The following outline is provided as an overview
of and topical guide to Earth science:
Earth science – all-embracing term for the
sciences related to the planet Earth.
It is also known as geoscience, the geosciences
or the Earth sciences, and is arguably a special
case in planetary science, the Earth being
the only known life-bearing planet.
Earth science is a branch of the physical
sciences which is a part of the natural sciences.
It in turn has many branches.
== Earth's spheres ==
Ecosphere – there are many subsystems that
make up the natural environment (the planetary
ecosystem or "ecosphere") of the Earth.
Many of the subsystems are characterized as
"spheres", coinciding with the shape of the
planet.
The four spheres (for which most of the other
spheres are a subtype of) are the atmosphere,
the biosphere, the hydrosphere and the geosphere.
Listed roughly from outermost to innermost
the named spheres of the Earth are:
Magnetosphere – The region around an astronomical
object in which charged particles are affected
by its magnetic field
Atmosphere, the gases that surround the Earth
(its air)
By altitude
Exosphere – The outermost layer of an atmosphere
Exobase – The lower boundary of the exosphere
Ionosphere – The ionized part of Earth's
upper atmosphere
Thermopause – The upper boundary of the
thermosphere
Thermosphere – The layer of the atmosphere
above the mesosphere and below the exosphere
Mesopause – The temperature minimum at the
boundary between the mesosphere and the thermosphere
Mesosphere – The layer of the atmosphere
directly above the stratosphere and below
the thermosphere
Stratopause – The upper boundary of the
stratosphere
Stratosphere – The layer of the atmosphere
above the troposphere
Ozone layer – The region of Earth's stratosphere
that absorbs most of the Sun's UV radiation
Tropopause – The boundary of the atmorphere
between the troposphere and stratosphere
Troposphere – The lowest layer of the atmosphere
Planetary boundary layer – The lowest part
of the atmosphere, directly influenced by
contact with the planetary surface
By air turbulence
Heterosphere – Upper parts of the amosphere
in which the component gases are not well
mixed
Turbopause – The altitude in the Earth's
atmosphere below which turbulent mixing dominates
Homosphere – Lower parts of the atmosphere
in which the component gases are well mixed
Biosphere – The global sum of all ecosystems
on Earth
Anthroposphere – The part of the environment
that is made or modified by humans for use
in human activities and human habitat
Noosphere (rare) – The sphere of human thought
Cryosphere – Those portions of Earth's surface
where water is in solid form
Hydrosphere – The combined mass of water
found on, under, and above the surface of
a planet, minor planet or natural satellite
Pedosphere – The outermost layer of the
Earth that is composed of soil and subject
to soil formation processes
Geosphere/Solid Earth – A collective name
for the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, the
cryosphere, and the atmosphere
Lithosphere – The rigid, outermost shell
of a terrestrial-type planet or natural satellite
that is defined by its rigid mechanical properties
Crust (geology) – The outermost solid shell
of a rocky planet, dwarf planet, or natural
satellite
Asthenosphere – The highly viscous, mechanically
weak and ductile region of the Earth's upper
mantle
Mesosphere – The part of the Earth's mantle
below the lithosphere and the asthenosphere,
but above the outer core
Earth's mantle – The part of the interior
of the planet Earth between the crust and
the core
Earth's core – The inner part of the planet,
formed by differential buoyancy of the component
materials causing the denser materials to
accumulate nearer to the centre.
Inner core – The innermost part of the Earth,
a solid ball of iron-nickel alloy
Outer core – A fluid layer composed of mostly
iron and nickel between Earth's solid inner
core and its mantle
== 
Branches of Earth science ==
=== 
Atmospheric science ===
Atmospheric sciences – The study of the
atmosphere, its processes, and interactions
with other systems
Climatology – The scientific study of climate,
defined as weather conditions averaged over
a period of time
Paleoclimatology – The study of changes
in climate taken on the scale of the entire
history of Earth
Atmospheric chemistry – The branch of atmospheric
science in which the chemistry of the atmosphere
is studied
Atmospheric physics – The application of
physics to the study of the atmosphere
Paleotempestology – The study of past tropical
cyclone activity using geological proxies
and historical documents
=== 
Geology ===
Geology – The study of the composition,
structure, physical properties, and history
of Earth's components, and the processes by
which they are shaped.
Environmental geology – Science of the practical
application of geology in environmental problems.
