<p>It's not a healthy distinction, but in petroleum geoscience one can characterize the distinction around the sort of data people look at. Geophysicists are into seismic, sonic logs, gravity and magnetics data, electromagnetic (resistivity) data,... and anything to do with computers. Geologists meanwhile are into core, outcrop, gamma-ray and density logs, stratigraphy, tectonic reconstructions,... and anything to do with coloured pencils. Of course, they're both working towards the same thing: a model of the earth and its history.</p>

<p>Your question also made me think of a couple of Twitter conversations, both started by <a href="http://www2.kent.edu/geology/faculty/~crowan5/" rel="noreferrer">Chris Rowan at Kent State</a>:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>I'd be interested in your answers to q I'm exploring in my lecture this morning: what makes geophysics distinct from geology? <a href="https://twitter.com/Allochthonous/status/291174941494218753" rel="noreferrer">Read thread.</a></p></li>
<li><p>Why I sometimes get antsy when people call me a geophysicist. Ultimately, I favour reality over fancy computer plots. <a href="https://twitter.com/Allochthonous/status/421494185737191424" rel="noreferrer">Read thread.</a></p></li>
</ul>

<p>The first one of these prompted me to draw this:</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/FjS92.png" alt="The difference between geology and geophysics"></p>

<p>I make no claims to the accuracy or seriousness of this facile comparison.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-13T06:21:56.993Z
Beards should be given more weight in this comparison.
Gimelist
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-13T10:35:17.097Z
@Michael Good point... But can you really tell geols and geophs apart with them? Are they not one of the most convincing examples of convergent evolution?
Matt Hall
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-29T11:34:41.227Z
By the way, do you have that drawing in higher resolution? It's pretty good :)
Gimelist
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-03T14:26:02.003Z
@Michael... [Here you go :)](https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/14965965/Geology_vs_geophysics.png)
Matt Hall
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-31T05:33:38.157Z
Sort of see the same patterns in synoptic/operational meteorologists versus dynamical/research meteorologists.  It's a great world when both sides of the coin can contribute in a useful way :-)
JeopardyTempest
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-12T18:10:34.597Z
2014-09-12T18:10:34.597Z
Matt Hall
<p>Quote from:
<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780444506627000032?via%3Dihub" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Developments in Petroleum Science</a>, Vol. 60. dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-50662-7.00003-2 © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Geology and geophysics are two constituent disciplines of geoscience or earth
science. As we discussed in Chapter 2, geology, being an observational science,
involves the study of the earth by direct analysis of rocks and formations, either
from surface exposure or from boreholes, tunnels, and mines. It involves the
deduction of the earth’s structure, texture, composition, or history, by the analysis of such observations. Geophysics, on the other hand, is a science that deals
with the physical features of the earth’s surface and its internal structure. It
applies the principles of physics to the study of the earth. Virtually all of what
we know about the earth below the limited depths to which boreholes or mine
shafts have penetrated has been derived from geophysical observations.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-10-26T09:18:23.543Z
Developments in Petroleum Science, Vol. 60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-50662-7.00003-2
© 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Stephen Kizza
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-10-26T09:14:37.450Z
2022-10-26T10:17:37.367Z
2022-10-26T10:17:37.367Z
Stephen Kizza
<p>First of all you have to think about that both geology and geophysics are huge fields and even people that think of themselves as a geologist or geophysicist can have vastly different research topics.</p>

<p>If a geologist and a geophysicist are interested in the same topic, e.g. the lithosphere, they will have a lot in common. In this example I think the main differences would be methodology. While a geophysicist would rely on the analysis of seismic waves, numerical simulations and modelling, a geologists would work more with lithospheric scale cross sections, and geologic data that he or she can gather on the surface.</p>

<p>In summary I would say: The fields have much overlap, many differences, and when approaching a question more calculations and modelling will be done in geophysics and more field work and lab work (petrology, age dating, stratigraphic age, ...) will be done in geology.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-17T11:00:50.550Z
2014-04-17T11:00:50.550Z
tobias47n9e
<p>What are the main differences between geologists and geophysicists?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-03T06:29:47.433Z
A geophysicist friend once told me that geophysicists are geologists that know math. :)
Gimelist
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-12T19:02:17.213Z
Interesting question, even more interesting answers. I am a meteorologist and oceanographer, and have considered myself a geophysicist in general.
milancurcic
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-17T17:25:11.143Z
http://www.ualberta.ca/~unsworth/geophysicist_defn.pdf ;-)
s-m-e
<geophysics><geology>
What is the difference between a geologist and a geophysicist?
Kenshin
# What is the difference between a geologist and a geophysicist?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-04-17)

What are the main differences between geologists and geophysicists?

