Earth sciences

Table of Contents

Introduction & Top Questions
Origins in prehistoric times
Antiquity
- Geologic sciences
  - Knowledge of Earth composition and structure
  - Knowledge of Earth history
  - Knowledge of landforms and of land-sea relations
- Hydrologic and atmospheric sciences
  - Knowledge of the hydrologic cycle
  - The origin of the Nile
  - Knowledge of the tides
  - Prospecting for groundwater
The 16th–18th century
- Geologic sciences
  - Ore deposits and mineralogy
  - Paleontology and stratigraphy
  - Earth history according to Werner and James Hutton
- Hydrologic sciences
  - The rise of subterranean water
  - Evaporation from the sea
- Atmospheric sciences
  - Water vapour in the atmosphere
  - Pressure, temperature, and atmospheric circulation
The 19th century
- Geologic sciences
  - Crystallography and the classification of minerals and rocks
  - William Smith and faunal succession
  - Charles Lyell and uniformitarianism
  - Louis Agassiz and the ice age
  - Geologic time and the age of Earth
  - Concepts of landform evolution
  - Gravity, isostasy, and Earth’s figure
- Hydrologic sciences
  - Darcy’s law
  - Surface water discharge
  - Foundations of oceanography
- Atmospheric sciences
  - Composition of the atmosphere
  - Understanding of clouds, fog, and dew
  - Observation and study of storms
  - Weather and climate
The 20th century: modern trends and developments
- Geologic sciences
  - Radiometric dating
  - Experimental study of rocks
  - Crystallography
  - The chemical analysis of rocks and minerals
  - Micropaleontology
  - Seismology and the structure of Earth
  - The theory of plate tectonics
- Hydrologic sciences
  - Water resources and seawater chemistry
  - Desalinization, tidal power, and minerals from the sea
  - Ocean bathymetry
  - Ocean circulation, currents, and waves
  - Glacier motion and the high-latitude ice sheets
- Atmospheric sciences
  - Probes, satellites, and data transmission
  - Weather forecasting
  - Cloud physics
  - Properties and structure of the atmosphere
  - Weather modification

References & Edit History Related Topics

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Steno's four laws of stratigraphy

Earth sciences: Related Content

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Steno's four laws of stratigraphy

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Topics

physical geography geology geochronology hydrologic sciences geoengineering atmospheric science oceanography climatology meteorology dating astronomy social science chemistry geography biology medicine physics ecology engineering demography

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Key People

Guyot, Arnold Henry

Arnold Henry Guyot

American geologist

Michael Faraday (L) English physicist and chemist (electromagnetism) and John Frederic Daniell (R) British chemist and meteorologist who invented the Daniell cell.

Faces of Science

Michael Faraday (L) English physicist and chemist (electromagnetism) and John Frederic Daniell (R) British chemist and meteorologist who invented the Daniell cell.

Faces of Science

Cross section of Earth showing the core, mantle, and crust

The Solid Earth Quiz

iceberg illustration.

Nature: Tip of the Iceberg Quiz