Earth science: Difference between revisions
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Earth science refers to those sciences that deal with the study of the earth and its components or parts. A common synonym for earth science is | '''Earth science''' refers to those sciences that deal with the study of the [[earth]] and its components or parts. A common synonym for earth science is '''geoscience'''. Earth science includes those fields that study the firmament (the [[lithosphere]] or ground that makes up the land and the ocean floor), the waters (the [[hydrosphere]] which includes the [[ocean]]s, the seas, rivers, lakes and so forth), and the [[atmosphere]] itself, the air around us. | ||
Each aspect of these domains may be divided even further into separate but interrelated disciplines of study. Geology which encompasses the lithosphere includes vulcanology (the study of volcanoes), hydrology (the study of water through the atmosphere, surface, subsurface and oceans) mineralogy (the study of the composition of the geosphere, specifically the mineral composition of the geosphere), and geomorphology (the study of the forces that shape the geosphere and their different forms). | Each aspect of these domains may be divided even further into separate but interrelated disciplines of study. Geology which encompasses the lithosphere includes vulcanology (the study of volcanoes), hydrology (the study of water through the atmosphere, surface, subsurface and oceans) mineralogy (the study of the composition of the geosphere, specifically the mineral composition of the geosphere), and geomorphology (the study of the forces that shape the geosphere and their different forms). | ||
= | ==Regions of study== | ||
There are commonly three ‘spheres’ in the earth sciences. Atmosphere (from the Greek root ‘atmos’ meaning ‘vapor’ <ref>[http://colet.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/chuck/woodhouse_pages.pl?page_num=944 Woodhouse's English-Greek Dictionary] The University of Chicago Library</ref>and ‘sphaira’, meaning ‘sphere’ <ref>[http://colet.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/chuck/woodhouse_pages.pl?page_num=801 Woodhouse's English-Greek Dictionary] The University of Chicago Library</ref>), lithosphere (Greek -’lithos’ rock or ‘stone <ref>[http://colet.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/chuck/woodhouse_pages.pl?page_num=719 Woodhouse's English-Greek Dictionary] The University of Chicago Library</ref>) and hydrosphere (Greek – ‘hydros,’ meaning ‘water’ <ref>[http://colet.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/chuck/woodhouse_pages.pl?page_num=967 Woodhouse's English-Greek Dictionary] The University of Chicago Library</ref>) corresponding, respectively, to the gas, the solid ground and the water of the earth. There are other ‘spheres’ as well. The pedosphere (Greek ‘pedon’<ref>[http://colet.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/chuck/woodhouse_pages.pl?page_num=791 Woodhouse's English-Greek Dictionary] The University of Chicago Library</ref> meaning ‘soil’) refers to the outerlayer of the lithosphere. It interacts directly with the atmosphere and the hydrosphere. The study of the glaciology, involves the glacial layer or cryosphere (Greek root ‘kryos’ or frost, ice<ref>[http://colet.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/chuck/woodhouse_pages.pl?page_num=347 Woodhouse's English-Greek Dictionary] The University of Chicago Library</ref>) | There are commonly three ‘spheres’ in the earth sciences. Atmosphere (from the Greek root ‘atmos’ meaning ‘vapor’ <ref>[http://colet.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/chuck/woodhouse_pages.pl?page_num=944 Woodhouse's English-Greek Dictionary] The University of Chicago Library</ref>and ‘sphaira’, meaning ‘sphere’ <ref>[http://colet.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/chuck/woodhouse_pages.pl?page_num=801 Woodhouse's English-Greek Dictionary] The University of Chicago Library</ref>), lithosphere (Greek -’lithos’ rock or ‘stone <ref>[http://colet.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/chuck/woodhouse_pages.pl?page_num=719 Woodhouse's English-Greek Dictionary] The University of Chicago Library</ref>) and hydrosphere (Greek – ‘hydros,’ meaning ‘water’ <ref>[http://colet.