**Tags:** geophysics, geology

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: http://www.ualberta.ca/~unsworth/geophysicist_defn.pdf ;-)  
> **username_1**: A geophysicist friend once told me that geophysicists are geologists that know math. :)  
> **username_2**: Interesting question, even more interesting answers. I am a meteorologist and oceanographer, and have considered myself a geophysicist in general.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_7 on 2014-04-17. Score: 12 | Accepted answer

First of all you have to think about that both geology and geophysics are huge fields and even people that think of themselves as a geologist or geophysicist can have vastly different research topics.

If a geologist and a geophysicist are interested in the same topic, e.g. the lithosphere, they will have a lot in common. In this example I think the main differences would be methodology. While a geophysicist would rely on the analysis of seismic waves, numerical simulations and modelling, a geologists would work more with lithospheric scale cross sections, and geologic data that he or she can gather on the surface.

In summary I would say: The fields have much overlap, many differences, and when approaching a question more calculations and modelling will be done in geophysics and more field work and lab work (petrology, age dating, stratigraphic age, ...) will be done in geology.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2014-09-12. Score: 14

It's not a healthy distinction, but in petroleum geoscience one can characterize the distinction around the sort of data people look at. Geophysicists are into seismic, sonic logs, gravity and magnetics data, electromagnetic (resistivity) data,... and anything to do with computers. Geologists meanwhile are into core, outcrop, gamma-ray and density logs, stratigraphy, tectonic reconstructions,... and anything to do with coloured pencils. Of course, they're both working towards the same thing: a model of the earth and its history.

Your question also made me think of a couple of Twitter conversations, both started by [Chris Rowan at Kent State](http://www2.kent.edu/geology/faculty/~crowan5/):

* I'd be interested in your answers to q I'm exploring in my lecture this morning: what makes geophysics distinct from geology? [Read thread.](https://twitter.com/Allochthonous/status/291174941494218753)
* Why I sometimes get antsy when people call me a geophysicist. Ultimately, I favour reality over fancy computer plots. [Read thread.](https://twitter.com/Allochthonous/status/421494185737191424)

The first one of these prompted me to draw this:

![The difference between geology and geophysics](https://i.sstatic.net/FjS92.png)

I make no claims to the accuracy or seriousness of this facile comparison.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Beards should be given more weight in this comparison.  
> **username_4**: @Michael Good point... But can you really tell geols and geophs apart with them? Are they not one of the most convincing examples of convergent evolution?  
> **username_1**: By the way, do you have that drawing in higher resolution? It's pretty good :)  
> **username_4**: @Michael... [Here you go :)](https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/14965965/Geology_vs_geophysics.png)  
> **username_5**: Sort of see the same patterns in synoptic/operational meteorologists versus dynamical/research meteorologists.  It's a great world when both sides of the coin can contribute in a useful way :-)  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2022-10-26. Score: 1

Quote from:
[Developments in Petroleum Science](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780444506627000032?via%3Dihub), Vol. 60. dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-50662-7.00003-2 © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

> Geology and geophysics are two constituent disciplines of geoscience or earth
> science. As we discussed in Chapter 2, geology, being an observational science,
> involves the study of the earth by direct analysis of rocks and formations, either
> from surface exposure or from boreholes, tunnels, and mines. It involves the
> deduction of the earth’s structure, texture, composition, or history, by the analysis of such observations. Geophysics, on the other hand, is a science that deals
> with the physical features of the earth’s surface and its internal structure. It
> applies the principles of physics to the study of the earth. Virtually all of what
> we know about the earth below the limited depths to which boreholes or mine
> shafts have penetrated has been derived from geophysical observations.

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: Developments in Petroleum Science, Vol. 60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-50662-7.00003-2 © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.  

---

