What are the Earth Sciences?: The Earth sciences, or geosciences, are the study of the physical processes of the Earth, specifically how matter and energy manifest in the natural processes of the Earth.
Types of Earth Sciences: Geophysics, geology, geodesy (study of the size of the Earth), meteorology, planetary magnetism, and oceanography are just a few of the fields of Earth sciences.
Major Innovations: The two most significant discoveries in geophysics are probably the discovery of Earth's magnetic field (about 400 years ago) and plate tectonics (in the last century). Benjamin Franklin's discovery that lightning was composed of electricity was a seminal moment in meteorology.
Geoscience on the Move: One of the biggest benefits - or drawbacks, depending on your point of view - to geosciences is that they are among some of the more field-oriented fields in physics. Meteorologists can chase storms across the world, while geophysicists can travel to study regions of volcanic activity. Oceanographers tend to spend a lot of time near the sea. While the study of the Earth still results in time spent in the lab, there are some more options in geoscience.
Preparation for a Career in Earth Science: Thermodynamics & fluid mechanics (for the flow of liquid, gas, and molten rock) are crucial to most of the fields of geosciences, as is knowledge of minerals and chemistry. The Earth sciences are good for experimentation at a young age, such as collecting and classifying rocks or making simple weather measurements.
