Career in Earth Sciences

Dr. Pawan Kumar Bharti

Earth science, also referred to as geoscience, is a broad term for the study of the planet earth. There are many disciplines within the earth science, such as geography, geology, geophysics, soil science, ecology, oceanography, atmospheric  sciences including meteorology and climatology. Earth science jobs often combine fieldwork with Geo Information Services (GIS), research, modelling and data analysis.
There are several subjects under Earth Sciences, known as sub-disciplines or subspecialties, which focus on particular aspects. These are:
Climate Science, Meteorology, Ocean Science, Mineralogy, Atmospheric science, Seismology, Disaster Management, Geology, Geophysics, Polar Science and Cryospheric Science, Geo-engineering, Paleo-climatology, Biogeochemistry, Geomorphology, Geography, Geomagnetism, Chemical oceanography, Applied geophysics, Oceanography, Biogeochemistry, Marine Geophysics, Geoinformatics, Remote sensing and GIS, Geospatial studies, Applied geology, Marine geology, Environmental geology, Mountain geology, Earth and planetary science, Oil and Mining, Applied Geoscience, etc.
 Career opportunities
As a profession, Earth Science is very important, as people are concerned about the core subject(s) related to Earth structure or processes.
Traditionally, job opportunities in Earth Sciences include positions in academia, government, environmental consulting, petroleum and mining sector.  Many of these sectors are engaged in a long term hiring. Job opportunities in the field of earth science are excellent with the right educational preparation. Earth scientists explore the Earth and its processes.
Earth science is a broad field, and career tracks are generally determined by specialization and level of education obtained. Earth scientists can seek work in hydrology, soil science, meteorology, oil and gas extraction or geology. Employers include government agencies, consulting firms, environmental management services and the oil and gas industry. Jobs related to earth science include positions like Geoscientist, Geologist, Meteorologist, Geophysicist, Geohydrol-ogist, etc.
Higher studies/research work may provide global opportunities in various national/international missions like, Himalayan studies, South Ocean drilling program, Arctic Mission, Antarctic Mission or even extraterrestrial studies i.e. comet mission or space exploring program.  
 
Major Courses
Earth Science is a field that requires candidates from various interdisciplinary branches. Degree/diploma courses are conducted by various universities/institutions in India and abroad. One can pursue different courses in the field of Earth Sciences. Few major courses are given below:

*B.Sc.- in General Science or Biological Sciences, Natural Science
*M.Sc.- in Geology, Geophysics, or Geography
*M. Tech.- in Remote Sensing & GIS, Geoinformatics, Mining Engineering
*PG Dip. - in Remote Sensing & GIS, Geoinformatics, Mining Engineering
*Short-Term Courses/Diploma
*Ph.D. - in Earth, Ocean or planetary science, Geophysics

Research Centres/Institutions
There are many institutions, where one can build one’s career and/or continue the study/research work. Few of them are given below:
*National Centre for Earth Science Studies, Thiruvananthapuram
*National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Goa
*National Centre for Seismology (NCS), MoES
*Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad. 
*National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Noida
*National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai
*Integrated Coastal and Marine Area Management Project Directorate (ICMAM PD), Chennai
*Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun
*National Centre for Seismology, NOIDA
*National Institute of Oceanography, Goa
*Centre for Marine Living Resources & Ecology (CMLRE), Kochi
*India Meteorological Department (IMD), New Delhi
*Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune
*Department of Earth Science, IIT, Roorkee
*Centre for Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
*School of Earth, Ocean and Climate Sciences, IIT Bhubaneshwar

Universities:
There are many universities, where one can pursue the courses in Earth Science. Few of them are:
*University of Allahabad
*Lucknow University
*University of Delhi
*Anna University, Chennai
*Banaras Hindu University
*Aligarh Muslim University
*University of Jammu
*University of Culcatta
*Punjab University, Chandigarh
*University of Madras
*The M. S. University of Baroda
*Savitribai Phule Pune University
*Kurukshetra University
*Guwahati University
*Presidency University, Kolkata
*Kumaun University, Nainital
*Sikkim University, Gangtok
*Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur
*Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirapalli
*Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur
*entral University of Karnataka
*University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram
*Jadhavpur University, Kolkata
*Annamalai University, Parangipettai
*Andhra University, Visakhapatnam
*Pondicherry University, Port Blair, and,
*various departments of Governmental colleges. (Lists are indicative only)

Scope and Career Prospects:
After pursuing a suitable degree or diploma course in Earth Sciences from the afore mentioned university or similar institutions, the candidate can choose any of the given options as per his qualification, interest and potential. The most popular occupations for professional career are given below:
*Scientist/Analyst - in Government or private Research Institute/Organizations/Testing laboratories
*Lecturer/Professor- in University or academic institution
*Lab in-charge – in testing laboratories
*Scientific officer – in scientific governmental organizations or NGOs
*Geologist
*EC or FAE -  for EIA studies in consultancies
*Assistant Manager - in corporate various groups
*Geologist – for sensitive areas or special regions
*Consultant – in consultancy, NGOs or similar firms
*Writer/author – for various publishing houses or freelance
*Scientific Journalist/editor – for various magazines, newsletters, Journals
*Asst. Director/Dy. Director- in Govt. institutions or ministries
*JRF/SRF/RA/SRA - in various prestigious institutions i.e. NIITs, IITs, IISc, TIFER, etc.
*Technical officer or specialist- in various agencies/Institutions
*Post Doctoral Fellowship (PDF)
*Mining Engineer – Oil Exploration sector
*Oceanographer- for various drilling program/missions
*Expedioner- for Arctic, Antarctica, Southern Ocean or Himalayan Studies
Apart from these, candidate can make his/her career in many other jobs/posts.
Earth Science is one of the fast growing disciplines having good career opportunities for enthusiastic students and researchers. After completing education in this discipline one can carve out a good career in India as well as abroad in accordance with one’s qualifications and field of interest. 
(Author is an environmentalist & freelance writer. He was the member of 30th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica during 2010-11. e-mail: gurupawanbharti@rediffmail.com)