The following occupations represent some career opportunities available to earth science majors (some will require additional education):
Geoscientists
美国国家科学基金会认为地质学、地球物理学、水文学、海洋学、海洋科学、大气科学、行星科学、气象学、环境科学和土壤科学是主要的地球科学学科。
The American Geological Institute (www.agiweb.org) lists what geoscientists do in these disciplines and a variety of subdisciplines.
- Geologistsstudy the materials, processes, products, physical nature and history of the Earth.
Subdisciplines include economic geologists, engineering geologists, environmental geologists, geochemists, geomorphologists, mineralogists, petroleum geologists, paleontologists, petrologists, planetary geologists, sedimentologists, soil scientists, stratigraphers, structural geologists and volcanologists.
- Geophysicistsapply the principles of physics to studies of the Earth's interior and investigate Earth's magnetic, electric, and gravitational fields.
Subdisciplines include exploration geophysicists and seismologists.
- Hydrologistsare concerned with water from the moment of precipitation until it evaporates into the atmosphere or is discharged into the ocean; for example, they study river systems to predict the impacts of flooding.
Water related disciplines include: Marine geologists and Oceanographers.
- Meteorologistsare individuals with specialized education who use scientific principles to explain, understand, observe or forecast the earth's atmospheric phenomena and/or how the atmosphere affects the earth and life on the planet.
Subdisciplines include air pollution meteorology, atmospheric chemistry, global climate modeling, hydrometeorology, numerical weather prediction, solar weather, weather analysis and forecasting. These activities often require additional specialized education in related subjects.
For more information on careers in the atmospheric sciences, visit theAmerican Meteorological SocietyWeb site.
Professional Perspective
Matthew Ringel, Space Weather Forecaster
"A few months ago I was forecasting space weather in Boulder, Colorado. What I liked most about being a space weather forecaster was being a part of an emerging discipline. Space weather is still so young that there aren't very many people doing it, so I was able to define both my role within it and help define the direction space weather as a service is going."