Earth science Any of several essentially geologic sciences that are concerned with the origin, structure, and

physical phenomena of the earth Why is earth science important?

Earth science affects all our lives. Our landscape has been shaped by natural processes such as tectonics, weathering, and biological activity over billions of years. We use natural materials everyday, everything from building stone and oil to metals such as iron, copper and gold, and even diamonds have all been extracted from the ground. Natural hazards such as volcanoes, earthquakes, floods and droughts can dramatically affect lives. Earth science is the study of all these processes, put simply it is the study of our planet. As hinted at above, there is a huge range of earth science topics including, mountain building, the structure of the deep earth, the creation of oceans, the erosion of continents, the location of natural resources, volcanoes, the hydrological cycle, past climates and the evolution of life. NERC funds all of these earth science topics. Understanding how our planet works is essential if we are to properly manage our environment, and if we are to predict how the environment will change in the future. Earth scientists can monitor changes in our environment, model our impact on the environment and suggest solutions to our environmental problems. Environmental issues being studied by earth scientists include, the effects of water extraction from our rivers, the distribution of pollutants in the landscape and the environmental impact of industrial activity, such as mining and landfill. Natural hazards such as earthquakes, volcanoes and floods are responsible for many deaths, and for the loss of many more homes and livelihoods. Increased knowledge of natural hazards will improve predictions of the occurrence and scale of these potentially life threatening events, giving people a chance to prepare. The UK's Earth scientists are participating in global efforts to understand these infrequent, but often devastating, events. For example, NERC's research centre the British Geological Survey is part of a global network that monitors seismic activity worldwide. A new programme has also just been set up by NERC to study the flood risk from extreme events. Studying the Earth's past can also help us understand what will happen in the future. Within

rocks and landscapes is preserved evidence from periods when the Earth was much warmer than today and when it was much colder than today. These warm periods shows us the effect of environmental changes such as sea level rise, desertification, and the loss of rainforests. Fossils demonstrate the evolution of plants and animals can also and record the response of ecosystems to changes in the environment. Again providing lessons about the ability of present day ecosystems ability to adapt to environmental change. NERC funds all areas of earth sciences through its research centres the British Geological Survey, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) and British Antarctic Survey and by supporting research at academic institutions. Currently NERC is funding research programmes looking at the flood risk from extreme events (FREE), ocean margins (LINK), the behaviour of depleted uranium in the environment, the structure of oceanic crust (UKIODP) and a programme to quantify and understand the earth system (QUEST). NERC is also supporting individual projects looking at a diverse range of earth science topics through its responsive mode grants schemes. Recently awarded responsive mode grants have dealt with subjects such as the volatile content of the mantle, meteorite impacts, the stability of ice sheets and mass extinction. Earth science affects all our lives. Our landscape has been shaped by natural processes such as tectonics, weathering, and biological activity over billions of years. We use natural materials everyday, everything from building stone and oil to metals such as iron, copper and gold, and even diamonds have all been extracted from the ground. Natural hazards such as volcanoes, earthquakes, floods and droughts can dramatically affect lives. Earth science is the study of all these processes, put simply it is the study of our planet. As hinted at above, there is a huge range of earth science topics including, mountain building, the structure of the deep earth, the creation of oceans, the erosion of continents, the location of natural resources, volcanoes, the hydrological cycle, past climates and the evolution of life. NERC funds all of these earth science topics. Understanding how our planet works is essential if we are to properly manage our environment, and if we are to predict how the environment will change in the future. Earth scientists can monitor changes in our environment, model our impact on the environment and suggest solutions to our

environmental problems. Environmental issues being studied by earth scientists include, the effects of water extraction from our rivers, the distribution of pollutants in the landscape and the environmental impact of industrial activity, such as mining and landfill. Natural hazards such as earthquakes, volcanoes and floods are responsible for many deaths, and for the loss of many more homes and livelihoods. Increased knowledge of natural hazards will improve predictions of the occurrence and scale of these potentially life threatening events, giving people a chance to prepare. The UK's Earth scientists are participating in global efforts to understand these infrequent, but often devastating, events. For example, NERC's research centre the British Geological Survey is part of a global network that monitors seismic activity worldwide. A new programme has also just been set up by NERC to study the flood risk from extreme events. Studying the Earth's past can also help us understand what will happen in the future. Within rocks and landscapes is preserved evidence from periods when the Earth was much warmer than today and when it was much colder than today. These warm periods shows us the effect of environmental changes such as sea level rise, desertification, and the loss of rainforests. Fossils demonstrate the evolution of plants and animals can also and record the response of ecosystems to changes in the environment. Again providing lessons about the ability of present day ecosystems ability to adapt to environmental change. NERC funds all areas of earth sciences through its research centres the British Geological Survey, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) and British Antarctic Survey and by supporting research at academic institutions. Currently NERC is funding research programmes looking at the flood risk from extreme events (FREE), ocean margins (LINK), the behaviour of depleted uranium in the environment, the structure of oceanic crust (UKIODP) and a programme to quantify and understand the earth system (QUEST). NERC is also supporting individual projects looking at a diverse range of earth science topics through its responsive mode grants schemes. Recently awarded responsive mode grants have dealt with subjects such as the volatile content of the mantle, meteorite impacts, the stability of ice sheets and mass extinction.

Fields related to Earth Science

1.astronomy, 2.hydrology, 3.meteorology, 4.geology. The History of Earth Sciences Society (HESS) was founded in 1982 to help satisfy four needs: History First, the gap between the humanities and the sciences is bridged by some historians interested in the history of earth science, and by some geoscientists interested in the history of their fields. A society to which both historians and earth scientists belong allows for mutually beneficial exchanges of ideas. Second, because the history of earth science is a global topic, a national group may not be suitably flexible. A society open to all and cosmopolitan in composition and outlook provides this element of breadth. Third, in the past, even with all the other journals available, it has been difficult to find an outlet for scholarly works in the history of the earth sciences. A prime goal of the new society was immediate establishment of a refereed journal to serve the needs of its members. Fourth, historical studies of ideas concerning the Earth, institutions involved in such research, and prominent workers have seldom received much attention. With greater prominence and a journal dedicated to the field, more support for intellectual endeavors in the broad domain of geoscience history has been forthcoming.