100+ Branches of Earth Science

Studying our planet is such a vast topic because of all the branches of Earth Science. Earth science involves how the natural world interacts with its surroundings.

Careers in environmental science are booming now. For example, we need geologists, biologists, and geophysicists to better manage our ecosystems.

Because in order to define Earth Science and its interconnectedness, we need a complete list of Earth Science branches that encapsulates the topic in full.

Well, look no further because we have brainstormed an outline of 123 branches of Earth Science. And each branch of Earth Science is placed where they fit best.

1. Astronomy

Astronomy is the study of celestial objects and phenomena. It is the all-encompassing term that studies everything beyond Earth’s atmosphere. It applies the concepts from physics, biology, and geology to explain their origin and evolution.

2. Astrophysics

Astrophysics applies the laws of physics to galaxies, stars, celestial bodies, and the universe as a whole. For example, astrophysics examines the evolution and classification of galaxies, general relativity, and the expanding universe.

READ MORE: Astrophysics Courses Online

3. Cosmology

Cosmology studies how the universe was created, evolves, and its ultimate fate. For example, cosmology studies the origin of the universe from the Big Bang Theory and Phases as well as how it will evolve in the future.

4. Spectroscopy

Spectroscopy applies the principles of light to understand matter. For instance, the universe is expanding because we measure the redshift of light. Redshift means that light stretches when objects move away from you. Alternatively, it’s blue shift when moving toward.

5. Photometry

Photometry gathers light within a range of wavelengths to determine the luminosity of astronomical objects. Once capturing photometric measurements of a celestial object, astronomers can measure the physical properties including temperature, chemical composition or distance.

6. Heliophysics

Heliophysics studies how the sun’s radiation affects its surroundings in space including “space weather”. For example, when the sun ejects a “coronal mass ejections”, this outflow in solar wind can disturb satellites, communication, and GPS systems on Earth.

7. Helioseismology

Helioseismology examines the interior structure, composition, and dynamics of our sun by observing waves from its surface. Like notes from a musical instrument, helioseismologists listen to solar oscillations and variations in brightness as a whole.

8. Astroseismology

Astroseismology observes oscillations from stars to investigate their internal structure and composition. For example, astroseismologists detect gentle pulsations and measure periodic brightness changes in stars.

9. Astrometry

Like the geography of outer space, astrometry is concerned with how celestial bodies are positioned and move in space. By taking images of the sky, astrometry uses parallax and geometry to determine distance and stellar motion.

READ MORE: Astronomy Courses Online

10. Planetology

How planets form in the solar systems including their composition and dynamics in history. Tied closely to planetary geology, it also studies the physical features of planets, moons, and condensed matter.

11. Exoplanetology

How many and where planets exist outside our solar system. The main focus of exoplanetology is inventorying planets and potential residences for new life outside our solar system.

12. Astrogeology

How geology relates to celestial bodies like moons, asteroids, meteorites, and comets. For example, astrogeologists examine rocks, terrain, and material from celestial bodies in space such as the Mars Rover.

13. Areology

How geology is composed on Mars. When the Mars Rover started wheeling around the red planet, its crosshairs were targeting the rocks and geology of Mars. Specifically, it was getting a close-up of the composition or areology of Mars.

14. Selenography

How physical features on the moon formed. For example, selenography understands and catalogs features such as lunar maria, craters, and mountain ranges on the moon.

15. Exogeology

How geology relates to celestial bodies like moons, asteroids, meteorites, and comets. Similar to astrogeology, its focus is on how geology relates to celestial bodies like moons, asteroids, meteorites, and comets.

16. Astrobiology

How life (including extraterrestrials) in the universe evolves, originated, and what will be its fate. Astrobiology involves the search for life outside Earth including the environments that could support it.

17. Exobiology

How likely and where is life in space. If you want to measure the probability of life in space, exobiology considers planetary conditions (biological/environmental) that serve to advance the evolution of life.

18. Astrochemistry

How to study substances in celestial bodies, stars, and interstellar space. For instance, astrobiology pulls from astrochemistry to better understand substances in celestial bodies, stars, and interstellar space. Observing molecules in space gives a solid indication of the physical conditions of what we are used to on present-day Earth.