Quaternary geology – The branch of geology
that studies developments more recent than
2.6 million years ago
Planetary geology – The geology of astronomical
objects apparently in orbit around stellar
objects
Petroleum geology – The study of the origin,
occurrence, movement, accumulation, and exploration
of hydrocarbon fuels
Historical geology – The study of the geological
history of Earth
Hydrogeology – The study of the distribution
and movement of groundwater
Structural geology – The science of the
description and interpretation of deformation
in the earth's crust independent of extent
Geochemistry – Science that applies chemistry
to analyse geological systems
Geochronology – Science of determining the
age of rocks, sediments and fossils
Geodesy – The science of the geometric shape,
orientation in space, and gravitational field
of the Earth
Geomagnetics – Study of the Earth's magnetic
field
Geomicrobiology – Science of the interactions
between microbiology and geology
Glaciology – Scientific study of ice and
natural phenomena involving ice
Geophysics – The physics of the Earth and
its environment in space, and the study of
the Earth using quantitative physical methods
Micropaleontology – The branch of paleontology
that studies microfossils
Mineralogy – Scientific study of minerals
and mineralised artifacts
Gemology – Science dealing with natural
and artificial gemstone materials
Mineral physics – The science of materials
that compose the interior of planets
Paleontology – Scientific study of prehistoric
life
Palynology – The study of dust
Petrology – The branch of geology that studies
the origin, composition, distribution and
structure of rocks
Physical geodesy – The study of the physical
properties of the Earth's gravity field
Sedimentology – The study of natural sediments
and of the processes by which they are formed
Seismology – The scientific study of earthquakes
and propagation of elastic waves through a
planet
Paleoseismology – The study of earthquakes
that happened in the past
Stratigraphy – The study of rock layers
and their formation
Volcanology – The study of volcanoes, lava,
magma and associated phenomena
=== 
Geography ===
Geography – The science that studies the
terrestrial surface, the societies that inhabit
it and the territories, landscapes, places
or regions that form it.
Human geography – The study of cultures,
communities and activities of peoples of the
world
Geostatistics – A branch of statistics focusing
on spatial data sets
Environmental chemistry – The scientific
study of the chemical and biochemical phenomena
that occur in natural places
Environmental soil science – The study of
the interaction of humans with the pedosphere
as well as critical aspects of the biosphere,
the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, and the
atmosphere.
Environmental geology – An applied science
concerned with the practical application of
the principles of geology in the solving of
environmental problems.
Geographic information systems – System
to capture, manage and present geographic
data
Edaphology – The science concerned with
the influence of soils on living things
Pedology – The study of soils in their natural
environment
Geomorphology – The scientific study of
landforms and the processes that shape them
Spatial decision support systems – Computerised
aid to land use decisions
Global Positioning System (GPS) – American
satellite navigation system
Economic geology – Science concerned with
earth materials of economic value
Engineering geology – The application of
the geology to engineering practice
Hydrology – The science of applying engineering
techniques to the properties of the earth's
water, especially its movement in relation
to land.
Meteorology – Interdisciplinary scientific
study of the atmosphere focusing on weather
forecasting
Satellite navigation – Any system that uses
satellite radio signals to provide autonomous
geo-spatial positioning
Remote sensing – Acquisition of information
at a significant distance from the subject
Photogrammetry – The science of making measurements
using photography
=== 
Oceanography ===
Oceanography – The study of the physical
and biological aspects of the ocean
Biological oceanography – The study of how
organisms affect and are affected by the physics,
chemistry, and geology of the oceanographic
system.
Physical oceanography – The study of physical
conditions and physical processes within the
ocean
Chemical oceanography – The study of ocean
chemistry
Paleoceanography – The study of the history
of the oceans in the geologic past
Limnology – The science of inland aquatic
ecosystems
Marine geology – The study of the history
and structure of the ocean floor
=== Planetary science ===
Planetary science – The study of planets
(including Earth), moons, and planetary systems
(in particular those of the Solar System)
and the processes that form them.
Planetary geology - study of the geology of
astronomical objects apparently in orbit around
stellar objects
Selenography - study of the surface and physical
features of the Moon
Theoretical planetology - the theoretical
study of the internal structure of planets
by making assumptions about their chemical
composition and the state of their materials,
then calculating the radial distribution of
various properties such as temperature, pressure,
or density of material across the planet's
internals.
== History of Earth science ==
History of Earth science – history of the
all-embracing sciences related to the planet
Earth.
Earth science, and all of its branches, are
branches of physical science.
History of atmospheric sciences – history
of the umbrella study of the atmosphere, its
processes, the effects other systems have
on the atmosphere, and the effects of the
atmosphere on these other systems.
History of climatology
History of meteorology
History of atmospheric chemistry
History of biogeography – history of the
study of the distribution of species (biology),
organisms, and ecosystems in geographic space
and through geological time.
