TermOriginal passage Do the citizens of Boston, Massachusetts, Memphis, Tennessee, and Charleston, South Carolina, need to worry quite as much about earthquakes as do the citizens of San Francisco and Los Angeles? Considering only recent events, perhaps not. But destructive tremors struck the Boston area in 1755, Memphis in 1811, and Charleston in 1886—and could well do so again. North Americans would be wise to understand the geological forces that cause phenomena such as earthquakes so that they can prepare for them. With this practical aspect of geology in mind, let us look at what geology is and what geologists do.
It is important that people who live in Boston, Massachusetts, Memphis, Tennessee, and Charleston, South Carolina, make adequate preparations in case an earthquake occurs. Earthquakes have occurred in those places before and could well do so again. Included in this preparation should be the study of what geology is and what geologists do.