19. Geology

Geology is the study and science of how Earth’s landforms were created, have changed over time and how they will evolve. Whether it’s fossils, magnetic fields, or types of landforms, geology is concerned with reconstructing the past.

READ MORE: Geology Courses Online

20. Stratigraphy

How layering of rocks and strata are analyzed to measure geologic time. Stratigraphy is also concerned with the layering of archaeological remains and their position on layers of rock.

21. Paleontology

How organisms evolve and their interactions in their environment by studying fossil records often found in rocks.

22. Micropaleontology

How microfossils are characterized. Paleo is short for “paleolithic” which often refers to the geologic past.

23. Paleomagnetism

How to reconstruct previous magnetic fields in rocks including the direction and intensity to explore pole reversals in different time periods (past and future).

24. Geomorphology

How landforms, physical features, and geological structures on Earth were created and evolved.

25. Paleoseismology

How geologic sediments and rocks are used to infer past earthquakes.

26. Magnetostratigraphy

How sedimentary and volcanic sequences are dated by geophysically correlating samples of strata deposited with the Earth’s magnetic field polarity. In a nutshell, this is the field of study that studies magnetic fields in rocks and past pole reversals.

27. Geochronology

How old rocks and geological events are dated using signatures inherent in rocks. Studying layers of rock as it relates to geologic time

28. Tectonics

How Earth’s crust evolves through time contributing to mountain building, old core continents (cratons), and earthquakes/volcanoes. This field applies the underlying principles of plate tectonics to seismology, volcanoes, earthquakes, and other geological events.

29. Volcanology

How and where volcanoes and related phenomena (lava, magma) erupt and form (past and present). As tectonics plays a key role in volcanoes, volcanology describes the types of volcanoes on Earth and their associated risk of impacting the biosphere.

30. Seismology

How seismic waves travel through and around the Earth from earthquakes. We use seismic tomography from earthquakes to see inside our planet and create 3D models of the surrounding layers of Earth’s core.

31. Neotectonics

How Earth’s crust deforms and has moved in recent and current time.

32. Tectonophysics

How Earth’s crust and mantle deform specific to its physical processes. Moreover, the field of tectonophysics targets the physical process that acts on the behavior of waves.

33. Seismotectonics

How earthquakes, active tectonics, and individual faults are related to seismic activity.

34. Petrology

How types of rocks (igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary petrology) form in their specific environment. For example, petrology uses mineralogy and rock types to understand geological formations from drilling. In addition, they study the chemical properties and how atoms are arranged.

35. Mineralogy

How chemical and crystalline structures in minerals are composed.

36. Gemology

How natural and artificial gems are identified and evaluated.

37. Crystallography

How atoms are arranged and bonded in crystalline solids.

38. Soil Sciences

How soils relate as a natural resource including their formation factors, classification, physical, chemical, and fertility properties. Engineering fields consider soils as regolith. But for agriculture production, soils are considered a natural resource.

READ MORE: Agribusiness Courses and Certification

39. Pedology

How soils are classified based on their biological, physical, and chemical properties.

40. Edaphology

How soils influence plant growth and living things.

41. Agronomy

How the field of agriculture involves science such as crop production, biotechnology, and soil science.

READ MORE: Agriculture Courses

42. Hydrogeology

How groundwater is transported and distributed in the soil, rock, and Earth’s crust. Hydrogeology specializes in anything from surface-groundwater interactions, the direction of flow for groundwater, and measuring depths to the water table.

43. Pomology

How fruits and nuts grow and are cultivated. Pomology is loosely tied to horticulture, agronomy, and agrology with a focus on producing successful crops.

44. Sedimentology

How sand, silt, and clay are deposited and the processes that act on them. By understanding erosion, movement, and deposition of sediments, sedimentologists support the search for oil reserves and contaminated sites in mining, petroleum, and research.

45. Surficial Geology

How surface sediment (till, gravel, sand, clay, etc) overlying bedrock was formed such as during glacial retreat or in lakes associated with these periods.

