What are the Earth Sciences?
“It suddenly struck me that the tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small.” -Neil Armstrong
Branches of science such as ecology, volcanism and geology fall under Earth sciences.
Our planet is complex, with layer upon layer of natural processes. Without volcanism, there would be no continental drift, no mantle, and no magnetic field to protect us from Sol's deadly glare.
Those who study the history of the planet often do so by sifting through fossils, stones, and putting together other minute clues to creating a map of the history of our world.
Climate change is another example of Earth sciences. Regardless of the cause, as conditions change on planet Earth we must study them and learn from them. The effects of rising sea levels, ambient temperatures and climate shifts will damage our civilization just as severely whether or not we are the sole source of change.
As many of us know, the more we've learned about the environment the more we realize how fragile these complex systems are.