Hmm. That's one way to put it, but this would mean that geologists are blind to many other aspects of their job, so the answer is no.

However, geologists look at the rocks and landscapes in a different way than most people see them. Different rock types and their contact with rocks around them tells geologist rich story about the past. Some rocks are formed by rivers, other by ocean waves, other under extreme pressure and temperature conditions etc. If one studies each rock in isolation and then puts all the pieces of the puzzle together, a geological past can be deciphered. Same is for the landscapes, different rocks break down in different ways and certain landforms can be linked to specific processes of erosion. So, geologist not only sees pretty landscapes but also the processes that led to their formation.

Here is a photo of valley eroded into granite rocks that once formed the hearth of a volcano chain.

Best wishes! Dr Rock

Hi Anonymous,

Thanks for your question!

My top 5 posts would be those where there is a good geology story that really comes through if you know what to look for and can be shown with photographs.

Here are the Top 5 contenders:

1. Permian tale of the storm

2. Landscape evolution

3. Tricks in telling ancient river flow direction

4. Lava. Or maybe not...

5. Scene from an ancient sea floor

This post is dedicated to YOU!

I am very happy to let you guys know that this is the 200th post on the Dr Rock Club blog. So with this post I wanted to say ‘Thank you’ to all of you for your support!

Let’s celebrate this special occasion with a layer CAKE stratigraphy!

May 27, 2019:

Eggplant Secondary, Ridgeback, Lace.

Ferricrete beneath the golf field.

Ferricrete forms by slow accumulation of iron element within the soil profile. It first forms small nodules that progressively grow bigger, forming a layer, as the one exposed here.