THE FOUR
BRANCHES OF
GEOSCIENCE
Geoscience
• Geology
• Astronomy
• Oceanography
• Meteorology
GEOLOGY
The study of the solid
Earth and the
processes that shape
it.
ASTRONOMY
The study
of the
universe
beyond
Earth
OCEANOGRAPHY
Study of
the
Earth’s
oceans
METEOROLOGY
The study of
the Earth’s
atmosphere
4 Branches of Geoscience
Have you ever wondered why a volcano
erupts? Or felt the Earth shake?
• Long ago early humans saw these
things happening and wondered why
and how. To explain these natural
phenomena ancient people forged
myths and legends, attributing such
events to powerful supernatural
forces.
• Angry
goddesses
hurled fire from
volcanoes;
giants wrestled
underground
causing the
Earth to shake.
• Not until
humans began
to make careful
observations
and searched
for natural
causes did
scientific study
begin.
• The Chinese
began
keeping
written
records of
earthquakes
as early as
780 B.C.
• The Greeks
compiled
catalogs of
rocks and
minerals in
the 3rd
century
B.C.
• The Mayas in
Central
America, kept
track of the
movements of
the Sun,
moon, and
planets.
Why do you think they
would watch the planets
move?
They used
these
observation
s to make
accurate
calendars
Why
would you
want to
have a
calendar?
Planting
crops,
fishing the
tides,
seasons,
when to
move, etc.
What is Geoscience?
The study of
the Earth
and of the
universe
around it
• Earth science like
most modern
sciences are
based on the
assumption that
the causes of
natural
phenomena can
be discovered
through careful
observation and
experimentation
Review
• What is
Geoscience?
• What are the
four branches
of Geoscience?