What is Geoscience?
Geoscience is the study of the earth. It is not only confined to rocks, soils, the earth’s interior, and volcanicity, but it involves every component intricately connected to the planet (geology, oceans, lakes, atmosphere, glaciers, and ice sheets, and its interior). It also looks at how these elements change over time in a complex natural system. However, geoscience is also about how humans and the ecosystem interact with the earth. As a result, geoscience has a close correlation with physical, biological, and chemical sciences. Therefore, the tools used in geoscience are significantly borrowed from other disciplines, including physics, chemistry, math, and biology.
What do Geoscientists do?
Geoscientists are always in pursuit of understanding our planet. They investigate the past and the present earth and its related components, including space, and model possible future outcomes. As a result, they increase our knowledge of the universe. Some of the roles done by geoscientists include working with:
- Minerals
- Rocks and soils
- Energy resources
- Rivers, lakes, and oceans
- Fossils
- Climate and environment
- Weather
- Atmosphere
What are the benefits of geoscience?
Geoscience is of great essence in today’s world since the grand challenges that face our planet today are significantly related to elements included in geoscience. Here are some of the critical benefits of geoscience. Geoscientists help:
- Locate mineral and clean, renewable energy resources that humans can use to transition to a more sustainable world without increasing the carbon constraints.
- Locate adequate, clean, and quality water resources that can support and sustain the future.
- Reduce risk disasters by mitigating and building the resilience of both human and natural hazards like safely disposing of harmful waste materials to maintain a clean and healthy environment.
- Sustain ocean, atmosphere, and space resources by studying and learning how to maintain and preserve the entire ecosystem balanced.
- Predict impacts of global warming and climate change from past geological records, thus creating an effective response and curbing further climate change.
- Build improved infrastructures by integrating earth materials and innovative technologies for resilience and sustainability.
- Lastly, earth science provides the world’s population with valuable insights regarding the evolving environment and natural resources for balancing conservation and extraction.
In addressing the above critical needs, geoscientists inform the public, educate learners, enlightens stakeholders, and trains the geoscience community about the earth and its components.
“The survival of human beings and the entire ecosystem in the twenty-first century depends on the earth science literacy of the government and decision-makers!”
Author: Jane Wambui
BSc Geology;Â University of Nairobi, Kenya