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/chuck/woodhouse_pages.pl?page_num=967 Woodhouse's English-Greek Dictionary] The University of Chicago Library</ref>) corresponding, respectively, to the gas, the solid ground and the water of the earth. There are other ‘spheres’ as well. The pedosphere (Greek ‘pedon’<ref>[http://colet.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/chuck/woodhouse_pages.pl?page_num=791 Woodhouse's English-Greek Dictionary] The University of Chicago Library</ref> meaning ‘soil’) refers to the outerlayer of the lithosphere. It interacts directly with the atmosphere and the hydrosphere. The study of the glaciology, involves the glacial layer or cryosphere (Greek root ‘kryos’ or frost, ice<ref>[http://colet.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/chuck/woodhouse_pages.pl?page_num=347 Woodhouse's English-Greek Dictionary] The University of Chicago Library</ref>) | ||
= | ==Disciplines and Sub-disciplines== | ||
== | ===Geology=== | ||
===Soil science=== | {{main|geology}} | ||
===Geochemistry=== | ====Soil science==== | ||
===Geophysics=== | ====Geochemistry==== | ||
===Geomorphology=== | ====Geophysics==== | ||
===Physical geography=== | ====Geomorphology==== | ||
===Mineralogy=== | ====Physical geography==== | ||
===Glaciology=== | ====Mineralogy==== | ||
===Vulcanology=== | ====Glaciology==== | ||
== | ====Vulcanology==== | ||
===Limnology=== | ===Oceanography=== | ||
== | ====Limnology==== | ||
===Hydrogeology=== | ===Hydrology=== | ||
== | ====Hydrogeology==== | ||
===Meteorology=== | ===Atmospheric sciences=== | ||
===Climatology=== | ====Meteorology==== | ||
===Paleoclimatology=== | ====Climatology==== | ||
====Paleoclimatology==== | |||
= References = | ==References== | ||
<div style="font-size:87.5%; | <div style="font-size:87.5%; moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;"> | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
Revision as of 11:22, 11 April 2007
Earth science refers to those sciences that deal with the study of the earth and its components or parts. A common synonym for earth science is geoscience. Earth science includes those fields that study the firmament (the lithosphere or ground that makes up the land and the ocean floor), the waters (the hydrosphere which includes the oceans, the seas, rivers, lakes and so forth), and the atmosphere itself, the air around us.
Each aspect of these domains may be divided even further into separate but interrelated disciplines of study. Geology which encompasses the lithosphere includes vulcanology (the study of volcanoes), hydrology (the study of water through the atmosphere, surface, subsurface and oceans) mineralogy (the study of the composition of the geosphere, specifically the mineral composition of the geosphere), and geomorphology (the study of the forces that shape the geosphere and their different forms).
Regions of study
There are commonly three ‘spheres’ in the earth sciences. Atmosphere (from the Greek root ‘atmos’ meaning ‘vapor’ [1]and ‘sphaira’, meaning ‘sphere’ [2]), lithosphere (Greek -’lithos’ rock or ‘stone [3]) and hydrosphere (Greek – ‘hydros,’ meaning ‘water’ [4]) corresponding, respectively, to the gas, the solid ground and the water of the earth. There are other ‘spheres’ as well. The pedosphere (Greek ‘pedon’[5] meaning ‘soil’) refers to the outerlayer of the lithosphere. It interacts directly with the atmosphere and the hydrosphere. The study of the glaciology, involves the glacial layer or cryosphere (Greek root ‘kryos’ or frost, ice[6])
Disciplines and Sub-disciplines
Geology
Soil science
Geochemistry
Geophysics
Geomorphology
Physical geography
Mineralogy
Glaciology
Vulcanology
Oceanography
Limnology
Hydrology
Hydrogeology
Atmospheric sciences
Meteorology
Climatology
Paleoclimatology
References
- ↑ Woodhouse's English-Greek Dictionary The University of Chicago Library
- ↑ Woodhouse's English-Greek Dictionary The University of Chicago Library
- ↑ Woodhouse's English-Greek Dictionary The University of Chicago Library
- ↑ Woodhouse's English-Greek Dictionary The University of Chicago Library
- ↑ Woodhouse's English-Greek Dictionary The University of Chicago Library
- ↑ Woodhouse's English-Greek Dictionary The University of Chicago Library