46. Glaciology

How ice and glacial deposits have reconstructed landforms as well as how existing (polar) glaciers behave and are distributed. Also, this field of study understands glacial movement including isostatic rebound.

47. Geophysics

How physical processes and properties relate to Earth and its surrounding space. Geophysicists conduct surveys to explore what’s happening beneath our feet. For example, this includes anything from searching the ground for new sources of energy or the internal structure of Earth.

READ MORE: Geophysics Courses Online

48. Bedrock Geology

How the intact, solid rock beneath surficial sediments formed including age (stratigraphic sequences), morphology and rock properties (folds, faults, fractures).

49. Orography

How topographic relief in mountains is distributed in nature. The main focus is orography which studies topographic relief and how mountains are distributed. In addition, it’s concerned with plate tectonics which is a focal point for mountain-building events.

50. Topography

How physical features (natural and artificial) are arranged on the landscape. We use topography in climate models, air and water flow, land formations and to better understand past tectonic activity.

51. Hypsometry

How the height and depth of physical features are measured land from mean sea level. Hypsometry maps the terrain and processes that act on it. For example, geologists use hypsometry to understand the profile of Earth and landscape evolution.

52. Biology

How life and living organisms are structured, distributed, originated, evolved, and function. Biology works with time, disease, ecosystems, and even extraterrestrials. It also works on different scales. From individual atoms to the entire biosphere, biology has a wide range of career options.

READ MORE: Biology Courses Online

53. Zoopathology

How disease spread, interacts and is prevented with animals.

54. Phytopathology

How disease spread and are managed for plants.

55. Epidemiology

How disease and determinants of health are transferred and distributed in populations. On a large scale, epidemiologists model disease outbreaks with the goal to prevent their spread.

56. Mycology

How fungi are studied includes chemical, physical, and taxonomical properties.

57. Toxicology

How living organisms are affected, treated, and diagnosed with poisonous substances. Often, toxicology deals with how individual organisms are affected, treated, and diagnosed by poisonous substances. It’s common to test in a laboratory the various substances and materials.

58. Evolution Biology

How living things change over time and how life originated.

READ MORE: Theory of Evolution Courses

59. Paleobiology

How prehistoric life and fossils were composed specifically to a geologic time scale.

60. Paleoecology

How organisms interact in environments over a geologic time scale.

61. Paleozoology

How multicellular animal fossils are used to reconstruct prehistoric environments.

62. Zooarchaeology

How animal remains are used to explore interactions between people, animals, and the environment.

63. Primatology

How primate behavior evolved often linking human and primate characteristics.

64. Paleobotany

How plant fossils can reconstruct past environments in geologic time.

65. Dendroecology

How tree rings are used to investigate forest development, disturbance areas, and environmental change.

66. Anthropology

How humans and societies behave from the past, present, and future.

67. Paleontology

How plant and animal fossils are used to investigate the origin of species.

68. Ecology

How organisms relate to each other in their physical environment including distribution and population dynamics.

READ MORE: Ecology Courses Online

69. Synecology

How specific groups of animal and plant species relate within a community.

70. Zoology

How animals evolve, are classified, interact, and are distributed.

71. Entomology

How insects are classified and categorized.

72. Mammalogy

How mammals are characterized including anatomy, taxonomy, and natural history.

73. Ornithology

How bird species are distributed, behave, and described with a focus on conservation.

74. Phenology

How seasons and cyclical climate patterns influence plant and animal species.

75. Biogeography

How ecosystems are distributed in geographic space.

76. Zoogeography

How animals are distributed in geographic space.

77. Botany

How plants are classified, grow, and are managed in nature. Botany is synonymous with plant science or phytology.

READ MORE: Botany Courses Online

78. Dendrology

How woody plants and tree species are identified.

79. Phytogeography

How plants are distributed in geographic space.

80. Forestry

How trees are managed, planted, conserved, and cut down.

