Regional geology is the

geological Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Eart ...

study of large-scale regions. Usually, it encompasses multiple geological disciplines to piece together the history of an area. It is the geologic equivalent of

regional geography Regional geography is a major branch of geography. It focuses on the interaction of different cultural and natural geofactors in a specific land or landscape, while its counterpart, systematic geography, concentrates on a specific geofactor at the ...

. The size and the borders of each region are defined by geologically significant boundaries and by the occurrence of geologic processes. Examples of geologically significant boundaries are the interfingering

facies In geology, a facies ( , ; same pronunciation and spelling in the plural) is a body of rock with specified characteristics, which can be any observable attribute of rocks (such as their overall appearance, composition, or condition of formatio ...

change in sedimentary deposits when discussing a

sedimentary basin Sedimentary basins are region-scale depressions of the Earth's crust where subsidence has occurred and a thick sequence of sediments have accumulated to form a large three-dimensional body of sedimentary rock. They form when long-term subsidence ...

system, or the leading or boundary

thrust Thrust is a reaction force In physics, a force is an influence that can change the motion of an object. A force can cause an object with mass to change its velocity (e.g. moving from a state of rest), i.e., to accelerate. Force can al ...

of an

orogen An orogenic belt, or orogen, is a zone of Earth's crust affected by orogeny. An orogenic belt develops when a continental plate crumples and is uplifted to form one or more mountain ranges; this involves a series of geological processes collecti ...

Africa

* Geology of Africa ** Geology of Chad ** Geology of Egypt ** Geology of Madagascar **

Geology of Rwanda The geology of Rwanda comprises Mesoproterozoic metasediments, largely quartzites, sandstones, and shales of the Burundian Supergroup which are locally intruded by granite. There are four types of granite in the Kibaran Belt. In eastern Rwanda ...

** Geology of Togo

Antarctica

* Geology of Antarctica

Asia

* Geology of Asia ** Geology of Armenia ** Geology of Azerbaijan **

Geology of Bangladesh The Geology of Bangladesh is affected by the country's location, as Bangladesh is mainly a riverine country. It is the eastern two-thirds of the Ganges and Brahmaputra river delta plain stretching to the north from the Bay of Bengal. There are ...

Geology of China The geology of China (or the geological structure of the People's Republic of China) consists of three Precambrian cratons surrounded by a number of orogenic belts. The modern tectonic environment is dominated by the continued collision of Indi ...

*** Geology of Fujian ** Geology of Georgia (country) ** Geology of Hong Kong ** Geology of India *** Geology of Sikkim **

Geology of Indonesia This is a brief summary of the geology of Indonesia. Indonesia is located between two major tectonic plates, the Australian Plate and the Eurasian Plate. Tectonics The tectonics of Indonesia are very complex, as it is a meeting point of ...

** Geology of Japan **

Geology of New Zealand The geology of New Zealand is noted for its volcanic activity, earthquakes and geothermal areas because of its position on the boundary of the Australian Plate and Pacific Plates. New Zealand is part of Zealandia, a microcontinent nearly half ...

** Geology of Pakistan **

Geology of the Philippines Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ear ...

** Geology of Russia ** Geology of Singapore **

Geology of Taiwan The island of Taiwan was formed approximately 4 to 5 million years ago at a convergent boundary between the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate. In a boundary running the length of the island and continuing southwards, the Eurasian ...

** Geology of Turkey ** Geology of Vietnam

Australia

* Geology of Australia **

Geology of the Australian Capital Territory The geology of the Australian Capital Territory includes rocks dating from the Ordovician around 480 million years ago, whilst most rocks are from the Silurian. During the Ordovician period the region—along with most of eastern Australia—was ...

** Geology of New South Wales ** Geology of Queensland **

Geology of Tasmania The geology of Tasmania is complex, with the world's biggest exposure of diabase, or dolerite. The rock record contains representatives of each period of the Neoproterozoic, Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. It is one of the few southern h ...

** Geology of Victoria ** Geology of the Yilgarn Craton

Europe

* Geology of Europe ** Geology of Andorra ** Geology of Armenia ** Geology of Azerbaijan ** Geology of Cyprus ** Geology of Denmark ***

Geology of Faroe Islands Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other E ...

*** Geology of Greenland **

Geology of Finland The geology of Finland is made up of a mix of geologically very young and very old materials. Common rock types are orthogneiss, granite, metavolcanics and metasedimentary rocks. On top of these lies a widespread thin layer of unconsolidated depo ...

** Geology of France ***

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, ...

*** Aquitaine Basin ***

Armorican Massif The Armorican Massif (french: Massif armoricain, ) is a geologic massif that covers a large area in the northwest of France, including Brittany, the western part of Normandy and the Pays de la Loire. It is important because it is connected to D ...

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Massif Central The (; oc, Massís Central, ; literally ''"Central Massif"'') is a highland region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaus. It covers about 15% of mainland France. Subject to volcanism that has subsided in the last 10,00 ...

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Paris Basin The Paris Basin is one of the major geological regions of France. It developed since the Triassic over remnant uplands of the Variscan orogeny (Hercynian orogeny). The sedimentary basin, no longer a single drainage basin, is a large sag in the ...

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Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to ...

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Upper Rhine Plain The Upper Rhine Plain, Rhine Rift Valley or Upper Rhine Graben ( German: ''Oberrheinische Tiefebene'', ''Oberrheinisches Tiefland'' or ''Oberrheingraben'', French: ''Vallée du Rhin'') is a major rift, about and on average , between Basel in the s ...

*** Rhone Furrow ***

Vosges Mountains The Vosges ( , ; german: Vogesen ; Franconian and gsw, Vogese) are a range of low mountains in Eastern France, near its border with Germany. Together with the Palatine Forest to the north on the German side of the border, they form a single ...

** Geology of Germany ** Geology of Great Britain ***

Geology of England The geology of England is mainly sedimentary. The youngest rocks are in the south east around London, progressing in age in a north westerly direction.

**** Geology of the English counties ****

Geology of Cambridgeshire : ''This article describes the geology of the ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire. It thus includes the present City of Peterborough and the historic county of Huntingdonshire which was brought into the county in 1974.'' The geology of Cambridgesh ...

**** Geology of Cheshire ****

Geology of Cornwall The geology of Cornwall, England, is dominated by its granite backbone, part of the Cornubian batholith, formed during the Variscan orogeny. Around this is an extensive metamorphic aureole (known locally as killas) formed in the mainly Devonian ...

***** Lizard Complex ****

Geology of Dorset Dorset (or archaically, Dorsetshire) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. Covering an area of ; it borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. The gre ...

**** Geology of East Sussex ****

Geology of Essex : ''This article describes the geology of the ceremonial county of Essex. It includes the boroughs of Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock.'' The geology of Essex in southeast England largely consists of Cenozoic marine sediments from the Palaeogene and N ...

**** Geology of Gloucestershire **** Geology of Hampshire ****

Geology of Hertfordshire The geology of Hertfordshire describes the rocks of the English county of Hertfordshire which are a northern part of the great shallow syncline known as the London Basin. The beds dip in a south-easterly direction towards the syncline's lowest po ...

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Geology of Lincolnshire : ''This article describes the geology of the ceremonial county of Lincolnshire. Besides the modern administrative county, it includes the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire.'' The geology of Lincolnshire in e ...

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Geology of Norfolk The geology of Norfolk in eastern England largely consists of late Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary rocks of marine origin covered by an extensive spread of unconsolidated recent deposits. Jurassic The oldest rocks at or near the surface in Norfo ...

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Geology of Rutland The geology of Rutland in eastern England largely consists of sedimentary rocks of Jurassic age which dip gently eastwards. Jurassic The oldest rocks that occur at the surface in the county of Rutland are the mudstones and limestones of the ...

**** Geology of Shropshire ****

Geology of Somerset Somerset is a rural county in the southwest of England, covering . It is bounded on the north-west by the Bristol Channel, on the north by Bristol and Gloucestershire, on the north-east by Wiltshire, on the south-east by Dorset, and on the south ...

**** Geology of Suffolk **** Geology of Yorkshire ***

Geology of Scotland The geology of Scotland is unusually varied for a country of its size, with a large number of differing geological features.Keay & Keay (1994) page 415. There are three main geographical sub-divisions: the Highlands and Islands is a diverse area w ...

**** Geology of Orkney **** Geology of Skye *** Geology of Wales ** Geology of Guernsey *** Geology of Alderney **

Geology of the Iberian Peninsula The geology of the Iberian Peninsula consists of the study of the rock formations on the Iberian Peninsula, which includes Spain, Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, In recognized minority languages of Portugal: :* mwl, ...

Geology of Iceland The geology of Iceland is unique and of particular interest to geologists. Iceland lies on the divergent boundary between the Eurasian plate and the North American plate. It also lies above a hotspot, the Iceland plume. The plume is believed to h ...

** Geology of Ireland ** Geology of Italy ** Geology of Jersey ** Geology of the Netherlands **

Geology of Norway The geology of Norway encompasses the history of Earth that can be interpreted by rock types found in Norway, and the associated sedimentological history of soils and rock types. The Norwegian mountains were formed around 400 million years ago ( ...

