Fields and Their Scope [CLIMATOL] climatology—That branch of meteorology concerned with the mean physical state of the atmosphere together with its statistical variation in both space and time as reflected in the weather behavior over a period of many years. [GEOCHEM] geochemistry—The field that encompasses the investigation of the chemical composition of the earth, other planets, and the solar system and universe as a whole, as well as the chemical processes that occur within them. [GEOD] geodesy—The subdivision of geophysics which includes determinations of the size and shape of the earth, the earth’s gravitational field, and the location of point fixed to the earth’s crust in an earth-referred coordinate system. [GEOGR] geography—The science that deals with the description of land, sea, and air and the distribution of plant and animal life, including humans. [GEOL] geology—The study or science of earth, its history, and its life as recorded in the rocks; includes the study of the geologic features of an area, such as the geometry of rock formations, weathering and erosion, and sedimentation. [GEOPHYS] geophysics—The branch of geology in which the principles and practices of physics are used to study the earth and its environment, that is, earth, air, and (by extension) space. [HYD] hydrology—The science dealing with all aspects of the waters on earth, including their occurrence, circulation, and distribution; their chemical and physical properties; and their reaction with the environment, including their relation to living things. [METEOROL] meteorology—The science concerned primarily with the observation of the atmosphere and its phenomena, including temperature, density, winds, clouds, and precipitation. [OCEANOGR] oceanography—The science of the sea, including physical oceanography (the study of the physical properties of seawater and its motion in waves, tides, and currents), marine chemistry, marine geology, and marine biology. McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms,
Posted on: Sun, 18 Jan 2015 20:27:27 +0000
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