution and relation- 

 ships of the diverse mineral-masses or strata that 

 form the accessible portion of the Earth's crust in 

 which are stored so many substances intimately 

 connected with our personal and national require- 

 ments. 



The bearing of geology upon our economic life 

 is probably not fully appreciated by those unac- 

 quainted with the science, but it is no exaggeration 

 to state that there is hardly an industry or art that 

 has not been, and is not, aided directly by the 

 knowledge that geologists have accumulated, and 

 that is not in some measure dependent on geological 

 knowledge for its successful continuance. 



Above all, the service that geology has rendered 

 to the industries has been the spreading of sound 

 and reasonable ideas regarding the nature and 



