Final answer:
The study of past human civilizations is not a major contribution of geology; rather, it is mainly the work of archaeology and history.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the contributions of geology to human society and asks which of the listed options is not a major contribution. Geology does play a significant role in identifying and extracting mineral and energy resources, mitigating natural hazards like earthquakes and volcanoes, environmental contamination cleanup and prevention, and revealing Earth's history through studying geologic formations and processes.However, understanding past human civilizations, while sometimes aided by geological insights, is primarily the domain of archaeology and history, rather than geology. Geology can provide context to human civilizations, especially through paleoclimate studies and stratigraphy, which can inform about the environmental conditions in which these civilizations existed. Still, the direct study of past human societies is not the main realm of geology.Therefore, the correct answer is that understanding past human civilizations is not considered a major contribution of the science of geology to human society.