Earth Science: Unearth the Best Web Sites
Earth science, also known as geoscience, is the study of Earth as a system and all its component parts. Geophysics, oceanography, atmospheric science, geology, and more all fall within its purview. There’s no need to be overwhelmed, however. Earth science inspires some of its brightest minds to share their enthusiasm and expertise online. This Web guide showcases the best sites to explore the sky above you and the depths beneath your feet.
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Email ThisWhat is Earth Science?
The broadness of Earth science as a discipline invites much confusion, lending to the erroneous... read more»
Earth Science School Resources
Earth science is a great way to introduce young children to the scientific process as well as the... read more»
Earth Science News and Blogs
Earth science is an extremely active field, with many of its fundamental discoveries having taken place in just the last few decades or even years. New developments are coming in daily. Professionals and academics in the discipline also do quite a bit of field research in often exotic locales, and they like to write about it, a lot. Below you’ll find some of the best, but certainly not a comprehensive list, of news sites and blogs focused on Earth science.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Many print publications put article abstracts online for free, but require a paid subscription for full access. Ask the librarian at your university or your employer if they hold an institutional subscription; often this will allow free access.
- Many bloggers maintain a list of their favorite blogs in a sidebar, called a blogroll. This is a great way to further explore the mass of blogs far too big to list here. For more on how to find and evaluate blogs (and start your own), check out the findingDulcinea Blogs Web Guide.
- Though many of the news sites below are intended for a general audience, most of the blogs assume more than a basic knowledge of the subject. These blogs are great informal looks at the field for students and professionals, but the layperson shouldn’t expect to understand everything on them.
- In addition to the sites featured in this section, many scientific professional organizations, foundations, or institutes have their own news-tracking pages or links to resources for news in their respective fields.
Dulcinea's Picks
For Earth science news …
ScienceDaily
, voted as one of Popular Science magazine’s “Top 50 Web Sites,” brings an immense number of stories to the fore each day. Look to the “Earth & Climate” section for news and feature articles, multimedia, and book reviews. The journalism and presentation are both top notch.
The Discovery Channel’s
elegant site brings you some of the more interesting and engaging science news online, and this “Planet Earth” section is no exception. Read the featured stories or scroll down to find more news stories of interest. Visit the site’s Global Warming section for extensive coverage of the topic, or use the navigation bar near the top of the page to see content from its various sister sites, including the Science Channel.
Scientific American’s
online “Earth & Environment” section brings you a host of multimedia, blogs, research and political news, analysis, and expert opinion on the topic. SciAm may be “the oldest continuously published magazine” in America, but this Web site takes advantage of the latest Web design and technology.
Nature Geoscience
was first published in January 2008, making it one of the newest in the pantheon of science publications from Nature Publishing Group. Its Web site offers a wealth of journalism backed by the intellectual muscle of Nature Publishing. For even more Earth science, access relevant articles from all Nature publications at its Earth sciences page.
Geotimes
, published by the American Geological Institute, reports on the latest in geoscience and policy. Along with quality journalism, many of the articles include further Web resources and information.
For Earth science blogs …
Highly Allochthonous
is a playful and enthusiastic look at geoscience. Written by a postdoctoral student at the University of Johannesburg, it includes “geopuzzle” posts to test the readership’s geology skills, as well as great photographs from the author’s fieldwork in New Zealand and other exotic locales. Part of the greater ScienceBlogs site, you’ll find many links to other interesting geology and science blogs here.
All of My Faults Are Stress-Related
is aimed toward a more technically inclined audience. The author is a geology professor and it shows, as she elicits responses and interaction with her audience in polls, technical questions, and the like.
Geotripper
seems to focus a great deal on providing beautiful pictures of planetary features, field trips, or other geology-related things. Though most geology blogs often have fabulous images, Geotripper stands out with its consistency.
Earth Science Organizations
Despite its interdisciplinary nature, the world of Earth science has a surprising number of... read more»
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