History of cartography – history of the
study and practice of making maps or globes.
History of climatology – history of the
study of climate, scientifically defined as
weather conditions averaged over a period
of time
History of coastal geography – history of
the study of the dynamic interface between
the ocean and the land, incorporating both
the physical geography (i.e. coastal geomorphology,
geology and oceanography) and the human geography
(sociology and history) of the coast.
History of environmental science – history
of an integrated, quantitative, and interdisciplinary
approach to the study of environmental systems.
History of ecology – history of the scientific
study of the distribution and abundance of
living organisms and how the distribution
and abundance are affected by interactions
between the organisms and their environment.
History of Freshwater biology – history
of the scientific biological study of freshwater
ecosystems and is a branch of limnology
History of marine biology – history of the
scientific study of organisms in the ocean
or other marine or brackish bodies of water
History of parasitology – history of the
Parasitology is the study of parasites, their
hosts, and the relationship between them.
History of population dynamics – history
of the Population dynamics is the branch of
life sciences that studies short-term and
long-term changes in the size and age composition
of populations, and the biological and environmental
processes influencing those changes.
History of environmental chemistry – history
of the Environmental chemistry is the scientific
study of the chemical and biochemical phenomena
that occur in natural places.
History of environmental soil science – history
of the Environmental soil science is the study
of the interaction of humans with the pedosphere
as well as critical aspects of the biosphere,
the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, and the
atmosphere.
History of environmental geology – history
of the Environmental geology, like hydrogeology,
is an applied science concerned with the practical
application of the principles of geology in
the solving of environmental problems.
History of toxicology – history of the branch
of biology, chemistry, and medicine concerned
with the study of the adverse effects of chemicals
on living organisms.
History of geodesy – history of the scientific
discipline that deals with the measurement
and representation of the Earth, including
its gravitational field, in a three-dimensional
time-varying space
History of geography – history of the science
that studies the lands, features, inhabitants,
and phenomena of Earth
History of geoinformatics – history of the
science and the technology which develops
and uses information science infrastructure
to address the problems of geography, geosciences
and related branches of engineering.
History of geology – history of the study
of the Earth, with the general exclusion of
present-day life, flow within the ocean, and
the atmosphere.
History of planetary geology – history of
the planetary science discipline concerned
with the geology of the celestial bodies such
as the planets and their moons, asteroids,
comets, and meteorites.
History of geomorphology – history of the
scientific study of landforms and the processes
that shape them
History of geostatistics – history of the
branch of statistics focusing on spatial or
spatiotemporal datasets
History of geophysics – history of the physics
of the Earth and its environment in space;
also the study of the Earth using quantitative
physical methods.
History of glaciology – history of the study
of glaciers, or more generally ice and natural
phenomena that involve ice.
History of hydrology – history of the study
of the movement, distribution, and quality
of water on Earth and other planets, including
the hydrologic cycle, water resources and
environmental watershed sustainability.
History of hydrogeology – history of the
area of geology that deals with the distribution
and movement of groundwater in the soil and
rocks of the Earth's crust (commonly in aquifers).
History of mineralogy – history of the study
of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical
(including optical) properties of minerals.
History of meteorology – history of the
interdisciplinary scientific study of the
atmosphere which explains and forecasts weather
events.
History of oceanography – history of the
branch of Earth science that studies the ocean
History of paleoclimatology – history of
the study of changes in climate taken on the
scale of the entire history of Earth
History of paleontology – history of the
study of prehistoric life
History of petrology – history of the branch
of geology that studies the origin, composition,
distribution and structure of rocks.
History of limnology – history of the study
of inland waters
History of seismology – history of the scientific
study of earthquakes and the propagation of
elastic waves through the Earth or through
other planet-like bodies
History of soil science – history of the
study of soil as a natural resource on the
surface of the Earth including soil formation,
classification and mapping; physical, chemical,
biological, and fertility properties of soils;
and these properties in relation to the use
and management of soils.
History of topography – history of the study
of surface shape and features of the Earth
and other observable astronomical objects
including planets, moons, and asteroids.
History of volcanology – history of the
study of volcanoes, lava, magma, and related
geological, geophysical and geochemical phenomena.
== Earth science programs ==
NASA Earth Science
== Earth science organizations ==
List of geoscience organizations
== 
Earth science publications ==
== 
People influential in Earth science ==
== See also ==
Outline of science –
Outline of natural science –
Outline of physical science –
Outline of earth science
Outline of formal science –
Outline of social science –
Outline of applied science