READ MORE: Forestry Courses and Online Certification

81. Arboriculture

How individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants are cultivated, grow and respond to cultural practices in an environment

82. Agrobiology

How crop production can be improved through plant nutrition.

83. Meteorology

The study of short and long-term weather/climate patterns including its physical processes and effects on the biosphere.

84. Climatology

How climate (long-term weather patterns) has varied in the past and how climate change will affect the future.

READ MORE: Climate Change Courses

85. Atmospheric Chemistry

– How atmosphere chemistry and physics relate to weather and climate patterns.

86. Topoclimatology

How topographic relief influences the local climate in the lower air layer.

87. Barometry

How atmospheric pressure is measured and relates to weather and climate.

88. Paleoclimatology

How prehistoric climates have changed on a geologic time scale.

READ MORE: Meteorology Courses Online

89. Paleotempestology

How tropical cyclones have changed on a geologic time scale.

90. Aeronomy

How chemical and physical properties are composed in the upper region of Earth and planets.

91. Radiometry

How electromagnetic radiation in the atmosphere is observed and measured.

92. Aerodynamics

How air circulates in the atmosphere.

93. Hydrometeorology

How water and energy are transferred between the land surface and atmosphere (hydrologic cycle).

94. Geomagnetism

How Earth’s magnetic field changes at different time scales including pole reversals.

95. Geophysics

How physical processes and properties relate to Earth and its surrounding space.

READ MORE: Geophysics Courses Online

96. Bioclimatology

How long-term climate patterns interact and affect living things.

97. Geobiology

How the biosphere relates to the lithosphere and atmosphere.

98. Biometeorology

How atmospheric conditions and short-term weather patterns impact living things. For example, it may examine photosynthesis in plants or evapotranspiration rates in different seasons.

99. Oceanography

Oceanography deals with ocean chemistry, physics, geology, and biology. Ocean chemistry or marine chemistry is a hot topic now. This is because climate change is happening from higher greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. About 80 to 90% of heat from global warming is going into our oceans. So the oceans are like a heated bucket absorbing 1000 times more heat than the atmosphere. As oceans become more acidic, ocean chemistry studies the chemical properties of oceans interact including marine ecosystems, ocean currents, and fluid dynamics.

READ MORE: Oceanography Courses

100. Limnology

How biological, chemical and physical properties of lakes and ponds relate (often) to their terrestrial surroundings.

101. Ocean Chemistry

How chemical properties of oceans interact including marine ecosystems, ocean currents, and fluid dynamics.

102. Hydrology

How water travels in relation to land.

103 Bathymetry

How deep oceans, seas, and lakes are relative to mean sea level. If you want to understand ocean depth, you’d perform a bathymetric survey with sonar instruments.

104. Marine Physics

How ocean currents circulate including water column structure and fluid dynamics.

105. Fluid Dynamics

How liquids mechanically flow in relation to forces acting on them.

106. Marine Biology

How life in the oceans behaves in their natural habitats.

READ MORE: Marine Biology Courses

107. Hydrobiology

How aquatic life in water is distributed, interacts, and grows.

108. Aquatic Ecology

How freshwater (lakes, ponds, wetlands, etc) relates to flora, fauna, and environment.

109. Ichthyology

How fish species evolve and grow including taxonomy, anatomy, and ecological importance.

110. Phycology/Algology

How algae are distributed, grow, and are classified in aquatic ecosystems.

111. Planktology

How plankton drifts into the oceanic environments and contributes to carbon storage.

112. Paleoceanography

How ocean history is reconstructed including how they circulated and evolved in the geologic past.

113. Cetology

How whales, dolphins, and porpoises evolve, behave, and are distributed in nature.

114. Ocean Geology

Ocean geology is the study of ocean landforms and how they will evolve.

100+ Earth Science Branches

Earth Science is so hard to define because of all its “-ologies”, “-graphies” and “-ics” in Earth Science.

All of the branches of Earth Science are all woven together in fascinating ways.

It’s the interconnectedness between all these ways to study the Earth that makes it truly fascinating.

Now that we have an outline of the branches of Earth Science, let’s dive into our journey to better understand the planet we live in.