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Geology of Svalbard The geology of Svalbard encompasses the geological description of rock types found in Svalbard, and the associated tectonics and sedimentological history of soils and rocks. The geological exploration of Svalbard is an ongoing activity, and recen ...

** Geology of Russia ** Geology of Serbia ** Geology of Slovenia **

Geology of Sweden The geology of Sweden is the regional study of rocks, minerals, tectonics, natural resources and groundwater in the country. The oldest rocks in Sweden date to more than 2.5 billion years ago in the Precambrian. Complex orogeny mountain building e ...

*** Geology of Gotland ** Geology of Turkey

North America

Geology of North America The geology of North America is a subject of regional geology and covers the North American continent, the third-largest in the world. Geologic units and processes are investigated on a large scale to reach a synthesized picture of the g ...

Geology of the Appalachians The geology of the Appalachians dates back to more than 480 million years ago. A look at rocks exposed in today's Appalachian Mountains reveals elongate belts of folded and thrust faulted marine sedimentary rocks, volcanic rocks and slivers of ...

** Geology of New England **

Geology of the Pacific Northwest The geology of the Pacific Northwest includes the composition (including rock, minerals, and soils), structure, physical properties and the processes that shape the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The region is part of the Ring of ...

Geology of the Rocky Mountains The geology of the Rocky Mountains is that of a discontinuous series of mountain ranges with distinct geological origins. Collectively these make up the Rocky Mountains, a mountain system that stretches from Northern British Columbia through cen ...

Geology of Canada The geology of Canada is a subject of regional geology and covers the country of Canada, which is the second-largest country in the world. Geologic units and processes are investigated on a large scale to reach a synthesized picture of the geolog ...

** Geology of the United States ***

Geology of Alabama The geology of Alabama is marked by abundant geologic resources and a variety of geologic structures from folded mountains in the north to sandy beaches along the Gulf of Mexico coast. Alabama spans three continental geologic provinces as defined by ...

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Geology of Alaska The geology of Alaska includes Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks formed in offshore terranes and added to the western margin of North America from the Paleozoic through modern times. The region was submerged for much of the Paleozoic and ...

*** Geology of Arizona **** Geology of the Grand Canyon area ***

Geology of Arkansas The geology of Arkansas includes deep 1.4 billion year old igneous crystalline basement rock from the Proterozoic known only from boreholes, overlain by extensive sedimentary rocks and some volcanic rocks. The region was a shallow marine, riverine a ...

*** Geology of California **** Geology of the Death Valley area ****

Geology of the Lassen volcanic area The Lassen volcanic area presents a geological record of sedimentation and volcanic activity in and around Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California, U.S. The park is located in the southernmost part of the Cascade Mountain Range ...

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Geology of Mount Shasta Mount Shasta ( Shasta: ''Waka-nunee-Tuki-wuki''; Karuk: ''Úytaahkoo'') is a potentially active volcano at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California. At an elevation of , it is the second-highest peak in the Cascade ...

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Geology of the Yosemite area The exposed geology of the Yosemite area includes primarily granitic rocks with some older metamorphic rock. The first rocks were laid down in Precambrian times, when the area around Yosemite National Park was on the edge of a very young North Am ...

*** Geology of Colorado *** Geology of Connecticut *** Geology of Delaware *** Geology of Florida *** Geology of Georgia ***

Geology of Hawaii The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Ku ...

*** Geology of Idaho *** Geology of Illinois *** Geology of Indiana ***

Geology of Iowa The geography of Iowa includes the study of bedrock, landforms, rivers, geology, paleontology and urbanisation of the U.S. state of Iowa. The state covers an area of 56,272.81 sq mi (145,746 km2). Bedrock features Iowa's bedrock geology ge ...

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Geology of Kansas The geology of Kansas encompasses the geologic history and the presently exposed Rock (geology), rock and soil. Rock that outcrop, crops out in the United States, US state of Kansas was formed during the Phanerozoic eon, which consists of three ge ...

*** Geology of Kentucky *** Geology of Louisiana *** Geology of Maine *** Geology of Maryland *** Geology of Massachusetts *** Geology of Michigan *** Geology of Minnesota *** Geology of Mississippi *** Geology of Missouri *** Geology of Montana ***

Geology of Nebraska The geology of Nebraska is part of the broader geology of the Great Plains of the central United States. Nebraska's landscape is dominated by surface features, soil and aquifers in loosely compacted sediments, with areas of the state where thick la ...

