Earth Science 101

Earth science. What is it? Unlike chemistry, biology, and physics, Earth science does not always bring a standard image to people’s minds when they hear it mentioned. Indeed, it is generally more interdisciplinary than the “big three” sciences, often branching off into several areas. But we are not here to muse about the infinite branches of Earth science. Rather, I would like to, as an Earth science major, introduce some of the larger concepts of the discipline for those who might be interested in exploring it but are not sure what it is, or maybe have taken a course in it but don’t totally know where to go from there.

Earth science covers many areas, but the most pertinent and common one across the discipline are the atmosphere and oceans, Earth-Sun relations, geology, ecology/biology/biome science, and climate in the past and present. Earth science also often uses GIS, or Geographic Information Science, as a method of mapping and exploring changes in the Earth system.

What are the focuses of Earth science in each of the areas mentioned above? When looking at the atmosphere and oceans, Earth scientists are interested in patterns of circulation and heat redistribution, seasonal and daily changes, the production of weather, and reactions to changes in climate. With Earth-Sun relations, we look at how the Earth’s revolution, rotation, and axial tilt influence climatic and seasonal changes, as well as how solar radiation influences the temperature and heating of the Earth.

In terms of geology, Earth scientists are interested in plate tectonics, or how the plates that make up the upper layer of our planet interact. We also look at rocks and their formation, as well as their destruction. Out of all the areas of Earth science, however, geology is perhaps the most specialized, and so many Earth scientists that study geology focus largely on that.

The final two categories, ecology/biology/biome science and climate in the past and present, are intensely interrelated. Earth science in this area looks at climate change, and how it impacts the organisms living on earth. We also may look at areas such as soil science, climate reconstruction via proxy methods, meaning using items such as ice and ocean cores to learn about past Earth, and ecology and evolution.

Overall, Earth science is an incredibly broad field, and different programs may cover areas that are not mentioned in this post. However, its diversity of content makes it an interesting area for many people, and it is most certainly relevant to our changing world and climate!