Which scientific discipline focuses on the study of rocks, their formation, composition, and characteristics?

Petrology is a field of geology that studies the origin, content, distribution, and structure of rocks. 

Some of the key study areas within petrology include:

  • Formation of rocks: Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic processes. 
  • Composition: Minerals present in rocks and examine the proportions in which they occur.
  • Characteristics: Texture, color, hardness, and density.

From the processes of formation to the chemical and physical properties of rocks, petrology is the study of rocks in all of its forms.