Sciences

Although in most places science is taught as different disciplines, actually, it's all connected! In order to do research in the Earth and space sciences - also sometimes called the "geosciences", you need to have a strong background in all the sciences, as well as in mathematics, too. In this section, we have brought together information related to the Earth and space sciences from across our website on the different scientific disciplines. Explore these links to find out more about geology, physics, chemistry, and biology.
Although we humans have never experienced fast <a href="/earth/climate/climate.html&edu=elem">global warming</a>, our planet has. And our planet keeps records of what happened. The oldest records that the <a href="/earth/earth.html&edu=elem">Earth</a> keeps are in its <a href="/earth/geology/sed_intro.html&edu=elem">rocks</a>. In this image, <a href="/headline_universe/olpa/methane_28may08.html&edu=elem">geologists Chris von der Borch and Dave Mrofka</a> collect sediment samples in South Australia. These rocks hold clues to help explain why climate changed abruptly 635 million years ago.<p><small><em> Courtesy of Martin Kennedy, UCR</em></small></p>A view of the Earth as seen by the <a href="/space_missions/apollo17.html&edu=elem">Apollo 17</a> crew while traveling to the <a href="/earth/moons_and_rings.html&edu=elem">Moon</a> on December 7, 1972. Africa, Madagascar, and the Arabian Peninsula are visible, and you can barely make out the <a href="/earth/polar/antarctica.html&edu=elem">Antarctic</a>, shrouded in the heavy <a href="/earth/Atmosphere/cloud.html&edu=elem">cloud</a> cover in the southern hemisphere. Arching cloud patterns show the presence of <a href="/earth/Atmosphere/front.html&edu=elem">weather fronts</a>.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of NASA/Apollo 17.</em></small></p>Everything you see around you is made of tiny particles called <a href="/physical_science/physics/atom_particle/atom.html&edu=elem">atoms</a>. There are many different types of atoms, each with a special combination of <a href="/physical_science/physics/atom_particle/proton.html&edu=elem">protons</a>, <a href="/physical_science/physics/atom_particle/neutron.html&edu=elem">neutrons</a> and <a href="/physical_science/physics/atom_particle/electron.html&edu=elem">electrons</a>. These different types of atoms are called <a href="/physical_science/element.html&edu=elem">elements</a>.<p><small><em> L.Gardiner/Windows to the Universe</em></small></p>How did life evolve on <a href="/earth/earth.html&edu=elem">Earth</a> during the <a href="/earth/past/Archean.html&edu=elem">Archean</a>, when the <a href="/sun/sun.html&edu=elem">Sun</a> was about 25% weaker than today? The Earth should have been <a href="/earth/polar/cryosphere_glacier1.html&edu=elem">glaciated</a>, if <a href="/earth/climate/earth_greenhouse.html&edu=elem">greenhouse</a> gas concentration was the same as today. <a href="http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/news/display/?id=10798">Researchers</a> studying the <a href="/physical_science/physics/atom_particle/isotope.html&edu=elem">isotopic</a> signatures of Earth's early atmosphere in <a href="/earth/geology/rocks_intro.html&edu=elem">rocks</a> from Northern Australia have ruled out high levels of <a href="/physical_science/chemistry/nitrogen_molecular.html&edu=elem">nitrogen</a> as a possible way to increase warming from <a href="/earth/Atmosphere/overview.html&edu=elem">atmospheric</a> <a href="/physical_science/chemistry/carbon_dioxide.html&edu=elem">carbon dioxide</a>.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of Manchester University</em></small></p>A <a href="http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/8/2/024035/article">study</a> of over 40,000 written entries in Irish Annals and ice core measurements shows a strong correlation between <a href="http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/interior/eruptions.html">volcanic eruptions</a> and extreme cold weather in Ireland over a 1200 year period, from 431 to 1649. During this time up to 48 volcanic eruptions were identified in Greenland ice core records through deposition of volcanic sulfate in annual layers of ice. Find out more about <a href="http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/climate/geosphere_volcanoes_influence_on_climate.html">volcanoes and climate</a>.<p><small><em>Image Courtesy of Marco Fulle</em></small></p>Scientists at the University of Michigan have found that <a href="/earth/polar/cryosphere_permafrost1.html&edu=elem">permafrost</a> in the <a href="/earth/polar/polar_north.html&edu=elem">Arctic</a> is extremely sensitive to sunlight. Exposure to sunlight releases carbon gases trapped in the permafrost, including <a href="/earth/climate/earth_greenhouse.html&edu=elem">climate-warming</a> <a href="/physical_science/chemistry/carbon_dioxide.html&edu=elem">carbon dioxide</a>, to the <a href="/earth/Atmosphere/overview.html&edu=elem">atmosphere</a> much faster than previously thought.<p><small><em>George Kling, The University of Michigan</em></small></p>

Explore Sciences

Geology

Geology means, literally, the study of the Earth. Explore this section to understand the structure ...Read more

Physics

Physics is the study of basic properties, materials, and forces in our Universe. Our new physics ...Read more

Chemistry

Chemistry is the study of matter, energy, and how they effect each other. Chemists study the ...Read more

Biology

Biology is the study of life and living organisms. Biologists study the structure of living ...Read more

Research Highlights

Windows to the Universe is now highlighting breaking science news and cool multimedia from ...Read more

Scientists

Who made the first star map? When did people know that the Earth was round? When were sunspots ...Read more

Research Expeditions

When scientists go out to explore the Earth they often wind up in pretty interesting places ...Read more

Scientific Process

Being a scientist is fun. You get to do experiments and think of reasons why things might be ...Read more

Evolution

This Windows to the Universe Exploratour examines the scientific evidence of biological evolution. ...Read more

More about Sciences

Historical Events

Full Earth and Space Science    History Calendar (Members only)

Teacher Opportunities

Full Teacher Events Calendar (Educator Members only)

Did you know?

Did you know that North America and the Antarctic may have been connected?

Do you know why we are all sometimes called "carbon units"?

 

Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

Do you know what this word or phrase means?

Pleistocene
xPleistocene : The time period between about 10,000 years before present and about 1,650,000 years before present.

Click on the word to find out!

Research Highlights

Oldest Earth Mantle Reservoir Discovered

The Earth's mantle is a rocky, solid shell that is between the Earth's crust and the outer core. The mantle is made up of many different reservoirs that have different chemical compositions. Scientists...Read more


Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA
pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy