The World of Earth Science Branches of Earth

The World of Earth Science Branches of Earth Science

Branches of Earth Science Geology is the study of the solid Earth n Anything and everything that has to do with the solid Earth is part of geology n Most geologists specialize in a particular aspect of the Earth n A volcanologist studies volcanoes n A seismologist studies earthquakes n A paleontologist studies fossils n

Oceanography Water Everywhere Physical oceanographers study things like waves and ocean currents n Biological oceanographers study the plants and animals that live in the ocean n Geological oceanographers study the ocean floor n Robert Fronk is an oceanographer that studies under water caves n

Oceanography Water Everywhere When studying caves in Florida & the Bahamas he found stalactites & stalagmites n This indicates that the caves were above sea level at one time n Stalactites grow down from the top of cave from dripping water n Stalagmites grow from the floor of the cave up from the minerals in the water n

Oceanography Water Everywhere John Trefry another oceanographer discovered black smokers in a minisub called Alvin n Black smokers are a type of hydrothermal vent which is a crack in the ocean floor that spews super heated water & minerals from inside the Earth onto the ocean floor n At one time it was believed that life could not exist without sun light (but life thrives near Black smokers) n

Meteorology It’s a Gas Meteorology is the study of the entire atmosphere n Anytime you talk about the weather you are discussing Meteorology n The most common career in meteorology is weather forecasting n

Astronomy Far Away Astronomy is the study of all physical things beyond the Earth n They study stars, planets, and moons n Early astronomers used only their eyes to observe the stars and the moon n Only a couple of centuries ago they started using optical telescopes n These days we observe stars using radio, x-ray, inferred, ultraviolet, and gamma ray telescopes n

Special Branches of Earth Science Sometimes Earth sciences find themselves in careers that rely on life, chemistry, physics, and other areas of science n Ecologists study ecosystems, an ecosystem is a community of organisms and their nonliving environment n Geochemists combines the studies of geology and chemistry n

Special Branches of Earth Science Environmental science is the study of how humans interact with the environment n Geographers study the surface features of the Earth n Cartographers make maps of the Earth’s features n