I know, the name of this article might sound like a course you took in college. And it a way, its meant to be. This article serves as an introduction to the geoscience field. More commonly known as Earth Science, this field is an all-encompassing catch-all for sciences relating to the study of the Earth.

At the very root of it, is the desire to explain how the various systems on the planet operate. Pulling from other sciences like physics, chemistry and mathematics, geoscience seeks to explain how everything from how the atmosphere works, how our planetary weather system works, to what makes volcanoes explode.

There are several fields that fall under the geoscience, or Earth Science, umbrella.

They are:

Geology

Physical Geography

Geophysics

Soil Science

Oceanography

Glaciology

Atmospheric Science

Students and practitioners of geoscience apply the scientific method to their study of the earth. By observing natural earth events and taking measurements of data, they formulate hypotheses on the functions of the various earth systems.Continue reading →