Earth science issues
Earth science is the study of our planet, both its present and its history, which is considerable as the Earth is more than 4·5 billion years old. Within Earth science are a number of issues that directly affect our lives, including earthquakes, pollution, environmental change and fossil fuels.
Some of the key Earth science issues that NERC scientists are committed to studying are outlined below, further information about Earth science priorities and highlights can be found elsewhere on this website.
Can Earth scientists predict earthquakes and volcanoes?
Monitoring and studying volcanoes and seismic activity allows scientists to learn more about the processes responsible for these natural hazards. Volcanologists can already detect early signs of increased activity within magma chambers and can alert people to the possibility of an eruption, as has happened at Mount Merapi in Indonesia in 2006.
NERC scientists carried out studies in the area around the Sumatra earthquake responsible for the Boxing Day tsunami so that we can learn about the causes not only the causes of the earthquakes but also secondary effects such as tsunamis. The ultimate aim being to predict these events and give people a chance to prepare.
Do Earth scientists have a role in environmental protection?
Earth scientists are increasingly involved in monitoring human impact on the environment and in researching ways to mediate our impact on the environment. For example, Earth scientists are routinely monitoring the movement of pollutants through the environment in soils and rivers.
What can we learn from fossils?
There are probably few areas of Earth science that spark as much general interest as palaeontology. Whilst studying fossils goes a long way to satisfying our curiosity about our origins, examining ancient plants and animals also tells us a great deal about the structure and development of ecosystems and past environments, even climates, helping us to predict the response of modern ecosystems to environmental change.
What can past climates tell us about current climate change?
Sediments and fossils contain information about the type of environment in which they were deposited, the study of these rocks can therefore tell us a great deal about past environments and climates.
In the past there have been periods when the Earth was much warmer than today, such as in the Jurassic, and much colder than today, for example during ice ages. Examining the environment during these periods increases our understanding of the response of the Earth to changes in sea level and greenhouse gas concentrations, helping us to understand the potential impact of manmade environmental change.
Are we running out of fossil fuels?
Our reserves of fossil fuels are rapidly depleting, and many of the remaining reservoirs are small or are in areas where extraction will be very difficult. Earth scientists are working to find new sources of fossil fuels, but Earth scientists are not just involved with fossil fuel exploration - they are also working on alternatives to fossil fuels.
Many renewable energy projects have input from Earth scientists. The monitoring of mine discharges, studies of the effects of extraction, such as subsidence, and carbon storage - storing carbon dioxide underground rather than releasing it to the atmosphere - are just a few of the areas which fall under the remit of Earth scientists.
What products do we get from the Earth?
Many of the materials that we routinely use have been mined or quarried, for example building stone, gravel, oil, coal, copper, gold and diamonds are all extracted from the ground. Earth scientists are involved in the search for new sources of economically valuable rocks and minerals and in monitoring the environmental impact of mines and quarries, which can discharge pollutants into the environment via wastewater.
Can we predict how coastlines are changing?
Coastlines are one of our most dynamic environments and Earth scientists are able to monitor the location and rates of coastal erosion, allowing the suitability of different coastal defence systems in different environments to be tested. Earth scientists working on coastal areas can also study the movement of pollutants in estuarine environments and examine the potential effects of sea level rise.
Can Earth scientists help us to become carbon neutral?
The study of the carbon cycle cuts across the different natural sciences as it looks at the different feedback systems within the carbon system, which includes carbon in the ecosystem and atmosphere. Earth scientists are involved in studying carbon sinks, the biogeochemistry of carbon cycles, palaeontological evidence for carbon cycles and isotopic evidence of the carbon cycle in the past.