What is Earth Science
An Earth Scientist is one who specialises in a scientific discipline specifically relating to the planet we inhabit in one of three broad generic terms, each of which overlaps with and extensively relates to the others. They will either be in a scientific field which relates to the physical planet around us, those forces - environmental, atmospheric and otherwise - which directly impact upon it, or in a field which specialises in the beings, creatures and plant species which inhabit it or grow on it. This, of course, covers a plethora of specialities and studies so let us take each of the three preceeding distinctions in turn and examine them in a little more detail.
The physical study of the Earth and its composition is perhaps the most obvious assumption when we consider the term Earth Science. Disciplines of science which fall directly in to this category could be such as geology, which is the scientific study of the rock formations and other solid and liquid substances constituting the planet's surface and crust. This consideration alone turns our thoughts to more specialised fields within the framework such as oceanologists (who study the seas and oceans,) volcanologists (who specialise in volcanic activity) and perhaps even seismologists, whose study involves the movement of the huge tectonic plates which make up the Earth's crust and the earthquakes which their movement will from time to time cause. We must not forget, however, the likes of meteorologists and their studies of the Earth's atmospheric conditions (note the significant overlap with our second generic field of study) and glaciologists, who study those parts of the planet subject to permafrost conditions.
The forces which are acting upon our planet are those such as perhaps the gravity of our sun and the orbit which it causes the Earth to follow, as well as the likes of our own magnetic field and the effect it has on such as meteorology mentioned above. Geophysics is perhaps the least well understood of the three broad terms we are examining but it could be argued that it is the biggest picture of all, as it is essentially the study of what - billions of years ago - created everything else mentioned in this article.
The life sciences are probably most commonly associated with biology, or quite literally, "the study of life." Those scientists who would most obviously come in to this category include the likes of botanists (who study plant life) and anthropologists (those who study humanity.) The life sciences include the study of everything from the smallest of organisms inhabiting the depths of our oceans to the huge woolly mammoths and the dinosaurs which once roamed our prehistoric plains; or the tiniest pollen grain floating unseen in the breeze to the mightiest of the redwood trees.
It can therefore hopefully now be seen that Earth Science is one of the broadest collective terms we can employ to science or any other field and that anyone considering a career in such has perhaps the broadest of all spectrums from which to choose their specialised domain.
