What are the differences between geology, petrology, and lithology?

Question

What differences are there between geology, petrology, and lithology? If I were to get into any of those fields, what exactly would I be studying? Also, are petrology and lithology just branches of geology?

Answer 1

Correct! Petrology and lithology are branches of geology. Petrology is concerned with the origin of rocks and how they form, it is generally a term applied specifically to the study of igneous rocks though. Lithology is a term used in geology to describe the rock name, for example: Basalt is a type of lithology. Lithology is generally the study of the rock's physical properties, it's not really a research branch of the subject.