Geology is a field that crosses the boundaries of disciplines: physics, chemistry, mathematics, geography, oceanography, meteorology, ecology. The word geology itself is derived from the Greek word ‘geo’ meaning Earth: geology is not just about rocks, but about the complex interactions between the Earth’s rocks, water, ice, atmosphere, and living organisms. Indeed, recognising this holistic perspective, many universities term their geological degrees ‘earth science’ degrees, rather than geology degrees. And in recent years, faced with the clear imperative for geologists to address the diverse challenges presented by climate changes, many have shifted the focus of their geology (or earth science) degrees specifically toward environmental science applications.
Geology is as much an integral part of climate science as climate science is a part of geology. That the work of today’s geologists increasingly falls within the scope of climate science is a fact that would benefit all of us – especially climate scientists – to realize.