How is physical geography similar to and different from geology?

Answer 1

Physical geography is more of a descriptive rather than interpretive science, and deals more with the present than with the past. Both geology and physical geography utilize many of the same tools, but geologists utilize some that are not associated with the geographer, such as studying paleontology, mineral synthesis, and petrography.

Answer 2

From personal experience studying both I would say physical geography is more interested in the study of surface processes that have shaped what they can see and how it influences our lives today.
Geology is more interested in how everything in the Earth has formed, from the formation of the solar system through today and into the future; from the surface to the core. It uses chemistry(structure of rocks, minerals), physics(earthquakes etc), astronomy(early history), biology (paleontology) in a way physical geography doesn't! Not saying physical geography isn't scientific but this is my experience.
In essays I have written I have easily taken physical geography books I have (mostly on geomorphology) and used them in geology essays, but very rarely vice-versa.

Edit: just saw David A's post when I submitted this! He says what I was trying to saw in a much more concise way.

Answer 3

Geomorphology is a division of geology, and is basically physical geography. It is the study of landforms and how they are formed and modified in time. Also, it studies their current distribution.
I'd say physical geography is just a really small division of geology, with less insight into past events.

Answer 4

It regularly relies upon on which college you bypass to as each and every physique might have a diverse set of classes. Geology in my experience has a tendency to concentration on the enormous scale techniques of plate tectonics yet maximum folk of that's mineralogy, petrology and shape (folds, faults etc). there is a few overlap yet maximum folk of that's what i've got reported above. i could advise that actual geography could probable healthy you greater as that's greater possibly to disguise geomorphology in intensity and not only as an non-obligatory greater effective. yet another suggestion i could make in spite of the fact it quite is to no longer do joint geology and actual geography. you will no longer bypass into as a lot intensity (by no skill in the greater professional areas) in the two of them as somebody who concentrates on the two and a great proportion of the two team and scholars of the particular matters won't take you heavily as a result. Edit: Having examine what somebody else wrote I only want to characteristic this. St Andrews do no longer (or did no longer whilst i grew to become into observing probably going there) do a geology degree, they do geoscience which isn't quite the comparable ingredient besides the reality that it does contain maximum folk of the comparable components. i could additionally want to characteristic Edinburgh, Bristol and Leicester (that's not an incredible ranked college however the geology branch is genuinely very stable) to the checklist of universities so which you would be able to evaluate.