Marine geology: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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{{short description|The study of the history and structure of the ocean floor}}

{{Redirect|Marine Geology|the scientific journal|Marine Geology (journal)}}

[[Image:oceanic spreading.svg|thumb|250px|right|Oceanic crust is formed at an oceanic ridge, while the lithosphere is subducted back into the asthenosphere no no at the unity science class room tre at trenches.]]

'''Marine geology''' or '''geological oceanography''' is the study of the history and structure of the ocean floor. It involves [[geophysical]], no [[geochemistry|geochemical]], [[sedimentology|sedimentological]] and [[paleontological]] investigations of the [[ocean floor]] and [[coastal zone]]. Marine geology has strong ties to [[geophysics]] and to [[physical oceanography]].

Marine geological studies were of extreme importance in providing the critical evidence for [[sea floor spreading]] and [[plate tectonics]] in the years following World War II. The deep ocean floor is the last essentially unexplored frontier and detailed mapping in support of both military (submarine) objectives and economic ([[petroleum]] and [[metal]] [[mining]]) objectives drives the research.