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Geology of Nevada The geology of Nevada began to form in the Proterozoic at the western margin of North America. Terranes accreted to the continent as a marine environment dominated the area through the Paleozoic and Mesozoic periods. Intense volcanism, the ho ...

*** Geology of New Hampshire ***

Geology of New Jersey New Jersey is a very geologically and geographically diverse region in the United States' Middle Atlantic region, offering variety from the Appalachian Mountains and the New York–New Jersey Highlands, Highlands in the state's northwest, to the A ...

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Geology of New Mexico The geology of New Mexico includes bedrock exposures of four physiographic provinces, with ages ranging from almost 1800 million years ( Ma) to nearly the present day. Here the Great Plains, southern Rocky Mountains, Colorado Plateau, and Basin an ...

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Geology of New York Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other E ...

**** Glacial geology of the Genesee River *** Geology of North Carolina *** Geology of North Dakota ***

Geology of Ohio The geology of Ohio formed beginning more than one billion years ago in the Proterozoic eon of the Precambrian. The igneous and metamorphic crystalline basement rock is poorly understood except through deep boreholes and does not outcrop at the s ...

*** Geology of Oklahoma *** Geology of Oregon ***

Geology of Pennsylvania The Geology of Pennsylvania consists of six distinct physiographic provinces, three of which are subdivided into different sections. Each province has its own economic advantages and geologic hazards and plays an important role in shaping everyd ...

*** Geology of Rhode Island ***

Geology of South Carolina The Geology of South Carolina consists of six distinct geologic regions, the Blue Ridge Mountain Region, the Piedmont, the Sand Hills, the Inner Coastal Plain, the Outer Coastal Plain, and the Coastal Zone. References South Carolina

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Geology of South Dakota The geology of South Dakota began to form more than 2.5 billion years ago in the Archean eon of the Precambrian. Igneous crystalline basement rock continued to emplace through the Proterozoic, interspersed with sediments and volcanic materials. Larg ...

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Geology of Tennessee The geology of Tennessee is as diverse as its landscapes. Politically, Tennessee is broken up into three Grand Divisions (Tennessee), Grand Divisions: East Tennessee, East, Middle Tennessee, Middle, and West Tennessee. Physically, Tennessee is als ...

*** Geology of Texas *** Geology of Utah **** Geology of the Bryce Canyon area ****

Geology of the Canyonlands area The exposed geology of the Canyonlands area is complex and diverse; 12 formations are exposed in Canyonlands National Park that range in age from Pennsylvanian to Cretaceous. The oldest and perhaps most interesting was created from evaporites d ...

**** Geology of the Capitol Reef area **** Geology of the Zion and Kolob canyons area *** Geology of Vermont *** Geology of Virginia *** Geology of Washington *** Geology of Washington, D.C. **** Geology of Mount Adams *** Geology of West Virginia *** Geology of Wisconsin ***

Geology of Wyoming The geology of Wyoming includes some of the oldest Archean rocks in North America, overlain by thick marine and terrestrial sediments formed during the Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic, including oil, gas and coal deposits. Throughout its geologic ...

**** Geology of the Grand Teton area

South America

Geology of South America Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other E ...

Geology of Bolivia The geology of Bolivia comprises a variety of different lithologies as well as tectonic and sedimentary environments. On a synoptic scale, geological units coincide with topographical units. The country is divided into a mountainous western area ...

Geology of Chile The geology of Chile is a characterized by processes linked to subduction such as volcanism, earthquakes and orogeny. The buildings blocks of Chile's geology assembled during the Paleozoic Era. Chile was by then the southwestern margin of the s ...

** Geology of Colombia ** Geology of the Falkland Islands **

Geology of Uruguay The geology of Uruguay combines areas of Precambrian-aged shield units with a region of volcanic rock erupted during the Cretaceous and copious sedimentary facies the oldest of which date from the Devonian. Big events that have shaped the geol ...

By mountain range

Geology of the Alps The Alps form part of a Cenozoic orogenic belt of mountain chains, called the Alpide belt, that stretches through southern Europe and Asia from the Atlantic all the way to the Himalayas. This belt of mountain chains was formed during the Alpin ...

Geology of the Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the List of mountain ranges#Mountain ranges by length, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range i ...

Geology of the Himalaya The geology of the Himalayas is a record of the most dramatic and visible creations of the immense mountain range formed by plate tectonic forces and sculpted by weathering and erosion. The Himalayas, which stretch over 2400 km between t ...

References

{{Geology of Europe Compagnoni, R. (2003). "HP metamorphic belt of the western Alps". Episodes. 26 (3): 200–204. Geology of Mid-way Range