Geomythology
Geomythology is the study of alleged references to geological events in mythology. Dorothy Vitaliano, a geologist at Indiana University, coined the term in 1968.
The claim is that oral traditions about nature are often expressed in mythological language and may contain genuine and perceptive natural knowledge based on careful observation of physical evidence. Geomythology alleges to provide valuable information about past earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, impact events, fossil discoveries, and other events, which are otherwise scientifically unknown or difficult to trace.
To be distinguished from this are plainly aitiological tales that account for geological features without any connection to their formation; for example: the Native American legend of a giant bear chasing a couple who were saved when the land rose beneath their feet; the bear's claws left gouge marks on the sides of the uplift known today as Devils Tower, Wyoming.
In August 2004 the 32nd International Geological Congress held a session on "Myth and Geology", which resulted in the first peer-reviewed collection of papers on the subject.
